The Inter-Faith Study Group (IFSG) was born out of a conviction that, in a world strained by pandemic anxiety, political polarization, and religious mistrust, people of faith needed a safe, prayerful space to really listen to one another before God.
During the COVID era, I watched fear, isolation, and media-driven caricatures deepen divides even among sincere believers. I formed IFSG as a virtual gathering where thoughtful seekers from many traditions could step away from the shouting, study our faiths together, and rediscover the shared values of compassion, justice, humility, and hope that sit at the heart of our scriptures and stories.
The group continues to meet online so that distance, health concerns, or national borders never prevent someone from joining the conversation.
Facilitator: Jim Kissane
Jim is a Tampa area resident and serves as founder and facilitator of the Inter-Faith Study Group (IFSG) at 4Godinme.org, a welcoming circle where people from diverse religious traditions explore how God moves in their lives through prayerful reflection, shared stories, and respectful dialogue.
A cradle Catholic and long-time lay minister, Jim’s formation includes time in priestly formation with the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement at St. John’s Seminary, where he was shaped by their charism of reconciliation, unity, and healing.
He is a graduate of Audire, a three-year contemplative spiritual direction program preparing “holy listeners” to accompany others in their walk with the Divine, and of the Diocese of St. Petersburg’s Lay Pastoral Ministry Institute, a multi-year lay ecclesial ministry formation program.
Jim has also completed ACPE-based chaplaincy formation, equipping him to offer compassionate spiritual care to people in crisis, transition, and grief.
In that same spirit, in 2006 he founded and leads the Employment Assistance Ministry at the Franciscan Center in Tampa, walking with jobseekers in faith, hope, and community. This group just held their 1,000th consecutive weekly meeting helping jobseekers.