Richard J. Foster, who lives in the Denver area, is the author of Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World (HarperSanFrancisco, 25th anniversary edition, 2005). He is a Quaker and the founder of Renovaré, a movement committed to church renewal.

Congregation Or Atid, a Conservative synagogue in Richmond, Va. conducts a “Switch Day,” when members take the shifts of Christian volunteers at nearby Beth Sholom Nursing Home.

Since 1990, Cedar Village, a retirement and nursing home in Mason, Ohio, has held a “Mitzvah Day” every Dec. 25, in which Jewish staff members volunteer to work for Christian staffers. Contact Rachel Festenstein, director of marketing and community outreach.

The Self-Realization Fellowship, which has headquarters in Los Angeles, follows the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) that are based on yoga and on Jesus. The fellowship has temples and meditation centers around the United States.

Read “What do Hindus Believe about Jesus?” from BeliefNet.

The Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of Boston has held a special Christmas Eve service in which the Nativity story is read and Christmas carols are sung. Contact Swami Tyagananda.

See the March 21, 2005, Time magazine cover story, “Hail, Mary,” about the growing popularity of the mother of Jesus among Protestants.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness in Potomac, Md., runs Food for Life, a vegetarian food relief program in several South African cities, and operates several temples.

The Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston does outreach in seven countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Contact Adam Scherr.