Learning by doing in Greenville-Spartanburg

Here is a report from the Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (A) cluster, which has recently launched its intensive program of growth. The friends are thrilled at seeing receptivity and enrolments that they haven’t experienced before. What is particularly interesting is how they carefully analyze their results: When were people at home? Who has been declaring? How can we be more effective next time. Also noteworthy is an important tool to assist with follow-up efforts: the “Sorry we missed you!” card to leave at homes of people who had requested to be visited but were not there when you came by.

The area teaching committee and cluster institute coordinator had a debrief last week and here are some of the insights.

We went out direct teaching in one neighborhood Saturdays and Sundays. We found more people home on Saturdays than on Sundays, and all of our 9 declarations from our direct teaching in came on Saturdays. Our 2 other declarations came from our community of interest. One at the Sunday class at the Baha'i center and one on a weekday evening while the seeker was visiting the teacher at the hospital. . . .

We are thinking for the next expansion phase to spend more time direct teaching on Saturdays and schedule follow ups on Sundays.

The "sorry we missed you" cards work! While debriefing after our teaching Sunday, my phone rang with a caller from the neighborhood we were in. We had gone by her house on a revisit and she was not home so we left the card with her son. It's nice when they call you!

As of last week 4 of the 11 new believers are in study circles. We are continuing our follow-up efforts in the neighborhood and hopefully will engage more of the new declarants. Several of the friends who were part of the original teaching team have committed to follow up with these new believers.

Many people in our cluster as well as folks from other clusters that have come to help all have shared their amazement at what has just happened. Many of the friends just cannot believe it and I'm serious I've received several more calls this week from Asheville, Charlotte and Spartanburg all sharing how "they just can't believe it".

Thank you!

J