It is amazing to understand the logic of the presentation

It’s happening everywhere: The friends learn of a seeker who lives near them, and they jump into action to respond to their interest. We share this electronic conversation between the Seeker Response system regional specialist and a Local Spiritual Assembly secretary in an A-stage cluster in the Central region. It is a wonderful example of diligent follow-up. It also shows how the regional specialist supported and accompanied the LSA secretary in this process. Most exciting, however, is how the local Bahá’í prepared herself for the home visit. In one of the emails, an indirect reference is made to the letter dated April 26, 2009 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice (you can access it on www.usbnc.org). It reminds us that sharing a direct presentation about the Faith, having a conversation like Anna does with Emilia in Ruhi Book 6 is not just rattling off a series of points (okay, we’ve ALL done that at least once). Instead, we need to have a clear understanding of the logic underlying the presentation. So, that’s exactly what this believer took to heart: she went back to Ruhi Book 6 and further internalized the concepts and the logic, and look what happened. . . .

Part 1: Seeker Response system regional specialist to Local Spiritual Assembly secretary

Dear V,

I was pleased that M asked you to follow up on the seeker in your cluster. Have you been able to reach her? She has been left a phone message that someone local will be calling her, so I hope that has happened. . . .

It would be very useful if you could ask her last name. The National Center would like to send an introductory packet.

Thank you so much,

E

Part 2: LSA secretary to regional specialist

Dear E,

Thank you so much for this information! I called her and left a message yesterday. Today she called me back, and we arranged to meet together this weekend. I will remember to ask her last name then.

I am planning to share Anna’s presentation with her, if appropriate and desired. Any other suggestions you might have?

With loving greetings,

V

Part 3: Regional specialist to LSA secretary

Many thanks, V. I will be eager to hear how it goes this weekend. You might see if she would be interested in joining a study circle.

I have attached handouts from the seeker response workshop at the Green Lake Conference last month that may be useful to you. Feel free to share them with M and any others.

Loving greetings,

E

Part 4: LSA secretary’s report

Hi E, M and D,

These were such great handouts, E! And I wanted all of you to know the results of the meeting with this seeker.

Some of what I’ve read lately talks about how well “Anna’s presentation” works when one understands the logic behind what is being presented. So I went back to Ruhi Book 6 to see how it was explored there, with that point in mind. I also read the handouts you had sent.

The combination of that preparation (and it IS amazing to more fully understand the logic of the presentation!) and a VERY receptive soul gave me the most exciting, amazing gift of being involved in on of those conversations with someone who is all but ready to declare! She’s amazing! We had an in-depth conversation as appropriate to her questions, with a couple of invitations in different ways to become a Bahá’í. She had already received the packet of information you sent, so she was familiar with the registration card. There was nothing she was not interested in.

She very much wants to start Book 1. There is another young Bahá’í living in her town who is also interested in Book 1, so at least the two of them will be able to start. She also said she’d put out an invitation to the members of the online world religions class she is taking to see if anyone else would like to join the study circle. Her mother may also be interested.

Anything further you’d like to know or that should be done? I’ll see about another visit between now and when the study circle starts if it is going to be more than a few days before it begins.

With love,

V