A collection of just some of the Social and Economic (SED) endeavors that took place in the United States and each represents examples of fixed duration activities.  Many of these are the result of junior youth group activities.

• Street clean up and recycling project, Chicago, IL*
• Fundraiser for a mom with cancer in Santa Rosa, CA*
• Abrahamic Women's presentation on the role of women in their Faith in University Hts, OH
• Adopt-a-Highway cleanup project in Selden, NY
• Art Camp for Kids in Rockford, IL
• Tree planting in Lake Oswego, OR*
• Community garden and food bank in Fargo ND,
• Ayyam-i-Ha donation of food to an emergency pantry in Burlington, VT
• Free health clinic by volunteer doctor(s) for those without insurance, in Fairfax, VA
• Donation of toiletries and non-food items to women/children’s center in South Bend, IN
• Parade float of youth with a sign “No room in my heart for prejudice” in Gresham, OR
• Planted trees and shrubs in bird sanctuary Forest Preserve in Waukegan, IL
• Beach cleanup in Shoreline, WA
• Book donations to book bank in Lake Bluff, IL*
• Bikes for the World collection and repair charity in Greenbelt, MD
• Bingo in a nursing home in Fort Smith, AR*
• Blessing Bags stuffed with basic needs for homeless in Reno NV*
• Virtue rocks and hot cocoa give-away by children’s class in Bellingham, WA
• Stop Bullying campaign in Albuquerque, NM*
• Slave Cemetery restoration in Hendersonville, TN
• Children’s Peace Garden in Dayton, OH
• Climate Change panel discussion in Gainesville FL
• Clothing drive in Louisville, KY*
• Sewing warm hats for cancer patients in Blackfoot, ID
• Fundraiser for Ugandan Bahá’í School in Manhattan Beach, CA
• Dedication of historic Black park in Mcallen, TX
• Navajo Canyon Habitat Restoration in San Diego, CA
• Food drive in Renton, WA*
• Suicide Prevention in Washington, DC
• Meal preparation for homeless in Evanston, IL*
• Making comfort bags for foster children in Spanaway, WA
• Free English conversation classes for migrants and refugees in Spokane, WA
• Girls Rising spiritual study and positive social activities in Peekskill, NY
• Good Guides mentoring program in Peoria, IL
• Gospel Music workshops in Los Angeles, CA
• Healing the Racial Divide community dialogue and service series in Decatur, GA
• Health screening camp for the homeless in Vienna, VA
• Making hygiene kits for homeless children in Encino, CA
• Pancake breakfast in Upland, CA*
• Pet support drive for the Humane Society in Casa Grande, AZ
• Police against violence community discussion in High Point, NC
• Public discourse on race unity in Alexandria, VA
• Empowerment of women workshop in Clearwater, FL
• Spanish translators for community health clinic in Woodstock, VA
• Soul Food Sundays monthly character-development classes for youth in Ellington, CT
• Overcoming violence through an arts conference in Chicago, IL
• Dental health project in Portland, OR*
• Trafficking/protection of minors multi-Assembly study session in Rancho Cucamonga, CA

*Denotes a junior youth group project

SED: Samples of endeavors reported for 2015

Some examples of social and economic development endeavors underway across the country . . .

o   Planting a garden in a neighborhood in Naples FL with another organization

o   Offering seminars and scholarships through the Esperanza Foundation in Portola CA

o   Church-sponsored talks, potluck and speakers on MLK Day in Scottsville VA

o   “To Light a Candle” documentary on religious and educational freedom, across the USA

o   Roadside cleanup in Grand Rapids MN

o   “Education is not a Crime” seminar and consultations, across the USA

o   Pet rescue volunteer service in Trophy Club TX

o   Clothing drive in Camas WA

o   Student Virtues Aware program to high school students in La Crescenta CA

o   Tutoring program in Bethlehem PA

o   Earth Day Fair on climate change in Milford MI

o   Race Equality Discourse in Rocklin CA

o   Brilliant Stars Park cleanup in Fontana CA

o   Trash Bash neighborhood cleanup in Richardson TX

Angie's journey in becoming a Bahá'í

When Angie was in her late 20's, some 10 years ago when she was working as a receptionist, she met an older gentleman who came into the office.  He saw that she was frustrated and gave her a book of Bahá'í prayers.  Angie put the little book aside and did not read it. 

About 3 years ago, Angie began to search more directly for "something different."  She investigated a number of faiths, including Christianity and Buddhism, and even studied Islam, but none of them felt quite right for her.  Angie's cousin was also searching and knew about the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, IL.  They decided to visit this place of worship together.

Angie explained how she felt when she first entered the gardens of the Bahá’í House of Worship.

"Immediately I knew that I belonged. I felt comfortable!"

Angie regularly attends devotional gatherings at the Bahá’í House of Worship and brings her 13-year-old son.

"We just like it there,” she explained.

One Sunday, by coincidence, she met the older gentleman who had given her the Bahá'í prayer book some ten years ago.  Angie shared that while cleaning one day, she found the little book he had given her.  She was surprised that she still had it and hadn't been tossed it out during the many moves her family made over the years. 

Recently during a return visit to the House of Worship, Angie asked how to learn more about the Bahá'í Faith and she was given information.  She soon after was connected to the local Bahá’í community and invited to an "Hour of Prayer" and from this gathering Angie began to study with others the book “Reflections on the Life of the Spirit” and later also “Arising to Serve.” Her son has been invited to join the junior youth spiritual empowerment group in his neighborhood.  Angie has since registered her declaration to become a Bahá’í and is now an enrolled member.

 

 

What is the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program?

The junior youth spiritual empowerment program is open to young people aged between approximately 12 and 14 and assists them to navigate through a crucial stage in their lives. 

Those in their early adolescent years possess altruism, a sense of justice, eagerness to learn about the universe, and a desire to contribute to the construction of a better world.

The program helps them form a strong moral identity and empowers them to contribute to the well-being of their communities and the world at large. 

By developing their spiritual qualities (virtues), their intellectual capabilities and their capacities for service to society, the participants come to see that they can become agents of positive change in the world. 

The program adopts a participatory mode of learning where the facilitator and participants learn from each other. 

Groups of participants engage in activities such as artistic expression, discussion, drama, cooperative games, study of literature, storytelling, and acts of community service. 

The junior youth program explores themes from a Bahá'í perspective, but is not a formal religious education program. It is open to all, subject to parental approval. Junior youth groups meet on a regular basis and there is no written homework. 

There will be regular parent meetings and parent involvement is welcome.

Since its inception, the Ruhi Institute^* has attached special importance to its work with youth aged 12 to 15; specifically, it has sought to understand the dynamics of maintaining small groups in local communities that offer a setting in which young people can discuss ideas and form a strong moral identity. The Institute has found the titles noted below, some of which are developed by other organizations, useful for this purpose. They are divided into two categories and are listed in order of difficulty. Several other titles will eventually be added to the Institute’s program for the spiritual empowerment of junior youth. 

All of the titles are concerned with developing language skills and the power of expression. Some in the first category also address mathematical concepts and social issues, while others seek to prepare young people to approach the investigation of physical, social and spiritual reality in a scientific manner. Though the moral concepts in the materials in the first category are drawn from the Bahá’í teachings, they are not religious in nature, nor do they treat subjects that are specifically Bahá’í. Many kinds of organizations, including academic institutions, will therefore find them useful for their educational programs with junior youth. The current titles in this category are:

 

·         Glimmerings of Hope

·         Thinking About Numbers

·         Walking the Straight Path

·         Learning About Excellence

·         Observation and Insight (not yet available)

·         The Human Temple

·         Drawing on the Power of the Word 

In its own work with young people, the Ruhi Institute includes the items in the second category, which address Bahá’í-related subjects. Among these subjects are those with which adolescents most often struggle, such as, free will and predestination and the complex relationship between will and knowledge. Currently, the following titles are in this category: 

·         Spirit of Faith

·         Power of the Holy Spirit

 

^* The Ruhi Institute carries out active research in the educational field, in order to develop programs and materials that enhance the capacity of individuals and communities to serve humanity worldwide. 

I would like to know who I can speak to about . . . [being an animator]

This youth lives in North Carolina . . .

“My name is Brad, I am a student at  . . . high school and I am looking for summer volunteer positions. I saw that you posted a position for an animator of junior youth group. I would like to know who I can speak to you about this position. I can be reached at  . . . . Thank you!” 

He is drawn to the principle of unity--"This is the Truth! It is so good!"

Emanuel is now a member of the Bahai Faith!  Here is what he shared about himself with his friends . . .

Born into a Muslim and of Nigerian background, Emanuel always felt that Islam was "forced on him" and he practiced briefly out of respect for his father. He later heard about the Baha'i Faith through Baha'i friends who live in this community.  Last month, he attended the Youth Conference near him, and 2 weeks later, signed a card at a Baha'i gathering.   When he asked if the Baha'is had a card for him to sign, his friends gave him a "very long hug."

Emanuel feels "empowered" by the Baha'i teachings; and when he learned about Baha'u'llah, Emanuel shared, "This is the Truth! It is so good!" He also thought, "How can you deny this - it will change the world!  Why not embrace it?" He is drawn to the principle of unity and the importance placed on family.

Two laws that he spoke about were “no backbiting and no prejudice!"

Emanuel is involved in community life with the Bahais. He attends many devotional gatherings and has already completed the course called “Reflections on the Life of the Spirit;” he is now studying the course called “Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth.”

 

SED: Examples of junior youth on the move!

Carla shared these endeavors with us that were born out of junior youth spiritual empowerment activities.  Each directly impact the larger community!

• Potting plants to give to dementia patients in a nursing home
• Using the quotes from Glimmerings of Hope for a potluck and devotional for the families of the junior youth
• Making craft gifts for junior youths' mothers
• Making puppy blankets for a pet rescue shelter
• Volunteering at local 10,000 Villages by unpacking incoming crafts and helping sell items at their fund-raiser

Junior Youth: A Community Transforming the World

In cluster after cluster around the country, the friends are learning more about the merits of the junior youth spiritual empowerment program, and its influence on the community and the household.

The Universal House of Justice in its November 14, 2012 message writes:

The merit of the junior youth spiritual empowerment program lies, first and foremost, in its effectiveness at enhancing the power of expression and the quality of spiritual perception within its participants and in assisting them to develop the capabilities necessary for a life of meaningful service to their communities. Repeated accounts from officials, parents, and young people themselves testify to the power of the program to shape character and bring forth the praiseworthy qualities latent in junior youth.

Recently, a mother with three children registered her belief in the Baha'i Faith on line at www.bahai.us, along with her children. She first heard about the Baha'i Faith when she was 10 years old from her sister who has now been a Baha'i for over 30 years.

Raised as a Roman Catholic, she eventually converted to Islam, and appreciated the Faith as a way of life and the restatement of spiritual laws brought by Muhammad.

She lived overseas while practicing Islam. However, she felt that she lacked a spirit of unity and community and looked up the Baha'is when she moved back stateside to the West Coast.

The regional seeker response coordinator in touch with this family of receptive souls shares:

One child participates in a junior youth group, and another child is attending the area toddler class. The mother is [also] already well connected to her local Baha'i community—attending a devotional gathering and participating in a Ruhi Book 1 study which she hosts in her home. As she has learned about Baha'u'llah, and His Teachings on progressive Revelation, she said ‘it all made perfect sense’ and she sees that she's been taking steps towards becoming a Baha'i all her life. She is so grateful that she and her children are now part of a community that is working to transform the world!

Junior Youth: “encouraging us all to strive for greater heights”!

A woman who coordinates a junior youth program in her home recently attended a weekend planning meeting, and went home with something unexpected—a map of her state.

At the end of the meeting during the clean-up, she writes that “the large, beautiful map” of the state “that graced one wall of our meeting room was offered to me.”

Despite friendly chuckles from fellow Baha’is at the meeting, surprised to see a rolled-up 4 foot by 6 foot map tucked under her arm, the junior youth coordinator had a plan:

My hope was that it would fit on one of the walls in my house so that I could display it and adorn it with markers of some kind to indicate where all the junior youth groups in our state are located.

Sure enough, she was thrilled “to find that it fit perfectly on one of my walls” where many young people coming to her home would be able to see the map.

In November 2012, regarding junior youth, the Universal House of Justice wrote:

The merit of the junior youth spiritual empowerment program lies, first and foremost, in its effectiveness at enhancing the power of expression and the quality of spiritual perception within its participants and in assisting them to develop the capabilities necessary for a life of meaningful service to their communities.

In addition, the House of Justice praised the power of the program “to shape character” and “bring forth the praiseworthy qualities latent in junior youth.” “By multiplying vibrant junior youth groups,” they added, communities can learn much, including “how initiating one activity can, quite naturally, lead to the emergence of others.”

In the coordinator’s home town there are currently two junior youth groups. The regular meetings are on Fridays after school, and they also have a homework group on Tuesday evenings. Over a year and a half the group has grown from five to nineteen, including several children, with 5 youth and adults supporting the group. The coordinator writes:

It has become a space in which adults, youth, junior youth and children can have meaningful interactions in the context of helping each other with homework but also socializing, sharing a meal, baking, and playing games.

On the Tuesday following the planning meeting, she was eager to see how the youth would react to the map and to seeing the locations of other junior youth groups in the state.

Several children gathered to study the map, and a discussion ensued. Why were there no junior youth groups in one half of the state? How can we have two groups in our town when the state capital has none? One junior youth noted that a certain town had a lot of groups.

And they came to a conclusion: they really needed “to grow the program all over the state.” The coordinator writes:

It was so encouraging to hear these observations and to see how the visual representation of the spread of the program across the state helped these junior youth to recognize that they are part of something bigger and that there is real value in this program beyond maintaining our own little groups.

Within this lovely story, one may see the vision of the House of Justice unfolding, how the pursuit of junior youth groups and other activities can “quite naturally, lead to the emergence of others.”

And the woman who sponsors the junior youth gathering and brought home the map sums up her experience by writing:

On the heels of our wonderfully intense meeting last weekend which focused our attention so acutely on a continental youth strategy which will manifest itself in movement of youth across our region with the aim of establishment, strengthening and intensification of the junior youth spiritual empowerment program--I wanted to share that the protagonists of this strategy certainly include the junior youth themselves who will no doubt keep encouraging us all to strive for greater heights of excellence in this regard.

Crisis and Victory

In a prayer for youth, 'Abdu'l-Bahá supplicates:

O Lord! Strengthen these fragile seedlings that each one may become a fruitful tree, verdant and flourishing. Render these souls victorious through the potency of Thy celestial hosts, that they may be able to crush the forces of error and ignorance and to unfurl the standard of fellowship and guidance amidst the people; that they may, even as the reviving breaths of the spring, refresh and quicken the trees of human souls and like unto vernal showers make the meads of that region green and fertile.

Those who have studied Ruhi Book 4 know that the lives of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh provide us with an important object lesson: that the Cause of God advances through a series of crises and victories. It “moves from crisis to victory to crisis to victory, and no power on earth is capable of stopping its onward march.” The same principle holds true on a smaller scale at the level of individual core activities, and nowhere is this more apparent than with the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program. The following story tells of a junior youth group in crisis, and how a personal tragedy helped the group turn that crisis into victory.

Today our junior youth group experienced a breeze of confirmation. Over the past few weeks, our group has been struggling with disunity, and today, we finally began to overcome that barrier. We started with a prayer; we had never done this before, but since the junior youth had not been getting along lately, I figured it would set a good tone. Afterwards, we decided to update our group “pact” with a new set of guidelines that all of the junior youth came up with together, including some new members. We emphasized that these guidelines were important to prevent future problems that could contribute to the disunity our group was currently facing.

After revising the pact, we went to play soccer. As we were walking, Jack called me over from across the street. Jack is the stepfather of one of our former group members, Jeremy, who moved away about a month ago. His mom, Melony, had lost both of her legs to cancer four years ago, and she had sent Jeremy to live with his dad because it was time for him to have a full time male role model. Today, I learned from Jack that Melony knew she did not have long to live, and wanted Jeremy to be settled in with his father by the time she was gone. Melony lost her life to cancer just a few days ago.

I had never seen Jack so speechless. He could not express any words to me, so he sent me inside his home to talk with Connie, Melony’s best friend of 17 years. Connie sketched out the last moments of Melony’s life. She expressed Melony’s last wishes, which were to have her body cremated and her ashes given to her two sons so they could scatter them in the ocean together. At this point, I realized that Connie and Jack were not only mourning the death of Melony, but were also worried because they were $225 short in paying for her funeral expenses.

What happened next was beautiful. I got to share prayers with them. We said a prayer for the departed, and I assured them that God would take care of this problem. Then my co-animator arrived and also shared prayers with them. I asked them for permission to share this news with the rest of the group and they agreed. I joined the group on the soccer field and informed them of their neighborhood’s loss. They wanted to know if Jeremy was okay, and how they could help. I told them about the funeral expenses, and they immediately wanted to do something. This became our next service project.

After offering condolences, the group fanned out into the neighborhood in teams of two, and in a span of just an hour we collected over $150. We presented this money to Jeremy’s family, and this is when I realized how empowered the group had become today. Connie and Jack expressed their thanks in such a way that the junior youth truly felt the significance of what they had accomplished. They recognized the purpose of their group; that it is the core of the neighborhood, and that it is strong enough to put aside personal differences in times of need. They showed encouragement, love, generosity, and kindness to a family during a difficult time.

What was perhaps most empowering was that race barriers were dissolved today. Jeremy’s family is African American, while the rest of the group members are Hispanic. The junior youth have been hesitant to invite their African American neighbors to join. When we talked about reaching out to them two weeks ago, they expressed that they were not wanted in the African American community across the street, and they had no reason to go there. But today, thanks to Melony’s sacrifice, our junior youth group was given a reason to bridge these race barriers and to unify as a group to work toward one common goal. A boy, who had dropped out of the group about a month ago but was playing soccer with us, took ownership of the service project and led the group in helping Melony’s family.

We had so many touching moments. One of the youth shared a story of one of the men who donated money. The man said he was going to spend the money on beer, but because he knows Jeremy’s family is in need and because of how much he loves his own mom, he decided to donate the money instead. When this story was shared with the family, Connie was overcome with how special a sacrifice that man had made.

These breezes of confirmation solidified our group today and empowered these junior youth to experience firsthand that they can make a difference in their neighborhood and in the world.

Academic Skills Improved by Baha'i Junior Youth Group Curriculum

“Only the capacity of the Bahá’í community limits the extent of its response to the demand for the programme by schools and civic groups.”  Thus wrote the Universal House of Justice, in its 2010 Ridvan Message, about the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program (JYSEP), which is producing noteworthy results around the world.  Stories locally are emerging about the different ways in which this program is bringing out latent capacity in participants, such as how young people who engage in the JYSEP gain new perspectives that, in turn, enable them to contribute to the improvement of society.

One of the aims of this program is to assist participants to enhance their powers of expression.  The Area Teaching Committee of Amarillo, TX (A-stage) shares the following:

Students of a local JYSEP animator informed her that reading the material and answering the questions from their JYSEP book helped their comprehension and testing skills when they took their TAKS test (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, mandatory state-wide standardized testing for grade school students).

It seems that in this program the academic skills and the spiritual insights advance together.  When the school authorities hear about this, you can bet the capacity of the Bahá’í community will be further tested!

Junior Youth Demonstrate Qualities Through Service

 In its Ridvan 2010 message to the Bahá’ís of the world, the Universal House of Justice describes the special qualities of junior youth:  “altruism, an acute sense of justice, eagerness to learn about the universe and a desire to contribute to the construction of a better world.”  We are pleased to share this newsflash from Ann Arbor, MI (A), about a junior youth group that has put these qualities into practice, and drawn the attention of the wider community in doing so.

Greetings!

The junior youth group that is centered in the northeast side of Ann Arbor has just received a certificate of recognition from the University of Michigan.  This award was presented to the group by the University of Michigan's Meals on Wheels program for the monthly service the group has engaged in for nearly two years (Fall of 2008 to the present).

The photograph of the award has been added to our photo slideshow at the upper right corner of this blog!

Studying the Writings and reflecting on the neighborhood

 

The Universal House of Justice has set before us in the Ridvan 2010 message the goal of creating in neighborhoods “a centre of intense activity” characterized by the core activities.  Here is a snapshot of how this new culture is taking root in the Santa Cruz, CA (A) cluster, shown through the lens of a home visit.

Inspiring and informative home visits continue at one apartment complex in the cluster.  When we discuss quotes from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh with one friends, she sees their applicability in the community.  She speaks about the possible ways in which these words might inform the health and vitality of the neighborhood and how the ideas can transform our daily lives. . . .

It has been a time of reflection on the state of the neighborhood and the challenges facing it and the hardships experienced within the community.  The home visits are also often paired with a children’s class for the children who live there.  We are always warmly greeted by the smallest child, who gathers her brother and sister, and the class begins with songs, stories and memorization of quotes.

And in another part of the cluster, an animator of a junior youth group describes the effect of this activity on the participants.

Junior youth in the Santa Cruz cluster say that initially they decided to become a part of the group because they were friends with the people who were already in the group, and they wanted to be with their friends.  However, as the group progressed, they came to see it as a dynamic force for action to make their own community a better place to live.  They do all sorts of activities together and say that the junior youth group is important for social interaction and community development.

Their favorite recent experiences in the group have been planning service projects, raising money for and learning more about charity organizations.  The junior youth describe the animators as “cool, funny and good role models.”

Engaging classmates with the vision of junior youth empowerment

 

Here is the second teaching story from the latest cycle of the intensive program of growth in New York City (A), this one focusing on a university campus!  The Bahá’ís are engaging their classmates by sharing the vision of the junior youth spiritual empowerment program—and directly inviting their active participation.  And that’s not all!  The core activities, the habit of engaging in spiritual conversations, and the institute process are all creating an exciting atmosphere.

One teaching team consisting of four youth studying at one of the universities here has been saying daily the teaching prayer for the Northeast states and the prayer for New York to attract divine confirmations in a spirit of unity.  They have been sharing with friends and classmates the significance of a junior youth empowerment program, explaining that it helps junior youth navigate through a crucial period of their lives and provides a space for junior youth to explore and develop their moral, language and cognitive capacities, within a group context of study, discussion and service.  The teaching team has been inviting their friends to help them start a junior youth group and also to participate with them in a Book 5 training to provide them with the practical and spiritual capacities to animate a junior youth group.  The team has also been inviting friends and classmates to join a Book 1 study circle. . . .

One teaching team member decided to reach out to a student who had previously contacted the university’s Bahá’í Club this year and expressed interest, but had not yet attended any events.  The team member had realized the seeker lived in her same building, and the seeker responded enthusiastically to an informal, informational meeting in the team member's dorm room.  They were joined by another very receptive seeker, and all three talked very naturally for 2 hours, discussing the seeker's questions about devotional gatherings, youth year of service, and all going over a children's class lesson from Book 3 (including a story from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s life!).  All members seemed very pleased to have taken the time to meet and really connect to one another's hearts through conversation elevated by Baha'i teachings.

Genuine 24-7 caring

 

This absolutely delightful story of a junior youth group comes from San Francisco-San Mateo, CA (A).  In between all the various meals there are many crucial lessons.  I was particularly struck by how genuinely the animators cared and connected with the junior youth in their group—and did so 24-7.  The bonds of friendship developed naturally with the family, and this came about from the attitude of pure and detached service on the part of the animators.  Look also at how the sharing of the Faith occurred naturally, woven into the conversation, as well as the vision of who we are and what we are trying to do.

I wanted to share this story about a reverse home visit with the parents of junior youth and how it came about:

A junior youth group has been meeting in this neighborhood for 6 weeks now.  Through conversations with the junior youth, it became evident that all of them were wanting help with their math classes.  One of the animators volunteered to help each of them with their math homework so he set up appointments with three of them. . . .

One afternoon he came to the home of one of the junior youth.  They studied for about an hour and a half, and then the mother offered him dinner, though she hadn't prepared it yet.  The animator profusely thanked her but, indicating that he had to go, said that there would be other opportunities.  One hour later, the junior youth showed up at the animator's home with a delicious plate of food.  The animator was scheduled to meet with him again the following day in the morning.  Once again, he was greeted with more food, this time for breakfast.  Another hour or so of tutoring took place along with some really nice conversation with the mother about their lives.  At this time, moved by the instant friendship that had developed, the animator invited the mother and her family over for dinner the following evening.  She agreed.

The next evening, the mother showed up beautifully dressed with her all her children.  Both animators of the group and 2 other Bahá’í friends also attended.  Over dinner the mother and her 3 children shared stories about their lives from Mexico and here in the United States.  After dinner, we then divided into groups:  One animator sat with the mother in the living room, the other animator worked with the junior youth on the computer, another one of the friends read a story to one of the younger children, and the last friend did the dishes.

The animator then shared some quotations from Walking the Straight Path with the mother and the first quotation in Unit 2 of Book 5.  She was very open to all of the concepts of the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program and fully agreed with the methodology for spiritual empowerment.  She encouraged the animator to make a presentation at the local middle school and a nearby community center to invite more junior youth to participate.

At this point, the animator mentioned he and other Bahá’ís do this service because they really want to see the junior youth develop spiritual and material excellence and for their talents and capacities to be brought out and enhanced.  The mother had never heard of the Bahá’í Faith so she asked, inquisitively, what it was.  The animator shared the very beginning of Anna's conversation in Spanish.  The conversation continued and the mother asked if she could read through the whole booklet.  She did so for about 15 minutes and then asked the animator to make a copy of 3 sheets from the presentation so that she could post them in her home for her family to see:  The Eternal Covenant of God, the quote of “When a though of war comes oppose it by a stronger thought of peace”, and the “Refresh and gladden my spirit” prayer.

The night ended with the animator coming over to their home for another half hour to make sure that all the math homework was complete and ready to be turned in the next day.  The mother and her family felt immensely grateful.

Reflections:  The genuine interest in seeing junior youth succeed in their material education led to increased opportunities for the animator to build a relationship of trust and friendship with the parents of the junior youth.  Visiting with the parents of junior youth to further explain the nature of the program helps to create really solid supporters for the group and its vision.  A dinner where friends from the neighborhood can be casually invited opens the door for increased bonds of love and friendship, a necessary element for teaching the Faith and for a soul to continue on its path towards Bahá’u’lláh.

A remarkable ability to naturally bring up the Faith

Here is the latest update from Rio Grande Valley, TX (A).  There is a junior youth group that has been started and is doing well and having the support of the local friends.  The final description of the friends’ capacities is particularly inspiring.

I twice visited the junior youth group that the travel teachers have helped 2 of the local friends have started up.  The group seems like it is doing very well.  Most of the junior youth are composed of the non-Baha'i relatives of the 2 animators (who live in the same neighborhood).  The participants are very attentive and enthusiastic, and they are already discussing what service they would like to do. . . .

Another youth from the wider community has expressed interest in starting up a junior youth group.  We studied the first two units of Ruhi Book 1 and some excerpts from Ruhi Book 5, we had our first meeting with 4 junior youth, which went very well.  Again, the junior youth seemed very enthusiastic, and by the second meeting two days later, they had already started planning different service activities for the future.  Also, on the second meeting, a Bahá’í junior youth joined the group, and two others expressed a desire to join as well.  I heard from a friend in the cluster that this group carried out its first act of service yesterday.  I believe both groups will do quite well.

One family held a devotional while I was there, and because of all the activity taking place at that time, they were able to invite a number of their neighbors and friends, and the devotional was consequently well attended.  A few of us also made a home visit to the mother of one of the junior youth to introduce ourselves and describe a little bit about the Faith.

The members of this cluster seem to have a remarkable ability to very naturally bring up the subject of the Bahá’í Faith with their friends, neighbors, and acquaintances.  Most all the people in the community I met shared this trait.  The community certainly was also trying to open up opportunities for service to more people.

No matter what you're doing, always bring someone along

One special aspect of junior youth groups is the “animator gathering”. This is a regular meeting where animators in a cluster or region can come together to share experiences, identify lessons learned, consult on challenges, encourage each other, and plan future actions. These gatherings play a vital role in building the capacity of animators and in sustaining junior youth groups. We are happy to share the report of a recent animator gathering held in Eugene, OR (A). The participants framed their consultations with review of some key guidance, studied specific sections of Ruhi Book 5 (Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth), sharing their own experiences, and experiences of other animators around the world, and practical exercises to build skills related to group formation. Not surprisingly, this resulted in a very rich set of insights. One particularly striking point is that we should make accompaniment a constant aspect of our service, to “always bring someone along” with us for every task.

Eight friends gathered in Eugene for an animator gathering. Our thoughts were on the Bahá’ís on trial occurring that same hour; our prayers and devotional music were focused on our beloved friends in Iran and for assistance to raise up souls who would "adorn the world of being with a new raiment and a wondrous robe". After a round of introductions in which we shared joyous moments from our own memories when we were junior youth, a brief message was conveyed on behalf of the Regional Institute Coordinator expressing admiration for the steadfast service of the friends in Eugene. The Cluster Institute Coordinator, in whose home we were meeting, has also been very supportive of the animators, and gratitude was expressed for her assistance and support. . . .

We then began studying the guidance on the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program. We reflected upon the vision of junior youth who would be empowered to "rescue their peers", and how "spiritual battles will be on the street corners of village and city, in the school hallways and places of recreation". (from a December 1988 letter of the International Teaching Center) The paragraph on junior youth in the Ridvan 2000 message was also read. We then familiarized ourselves with the purpose and nature of the program.

Several comments from youth who had participated in the junior youth activities in rural India (obtained from the Ruhi Institute’s Web site at www.ruhi.org) were shared. These comments were inspiring and clearly illustrated the program's potential for encouraging junior youth and youth to bring about social change within their own communities. One comment led to an excited discussion on the use of the book “Breezes of Confirmation” and how junior youth in our region have responded to it.

One animator in Eugene shared how a junior youth who had difficulty reading often showed that he grasped the concepts in the book despite struggling with the language. This was evident as the junior youth would enthusiastically re-tell the story to other participants in his group when they had missed a group meeting.

A conversation on the nature of accompaniment then ensued. The logo on the front of the Ruhi books—of people holding hands—depicted beautifully how we may be engaged in service. The friends were encouraged to always bring along someone as they serve, whether in starting new groups, in animating, in planning group meetings or studying and reflecting, so that the learning experience is always shared with others. We hope to develop more systematic ways of noting what we are learning and communicating it with others effectively.

We then went through some of the sections of Unit 3 in Ruhi Book 5. Many creative and practical approaches on how to form groups were shared by the participants. Some of the approaches had already been tried by animators and others will be attempted as new groups form and current groups expand in number.

One approach is to encourage the junior youth to invite their friends. Two experiences were shared about how a junior youth who visited previously existing groups had a sense about what the purpose of the program was and therefore found it easy to invite their friends to something they had themselves experienced. An interesting insight was shared that, as a result of attending a junior youth group, it is easier for a junior youth to define their Bahá’í identity by the activities the group engages in (e.g., service, study, arts). This therefore provides them a means to teach their peers about the Faith, not simply by describing principles but through actual deeds.

One animator mentioned that having group meetings in a common public area, particularly in warm weather, has also been an effective way to attract new members. Another suggestion was to hold a series of service projects in a particular neighborhood that would attract the attention of those living there, and provide a natural way to introduce the program.

As more members join a junior youth group, they would also then invite their other friends—this has been a successful approach for one group in Eugene which has now almost doubled in size. One challenge of this approach (friends inviting friends) is the animators are trying to find a systematic way to follow up with the parents, since they are not making the initial introductions to the program for the junior youth.

Since Eugene is a city that lends itself to micro-neighborhoods, it was suggested that the friends interact at a local level (community markets, free classes, local schools), to get to know parents of junior youth or teachers, and introduce the program to them.

The group also split itself into pairs who practiced introducing the junior youth program to each other, as one might do to a parent. The purpose of this was to familiarize participants with the language and the concepts with which we might describe the program. The Ridvan 2000 paragraph on junior youth was suggested as a guide as to how to present key ideas about junior youth and the purpose of the program.

The Cluster Institute Coordinator and a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly also shared the guidelines from the National Spiritual Assembly for the protection of junior youth—specifically on ensuring that at all times, two adults or animators were present with the junior youth.

One group requested for help in identifying an animator, as one of our youth will be leaving to serve at the World Center later this year. Two participants immediately offered their assistance to help sustain this group, such was the spirit of community and desire to serve amongst the friends present!

Plans were then made about when the next animator gathering could be held. Since an intensive weekend covering Unit 3 of Book 5 is already planned for February, the next animator gathering will be in March. One suggested topic for the next gathering would be the nature of complementary activities such as arts and crafts in a group. It was announced that an intensive (4-day weekend) Book 5 will be held in early February and another during Spring Break.

The gathering ended with a song about the Bahá’ís in Iran. The friends left with resolute hearts about their plans to complete Book 5 as soon as possible, focus on expanding their groups, and ensuring existing groups continue to be sustained. We all felt moved by the sacrifices of the Bahá’ís in Iran, and were determined to strive in our service, in recognition of their sacrifices.

Accompaniment brings rapid results

When you visit a community for a brief time, what sort of impact can you expect to bring about? A very profound impact, with dedication and focus! Here is a thrilling example of how a team of “mobile teachers” used the art of accompaniment to raise up 2 new junior youth groups in the Rio Grande Valley, TX (now an A!) cluster. It was part of a region-wide effort to use the Winter break to assist priority cluster.

Dear Friends,

We just wanted to share this exciting news from the results of a team of 3 young adult mobile teachers/tutors/animators that visited the Rio Grande Valley cluster (a goal cluster) at the end of December and early January.

This is one example of many young adult mobile teachers that visited goal clusters during the Winter break. . . .

Loving regards,

R

The good news is that J and I helped to establish a junior youth group in one locality, and E started a second group in another locality. The guys carried out a “crash course” animator training, and they accompanied the new animators to the point of actually launching the group.

These 3 believers have helped in other ways as well, but to have established 2 new junior youth groups in such a short period of time is quite an accomplishment, one that probably would not have happened without their experience and youthfulness. We are so grateful.

Much love,

L

A junior youth group celebrates Diwali

Check out the most recent photos on our slideshow! You will see a junior youth group from Santa Clara County West, CA (A). The friends there have found the Nepalese community to be a receptive population and a number of children’s classes and junior youth groups have formed. These photos show a junior youth group celebrating the Diwali holiday, as well as their completion of study of the book “Breezes of Confirmation”.

Nepalese youth have also participated in intensive institute courses, an initiative that was supported by Bahá’í students from a nearby university and held at Bosch Bahá’í School. So everyone is working together in joy!

Be detached from the results . . .

For anyone who’s ever felt a little discouraged when their efforts don’t seem to achieve results, here is something that will surely lift your spirits. As these animators of a junior youth group in Fort Collins, CO (A), found out: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. What dedication! What steadfastness! What reliance and faith in Bahá’u’lláh! Well, that’s what the animators used; their first two participants did the rest.

Despite our best efforts, our junior youth group in Fort Collins got off to an unexpected slow start. After meeting with a few junior youth and their parents in the close-knit community, the animators of the group attempted to hold the first meeting the following day at the community’s club house. Waiting with great anticipation, nobody showed up. But determined to hold our first meeting, we revisited the homes we visited the day before. We were unsuccessful in finding anyone interested. . . .

Trying to figure out what we did wrong, I was reminded by my co-animator that we need to be detached from the results and put in our best efforts and Bahá’u’lláh would do the rest. A few weeks later, revitalized and determined, we once again visited with junior youth in the community and their parents, further explaining the group and inviting them to come the next day. We felt better about our meetings this time around and once again we waited at the clubhouse with great anticipation. Fifteen minutes after our planned meeting time, nobody had showed up and the feeling of discouragement had started to settle in once again. One of the animators suggested that we give it one last shot to revisit the houses, but this time we focused on remembering to be detached from the results. Two animators decided to stay at the meeting venue while the other two headed off to visit people.

As soon as we started walking towards our first residence, we were hesitantly approached by two junior youth aged girls. I was reluctant to think they had come for the junior youth group because they were not anyone I recognized from the previous day’s visits. They kept walking towards us and one of them asked, “Are you doing the youth group?” I couldn’t believe it! These were our first two participants! And what Junior Youth they were. We invited them to come with us to invite more kids their age. Willingly they accepted, and just a half hour later and a few rounds of the neighborhood, there were 10 kids walking with us towards the clubhouse. You should’ve seen the look on the two animators’ faces as all the kids walked up!

Astonished, we gathered the ten kids aged 10-16 (and one 6 year-old sibling who we just couldn’t turn down when he asked, “Can I come too?”). We sat in the circle and introduced ourselves and the idea of the junior youth group. The group dynamic was better than we could’ve ever imagined. The youth were happily participating in discussion and team-building games. We even had two more youth join us that had seen the group while riding their bikes. Feeling blessed we thanked the youth for coming and invited them to come back the following week and to invite their friends.

Since that first meeting, we’ve had three more meetings with a total of 18 different junior youth aged 10-16, an average of about 12 youth showing up at each group, with new faces showing up each week. This week we will be embarking on our first community service project, gathering sunflowers from a local friend’s garden and delivering them to some of the elderly in the community. The week after, we plan to start our first lesson in Breezes of Confirmation.

We always hoped for a group like this, but realized that it can only be achieved through our best efforts and being detached from the results, leaving the rest in Bahá’u’lláh’s hands. Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá!