Following up with a seeker leads to a surprise

We now share the second in our trio of “seeker response” stories. In this case, one of the friends decided to follow-up with an individual who had already contacted the Bahá’ís for information and see if she wanted anything else. This led to a deep conversation on spiritual matters, which led to this individual declaring her faith. It is inspiring to seek the friends’ dedication in following up with seekers and ensuring they are not forgotten.

A, what a beautiful story and experience. How perfect a moment. I think it is also great that you are going back over previous contacts. There does not seem to be much time to backtrack, but when we do, we often find the jewels. They have had time to grow and to reflect. Thanks so much for sharing this.

Love,

S

Glad tidings that there is a new believer in our region!

She has been a seeker for many years. Believers in a number of cities where she has lived nurtured her. She has also been to meetings and has had home visits. . . .

Tonight I decided to go through my list of people that had been contacted already and just send notes to folks and see if they had what they needed. Since her phone was listed, I called her and she was so grateful to have a call.

We ended up have a deep conversation. When she told me about her life, I said, "It sounds like God has a purpose for you. I wonder what it is?" I also asked "What do you think is the purpose of life?" Our conversation went deeper and deeper; she was open to talking about the soul, life and death, and so I started with my Ruhi Book 1, section 3 on life and death. I asked if she would like me to read what Bahá’u’lláh says about the soul. She agreed. As we kept talking, I expressed a genuine feeling, "You sound like a Bahá’í" and she chuckled with delight. I knew then that I would be sharing with her how we do our membership. Then we went through Anna's Presentation in natural, conversational way.

About two hours later, I asked, “How do you feel about all this?” She said, "I believe it." I explained about cards, and registering on the internet. She said that she remembers hearing about the card, and that she thinks she has one somewhere packed in a box. I said I could do it for her. She said, “Yes, you can register me.”

I encouraged her to call all the Baha'is she knows, share the good news, and thank them for praying for her. We closed with singing a prayer. She asked for us to keep praying for her.

Sincerely,

A

Remembering the 7

Increasingly, people are seeking out the Bahá’í Faith on their own. They research it on the internet, check out books in libraries, etc. And then, they reach out to the Bahá’í community. Some call the 1-800-22UNITE phone line, others may send an email through the public Web site www.bahai.us. When they do, the friends at the national, regional and local levels work together to respond to their inquiry, say prayers with them, share a presentation on the Faith with them, connect them with local Bahá’í activities—whatever the seeker requests.

We are delighted to share with you a trio of joyful stories from some of the friends at the regional level who respond to seeker requests, answer their questions, and ensure that they are put in touch with believers who live near them. In this first one, some of these friends have been encouraging each other’s efforts by periodically setting goals for themselves of the number of new believers they would discover through their interactions with the seekers who have contacted the Bahá’ís through the above-mentioned channels: . . .

Dear friends,

The South Central SRS team reached its goal of 12 new believers!

We may set a new goal. All the prayers and efforts of the friends over the years and recently, as well as “direct” teaching, show us that Bahá’u’lláh has made things happen as they have.

Sincerely,

A

Now that one goal is completed, they need a new one!

Dearest A and Company . . .

I love your spirit. Alright, A . . . your choice, what is our new goal.

Sent with love,

S

And in doing so they are remembering the 7 Bahá’í leaders who are imprisoned in Iran for their beliefs.

Dear friends,

For now, may I suggest 21. When thinking of the 7 who are imprisoned leaders in Iran, each has 2 parents, 14. So 7 + 14 = 21. Let us teach for them and their parents. We will remember them every day, and teach teach teach!

With love and devotion,

A

Involving and empowering more and more of the community

This brief report from Tucson, AZ (A) is full of gems. Yes, it is a snapshot of a cluster steadily progressing, with the friends becoming more confident and more systematic. Yes, it also has many of the type of practical insights that can be gained only through on-the-ground action. But what is particularly heartwarming are all the indicators that the believers, old and new, are being encouraged and empowered to take ownership of the Faith. The last point (I’m not going to spoil it for you) especially profound. Let us all reflect on it!

Culture of Teaching: A culture of teaching is being developed. Friends are becoming more bold and courageous in their teaching efforts. 4 of the most recent declarations resulted from believers (in one case a relatively new believer) inviting their friends to hear about the Faith. . . .

Increased Communication: We held two small reflection gatherings midway through the cycle to share with the friends the current needs of the cluster and what has been learned. This was warmly welcomed by the friends as they felt more involved in the process. Cluster Liaisons were established in each community and sector to share information about institute activities in the cluster, gather information about core activities, and express needs for home visits, tutors, etc. The data received was excellent and more friends are sharing their desire to work in the field.

Involving Parents: It is becoming more apparent that parents’ involvement in children’s classes is the key to expansion of the Faith; it also helps encourage the children’s class teachers.

Involving New Believers in the Field: One of the new believers started a regular devotional gathering. This gave the newer Bahá’ís a sense of community in their own neighborhood, as well as showing the friends the power of collective prayer.

Study Circles: “One on one” study circles have been stretching our resources, so attempts are being made to bring participants together to study in larger groups of 3 or 4 people.

Children’s Classes: Bahá’í parents are seeing the benefits of having non-Bahá’í children in their children’s classes. The children no longer see their friends as two different groups, as in “These are my Bahá’í friends and these are my non-Bahá’í friends”; instead, they are all united together and the children discuss the Faith freely with their Friends.

"It is a bounty to be able to share the Message with those who want to hear it."

What does it mean to teach? All of us have our set of experiences that shape our view of what teaching is, what it should be, and whether we feel we can even do it! We don’t want to do something inappropriate. We may not have seen much interest or receptivity from the people we have encountered over the years. And yet . . . we still want to respond to the Five Year Plan. We take on responsibilities. We try to get involved, maybe participate in an institute course. We step up and do something we may not feel ready to do. But our friends are right there to accompany us, and we in turn accompany others. And we find out we CAN teach directly, and that we WILL meet people who are interested. Here are the reflections of an individual believer from the Central region, recounting some of her experiences from before and during her cluster’s new intensive program of growth. And reading her story one can see that all these efforts take place while humbly relying on God and from within a framework of selfless service.

In reflecting about what I have learned in the process of getting ready for and going through our first Intensive Program of Growth, I am in awe by the amount of subtle points that I have learned.

After declaring as a Bahá'í in 1982 I was very excited to share my new Faith with all my friends and family. Unfortunately, none of them were very interested. I’ve never stopped trying to share the Message with others, but my experiences over the years made me become more cautious and less open about sharing what was in my heart. . . .

When it was announced at Ridván 2008 that we were to embark on an IPG before Ridván 2009, I thought we should be ‘ready’ to do whatever was needed. To that end, our Bahá'í Group set a goal of finishing our study of the Ruhi Books, which we did.

Back in November 2008, I received a call from our Auxiliary Board member to see if I would serve as the cluster institute coordinator. I agreed to take it on, saying that I’d probably only able to do it part time.

I started with organizing refresher courses of the Ruhi materials with the community in December and January. In February, a “test teaching weekend” was scheduled. I was nervous. I was apprehensive. I was not believing that someone (us) could visit a home and find people who would embrace the Faith based on one presentation—given my 27 years of disappointment. But I prepared, and prayed, and went. We had someone “experienced” lead the way. Our presenter was confident and open about what we were out in the field doing. She openly asked people who opened their door if they wanted to hear a presentation about the Bahá'í Faith. While we didn’t have so many takers, what it did for me was show me that it was OK to directly ask people if they wanted to hear about the Baha’i Faith. It really bolstered my courage and made it straightforward. I was heartened.

When it came time for our IPG launch, I was teamed up with our Auxiliary Board member. I thought he should be the presenter since he had more “experience,” but he said, “No, you go ahead and do it. I’ll be the prayer partner.” I thought, “Well, here goes…” When we visited the first home, a Spanish lady answered the door. I introduced who was on our team and said that we were in the neighborhood today. I also told her that I was wondering if she would like to hear the spiritual message of the Bahá'í Faith. She was busy and turned us away. We visited the next home, and were told to come back another time. Sometimes wasn’t an adult home.

Finally, we came to a house where the person who was home stated that they “had their church”. I then asked if I could share a prayer, to which she said, “Yes.” So I began saying the “Refresh and gladden my spirit” prayer. She listened intently as I prayed out loud. By the end of the prayer, she was visibly touched. She then asked, “So, what church are you with?” She didn’t have time for a long presentation, but asked us to come back another time to share more.

The same thing happened at another house too. We met a woman and shared a prayer and she was in tears at the end. She, too, wanted us to return. I’ve been going back to her house and sharing Anna’s Presentation with her, answering questions as they come up. Already we are breaking down barriers and building friendship. We are getting to know each other and our personal circumstances. Where will this lead us, God only knows. But it is a bounty to be able to go out into the field and share this healing Message with those who want to hear it.

Truly it’s the Word of God that changes hearts. With the first lady, when we were able to return and had a conversation about the Faith, she said she would pray about it. We gave her a little prayer book to which she tenaciously clung. This process is not in our hands it’s in God’s. We must be patient. We must be obedient. And we must be of service.

I’ve learned so much through this process—and it’s mostly about reliance on God.

"We look forward to the day when each neighborhood experiences what we have been experiencing."

A new pattern of community life is emerging all over the planet, and is sprouting up in a significant way in many clusters in the United States. As the processes of growth and consolidation progress, many aspects of Bahá’í community life, previously carried out at a centralized location, are now being re-established at the neighborhood level. The friends are beginning to experience some of the joys and benefits of this new pattern. We are thus delighted to share an excerpt from a “Teaching Team Report” from Scottsdale, AZ (A) to a Local Spiritual Assembly in the cluster. The friends’ experience is that neighborhood-level gatherings can be intimate, empower new believers, and assist with teaching and consolidation. Note also the important role of the Local Assembly in supporting this learning process. Finally, this team’s report is being shared back to the Assembly and thus disseminating the insights gained on a wider scale.

Dear Local Spiritual Assembly, . . .

We are so pleased to share with you the accounts of our learning and growth in hosting neighborhood Feasts and Holy Days and report the results. As these events are more manageable in size we are better able to serve and meet the needs of the participants. For instance, the social portion of Feasts has taken on a whole new meaning and has become a time of intimate discussion and further deepening on the Writings amongst the friends. At the initial Feast, all who were present collectively engaged in discussing the afterlife during the social portion. One of the new believers was so excited about the Feasts that they inspired him to teach his friends about the Bahá’í Faith.

Most recently, the celebration of the Declaration of the Báb was a wonderful gathering; comprising prayers, a slide presentation, music, and a brief account of the life history of the Báb by one of the new believers. We noticed that members of our teaching team were all engaged throughout the event in teaching a seeker who attended and lovingly discussing the glory of the Faith with the new believers. As they were leaving the gathering, the new believers expressed how “exalted and inspired” they felt.

On behalf of our teaching team, we would like to thank you for the opportunity and the support you have given us. Without you none of this would have been possible. Neighborhood Feasts and Holy Day observances have lent themselves to consolidation and new declarations, have increased the unity of our teaching team, have helped us to better connect with the vision of the Universal House of Justice. We look forward to the day when each neighborhood experiences what we have been experiencing. Please keep us in your prayers and accept our heartfelt and sincere gratitude.

Indianapolis reaches out and moves ahead

Indianapolis, IN (A) has just started another cycle of its intensive program of growth. In this report, one of the believers shares some reflections from the most recent experiences of the friends. Note how the arts have been incorporated in various ways to the IPG. Accompaniment and other creative approaches are engaging a wider number of the friends in teaching. Particularly heartwarming is how an outward-looking orientation—such as showing Bahá’ís’ respect for other religions and starting core activities in a spirit of service to our neighbors—is engaging the Community of Interest, as well as helping the teachers to create new connections with the people they meet.

Advance planning for the latest IPG included a music workshop. Participation rather than performance was the key, with lots of percussion. We learned many songs which energized all ages at the meetings.

The use of a “Pledge Garden” (a poster of greenery with different colored flowers for core activities) was a fun way to collect statistics. A junior youth created the garden. . . .

Community of Interest participation helped us appreciate an outward orientation. Two spouses of Bahá’ís are studying Book 6. They attended the Cluster Reflection Meeting, and assisted with firesides as part of their Book 6 practice.

Our Intensive Program of Growth began Easter weekend. Three teams visited middle class neighborhoods near the Bahá’í Center. If someone responded to the invitation to learn about the Bahá’í Faith by saying, “I have my own church,” or something similar, the teachers shared one of the quotes of Bahá’u’lláh praising Christ, such as “Know thou that when the Son of Man yielded up His breath to God. . .” The response was usually positive and led to further conversation.

One neighbor, who had visited the Bahá’í Center, is busy with her children and a demanding job. She gratefully accepted the offer of a neighborhood children’s class, and within a week, her Bahá’í friend had started it.

After a fireside at which Anna’s conversation was shared, two neighbors of the Bahá’í host have now begun studying Book 1.

The following Saturday, Bahá'ís from Bloomington came to learn about direct teaching in neighborhoods. This accompaniment was helpful for all of us. The Indianapolis believers felt supported by the Bloomington friends’ enthusiasm, efforts, and prayers. Anna’s conversation was shared and two members of the Community of Interest asked for return visits. After teaching together, our Bloomington friends said they feel more confident about teaching in their cluster.

All in all, teachers are feeling more confident with each cycle.

Immediate and unstoppable enthusiasm for teaching

This story from the Southeast region just came across our desk and it is INCREDIBLE. Let me say that again: it is INCREDIBLE. First, you have a series of new believers, immediately and eagerly sharing the Message of Bahá’u’lláh with their friends as soon as they declare. Look at the chain of teaching: A teaches B who teaches C who teaches D who teaches E—all in a short period of time. See the sheer enthusiasm and joy of the new believers. And see how openly and simply they are sharing the Message and inviting their friends to become Bahá’ís (in a variety of venues). Most of all, this conveys the stories of people who have experienced the sweetness of teaching.

Earlier this year F took a bus to return to his hometown. The passenger sitting beside him began a conversation with him and introduced the Message of Bahá’u’lláh. By the end of their bus trip, F had recognized the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. . . .

Shortly afterwards, F met J casually and started talking to him and shared the Message of Bahá’u’lláh. F makes friends easily and brought J to a fireside where J declared his Faith. Right away, J joined the local direct teaching project and he told a lady they were teaching about the reason why he became a Bahá’í. He shared that when he became a Muslim he did so because he was so attracted to prayer. When he heard about Bahá’u’lláh, it was a natural step for him. He told her that the “prayers are unlimited” and “the growth is unlimited”. The lady he was teaching declared as well. Her friend came into the room and she said to her friend: “I am going to join the Faith—would you like to?

F’s enthusiasm for teaching is not stopping. This past weekend he participated in a Black Men’s Gathering in the Triangle, NC cluster. He told the Bahá’ís and seekers there that we should “get bullhorns and tell everyone about Bahá’u’lláh”. He returned home and was on fire from the weekend’s spirited and uplifting gathering. He got together with his long-time friend, S, and started talking to him about the Faith. They went to a local fireside and F asked his friend, “So, is it time? Are you ready to become a Bahá’í?” S said that he needed to first get his life in order. F said, “No. The question is, do you believe that Bahá’u’lláh is the Messenger of God for today?” S said, “Yes, I do.” F’s response was, “Then you are already a Bahá’í.”

Yesterday, F was on the phone with the Auxiliary Board member who serves his cluster and told her, “I have S here with me and he is listening to us talk.” The Board member heard S’s enthusiastic “Alláh’u’Abhá!” She asked him, “So S, what are we going to do about this cluster? He responded, “We are going to teach the Faith to everyone in the cluster.”