Completely decentralized Holy Day celebration in Phoenix

As growth progresses in clusters, it is only natural that more and more aspects of community life will begin decentralizing down to the neighborhood level. Already many large communities have neighborhood Feasts. So this report from Phoenix, AZ (A) is quite intriguing. Although Phoenix, like many large urban communities, has a Bahá’í center, the friends decided to try something different: They would have a completely decentralized Holy Day celebration. This letter from the Local Spiritual Assembly to the Phoenix Bahá’í community both describes how this approach worked and lovingly encourages the friends onto further action.

Dearly loved friends:

Last night the Feast and Anniversaries Task Force shared with us the exciting news of first decentralized Holy Day celebration around Phoenix. Over 150 friends attended the dozen or more events, celebrating the Birth of the Báb. The Local Spiritual Assembly is overjoyed by this news. The number of friends attending this Holy Day was much higher than we have ever had at the Bahá’í Center. Indeed a milestone for our cluster. . . .

With another Holy Day coming up next week, Birth of Bahá’u’lláh on November 12, it is our ardent hope that each team has planned a celebration fit for this glorious occasion. If you are not part of a team, please consider planning your own celebration, inviting family, friends and neighbors to your home. The Assembly would love to hear of new teams forming.

Please accept the Assembly’s heartfelt gratitude and prayers for the success of your upcoming celebrations.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Spiritual Assembly of Phoenix

"I was looking for this for 10 years"

This brief report from a regional seeker response specialist about his conversation with a new believer highlights there are so many ways in which people can hear about the Faith and reach out to the Bahá’ís. And once they do, the local friends and the core activities play a key role both before and after their declaration.

I spoke with __ today, and she was very enthusiastic about the Faith. She first heard about the Bahá’í Faith when it was mentioned on a television interview by Jesse Ventura, the former governor of Minnesota, while he was in Mexico.

So __ looked up the Bahá’ís in the Yellow Pages and found a listing. She is in contact with several local believers, attends devotional gatherings held at a library, has completed Ruhi Book 1 and is part way through Book 2.

She stated, “I was looking for this for 10 years, something promoted peace and unity in the world. The more I study the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the more I feel Bahá’u’lláh’s presence.”

New believer registers self and children online

Almost every day, individuals are taking the opportunity to declare their belief in Bahá’u’lláh online at the public Web site www.bahai.us. The following story of an online declaration has several elements that are worthy of reflection. First, this individual had been previously studying the Faith several years ago, and her interest was reactivated by a home visit from a teaching team. Second, she wanted to register her children in the Faith as well, and this was also accomplished online. (Repeat that: you can register your children in the Faith online!) Third, friends at the national, regional and cluster levels worked together to ensure that her enrollment—and her children’s enrollment—was completed in a smooth and timely manner. The following emails tell the story.

Email 1 to regional seeker response specialist:

Dear J,

Congratulations on another online declaration in your region!

Two questions: Do you know if this new believer has attended any core activities? If so, you can record this in the SRS database. . . .

Second, you mentioned that __ wants to register her children. Do you mean that she wants to register them as Bahá'ís, or simply register them for a children's class? They can of course be registered online, just as she did for herself. She should note in the comments section of the form that she is the parent of the child, for each registration.

Warmly,

L

Email 2 from the regional seeker response specialist:

Dear L and A

This is exciting!

I’m copying this message to the area teaching committee secretary, who has been __’s teacher. I know __ attended a few gatherings a while back. A, could you shed some light on if they were core activities?

Also, in speaking with A yesterday, he indicated that __ had provided him with all the info for her children for them to be registered as Bahá’ís. I took him online to see if we could figure out how to do the registration there, but couldn't remember where we indicated the parental intentions.

So now, with the information L has provided, A can go to the site I showed you at www.bahai.us and enter in each child. Then write in the comments section that 1) you're submitting it on behalf of __, 2) include the text of __’s email requesting that her children be registered.

The Local Spiritual Assembly secretary also got back to me indicating that she thought she finalized __’s enrollment through eMembership, but there seems to be a little hiccup in the process.

I hope this helps and we can see it through to completion over the next day or so.

Warmly,

J

Email 3 from the area teaching committee secretary:

Hi J,

I just finished registering __’s children. I added in the comments section the email request from __. Please let me know if this suffices or if I need to do anything else.

The gatherings that __ previously attended were children’s classes and devotionals, and I think also a fireside. This took place 3-4 years ago. Then during a recent IPG, a teaching team happened to go to her home and she was immediately responsive. Ya-Bahá’u’l-Abha!

Many thanks,

A

Email 4 from the regional specialist:

Thank you, A!

I got the registrations and they look good. I just need to insert __’s Bahá’í ID number, once I get it. I’ll check with the Local Spiritual Assembly secretary and then we’ll get it finalized promptly.

Great work!

J

A perfect storm of teaching in Rio Grande Valley

This is a breathtaking report from Rio Grande Valley, TX (B). A small group of friends had studied Ruhi Book 6, Teaching the Cause. They wanted to put into practice the skills and knowledge they had learned, and decided to do so by organizing a collective, direct teaching effort! And what an effort this was. It wasn’t just a discrete, one-time, “Let’s get the practice component out of the way” thing. Instead, it was a full-out, systematically planned endeavor with all the ingredients for success—reliance on prayer, local believers on teaching teams accompanied by visiting resource persons, adequate number of Spanish speakers, direct sharing of the Faith with interested individuals and families, immediate follow-up with new believers, strong involvement of a Local Spiritual Assembly, loving mobilization of the local community. It became a “perfect storm” of growth. (“Preparation and experience led to the desire for more preparation and experience.”) And what radiant new friends were made, new believers eager and enthusiastic to immediately start serving the Faith and participate in core activities.

Dear Valley Collaborators: Allah'u'Abha!

A joyful group of Bahá’u’lláh's loved ones participated in this weekend's unprecedented Book 6 practice intensive project. The Concourse on High joined these friends in the services they offered up for the good pleasure of Bahá’u’lláh, for how could we have succeeded unless assisted with the Breath of the Holy Spirit, and showered with His confirmations which alone could change gnats into eagles, drops of water into rivers and seas, and atoms into lights and suns? So it is with gratitude, awe, and joy that we share the following results, asking for your continued prayers and support in embracing these new members of the Rio Grande Valley Bahá’í Family: . . .

A local Bahá’í, accompanied by a visiting resource person, visited R and shared a conversation in Spanish about the Faith. R told them that she had prayed to God that morning for help. She received Bahá’u’lláh’s message with tears.

P had his first contact Saturday with a visiting resource person accompanied by a local Bahá’í. He declared the next day when another teaching team visited again and shared Anna's conversation with him. He had travelled out of town for work but returned to the Valley when he found it too lonely. We visited him at his place of work on Monday.

J had her first contact on Saturday with a team of two local Bahá’ís who spoke with her in Spanish. She asked them to return on Sunday when her husband could participate as well. A slightly different team returned the next day to share Anna's conversation in Spanish. J and her husband listened to intently and declared, registering their 3 children as well.

L was taught by two local Bahá’ís who, accompanied by a visiting resource person, were trying out for the very first time sharing a direct presentation of the Faith. She declared upon its conclusion. She expressed her desire to "volunteer for the Bahá’í Faith." She asked us to visit a few days later to be ready to receive the Baha'is and start to serve.

V, his fiancé and daughter had been visited a couple of months ago by a team of local Bahá’ís who shared Anna’s conversation with them in Spanish. They then became hard to reach consistently until a couple of days ago. They explained that V had had a trip out of town, which had interrupted the flow of communications with the Bahá’ís. They were glad to see us, glad to enroll, and anxious to start attending Bahá’í functions.

Success of the project was due to the following:

Valuable input and support from the Local Spiritual Assembly of McAllen, which shaped much of the program.

Back-to-back teaching days with 2 teaching shifts each day allowed for a total of 8 hours of teaching effort with an average of 4 teams at any given time.

2 visiting resource people were mixed and matched with the rest of us to maximize our learning from their experience. This learning was reflected in the comments in the debriefing sessions. One person said he had learned more about his religion in these two days than in the ten or so years he has been a Bahá’í.

Food hospitality generously provided by 6 households allowed us keep on task with spirits up.

Preparation and experience led to the desire for more preparation and experience

Above all, prayers ardently offered by those present as well as many not present, were answered.

Next Steps:

Take all new believers through the series of deepening themes from Ruhi Book 2 as quickly as maintaining a spiritual and friendly atmosphere permits.

In the process learn their availability for and interest in Reflections of the Life of the Spirit study circles.

Form these study circles as soon as possible.

Coordinate further consolidation with the Local Spiritual Assembly.

We have at this point 5 households with newly declared Bahá’ís, plus 12 additional households who have responded positively and given us phone numbers. Please stay tuned for updates in the steps and directions we will be taking.

Many thanks and much love,

W

After this exhilarating and successful teaching effort, the friends immediately began mobilizing the local community for follow-up:

Allah'u'Abha Friends in McAllen, Mission, and Edinburg!

Our new Bahá’ís will be getting to know us as we share and explore the Book 2 deepening themes with them in their homes. This will soon lead to study circles and children's classes for them.

We invite each of you to join in accompanying them as they start to walk from the spark of faith they declared with to the undying fire at the heart of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. The best way to do this will be to match one of their original teachers with other members of the community and have them meet as many people as their time schedule permits.

I will be calling many of you to see if you will be able to join us in this joyous effort, and if you call or email me first, so much the easier for me. One way or another please let me know if you would like to serve in this process, and your time availability, etc.

Many thanks and much love,

W

And then they shared the initial and promising results of the consolidation efforts so far.

Allah'u'Abha Valley Collaborators!

We wish to share the joy that our initial baby steps in consolidation are bringing. Tonight was the first night we actually met with some of our new declarants.

Both new believers that we visited volunteered without being asked that they had started saying the Short Obligatory Prayer each day, as well as others from their prayer books.

Both showed radiant happiness during our visit. Heart to heart friendships were clearly in the making.

Both look forward to next steps. J asked us to call Saturday so we can make plans for a children's class and deepening theme. We also shared the first deepening theme with R, who found it very engaging.

These meetings so much exceeded our expectations. We have so much to look forward to learning in this new stage.

Many thanks and much love,

W

Mobilizing youth for priority clusters

All the regions in the country are focusing their attention on several clusters that are scheduled to advance to the A-stage and launch intensive programs of growth. It’s a big push that will take lots of dedicated human resources. The Regional Bahá’í Council for the Northeastern states has identified a rich pool of human resources—Bahá’í youth—and an upcoming opportunity—school vacations, and has immediately acted on this opportunity by systematically mobilizing youth throughout the region. The Council reports:

The Regional Council sent the message below today to everyone on our email list, including all cluster agencies, Local Assemblies and registered groups. Another message will be sent early next week to the cluster agencies in all clusters asking them to personally contact each high school and college age youth in their cluster to encourage and help them take part in this initiative. . . .

Here is the text of the announcement:

YOUTH! What are you up to during winter and spring breaks?

Why not help clusters advance!

The Regional Bahá’í Council of the Northeastern States offers a special invitation to high school and college-age youth to serve in goal clusters during your winter and spring breaks. We need you to serve for a weekend, a week, a month or more to tutor study circles, teach children’s classes, serve as animators of junior youth groups, or do direct teaching.

You will help at least 10 northeast clusters advance to launch an intensive program of growth by Ridván 2010. Short-term pioneers of any age are also needed in these and other clusters.

“In the forefront of this spiritual adventure are the Bahá’í youth. Taking advantage of their relatively greater freedom and energy, they demonstrate their effectiveness as teachers of children’s classes, serve as institute tutors, stimulate study of the Writings among their peers and provide convincing examples of the inner resources released by the devotional life.”

The Universal House of Justice, December 21, 2003, To the Bahá’í Youth of the Northeastern States

Be assured of our prayers for your happiness in service to the Cause.

Regional Bahá’í Council of the Northeastern States

Milwaukee keeps moving forward

Here is brief update from Milwaukee, WI (B), where the friends continue to make progress on several fronts. Also check out on the slideshow several photos from their successful teaching booth at the Indian Summer Festival, a widely-attended annual Native American event in the area. Finally, the cluster is poised for future growth with a newly established area teaching committee.

There are now 6 regularly held Devotional Meetings in the cluster (taking place in localities all throughout the cluster)!

7 New Believers enrolled this cycle

25 believers involved in Teaching Activities this cycle

3 Study Circles happening, with 15 participants

3 Children's Classes

The new Area Teaching Committee is eager to assist the friends in enhancing and systematizing their teaching work, creating a collective vision, and continuing an ongoing process of consultation, action and reflection in 3-month cycles of activity.

People are eager for more assignments!

Of all the exciting news in this wonderful report from Waukesha, WI (A), perhaps the most exciting is the sense that the cluster is growing steadily stronger with each cycle of its intensive program of growth. The cluster has community members united and eager to serve. It has an abundance of core activities. And the friends are building their capacity to welcome in new believers, who in turn re-invigorate the community life.

Let us begin with an excerpt of a report of how the intensive program of growth is progressing. Particularly noteworthy is the spirit of unity, focused consultation on how to improve the expansion and consolidation phases, and the enthusiasm of the friends to get increasingly involved.

We hosted a mini-reflection meeting mid-cycle for many reasons: to keep the level of participation high, to get feedback and to let the friends share in the excitement of the recently concluded expansion phase and give the friends an opportunity to help with the consolidation phase. 12 people attended the meeting and several others wanted to, but were either ill or working that day. . . .

The spirit was warm and enthusiastic. The consultation was constructive and resulted in recommendations for the core team. The community asked the core team to delegate and direct the community members to do the follow-up work—people are eager for more assignments! They suggested we consider having a meeting with the community immediately after the next expansion phase so that everyone can reflect and get involved in the consolidation work sooner. It really was a wonderful meeting of hearts and spirits, and a confirmation that the community is growing stronger with each cycle.

We will make certain we keep the friends well informed and personally call the friends and invite them to help in both the expansion and consolidation phase.

All of this joyful activity has led to new enrolments. A friend shares this movingl story of a recent declaration:

One dear soul, who recently declared, has been in Book 1, 2 and 4. He met recently with his tutors since he had some burning questions that he didn’t want to ask during a study circle. His questions were answered by reading excerpts of Bahá’u’lláh’s and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Writings. His spiritual state was indescribable as he declared his belief in Bahá’u’lláh. Tears of joy filled our eyes as he read the prayer on his registration card: “I bear witness, O my God, that Thou has created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. . . .” After he declared he said he couldn’t wait to announce to his study circle the wonderful news. He said each soul in his study circle played a huge role in his decision to join. He loves them all and is eternally grateful to them.

This wonderful story is a confirmation of how important everyone is in the process of consolidation and confirmation. The study circle serves as a womb. Each person in the circle is as an artery providing life-giving care.

Experiences such as this have led to several insights about core activities and consolidation:

From the feedback we are getting it is clear study circles are having a profound effect on old and new believers. Believers who have been Bahá’ís for a long time are saying they are learning a lot and, for the first time in many years, are bonding with their fellow Bahá’ís. They said, in the past, they hardly ever interacted with their fellow believers. New Believers say they love the structure Ruhi courses give to learning.

Our entire community is excited over the new faces that we see at Feasts, devotional gatherings and children’s classes; these new faces inspire and re-ignite the flame of Faith in our older members since they can relate to how wonderful they felt when they declared.

Consolidation is a continual effort. We have found that it is more effective if the original teacher of the new believer gradually widens the circle of Bahá’ís that the individual knows. If it is done little by little it is more meaningful for the new believer.

Neighborhood children’s classes continue to be an amazing draw for parents and children. We continually hear that parents of young children want classes for them.

So we will continue to look for more people willing to host devotional meetings, children’s classes and study circles.