When Study and Service Are Carried Out Concurrently

That the Bahá’í world has succeeded in developing a culture which promotes a way of thinking, studying, and acting, in which all consider themselves as treading a common path of service -- supporting one another and advancing together, respectful of the knowledge that each one possesses at any given moment and avoiding the tendency to divide the believers into categories such as deepened and uninformed -- is an accomplishment of enormous proportions.  And therein lie the dynamics of an irrepressible movement. (Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 2010)

The Area Teaching Committee of California’s Monterey County cluster (A-stage) reports this story about a recent on-line declarant.

“J.” is in the US Navy and is currently stationed at _____. Following news of his on-line declaration and confirmation, the institute process was initiated with some twists due to local conditions. Since the [military base] is closed to civilians, home visits were not possible, so “J.” had home visits at the home of some nearby Bahá’ís. Bonds of friendship quickly developed through these home visits. “J.” showed great interest in advancing his knowledge of the Bahá’í Faith, so within a couple of weeks, he was enrolled in a Ruhi Book 1 course. Layers of accompaniment occurred throughout the course of study. The woman serving as tutor had recently completed Book 7, and this was her first experience as a tutor. She was accompanied by [another student] who had completed the sequence of courses and initially served as co-tutor. So not only was “J.” developing his capacities, but the capacity of a new tutor was also strengthened. Prior to completing his study of Book 1, we started talking with “J.” about hosting a devotional gathering for [his colleagues on the military base]. By the end of Book 1, “J.” hosted his first devotional gathering, and invited twenty of his colleagues! The devotional was hosted at the home of the nearby Bahá’ís, and all of a sudden the [military base], which formerly seemed to be closed, was now perceived as part of the neighborhood.  Since then, “J.” has participated in home visits in the target neighborhood for the cluster's Intensive Program of Growth, and he is planning his second devotional gathering.

“J.” will be leaving in December for his new assignment. While we will miss him dearly, he will be prepared to serve no matter where he goes. Thanks to him, we have seen what can happen "when study and service are joined and carried out concurrently."

Pioneering to a Neighborhood

The Area Teaching Committee of the Phoenix, AZ cluster (A-stage) recently shared the following:

Having a Bahá’í living in a neighbourhood who is willing to establish friendships with the neighbours, and start a process of community building via the core activities, can be a highly rewarding asset.  We are witnessing this in several neighbourhoods.

New York City (A-stage) is talking about the same thing:

Once we identify a receptive population and neighbourhood — and specifically an apartment building or block in a neighbourhood — we have learned to focus our human resources to amplify the strengths and abilities of home front pioneers and teachers on the ground. Having capable souls living in these buildings is essential, and to these key resources we have invited skilled teachers/tutors to commit three-to-five hours per week to lift the level of activity and learn about spiritual community building in these micro-settings.

In Waukesha, WI (A-stage) a believer who left one locality to pioneer to a neighborhood in a different locality communicated with her Regional Council about the benefits:

…We can see already what a difference it makes to the people in the neighborhood that I am living here. Our main focus has been to establish children's classes, and then have other core activities spin off from that. Our Area Teaching Committee had chosen this neighborhood for attention a little more than two years ago during an expansion phase of an early IPG cycle. We found it to be receptive, and had children's classes during the summer of 2008. We had continued to find receptivity during successive cycles, but without a permanent place in the community it was hard to get a foothold. I have been here for just over two months, and we have confirmation after confirmation that we're on the right track. Our children's class is growing, as are our relationships with parents.

This calls to mind the emphasis placed by the Universal House of Justice on pioneering in this Plan:

Equally important will be the support lent to a cluster through an influx of pioneers. The desire to pioneer arises naturally from deep within the heart of the individual believer as a response to the Divine summons. Whosoever forsakes his or her home for the purpose of teaching the Cause joins the ranks of those noble souls whose achievements down the decades have illumined the annals of Bahá’í pioneering. We cherish the hope that many will be moved to render this meritorious service during the next Plan, whether on the home front or in the international field -- an act that, in itself, attracts untold blessings... Priority should be given to settling short-term and long-term pioneers in those clusters that are the focus of systematic attention, whether as a means of reinforcing endeavours to lay the groundwork for accelerated growth or stabilizing cycles of activity under way. (27 December 2005)

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!

At Unit Convention: New believers bring tears to the eyes

A couple from Vermont, newly enrolled in the Faith, showed up at Unit Convention and contributed to the beautiful devotions by singing duets.  It brought tears to the eyes of those present, and the couple received a warm and loving welcome.  Their presence enriched the Convention and they left with many new friends, contacts, and invitations to events.  The husband later sent this note to one of the Bahá’ís:

“____ and I talked last night and again today about how welcome we both felt yesterday.  It was truly an amazing experience.  The entire day was so special, meeting new people, being able to share music, observing how Bahá’ís get business done.  All with NO clergy.  As a former United Methodist Pastor, that was totally incredible.  We are so new, excited, anxious, and so many more emotions.  We received three books and two CD's from our dear friend ______, a Bahá’í, who lives out in ________, NY.  Her note said that these were the first of our Bahá’í library.”

"Share this precious gift with others"

A Bahá’í in Pennsylvania describes meeting with a new believer:

I am so happy to report that I was able to visit ________ at his home and have a spiritually thrilling conversation with him.  He is most certainly a committed Bahá’í, having (as he describes it) spent much of his life seeking, investigating all religions and philosophies....  Upon finding the Bahá’í web site and reading the Writings, he was almost immediately convinced of the truth of the Cause.  On his own, he began reading the Iqan, the Aqdas, and Gleanings, receiving strong confirmation that this was the Word of God. Learning that he should pray the obligatory prayers daily, he purchased a Bahá’í prayer book.  He shows every sign of a true Bahá’í, including conviction that he must share this precious gift with others....

A Desire for Something Better

This new Bahá’í in Tennessee shares his early impressions of the community, as well as some personal reflections about faith:

I have met with the other Bahá’ís at a reflection gathering Saturday night, it was neat . . .  It's beautiful to see Persians, Indians, whites, and blacks all getting together in such unity!  The Bahá’ís could very well be a wonderful example for everyone else, as there are a lot of communities which are very divided.

I've been thinking that my main goal as a Bahá’í should be to live a virtuous life.  To embody certain things like chastity, temperance, prudence, charity, and all of the fruits of the Holy Spirit which were outlined by Paul in several epistles . . . I had always heard that in order to surrender something to God, you must have love for something more -- a desire for something better.

“I felt the need to investigate the Bahá’í religion”

A new believer from Florida shares his journey to the Faith:

"To begin with, I was a practicing alcoholic during my younger days.  My date of sobriety is July 21st of 1980, and I owe this to my shadowy concept of a God, and the most blessed program that has allowed me to recover from that disease.  Even in the days of my addictions and despair, I often felt a need for, and belief in, God -- although the world or the bottle blocked it out.

"I was a non-practicing Christian when I met and fell in love with a wonderful, culturally Jewish woman named ____, and it became evident that we might like to share our lives together -- but we were not willing to get married in either a church or a synagogue.  We were living in Chicago, visited the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, and were intrigued with the absence of malice to all people, the equality of the sexes, that all the religions are directed to the One God of All, that all men are brothers and sisters, and the lack of clergy.  We discussed the requirements for marriage, got the consent of our parents, fulfilled the Bahá’í requirements, and we were married at the House of Worship on August 8, 1988.  As my bride to be and myself rested alone but together before the ceremony in the auditorium, I felt a peace and hope for my life ahead, and an attraction to the religion of Bahá’u’lláh.

"At various times throughout my years in Chicago, I was reminded of the Bahá’í Faith.  While not interested in organized religion, I was so attracted to the ideas I had read in the visitor’s area of the House of Worship.

"We have moved several times since our marriage ceremony in Wilmette, and are now living in Central Florida.  We returned to Chicago in July for a week or so.  During our stay, we visited the House of Worship, and there, while reading more about the Faith, I felt a stirring and a calling that I was to become a Bahá’í.  As I read about the concepts of equality and justice, I got very emotional, and tears flowed as I felt the need to investigate the Bahá’í religion.  I felt that I was being called to the Faith.  I believed then that my journey to find a God of my understanding is the God of Baha’u’llah."