The main report includes points that were discussed in a
meeting at the Baha’i World Center in November of 2016. Participants were 3
members of the Universal House of Justice, 2 members of the International
Teaching Center, 3 members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for
Americas, and 4 members of US National Spiritual Assembly.
May 8, 2017
May 1, 2017
Conducting meaningful conversations and one’s own ongoing spiritual growth and development
“As a person cultivates the habit of study and deep
reflection upon the Creative Word, this process of transformation reveals
itself in an ability to express one’s understanding of profound concepts and to
explore spiritual reality in conversations of significance.” (The Universal
House of Justice, 29 Dec, 2015, to the Conference of the Continental Boards of
Counsellors)
April 27, 2017
Meaningful Conversations: A compilation of some extracts from recent messages of the Universal House of Justice
view and download compilation
1. ... the purpose of such campaigns in local communities which have been dormant for years would not be to find every Baha'i , whose name appears on the membership list and verity his or her status. The list of names should be considered, rather, as a starting point, leading to opportunities to meet individuals who are willing to engage in meaningful conversation, exploring spiritual realities and learning more and more about the Faith. (Letter dated 3 June 2001 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Union of Myanmar, quoted in ‘Building Momentum’)
1. ... the purpose of such campaigns in local communities which have been dormant for years would not be to find every Baha'i , whose name appears on the membership list and verity his or her status. The list of names should be considered, rather, as a starting point, leading to opportunities to meet individuals who are willing to engage in meaningful conversation, exploring spiritual realities and learning more and more about the Faith. (Letter dated 3 June 2001 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Union of Myanmar, quoted in ‘Building Momentum’)
2. Nowhere
has the rise in individual initiative been more clearly demonstrated than in
the field of teaching. Whether in the form of firesides or study circles,
individual efforts to teach the Faith are indisputably on the increase.
Equipped with skills and methods, effective and accessible to all, and
encouraged by the response their actions elicit, the believers are entering
into closer association with people of many walks of life, engaging them in
earnest conversation on themes of spiritual import. With greater and greater
spiritual perception, they are able to sense receptivity and recognize thirst
for the vivifying waters of Bahá’u’lláh’s message. From among all those they
encounter-parents of neighbourhood children, peers at school, colleagues at
work, casual acquaintances-they seek out souls with whom they can share a
portion of that which He has so graciously bestowed on humanity. Increased
experience enables them to adapt their presentation to the seeker's needs,
employing direct teaching methods that draw on the Writings to offer the
message in a manner both forthcoming and inviting. (The Universal House of
Justice, 27 December 2005 to the Conference of the Continental Boards of
Counsellors)
April 25, 2017
“connecting hearts to Bahá’u’lláh”
- The Universal House of Justice (Ridvan 2017)
April 23, 2017
February 15, 2017
Need for “systematization of teaching efforts”
Ample attention must also be given to further
systematization of teaching efforts, whether undertaken by the individual or
directed by the institutions.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a message
dated 26 November 1999)
February 6, 2017
December 14, 2016
November 16, 2016
Grouping of Clusters – in our area: Pinellas+ Pasco-Hernando+Tampa
From: The Southeast Regional Baha’i Council Newsletter ‘Update’,
November 2016
What is a grouping of adjoining clusters?
"In some regions that stretch across a large territory,
Councils have made arrangements for nurturing the development of groups of
adjoining clusters. Meanwhile, in smaller countries that do not require the
establishment of Regional Councils, National Assemblies are increasingly giving
thought to ways of helping clusters advance, in some instances by forming a
working group charged with this task; you are encouraged to stimulate learning
in this area, with the aim that, in due course, formal structures can be
defined that would assume this responsibility in much the same way that
Councils do in other countries." - The Universal House of Justice (Dec 29,
2015)
What are the groupings in the Southeast?
The Southeast region has identified nine groupings, one in
Mississippi, one in Alabama, three in Florida, two in Georgia and two in South
Carolina. On the average there are nine clusters in each grouping, the majority
being milestone ones as of the beginning of the Five Year Plan. The grouping
maps for the Southeast region is shown in the Council website
www.rbcsoutheast.org. The color coding corresponds to programs of growth
(milestone ones, yellow) and intensive programs of growth (milestone two's,
blue) respectively. One cluster within each grouping is designated as reservoir
cluster with the expectation that it would supply the flow of resources with
knowledge and experience to the remaining clusters within the grouping.
November 9, 2016
November 6, 2016
Home Visits – some excerpts from the recent messages of the Universal House of Justice
• "Conceived as a means for exposing believers to the
fundamentals of the Faith, "home visits" are giving rise to an array
of deepening efforts, both individual and collective, in which the friends are
delving into the Writings and exploring their implications for their
lives."
- Universal House of Justice, 27 December 2005
• "...home visits to the friends who would benefit from
deepening and discussions that connect them with the community…"
- Universal House of Justice, 29 December 2015
• "As they call on one another in their homes and pay
visits to families, friends and acquaintances, they enter into purposeful
discussion on themes of spiritual import, deepen their knowledge of the Faith,
share Bahá’u’lláh’s message, and welcome increasing numbers to join them in a
mighty spiritual enterprise."
- Universal House of Justice, Ridván, 2008
October 29, 2016
October 24, 2016
October 23, 2016
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