The Bahá’í Council and the Training Institute Board have been jointly working since the middle of last year on developing a unified structure for the coordination of Children’s Classes in Northern Ireland. These plans led to an agreed approach last November. The new role of Children’s Class Coordinator, born of this initiative, is an addition to the coordination team, and operates under the control and guidance of the Training Institute Board. This role was offered to Patricia Jamshidi, who has now, to the delight of the Training Institute Board, kindly agreed to serve in this capacity.
Pat now joins her colleagues, the other five co-ordinators: Mahan Hashemi-zadeh (Charles Dunning), Paddy O’Mara (Clusters 2 & 3), Lesley Taherzadeh O’Mara (Clusters 4 and Hainsworth), Navid Agahi (Seven Valleys), and Afnan Hashemi-zadeh (Junior Youth). The six strong team, along with the Regional Coordinator Arjang Agahi, now provide the full structure of coordination in all the institute courses: children, junior youth, and youth and adults. With this infrastructure in place handling the implementation, the Training Institute and the Bahá’í Council are able to focus on planning and direction. As the role of Children’s Class Coordinator develops, further reports will be made to explain the new structure.
Patricia Jamshidi (third from right) meets with the Training Institute Board
A little something:
The city of the human heart can be opened with the key of one’s utterance. Everyone hath been prescribed the duty of teaching His cause. Arise and discharge this duty. Calling out that his words may attract the hearts of man. He shall be lighted as a candle with the fire of God’s love. Inspired to look higher than all earthly thoughts. Nearing unto that hallowed spot. Giving light to the darkness of the world.
(Thanks to Robin Cordiner for the above.)
Congratulations to Patricia Craig who in January completed Book 7 and thus the entire sequence (go get ‘em Pat!), and to Leigh Byrne and to Daniel Agahi, both of whom have started Book 1 Study Circles for their friends, which they will be tutoring themselves.
A Book 2 Study Circle was completed in Carrickfergus at the end of January, so congratulations to Mairie Bailey, Mary Pakra and Kaveh Shirazi, as well as to Gemma Halligan who was tutoring for the first time.
A Book 6 SC in Belfast was completed in January, so congratulations to Leigh Byrne, Rosemary Johnston and also to Afnan Hashemi-zadeh who was tutoring for the first time.
Report by Area Coordinator Mahan Hashemi-zadeh
On 20 January the friends in the cluster gathered at the Giffins’ home for a reflection meeting to consider the cluster's progress in its efforts to engage in the 3 core activities: study circles, devotional meetings and children's classes. The Friends had made great strides in recent months in bringing many through the institute courses. However the expected increase in devotional meetings and children's classes had not yet materialized. The Area Coordinator of the Training Institute and the assistants from the cluster met before the reflection meeting to consult on the programme for the event. They concluded that the cluster reflection meeting should be encouraged to consider this challenge.
A wonderful consultation resulted at the reflection meeting. An open, frank and loving sharing of the challenges and difficulties which the friends experienced in inviting their family and friends to core activities took place. This lead the friends at the reflection meeting to request the Area Co-ordinator and the assistants to arrange a special gathering for the cluster in which the Power of Divine Assistance would be studied and at which plans could be made to undertake the practice from Book 1 and Book 2.
Both of these were felt to be a spiritual and practical way to give the courage and skills to support the friends in their efforts to hold devotional meetings and children's classes. This meeting is to be held on Friday 18th February.
Report by Area Coordinator Paddy O’Mara
At our most recent Reflection Meeting we were happy to welcome three visitors – Patricia Jamshidi from the Bahá’í Council, Denis Coyle from the Training Institute and our assistant Declan Devine . We had a positive discussion on the core activities.
We have :
Report by Elizabeth Palin
There are currently several devotionals held across the cluster, and also three study circles running, two Book 1s and a Book 3.
Report by Area Coordinator Navid Agahi
“The spiritual education of children and junior youth is a shared responsibility of parents, the community, and the institutions of the Faith.” - International Teaching Centre: The Spiritual Education of Children and Junior Youth, July 2000
The Sunday programme at the recent UK tutors’ conference focused purely on junior youth, highlighting the importance of this group (12-14 year olds) in this Plan. Of course, over here in Northern Ireland the Junior Youth courses had begun in October 2004 with six of them (one of whom was a friend of the Bahá’ís) completing the course.
Recently a presentation was made to the Training Institute Board, offering a new approach for the implementation of the courses, inspired by learning gained in Canada. Sounds very exciting! There is going to be a major launch soon, therefore catch the next episode of Communiqué, same page hopefully - more Junior Youth news.……….
Report by the Junior Youth Coordinator Afnan Hashemi-zadeh
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