CommuNIqué - Newsletter of the Bahá'í Community in Northern Ireland
Issue 114 - 4 Ayyám-i-Há 162 BE - 1 March 2006 CE

 

TEACHING TEAMS IN OUR PRIORITY CLUSTER

 

Some stories from the teaching teams in Charles Dunning cluster

A very short introduction to what goes on within a teaching team:

  • A team forms and works together to support each other in the teaching work, using the skills they have gained through the Institute courses.
  • Teams are nimble, two or three people is a good size.
  • Each team does a refresher course on Books 2 and 6 prior to planning. · A two-week intensive cycle begins. We are now in the process of expansion and consolidation.
  • Reflect on our results and modify accordingly. Share the learning with all the teams, the Board member, the assistants and the process is repeated.

A member of a teaching team wanted to contact a friend of hers, but she didn't know if she should call her or go and visit her. In the end she decided to go and visit her. During her visit she was able to introduce the Faith with her and they spoke a lot about the Faith. She then invited her friend to come to a devotional that evening, but her friend had another engagement on at the same time, but given how well their conversation had gone, her friend decided to cancel her engagement and instead come to the devotional. Through teaching we find courage!

Another team offered to help an elderly lady to carry her bags home. She invited them in. They had another appointment so they asked if they could come another time. When they met the lady again, they talked and the team offered arts and virtues classes for her grandchildren. The lady also advised the team to offer these classes at the local schools. People are receptive!

Another team during their intensive two week teaching campaign said dawn prayers everyday. They had nine people attend a fireside and 11 attend devotionals. Hint of divine assistance!

In a teaching team’s children class, a young Bahá’í girl told her friend’s distressed mother that when she is upset she says prayers. She ran over to her own home and brought back to the distressed mother a prayer book. Sharing the writings of Baha’u’llah!

This team aside from a children’s class has a study circle and a junior youth course each week. Another team offered devotional gatherings and study circles to an organization whose aims are to promote cultural diversity amongst young people and communities. They met in person and the organization explained that it had prepared a course that only lacked the area of spirituality. They were very eager to have a combination of a devotional and a study circle that would suit their course. There’s something in the air...

Another member of a team invited his friend to join a study circle to which he agreed, he told his colleague and she wanted to join in as well. Yes, people are receptive! Another team managed to get two people begin a study circle. No fear of failure there.

I would share more stories dear friends but CommuNIqué just isn’t big enough – never mind. There are currently eight teaching teams.

AHZ

 

Charles Dunning

 

Charles Dunning, early peioneer to Belfast, first Bahá’í pioneer to the Orkney Islands.

 

BACK TO CONTENTS PAGE