The Northern Lights Cluster is Northern Ireland’s ‘A’ cluster. This achievement was made possible primarily due to the significant efforts made within the previous Charles Dunning Cluster over the last two years. Charles Dunning Cluster, one of the current six clusters in Northern Ireland, was the only priority cluster here. In April the Northern Ireland Bahá’í Council decided to merge this cluster with two others, the Peninsula-Downe cluster and the Wildfire cluster, in order to make one ‘A’ cluster. Adding the three trained tutors in Peninsula-Downe, and the nine tutors in Wildfire to the 29 trained tutors in Charles Dunning, this resulted in one cluster with 41 tutors, with a Bahá'í population of 120 adults, 33 youth, 6 junior youth and 14 children from Bahá’í families. This new cluster was named ‘Northern Lights’ at the recent reflection meeting held on Sunday 28 May, which was attended by approximately 55 Friends.
Cluster Coordinator Mahan writes: The first Northern Lights reflection meeting proved to be excellent (the best so far some said). There is a lot to report but let’s just take a look at the sequence of course. We had some stories from three individuals– all were encouraging and exciting, the likes of which we hope will grace every Reflection meeting. Story 1 described how a simple act of doing the practice of Ruhi Book 4 at a Feast, enthused one individual to complete the sequence and in turn help others progress. Story 2 described how one tutor is now helping take a number of his community of interest from Book 1 to Book 2. Story 3 involved one member of the community of interest of Story 2 sharing their thoughts and experience of Book 1 and why they decided to move onto Book 2.
Some pictures from the first "Northern Lights" "A" category cluster Cluster Reflection Meeting:
Hopefully the expansion phase of the Intensive Programme of Growth was a success with exciting stories to be shared in the near future. One study circle (Book 1) got started during this phase with two new members of the community of interest taking part. This raises the number of study circles with members of the community of interest attending to 4 (2 Book 1s and 2 Book 2s). May this trend long continue.
As tutors we continually desire to sharpen our skills and learn evermore how better we can serve in this capacity, which is why we should regularly recall the following paragraph:
“Most noteworthy in this regard is the spirit of initiative shown by believers who extend the range of their endeavours to assist others also striving to tread a path of service. Having acquired the capacity to serve as tutors of institute courses, they take up the challenge of accompanying participants in their initial attempts to perform acts of service until they, too, are ready to start their own study circles and help others do the same, widening in this way the scope of the institute's influence and bringing eager souls into contact with the Word of God. This particular aspect of the institute process, which serves to multiply the number of active supporters of the Faith in a self-perpetuating manner, holds much promise, and we hope that its potential will be realized in the coming Plan. "Let him not be content", are the words of the Guardian referring to every teacher of the Cause, ‘until he has infused into his spiritual child so deep a longing as to impel him to arise independently, in his turn, and devote his energies to the quickening of other souls, and the upholding of the laws and principles laid down by his newly adopted Faith.’” The Universal House of Justice, 27 December 2005
The Seven Valleys cluster has been identified as Northern Ireland’s new priority cluster. There are many strengths within this cluster. With 44 adults, nine youth, nine junior youth and four children, this cluster has a strong potential, and, with its 11 trained tutors, has been identified as one of the 1,500 clusters worldwide to establish an intensive programme of growth during the new Five-Year Plan. There is significant activity with this cluster, and as this cluster will now be the subject of focused attention and activity by many friends from within and outside this cluster, it is sure to result in a community with a united and harmonised perspective.
Twenty-nine friends from the cluster attended the reflection meeting which was held in Coleraine on 26 May. Eighteen pledges were gathered at the end of the meeting. As this was the first reflection meeting of this new priority cluster, coming as it did just after the launch of the new Five-Year Plan, it necessitated sharing with the friends many new developments. The bulk of the programme was therefore geared towards defining the new characteristics of this cluster, and aiming to achieve a unified vision of this community as a family of Abdu’l-Bahá. The Auxiliary Board Member, representatives of the Bahá’í Council, and the junior youth and children’s class coordinators took an active part in the proceedings, alongside, of course, the Cluster coordinator. The friends participated actively in a short workshop on the importance of everyone in the cluster feeling an integral part of one family, thus building a cluster identity.
Cluster 1 (Northern Lights): Mahan Hashemi-zadeh
Cluster 2 (Stars of the West): Vida Lake
Cluster 3 (Hainsworth): Anne Munro
Cluster 4 (Seven Valleys): Sina Rezvani
Junior Youth Coordinator for Northern Ireland: Edwina Agahi
Children’s Class Coordinator for Northern Ireland: Pat Jamshidi
Regional Coordinator for Northern Ireland: Arjang Agahi
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