The themes this year will be based on new insights gained from the implementation of the process around the world.
Please book your place now, by contacting Rosemary Jamshidi.
Rosemary reminds us: …the cost for the weekend is £35. There are 3 rooms with twin beds and dorms which will take 48 people maximum. The friends should bring their own towels…”
15 March 2007
Dearly loved Friends,
"That the spirit of faith born out of intimate contact with the Word of God has such an effect on souls is by no means a new phenomenon. What is heartening is that the institute process is helping such large numbers experience the transforming potency of the Faith. To extend this edifying influence to hundreds of thousands more should be the object of intense effort over the next five years." (The Universal House of Justice, To the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, 27 December 2005)
The ability of the training institute process to enhance the capacity of an increasing number of believers to promote the vital processes of expansion and consolidation of the Faith has been keenly felt in the United Kingdom in recent years. The rise in activity in this long-established Bahá'í community can be attributed quite clearly to the training institute's success in evoking the spirit of enterprise and initiative among the believers, endowing them with the capacity to systematically study and apply the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh in their own lives and with the desire and skills to extend its life-giving influence to ever larger numbers of other souls. Indeed, the training institute has become a true engine of the growth of the Cause in this country, an indispensable instrument for the training of souls to advance the process of entry by troops.
The human resources of the Faith in the United Kingdom have continued to develop during the first year of the current Five Year Plan as increasing numbers of friends moved through the main sequence of institute courses. At the time of writing, some 800 souls have been raised as tutors, thereby providing a very strong foundation for the expansion of the community. Further, some 1390 individuals have been trained as children's class teachers and almost 100 as animators of junior youth groups. This bodes well for the multiplication of these vital core activities.
In line with efforts to raise up the human resources to shoulder the expansion and consolidation work of the Faith, careful attention has been paid in recent years to building the necessary institutional capacity to advance the institute process throughout the country. In this regard, study circle tutors have been most fortunate to receive the support of a network of cluster and regional coordinators who energetically pursue their duties under the guidance of the Training Institute Boards serving the different parts of the United Kingdom. Nearly all clusters now have individuals appointed to coordinate the delivery of institute courses and to give special attention to the advancement of the institute process in those clusters alone; they are also responsible for stimulating the activity of tutors and for sharing the learning about systematic growth with them.
Themselves the recipients of key learning points and guidance shared by the regional coordinators, the cluster institute coordinators arrange regular "tutor encounters" where they encourage tutors to reflect on their own experiences and evaluate their erformances in light of the new learning.
In recent months and in consultation with the Counsellors, the National Spiritual Assembly has had the opportunity to review the development of the training institute process in the United Kingdom and, in particular, the administration of this all-important work. And in an attempt to more effectively and efficiently capture and share the learning that is being generated throughout the country about the institute process and systematic growth, the National Assembly has taken the decision to establish one institute board for the whole of the United Kingdom.
The Board of the Training Institute for the United Kingdom will come into being on 21 March 2007, when the current regional institute boards will cease to function. Appointed to the membership of this new board are Riccardo Besharati, Denis Coyle, Helena Hastie, Mona Helmy and Sarah Munro. The regional coordinators will continue in post, carrying out the day-to-day plans and activities of the institute under the guidance and direction of the Training Institute for the United Kingdom and within the framework of action jointly agreed with the Baha'i Councils in their respective parts of the country. At this stage, it is only fitting and appropriate to recall the contributions -- sacrificial, vigorous and determined -- of all those who have served on the institute boards and who have so lovingly and painstakingly advanced the institute process in all parts of the country.
The National Assembly has every confidence that this new development in the administration of the training institute in the United Kingdom will serve to extend the edifying influence of the institute process "to hundreds and thousands more" during the course of this Plan.
With loving Baha'i greetings, National Spiritual Assembly, Dr Kishan Manocha, Secretary.
Past members of the Training Institute Board and its current team of coordinators were guests of the current members at a special celebratory dinner in Belfast on Thursday, 15 March. The occasion marked an historic milestone for the institute process in Northern Ireland as the Board concludes its ten-year stewardship of that process which began for Northern Ireland in May 1997 with the naming of the first Institute Board. Since that time the present system for delivering the sequence of courses has been built and its roots firmly grounded. A solid foundation has been secured; a system destined to grow and lovingly facilitate ever greater numbers of souls in their movement through the sequence of courses and in this way widen the base of human resources which will ensure the advancement of entry by troops into the Cause of God in this land. The evening was electric with joy, laughter and unity; so many memories evoked and a true expression of the love and unity that has been characteristic of this decade of united effort radiated. As the present Board concludes its mandate, it expresses its loving gratitude to Bahá’u’lláh and to all of those, individuals and Institutions, who have contributed so lovingly and sacrificially to these ten years of growth. Nothing could be firmer than its confidence in the coordinators and tutors who have been raised up: 57 tutors to date! The Board’s loving prayers and support thoughts go out to the new UK-wide Training Institute Board under whose aegis the institute process will go from strength to strength as we move into the second year of the Five Year Plan.
Report by Jim Holmlund
Mahan Hashemi-zadeh reports:
The conference took place over the weekend 17-18 February in Coventry. It was an inspiring and enjoyable blend of talks, artistic presentations, workshops and light entertainment.
The National Spiritual Assembly started things off by welcoming everyone before Counsellor Vivien Craig gave an insightful presentation about the spiritual enterprise we are involved in. Each presentation was followed by a workshop, the first of which was on the topic of Accompaniment. From there we moved onto a presentation on the power of the arts, which contained many excellent pieces of art that have been created along the way in the core activities in the UK. No surprise then to find ourselves in a workshop focusing on the power of the arts. Put a quotation to rap was our art activity. Needless to say everyone was encouraging and had some fun with it.
The subsequent presentation was on the all important topic of connecting the hearts through home visits which was followed by an entertaining dramatic presentation. Naturally a workshop of home visits followed.
The Sunday consisted of two presentations and respective workshops. The first was on Children and Junior Youth which was followed by one on Reaching out. After this everyone present was encouraged to make a personal teaching plan that very moment and to share it with the person next to them, with full conviction to carry it through.
The conference ended with Counsellor Shirin Fozdar-Foroudi sharing some insight and encouragement.
Assistants and tutors from Seven Valleys cluster had the bounty of meeting today, 17 March 2007 in Coleraine, with Auxiliary Board Members Ann O’Sullivan and Mathew Kennedy and with Cluster Coordinator Sina Rezvani.
Materials from a recent Counsellors Conference for Auxiliary Board Members in Germany, current statistics of progress in the cluster and personal experiences were lovingly shared. A vibrant scene was set for the next three months of dynamic activity aimed at moving an ever-greater number of souls, both from among the friends and from the community of interest, through the sequence of courses and at increasing the community of interest. All gained a greater appreciation of how advancing this movement is the key to moving our priority cluster. It was particular joy to welcome Mathew, with whom we all shall be so closely associated in days to come, to Seven Valleys cluster for the first time. A million thanks to Susanne and Sina for hosting this joyful event.
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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