"Authority and direction flow from the Assemblies…"
We are, all of us, individuals and institutions, having to look at the way we serve the Faith in this world-wide programme of expansion, consolidation, and service on which we have embarked. We are having to learn new ways of doing things while not turning our back on basic principles and the good in our experience. Sometimes, it has to be said, this can be challenging for those of us (whether individuals or institutions) who have been around the longest, as the comfort of routine vies with learning and a need to develop a synthesis of the best and most relevant of old and new.
One institution which faces this challenge and the need to develop a way of working for the current needs of the Faith is the Local Spiritual Assembly. The Bahá'í Council has a role in helping towards a positive outcome that will carry forward the local work. In its document of 30 May 1997 in which it announced the establishment, functions, scope and role of Regional Bahá'í Councils the Universal House of Justice stated
: "Its [the Council's] goal is to create strong Local Spiritual Assemblies which will be the focal centres of Bahá'í activity, will exercise their vitally important role in the development of the Faith and will demonstrate their ability to regulate the affairs of their local communities."
Last year the Council considered how best to develop its links with, and support for, Spiritual Assemblies. We have only a small number in Northern Ireland and so it was decided to meet with each one as a Council, and this has now been done. In each case an interesting and fruitful consultation took place. While this covered various subjects the basis was always what the Spiritual Assembly can do to arrange its work to meet the needs of the Plan and how the Council can help. Each Assembly was offered as an example and suggestion for how they might approach their work a document from an issue of "Reflections on Growth" that dealt with how the Spiritual Assembly of Philadelphia in the USA had changed its focus and practices to meet those needs.
This briefly and in simple terms set out the background and seven bullet points* abut the approach taken by this Assembly, one with responsibility for a large number of believers. It showed how "By prioritising for growth the Assembly began to move away from a complex organisational structure to one that involved simple acts of service with community members and seekers… it made adjustments and changes to its operations."
The Bahá'í Council will, of course, continue to look at how it might help Local Assemblies develop. It is sure that the material shared, and the consultations held, will have been helpful, but that is just a start. Members of Local Spiritual Assemblies bear a sacred responsibility to give of their best in this field of service, and can call upon the support not only of the Council but also of the Auxiliary Board Members and their assistants. Assemblies have a vital role to play in establishing a vibrant well-functioning and growing Bahá'í community in their locality. The document about the experience and activities of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Philadelphia is available on request from the Bahá'í Council.
* The seven headings were Unity, Agenda, Committees, Budget, Nineteen Day Feasts, Developing Human Resources, and Facts and Figures.
The National Spiritual Assembly has launched a new newsblog “providing an authoritative and up-to-date source of news and articles about theBahá'í community in the UK and across the world. The 'blog' is designed to appeal to all readers who are interested in knowing more about the Bahá'í community and what it is doing in the world.” It can be accessed at http://bahainews-uk.info and has a lot of interesting news about what is going on. This is one to keep an eye on, and you can let your friends, contacts, interested journalists, anyone who wants to see what the Bahá'ís are doing, know about it.
The Bahá'í Council would like to remind all the Friends in Northern Irelandthat the small ‘activities booklet’ is still available on request (in small or larger quantities). Giving an overview of the core activities for the non-Bahá'í reader, it is professionally-designed, colourful, ideal for handing to friends and enquirers: if you want some copies to give away please get in touch with the Secretary of the Bahá'í Council.
These booklets are resources to be out there working for the Faith, telling people about our various activities and inviting them to join. Why not get some and use them?
The Bahá'í Council has access to templates that you can use to produce your own leaflets to invite people to your various activities. These are in MS Word which means they can be opened and edited in most word processors, letting you amend them as you like and put in your own contact details and local information. They are A4 sheets that trifold.
Items available are: CA-1 and CA-2—about the various core activities SC-2—about study circles CC-2—about children’s classes DM-2—about devotional meetings TZ-1—about Tranquillity Zones. (The National Spiritual Assembly has indicated that these are a specialised form of devotional meetings with a lot to offer in certain circumstances.)
To obtain electronic copies please e-mail the Bahá'í Council specifying which items you want.
If you are wondering, SC-1, DM-1, and CC-1 are also available, they require Microsoft Publisher to open and edit them. If you have Publisher and want them, please say.
For more about Tranquillity Zones go to www.tranquillity-zone.org.uk
And while thinking about leaflets and how we can produce our own literature, how often have we asked “Where can I get a good picture of the Shrine of the Báb, or a temple, or a Bahá'í youth project, or just a nice photo of Bahá'ís doing things?”. The answer is the Bahá'í Media website at http://media.bahai.org which is a large archive of pictures related to the Bahá'í Faith. (Hint: If you download the picture on your screen you will get a small to medium size file, suitable for electronic media or printing as a smaller picture. If you want a large file so that you have a high-resolution picture for a large or professional print you will have to Subscribe then use the Download File option to get the zipped file of the large version).
CommuNIqueand other Bahá’í publications welcomes photographs of your activities. However where children and young people (up to age 18) are featured the Child Protection Procedure of the National Spiritual Assembly requires that (unless it is a group picture—five or more) permission of the parent or guardian be given. If this doesn’t come with the photo then it cannot be used. Please bear this in mind when sending pictures. Of course if the sender is the parent or guardian of the young person featured, permission is assumed.
Are you due to go on Pilgrimage, or making a three-day visit to the World Centre? Not only will this bring you great bounties, it can be an opportunity to share more about the Faith with the people of your area. Such a visit is newsworthy and your local paper will probably print a report about your experience, especially if it is seen as a “pilgrimage with a difference”.
A special press lead is available to help you with this. You can obtain it from the Bahá'í Council’s Press and Public Information Officer.
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