CommuNIqué - Newsletter of the Bahá'í Community in Northern Ireland
Issue 144 - 8 Rahmat 166 BE - 1 July 2009 CE

 

"MOMENTUM" - NEWS OF LEARNING AND ACTION

 

DEVELOPMENTS IN THE “SEVEN VALLEYS” CLUSTER

Northern Ireland’s pledge to the Universal House of Justice that two of its clusters would become A clusters before the end of the Five Year Plan will be achieved on July 11th 2009. Already in their 12th cycle of the Intensive Programmes of Growth (IPG) the friends in the Northern Lights cluster are adopting the pattern of expansion and consolidation. "The Seven Valleys cluster will launch its first Intensive Programmes of Growth (IPG) on July 11th. "Since the London conference, Seven Valleys has really entered the learning mode at a much more accelerated pace. During the last ten weeks the friends in Seven Valleys have increased the intensity and tempo of their teaching work.

The goals of the cluster

1. to have 14 more mobilised believers in the cluster.
2. to initiate two junior youth groups
3. to expand an existing junior youth group
4. bring 16 new people into the faith.
  • The following is a glimpse of the their joyful and sacrificial endeavours.
  • Some of the friends are going through the higher sequence of the books intensively.
  • The friends are home visiting each other, studying prayers, looking at their friends they need to teach the faith to more directly and invite them to join the Bahá'í community.
  • The friends have become more effective in their teaching especially using Anna’s presentation.
  • Ten friends who are very close to the Faith are being accompanied by deepening with them (themes of Ruhi Institute book 2) and involving them in service.
  • One of those friends enrolled. Study circles have begun including one with three Chinese friends.
  • Neighbourhood junior youth groups have begun with local people being trained to animate their junior youth.

The Seven Valleys cluster prayer

O Thou kind Lord!  O Thou Who art generous and merciful!  We are servants of Thy threshold and are gathered beneath the sheltering shadow of Thy divine unity.  The sun of Thy mercy is shining upon all, and the clouds of Thy bounty shower upon all.  Thy gifts encompass all, Thy loving providence sustains all, Thy protection overshadows all, and the glances of Thy favor are cast upon all.  O Lord!  Grant Thine infinite bestowals, and let the light of Thy guidance shine.  Illumine the eyes, gladden the hearts with abiding joy.  Confer a new spirit upon all people and bestow upon them eternal life.  Unlock the gates of true understanding and let the light of faith shine resplendent.  Gather all people beneath the shadow of Thy bounty and cause them to unite in harmony, so that they may become as the rays of one sun, as the waves of one ocean, and as the fruit of one tree.  May they drink from the same fountain.  May they be refreshed by the same breeze.  May they receive illumination from the same source of light.  Thou art the Giver, the Merciful, the Omnipotent.

Abdu’l-Bahá


“SEVEN VALLEYS” REFLECTION MEETING 29 MAY 2009

There was an air of expectancy as the Reflection Meeting began with a beautiful devotional and a very warm welcome on behalf of the newly appointed Area Teaching Committee. It was really exciting to hear how the cluster had now moved from being a ‘C’ Cluster to a ‘B’.

The watch word for the day was “a community in the ascendant” and this truly was the atmosphere which permeated this gathering. The news of recent movement and events in the cluster was shared. This was very encouraging and illustrated that there is a path of service, which can be taken by every individual, which will add to the resources in the Cluster.

More home visits are taking place across the cluster, and it was clear from the stories shared that those present were actively concerned with finding ways of teaching directly and opening their homes to the wider community. The youth who were present contributed very dynamically to the day, and are clearly making their mark on the work of the cluster.

We studied the guidance of the Universal House of Justice in small groups, giving every one the opportunity to talk about their understandings, experiences and plans in preparation for making pledges to act as resources to move the cluster forward in the coming weeks.

It was noticeable that the conversations during the lunch break were a continuation of the work in session. The reflection meeting finished with the presentation of the cluster plan for moving towards establishing Intensive Programs of Growth (IPG) by 11 July. We were blessed with the presence of Auxiliary Board Member Mathew Kennedy, and he closed the gathering with his characteristic love and encouragement. This was a really happy day, and everyone left with a clear vision of how they could personally contribute to the work of moving the cluster to the next stage.


‘Northern Lights’ Cluster Reflection Meeting Dates:

Reflection meeting Expansion Phase
Sunday 2nd August 8th – 23rd August
Sunday 1st November 7th – 22nd November

Institute Coordinators for Northern Ireland

Cluster 1 (Northern Lights):

Study Circles: Lesley Taherzadeh O'Mara
Junior Youth: Darragh Graham
Children's Classes: Marion Khosravi

Cluster 2 (Stars of the West):

Study Circles: Michelle O'Mahony Barr
Junior Youth: (Not yet appointed)
Children's Classes: Elizabeth Palin

Cluster 3 (Hainsworth):

Study Circles: Kevin Proudman
Junior Youth: (Not yet appointed)
Children's Classes: Elizabeth Palin

Cluster 4 (Seven Valleys):

Study Circles: James Holmlund
Junior Youth: Nason Maani
Children's Classes: Patricia Jamshidi

Regional Coordinators for Northern Ireland:

Study Curcles: Orang Agahi
Children's Classes: Denis Coyle
Junior Youth: Darragh Graham

For further information related to the core activities of the Plan, please contact your Coordinator, or visit www.bahai.org.uk/traininginstitute_ni

 

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