Local Baháʼí Communities

Ascension of Baha’u’llah

Commemorations, Local Baháʼí Communities, National and International Connections -

Ascension of Baha’u’llah

Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day-star of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men. We are with you at all times, and shall strengthen you through the power of truth. We are truly almighty. Whoso hath recognized Me will arise and serve Me with such determination that the powers of earth and heaven shall be unable to defeat his purpose. Gleanings, p.137

 

Chapter 13  God Passes By  Shoghi Effendi

Already nine months before His ascension Bahá’u’lláh, as attested by ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, had voiced His desire to depart from this world. From that time onward it became increasingly evident, from the tone of His remarks to those who attained His presence, that the close of His earthly life was approaching, though He refrained from mentioning it openly to any one. On the night preceding the eleventh of Shavvál 1309 A.H. (May 8, 1892) He contracted a slight fever which, though it mounted the following day, soon after subsided. He continued to grant interviews to certain of the friends and pilgrims, but it soon became evident that He was not well. His fever returned in a more acute form than before, His general condition grew steadily worse, complications ensued which at last culminated in His ascension, at the hour of dawn, on the 2nd of Dhi’l-Qa‘dih 1309 A.H. (May 29, 1892), eight hours after sunset, in the 75th year of His age. His spirit, at long last released from the toils of a life crowded with tribulations, had winged its flight to His “other dominions,” dominions “whereon the eyes of the people of names have never fallen,” and to which the “Luminous Maid,” “clad in white,” had bidden Him hasten, as described by Himself in the Lawḥ-i-Ru’yá (Tablet of the Vision), revealed nineteen years previously, on the anniversary of the birth of His Forerunner.

Six days before He passed away He summoned to His presence, as He lay in bed leaning against one of His sons, the entire company of believers, including several pilgrims, who had assembled in the Mansion, for what proved to be their last audience with Him. “I am well pleased with you all,” He gently and affectionately addressed the weeping crowd that gathered about Him. “Ye have rendered many services, and been very assiduous in your labors. Ye have come here every morning and every evening. May God assist you to remain united. May He aid you to exalt the Cause of the Lord of being.” To the women, including members of His own family, gathered at His bedside, He addressed similar words of encouragement, definitely assuring them that in a document entrusted by Him to the Most Great Branch He had commended them all to His care.

The news of His ascension was instantly communicated to Sulṭán ‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd in a telegram which began with the words “the Sun of Bahá has set” and in which the monarch was advised of the intention of interring the sacred remains within the precincts of the Mansion, an arrangement to which he readily assented. Bahá’u’lláh was accordingly laid to rest in the northernmost room of the house which served as a dwelling-place for His son-in-law, the most northerly of the three houses lying to the west of, and adjacent to, the Mansion. His interment took place shortly after sunset, on the very day of His ascension.

For a full week a vast number of mourners, rich and poor alike, tarried to grieve with the bereaved family, partaking day and night of the food that was lavishly dispensed by its members. Notables, among whom were numbered Shí‘ahs, Sunnís, Christians, Jews and Druzes, as well as poets, ‘ulamás and government officials, all joined in lamenting the loss, and in magnifying the virtues and greatness of Bahá’u’lláh, many of them paying to Him their written tributes, in verse and in prose, in both Arabic and Turkish. From cities as far afield as Damascus, Aleppo, Beirut and Cairo similar tributes were received. These glowing testimonials were, without exception, submitted to ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, Who now represented the Cause of the departed Leader, and Whose praises were often mingled in these eulogies with the homage paid to His Father.

Declaration of the Bab

Commemorations, Local Baháʼí Communities, National and International Connections -

“God,” said He, “is My witness, O people! I am come to you with a Revelation from the Lord, your God, the Lord of your fathers of old. Look not, O people, at the things ye possess. Look rather at the things God hath sent down unto you. This, surely, will be better for you than the whole of creation, could ye but perceive it. Repeat the gaze, O people, and consider the testimony of God and His proof which are in your possession, and compare them unto the Revelation sent down unto you in this Day, that the truth, the infallible truth, may be indubitably manifested unto you. Follow not, O people, the steps of the Evil One; follow ye the Faith of the All-Merciful, and be ye of them that truly believe. What would it profit man, if he were to fail to recognize the Revelation of God? Nothing whatever. To this Mine own Self, the Omnipotent, the Omniscient, the All-Wise, will testify.” Bahá’u’lláh: Gleanings, Pages: 144-147

May 23, 1844, signalizes the commencement of the most turbulent period of the Heroic Age of the Bahá’í Era. It only  spanned  nine short years . It was ushered in by the birth of a Revelation whose Bearer posterity will claim as being the “Point round Whom the realities of the Prophets and Messengers revolve,” and terminated with the first stirrings of a still more potent Revelation, “whose day,” Bahá’u’lláh Himself affirms, “every Prophet hath announced,” for which “the soul of every Divine Messenger hath thirsted,” and through which “God hath proved the hearts of the entire company of His Messengers and Prophets”…

The significant event that occurred on this day happened in the upper chamber of the modest residence of the son of a mercer of Shiraz, in an obscure corner of that city. The time was the hour before sunset, on the 22nd day of May, 1844. The participants were the Báb, a twenty-five year old siyyid, of pure and holy lineage, and the young Mulla Husayn, the first to believe in Him. Their meeting that night had been Ordained by God. The interview itself lasted until the hour of dawn. The Host remained alone with His guest, and the sleeping city was totally unaware of the significance of the conversation they held with each other. No record has passed to posterity of that unique night, only the enlightening  account that fell from the lips of Mulla Husayn.

“I sat spellbound by His utterance, oblivious of time and of those who awaited me,” he himself has testified, after describing the nature of the questions he had put to his Host and the conclusive replies he had received from Him, replies which had established beyond the shadow of a doubt the validity of His claim to be the promised Qa’im. “Suddenly the call of the Mu’adhdhin, summoning the faithful to their morning prayer, awakened me from the state of ecstasy into which I seemed to have fallen. All the delights, all the ineffable glories, which the Almighty has recounted in His Book as the priceless possessions of the people of Paradise – these I seemed to be experiencing that night. Methinks I was in a place of which it could be truly said: `Therein no toil shall reach us, and therein no weariness shall touch us;’ `no vain discourse shall they hear therein, nor any falsehood, but only the cry, “Peace! Peace!”‘; `their cry therein shall be, “Glory to Thee, O God!” and their salutation therein, “Peace!”, and the close of their cry, “Praise be to God, Lord of all creatures!”‘ Sleep had departed from me that night. I was enthralled by the music of that voice which rose and fell as He chanted; now swelling forth as He revealed verses of the Qayyumu’l-Asma’, again acquiring ethereal, subtle harmonies as He uttered the prayers He was revealing. At the end of each invocation, He would repeat this verse: `Far from the glory of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, be that which His creatures affirm of Him! And peace be upon His Messengers! And praise be to God, the Lord of all beings!'”

“This Revelation,” Mulla Husayn has further testified, “so suddenly and impetuously thrust upon me, came as a thunderbolt which, for a time, seemed to have benumbed my faculties. I was blinded by its dazzling splendor and overwhelmed by its crushing force. Excitement, joy, awe, and wonder stirred the depths of my soul. Predominant among these emotions was a sense of gladness and strength which seemed to have transfigured me. How feeble and impotent, how dejected and timid, I had felt previously! Then I could neither write nor walk, so tremulous were my hands and feet. Now, however, the knowledge of His Revelation had galvanized my being. I felt possessed of such courage and power that were the world, all its peoples and its potentates, to rise against me, I would, alone and undaunted, withstand their onslaught. The universe seemed but a handful of dust in my grasp. I seemed to be the voice of Gabriel personified, calling unto all mankind: `Awake, for, lo! the morning Light has broken. Arise, for His Cause is made manifest. The portal of His grace is open wide; enter therein, O peoples of the world! For He Who is your promised One is come!'”

This illustrious Soul arose with such power that He shook the supports of the religion, of the morals, the conditions, the habits and the customs of Persia, and instituted new rules, new laws and a new religion. Though the great personages of the State, nearly all the clergy, and the public men arose to destroy and annihilate Him, He alone withstood them and moved the whole of Persia.

The Twelve Days of Riḍván

Commemorations, Local Baháʼí Communities, National and International Connections -

The Twelve Days of Riḍván

The worldwide Bahá’í community joyfully celebrates the twelve-day Festival of Riḍván in early spring each year. This year, 2024, Riḍván begins at sunset on April 20th and ends at sunset on May 1st. Bahá’u’lláh has ordained Riḍván as the “Most Great Festival” and the “King of Festivals.” During these twelve days in 1863, He declared that He was the Manifestation of God for this day, the “One Whom God shall make manifest” as foretold by the Báb.  

This momentous declaration signalized the beginning of the Bahá’í Faith, and thereby sent spiritual reverberations across the universe from the city of Baghdad. He spent the last twelve days of his sojourn in Iraq in that garden, because the Turkish authorities had decreed that He would be further exiled to Constantinople (now called Istanbul). Bahá’u’lláh called the beautiful Najibiyyih Garden the “Garden of Riḍván,” which is the word in Arabic for “paradise.” 

Three Holy Days            

During the Riḍván festival, Bahá’u’lláh designated three of the twelve days as holy days on which work should be suspended. The first day of Riḍván commemorates when Bahá’u’lláh left the city to stay in the Garden of Riḍván on the banks of the Tigris River, where He would say farewell to his many friends and followers before his imminent departure.  

“Rejoice with exceeding gladness, O people of Baha, as ye call to remembrance the Day of supreme felicity, the Day whereon the Tongue of the Ancient of Days hath spoken, as He departed from His House, proceeding to the Spot from which He shed upon the whole of creation the splendors of His name, the All-Merciful.” (Bahá’u’lláh, “Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,” p. 35)

On the ninth day of Riḍván, the rest of His family arrived in the garden. Bahá’u’lláh received countless visitors seeking His presence to bid him farewell. Every day the gardeners cut roses as gifts for the visitors, and piled them in a heap in Bahá’u’lláh’s tent. 

“Consider these nightingales. So great is their love for these roses, that sleepless from dusk till dawn, they warble their melodies and commune with burning passion with the object of their adoration. How then can those who claim to be afire with the rose-like beauty of the Beloved choose to sleep?” (Shoghi Effendi, “God Passes By,” p. 153)

On the twelfth day at noontime, Bahá’u’lláh mounted his red roan stallion with dignity and majesty, as He departed from Baghdad with His family and a small band of His followers. His journey to His next place of exile in the city of Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, would take four arduous months.

 Significance of the Festival of Riḍván

Although Bahá’u’lláh’s departure from Iraq for further exile appears as sorrowful, yet it was a momentous and joyful moment of spiritual significance, because He openly declared for the first time that He was the Promised One of all ages.

“The promised Day of God is come! He Who is the Manifestation of the Adored One hath been established upon the throne of His name, the All-Loving, and the sun of His bounty hath cast its rays upon the seeing and seen alike. Wherefore renounce ye, O denizens of the realms of limitation, that which ye possess, adorn your temples with His glorious vesture, and behold with untainted vision Him Who is the luminous Beauty of God seated upon the throne of glory in His transcendent, His almighty and all-subduing sovereignty. All praise be to the Best Beloved, Who hath revealed His hidden beauty with such manifest authority! “ (Bahá’u’lláh, “Days of Remembrance,” no. 10, para. 3, p. 40)

Ridvan Baha’i Elections

Local Baháʼí Communities -

Ridvan Baha’i Elections

This year, 2023, the Riḍván elections will include all three levels of Bahá’í administration: local, national, and international. Local Spiritual Assembly elections around the world are held on the first day of Riḍván, starting after sunset on April 20 and ending before sunset on April 21. The election of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, which takes place every year, will be held during the National Convention from May 18 to 21. The Universal House of Justice is elected every 5 years, always on the 9th day of Riḍván, which this year is on April 29.

“On the election day, the friends must whole-heartedly participate in the elections, in unity and amity, turning their hearts to God, detached from all things but Him, seeking His guidance and supplicating His aid and bounty.”  (27 February 1923, Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá’ís of the East—translated from the Persian)

“The aim should always be so to educate the friends during the year that they consider their participation in Bahá’í elections not only as a right they exercise, but as a spiritual obligation which, when discharged in the proper Bahá’í spirit, contributes to the health and growth of the Bahá’í community.”   (18 June 1980, Universal House of Justice, memorandum to the International Teaching Centre)

Principles of Baha’i Elections

The principles of Bahá’í elections were enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. They cast a sharp contrast to the principles of political elections held around the world. All members in good standing of the Bahá’í community are eligible for election at various levels and in various districts around the world. Campaigning and divisive tactics are forbidden, and ballots are cast in secret. Membership on these institutions is not based on volunteering, electioneering or nominations. Rather members are called to serve via unbiased elections.

“Let us recall His explicit and often repeated assurances that every Assembly elected in that rarefied atmosphere of selflessness and detachment is in truth appointed of God, that its verdict is truly inspired, that one and all should submit to its decision unreservedly and with cheerfulness.”  (23 February 1924. Shoghi Effendi, “Bahá’í Administration,” p. 65)

Direct and Indirect Participation of the Individual

The privileges and responsibilities of the individual believers come into play by participating in Bahá’í elections, with the goal to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. By design, individual Bahá’ís are represented either directly or indirectly in all Bahá’í elections. They directly elect the members of their Local Spiritual Assembly. They indirectly elect the members of their National Spiritual Assembly by electing delegates from their district to represent them at the National Convention for their country or territory. And they also indirectly elect the Universal House of Justice, because their National Spiritual Assembly members represent them when they travel to the World Center to attend the International Convention. The International Convention is held in person at the World Center, with the option of accepting ballots mailed in from National Spiritual Assembly members who are unable to attend in person.

The Sacred Nature of Baha’i Elections

Bahá’í elections are held prayerfully in silence without discussions or nominations. After all ballots have been cast and collected, the tellers retreat to a private location to count the ballots, while the annual meetings take place. 

“As you know very well, the method of Bahá’í elections is at complete variance with the methods and practices of elections in political systems. The beloved Guardian has pointed out to us that should we follow the method of the politicians in our Bahá’í elections, misunderstandings and differences will arise, chaos and confusion will ensue, mischief will abound and the confirmations of God will be cut off from that Bahá’í community. In view of these grave warnings, the utmost care must always be exercised so that the purity and spiritual character of Bahá’í elections are maintained and preserved.”  (6 December 1971, letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer)

Unity of thought and action has enabled the Bahá’í institutions to engage at all levels in worldwide plans to bring about the healthy development of the Faith. Over the last one-hundred years, starting with the “Tablets of the Divine Plan” given to us by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the development of the administrative order under the guidance of the Guardian and the Universal House of Justice, the Faith has emerged from obscurity and advanced with increasing effectiveness on the world stage.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

The Sanctity and Nature of Bahá’í Elections

https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/compilations/sanctity-nature-bahai-elections/

Bahá’í Administration

https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/shoghi-effendi/bahai-administration/

The three-stage electoral process for the Universal House of Justice

https://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org/electoral-process

Invitation for Home-Front Pioneers in the Rio Grande Valley Cluster

Local Baháʼí Communities, News from Around the Region, Service Opportunities -

The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Cluster is at the southern tip of Texas. Relatively isolated from the rest of the United States as well as most of Mexico, it is culturally distinct from both. It has almost 1.4 million inhabitants, over 90% of whom are Hispanic. The RGV offers a friendly, family-oriented approach to life where people tend to greet others warmly and to help strangers in need. The Valley is growing fairly rapidly due to a high birth rate and immigration from across the Mexico border. Many families have members on both sides of the border. A seasonal influx of “Winter Texans” brings tens of thousands of retirees from the Midwest, and the beautiful beaches of nearby South Padre Island attract tourists.

The Bahá’í communities of the Valley date from the 1970’s. Local Spiritual Assemblies are regularly elected in McAllen, Harlingen and Brownsville. The current Bahá’í population is about 115, most of whom are adults. For over a year the total number of core activities has hovered around 45, with 2/3 of those being devotionals. Although work has been done in two focus neighborhoods at the initiative of individuals and couples and the potential for growth is enormous, human resources are not sufficient to fully develop these receptive neighborhoods. Children and junior youth primarily speak English, but a significant percentage of their parents communicate more comfortably in Spanish. In this environment, it is clear that the Valley would especially benefit from more Spanish language support.

The Area Teaching Committee warmly welcomes inquiries from friends interested in home-front pioneering in the Valley and can be reached at RioGrandeValleyATC@gmail.com.

 

For general information, visit this Wikipedia article about the Lower Rio Grande Valley: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Rio_Grande_Valley

National Day of Racial Healing Devotional Little Rock, Arkansas January 22, 2023

Local Baháʼí Communities -

National Day of Racial Healing Devotional
Little Rock, Arkansas
January 22, 2023

Within the context of the framework governing your activities, it is necessary to carefully examine the forces unfolding around you to determine where your energies might reinforce the most promising initiatives, what you should avoid, and how you might lend a distinctive contribution. (Universal House of Justice Letter to the Baha’is of the United States, 22 July 2020)
     When the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Little Rock read this quote from the Universal House of Justice, they decided to identify “promising initiatives” that they might reinforce within the context of the community-building framework. They discovered the Arkansas Peace and Justice Memorial Movement (AJPMM.org) founded by Clarice and Kwami Abdu’l-Bey. This entity, among a host of initiatives, has organized a coalition to celebrate the National Day of Racial Healing in Arkansas. This annual observance was created by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to be honored on the day after Martin Luther King Day. Over the last three years, in Arkansas, this coalition has expanded to include multiple municipalities, university campuses and faith communities. Our Governor became the first to issue a formal proclamation designating the National Day of Racial Healing in Arkansas.
     The Assembly asked a representative to meet with the founders to explore how the Baha’is might lend a distinctive contribution. The outcome was a virtual devotional to explore the spiritual nature of racial healing that was first offered in 2022 and promoted through the coalition as part of the calendar of events for the week-long celebration. Clarice and Kwami Abdu’l-Bey attended the devotional and invited several friends to attend as well.
    Through subsequent conversations, Kwami became aware of the National Race Amity Day and attended the workshop sponsored by this Baha’i-inspired initiative. He offered to collaborate with the Spiritual Assembly to plan the event and to assist in obtaining a proclamation from the Governor. Following the guidance from the National Center for Race Amity, he suggested that the Governor would be more likely to issue the proclamation if it were requested by a state-wide entity rather than a local faith community. Because the Baha’is have a seat on the Board of Interfaith Arkansas, that organization agreed to be a co-sponsor for the occasion and to be the applicant for the proclamation. The Governor’s office provided a letter of support since they had already issued the proclamation for the National Day of Racial Healing, but the Mayors of Little Rock and North Little Rock both issued proclamations, which were read at the Interfaith Devotional that was held on Race Amity Day on June 12, 2022, with representatives from the Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Baha’i Communities presenting.
      Clarice and Kwami Abdu’l-Bey asked the Baha’is again to participate in the National Day of Racial Healing for 2023. This involved a virtual devotional with writings from  Baha’i Faith focused on equality, unity and racial justice in combination with elevated musical pieces. In addition, the Baha’i Club at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith was recruited to participate in the week-long activities dedicated to this theme. They showed the Baha’i-inspired film from the National Center for Race Amity, An American Story, Race Amity and the Other Tradition.
     Four friends of the Faith attended the first devotional, three attended the second and five participated in the Race Amity Devotional in June. While the attendance was not high, because these events were publicized through the partners’ networks, the exposure and credibility factors were much higher due to the Assembly collaborating with others on these celebrations.

Ayyám-i-Há, the Fast, and the Naw-Rúz Celebration

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Spiritual Regeneration in Anticipation of Spring

As we celebrate Naw-Rúz this year on the 21st of March, 2023, we end the month of fasting with the joyful anniversary of the spring equinox, which marks the beginning of the Bahá’í new year.  

The pre-spring festivities began with the intercalary days of Ayyám-i-Há.  During these additional four days between the Bahá’í months, we expressed our generosity, compassion, friendship, and love through acts of service, parties, and gift giving. 

This joyful festival readied us for the fast, which is a time of prayer, abstinence, self-improvement, restraint, and contemplation. With the conclusion of the month of fasting, we gather in community to welcome the new year with our families and friends, as we break the fast once more at sunset on the 20th of March.

What is Ayyám-i-Há?

“Let the days in excess of the months be placed before the month of fasting. We have ordained that these, amid all nights and days, shall be the manifestations of the letter Há, and thus they have not been bounded by the limits of the year and its months. It behooveth the people of Bahá, throughout these days, to provide good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy, and with joy and exultation to hail and glorify their Lord, to sing His praise and magnify His Name; and when they end—these days of giving that precede the season of restraint—let them enter upon the Fast.” – Bahá’u’lláh, “The Kitáb-i-Aqdas,” para.16.

The Spiritual Benefits of the Fast

“No protector is there but Thee, no place to flee to except Thee, no refuge to seek save Thee. Cause me to taste, O my Lord, the divine sweetness of Thy remembrance and praise.” – Bahá’u’lláh, “Bahá’í  Prayers,” p. 256.

“This is, O my God, the first of the days on which Thou hast bidden Thy loved ones to observe the Fast. I ask of Thee by Thy Self and by him who hath fasted out of love for Thee and for Thy good-pleasure—and not out of self and desire, nor out of fear of Thy wrath—and by Thy most excellent names and august attributes, to purify Thy servants from the love of aught except Thee and to draw them nigh unto the Dawning-Place of the lights of Thy countenance and the Seat of the throne of Thy oneness. Illumine their hearts, O my God, with the light of Thy knowledge and brighten their faces with the rays of the Daystar that shineth from the horizon of Thy Will.” – Bahá’u’lláh, “Bahá’í Prayers,” p. 259.

Entering the Spiritual Springtime with Naw-Rúz

“At the time of the vernal equinox in the material world a wonderful vibrant energy and new life-quickening is observed everywhere in the vegetable kingdom; the animal and human kingdoms are resuscitated and move forward with a new impulse. The whole world is born anew, resurrected. Gentle zephyrs are set in motion, wafting and fragrant; flowers bloom; the trees are in blossom, the air temperate and delightful; how pleasant and beautiful become the mountains, fields and meadows.

“Likewise, the spiritual bounty and springtime of God quicken the world of humanity with a new animus and vivification. All the virtues which have been deposited and potential in human hearts are being revealed from that Reality as flowers and blossoms from divine gardens. It is a day of joy, a time of happiness, a period of spiritual growth. I beg of God that this divine spiritual civilization may have the fullest impression and effect upon you. May you become as growing plants. May the trees of your hearts bring forth new leaves and variegated blossoms. May ideal fruits appear from them in order that the world of humanity, which has grown and developed in material civilization, may be quickened in the bringing forth of spiritual ideals.” – ’Abdu’l-Bahá, “The Promulgation of Universal Peace,” 21 April 1912, Talk at Studio Hall, 1219 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, D.C.

Montgomery County South TX Cluster Outreach

Local Baháʼí Communities -

Montgomery County South TX Cluster Outreach

The Baháʼís of the Montgomery County South TX cluster have been engaging in outreach programs with study circles that include friends of the Faith, and with individual initiatives for children’s education in the wider community.

The three narratives below describe a few of these initiatives, as told by team members who are taking action to foster community-building activities in their neighborhoods.

Tiny Seeds Class in The Woodlands, TX

Two Baháʼí families, whose small children are not old enough yet to attend children’s classes, have started a children’s devotional program. They hold the classes once a week in a park nearby. The classes began with their two children. As word spread, families in the surrounding neighborhood with very young children have joined the class. 

Lua E., who hosts the class, described their program. “We have found a more steady rhythm with the class, and have 6 families that participate regularly. The kids in the class range from 2-4 years old. We choose a different theme based on age-appropriate books we find at the library and focus on that same theme for 2 weeks. Our most recent theme was taking care of others. We sing a welcome song, read the book, talk about the theme, do an activity based on the theme, and then play at the playground with the kids. They especially enjoy feeding the ducks at the pond by the playground. The kiddos’ parents stay with them for the class and join in during the activities and for hanging out afterwards.

“All the parents say that their kids ask them what day Tiny Seeds will be, and ask to go! The class has been framed as community building with the parents, and we engage in casual conversations about the Baháʼí Faith. We have really focused on creating friendships with the families that are coming to the class.”

Lua E.

Book 1 with a seeker from 800 22 UNITE

Over the past few months, a seeker who contacted the Baháʼís through the 800 22 UNITE seeker hotline has been learning about the Faith, attending devotions and holy days, and engaging in a Book 1 study circle.

One of the teaching team members, Cathy L., explained the story of their initial encounters. “It has been a few months now since the hotline coordinator asked me to introduce myself to a seeker in Conroe, TX, who was interested in the Faith. I immediately sent her a text and then had a phone conversation to schedule an introductory meeting over lunch the next day.  I asked two other Baháʼís to join us at the lunch.  The seeker asked many questions and almost immediately agreed to join us in a Book 1 class. She invited a friend of hers to try the study circle with her. 

“A few days later, she, her daughter, and two of her friends joined us for the Birth of the Báb celebration at a park in The Woodlands. When we picked them up to give them a ride to the celebration, there was much interest shown by both of her friends while in transit.  

“We have already completed the first section of Book 1 and have started the section on Prayer, because we are meeting one or two times a week via Zoom. They are a joy to be around. Their enthusiasm for the Faith and their thirst to learn and memorize the passages from Baháʼu’lláh are contagious. I am so grateful that Baháʼu’lláh sent them to us.”

Cathy L.

Preparing to host a children’s class

Although many of the children who have gone through the Baháʼí children’s classes in the Montgomery County South cluster have now reached college age, the parents of these youth remember how important the classes were for the spiritual development of their children. A team of these mothers has come together to start an outward-oriented program, and to invite families who have not yet encountered the Faith to join with them in the spiritual education of their children. The team has taken the first step to initiate this program by studying Book 3 (Teaching Children’s Classes), as they prepare for the classes to begin soon.

One of the team members, Vanessa F., wrote a note to the community for a recent Feast to explain why she wants to host the children’s classes in her home. “My primary reason why I decided to start a children’s class again in my new home is because of my children. I remember teaching them when they were young and how it made us happy to see all they were learning. It truly made them great kids. My hope is that with this new class we can touch someone’s heart and make a difference in the lives of the children.“

Vanessa F.

Tiny Seeds Class in The Woodlands, TX. 

A Regular Devotional Meeting in Every Household

Local Baháʼí Communities, National and International Connections -

A Regular Devotional Meeting in Every Household

In a recent feast letter, the National Spiritual Assembly has set a challenging goal for the American Bahá’í community: “we ask that every Bahá’í household in the nation undertake the hosting of a regular devotional meeting. The members of the National Spiritual Assembly have pledged to do their part, and we lovingly invite you to join us in achieving this vision.”

Currently 25% of the households in the South Central region are hosting regular devotional meetings. Statistics from the Regional Bahá’í Council show that there are approximately 4,000 Bahá’í households in the region, and that there are currently just over 1,000 regular devotional meetings. We can increase this participation toward 100% through the personal initiatives of Bahá’í families throughout our area.

Significance and Benefits of Devotional Meetings

The Universal House of Justice (quoted in the National Assembly’s 2020 Ridván message) inspires us to realize the spiritual benefits that our families, friends and neighbors can obtain when we host devotional meetings in our homes:

“Devotional meetings are occasions where any soul may enter, inhale the heavenly fragrances, experience the sweetness of prayer, meditate upon the Creative Word, be transported on the wings of the spirit, and commune with the one Beloved. Feelings of fellowship and common cause are generated, particularly in the spiritually heightened conversations that naturally occur at such times and through which the “city of the human heart” may be opened. By convening a gathering for worship at which adults and children of any background are welcome, the spirit of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is evoked in any locality.” 

How to Host a Devotional Meeting

Devotional meetings have no predesigned format or agenda. Families are encouraged to creatively incorporate the richness of the cultural makeup of their neighborhoods, and to celebrate unity as they foster inclusion and loving relationships through prayer and fellowship.

Devotional meetings can become portals to other types of gatherings, such as potluck suppers, firesides, children’s classes, Jr. Youth programs, study circles, and service projects. Meaningful conversations can take place in this safe and loving environment. Neighbors become close friends and helpmates. Children and the elderly are included and valued. Neighborhoods become close communities, where everyone knows each other, looks out for one another, and warm relationships are cherished.

Share the Story of Your Devotional Meeting

 Whether your devotional meeting is longstanding or brand new, please share your story with us to inspire and encourage others.  As we learn from each other, we can creatively design our own devotions based on the realities of our family and neighborhoods. As we expand this network, we will reap the bounties of our efforts to raise up vibrant outward-looking communities and to “release the society-building power of the Faith in ever-greater measures.”

Story Submission (https://southcentralcouncil.org/?page_id=7656)

Our Duty and Privilege

As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has encouraged us: “Ye observe to what a degree the world is in continual turmoil and conflict, and to what a pass its nations have now come.  . . . It is your duty to be exceedingly kind to every human being, and to wish him well; to work for the upliftment of society; to blow the breath of life into the dead; to act in accordance with the instructions of Bahá’u’lláh and walk His path ― until ye change the world of man into the world of God.”

First Local Spiritual Assembly of Trophy Club, TX

Local Baháʼí Communities -

The first Local Spiritual Assembly of Trophy Club, TX was formed on April 20, 2022. Two home-front pioneers moved into the community to complete the needed nine adult Bahá’is. Nine adult Bahá’is were elected to this first Assembly on this Bahá’i Ridván holy day to serve for one year.

The new Assembly began by studying the Nine Year Plan guidance from the Universal House of Justice. With the goal of starting a Junior Youth Group, they hosted a very successful back-to-school family night to meet the neighbors and youth. The Junior Youth Program began meeting in September of 2022 with four non-Bahá’i and one Bahá’i junior youths.

During the first six months of this new Assembly’s tenure, five core activities have been started: two devotionals, Book 4 and Book 5 study circles, the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program, and a Bahá’i book club. Community members continue to meet new friends and neighbors and hope to start another Book 1 study circle soon.

The friendship, love, and unity of this new Assembly has been a joy and light to their surrounding cluster.

LSA Trophy Club