The Nine Year Plan
Releasing the Society-Building Power of the Faith in the South Central Region
The provisions of the Universal House of Justice for the Nine Year Plan include broadly:
- Movement of clusters along a continuum of development
- Community-building efforts
- Projects and activities for social action
- Contributing to the discourses of society
- Spiritual and social transformation through educational endeavors
- Raising administrative capacities at all levels
- Fulfilling international and home-front pioneering goals
Two-Fold Moral Purpose
“The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh is concerned with the transformation of both humanity’s inner life and social environment. … A clear sign that the society-building power of the Cause is being released in a cluster is that efforts are being made by a growing band of its inhabitants, inspired by the teachings of the Faith, to help improve the spiritual character and social conditions of the wider community to which they belong. The contribution made by Bahá’ís is distinguished by its focus on building capacity for service; it is an approach founded on faith in the ability of a population to become the protagonists of their own development.“ (30 December 2021 letter, Universal House of Justice)
Becoming a Protagonist
In thinking about how participants in home visits and study circles are becoming protagonists by taking ownership of activities, the importance of love and friendship is foundational to the process of empowerment and self-empowerment. In the early stages of “taking ownership,” individuals start to feel more comfortable inviting friends and family to conversations, devotionals, and spaces for spiritual conversation.
The progress of individuals from passive to active agents of growth is firmly rooted in accompaniment, with friends acting in teams and helping each other to communicate a clear vision that the Faith belongs to everyone, that it has opportunities for all to learn and grow together, and that it welcomes an ever-growing circle of friends. In this way, from the very beginning, the friends have a vision of how their own participation in a study circle or other community activity can evolve to active service for the benefit not just of their families, but of the community as a whole.
“The full pattern of activity envisioned for a thriving community requires involvement of the generality of believers. The friends everywhere can be assisted to overcome dichotomies, to grasp the intent of the Plan’s community-building activities, and to determine the place each will choose in contributing to the collective effort.” (January 2015 message to the NSA of the United States, Universal House of Justice)
Why home visits?
A culture of regular home visits strengthens the development of true friendship. People are drawn into more intense conversations as they take on more of the work of community building through outreach to the larger community. Regularly reflecting on each soul is vital when considering how they can be nurtured to take the next step on their path of service.
Pioneering goals for the US National Spiritual Assembly
One of the chief objectives for this plan is to raise up at least one Milestone 3 cluster in every country and region. To attain this objective, the Universal House of Justice is encouraging a steady flow of international and home-front pioneers of either brief or long-term tenure to aid in the development of clusters that have the potential to move beyond the Milestone 3 mark. Youth are encouraged to consider offering service in short-term pioneering activities for a few months during breaks from school.
The Universal House of Justice pioneer call for the Nine Year Plan:
The Universal House of Justice assignment of the US National Spiritual Assembly’s international pioneering goals:
Home-front pioneering goals for the South Central Region
The South Central Regional Bahá’í Council has chosen home-front pioneering goals in four clusters, which have the potential to be raised up from Milestone 2 to Milestone 3: Amarillo, TX; New Orleans, LA; Oklahoma City, OK; and Rio Grande Valley, TX.
The Council will also encourage the deployment of home-front pioneers to help strengthen the movement of Milestone 1 clusters to Milestone 2.
Engaging in the Nine Year Plan
What can you do as an individual to take part in carrying forward the goals of the Nine Year Plan in the region? There are many ways to participate and every sincere effort can have significant benefits:
- Cultivate an outward looking orientation.
- Arise to the level of a “protagonist” in your own spiritual advancement by taking charge of your own development, individually and collectively.
- Reach out to friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers and invite them to join us in working for the betterment of the world.
- Encourage the participation of youth in your community.
- Make joyful home visits with a purpose to friends and neighbors for community building and deepening friendships.
- Host a regular devotional meeting in your neighborhood.
- Participate and invite others to join in the core activities within the Regional Training Istitute’s framework for action.
- Consider home-front pioneering to a goal cluster.
- Engage in meaningful conversations with people in the larger community.
Questions for further discussion
- What special initiatives and projects are happening now locally or planned in the South Central Region that Bahá’ís and friends can join and volunteer their services to enhance?
- What are you doing now or would like to do (protagonist thinking), that you can share with others in the region – your story, or something you could use help with?
- How can we enhance our efforts by working in teams?
- What are the ways that we can turn our view outward to work closely in the wider community and invite participation and collaboration with the Bahá’í community’s activities and projects?