“Baha’u’llah states that “the purpose for which mortal men have, from utter nothingness, stepped into the realm of being, is that they may work for the betterment of the world and live together in concord and harmony.”
“Baha’u’llah states that “the purpose for which mortal men have, from utter nothingness, stepped into the realm of being, is that they may work for the betterment of the world and live together in concord and harmony.”
It is so easy to feel disheartened and lose hope these days. The news from every corner of our planet is full of the advances of the forces of disintegration. Natural disasters and man-made conflicts are causing havoc and confusion in all sectors of humanity. Shoghi Effendi, however, reminds us:
All humanity is disturbed and suffering and confused; we cannot expect to not be disturbed and not to suffer—but we don’t have to be confused. On the contrary, confidence and assurance, hope and optimism are our prerogative. The successful carrying out of our various Plans is the greatest sign we can give of our faith and inner assurance, and the best way we can help our fellow-men out of their confusion and difficulties. (From a letter dated 9 April 1949 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a National Spiritual Assembly, published in Unfolding Destiny (London: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1981), p. 225)
The single aim of the current Nine Year Plan which began on April 2022 is “the release of the society-building power of the Faith in ever-greater measures.” To achieve this aim we need to increase the number and intensity of the programs of growth across our Region. Often the services of a team of homefront pioneers are what is needed to help a cluster advance along the milestones of growth. Our first priority in the South Central Region is to have an advanced cluster in each of our cluster groupings. Such a cluster is identified as one where in addition to intense centers of activity in one or more neighborhoods, there is an emerging sense of universal participation in the work of community building among the generality of the believers. Creating such vibrant communities will require friends who are holding devotional gatherings, teaching children’s classes, animating junior youth groups or serving as tutors of the training institute courses. Four such clusters have been identified that could reach this level of growth with the help of homefront pioneers:
Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Amarillo and the Rio Grande Valley
If you have experience with the various aspects of the community building process or are willing to be trained and feel called to serve as a homefront pioneer in one of the above clusters, please contact the Regional Bahá’í Council.
The map below shows locations where Service opportunities are available at this time. To view your desired locations simply zoom in or out (using the [+] or [-] on the lower left side of the map), and click on the map icon to view more details.
