Summer Training Institute activities
21 September 2015
14 ‘Izzat 172 B.E.
All believers in the United Kingdom
Dearly loved Friends,
We are pleased to share the report below, describing some of the Training Institute activities that have taken place this summer in the United Kingdom.
With loving greetings,
Department of the Secretariat
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom
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Summer 2015 has been filled with numerous occasions across the country to further advance the Cause in the UK at this critical moment in the last year of the current Five-Year Plan. Efforts from small neighbourhoods and villages, to national seminars with participants from overseas have all contributed to a vibrant, intensive and purposeful summer.
From the 12th to 18th of July, 102 participants attended an Animator seminar, the first of its kind in Northern Europe. Participants varied in age and background, with 70 participants from the UK and a further 32 participants from various parts of Europe. The diversity of experience among the participants created a joyful environment of learning from one another about how to strengthen the process of spiritually empowering junior youth and its importance. The programme was created and centred around the needs of the animators across the UK, and was prepared for two sets of participants: those wishing to form new junior youth groups and those who wish to strengthen their existing junior youth groups. The programme focused on studying a number of junior youth texts, namely Breezes of Confirmation, Spirit of Faith and Learning about Excellence, alongside reflecting and studying guidance about forming junior youth groups, home visits to families, complementary activities and the role of the animator. The spirit of joy, fellowship and common purpose that permeated that gathering will no doubt be infused into the participants’ efforts in their own communities and junior youth groups.
Between 26th July and 9th August, over 150 people attended a Ruhi Book Intensive Training at Grittleton House, Wiltshire. These ranged from 15 to 70 years old, with people hailing from across the UK and seven other countries. Books 1 to 8 were run during the two weeks, including a study of Drawing on the Power of the Word as part of the Book 1 course. One particularly fruitful aspect of the week was accompanying participants of Books 1 to 6 to carry out the practice elements. This proved an enriching experience and helped to build their capacity to translate study into action. The next step now is to ensure those who participated in the training are accompanied to put into practice those newly developed skills and capacities in their own clusters.
Many more endeavours to intensify our efforts over the summer months have occurred, including a number of intensive campaigns, residential junior youth camps and summer schools. We are excited to hear of the fruit of all these efforts over the coming months as we approach the end of this Plan.
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