Stories from Solent
National Spiritual Assembly
nsa@bahai.org.uk
4 March 2016
4 ‘Alá’ 172 B.E.
To all believers in the United Kingdom
Dearly loved friends,
Below is an account of current activities in the Solent cluster where the friends are striving through their efforts to pass the first milestone.
In recent months, two centres of activity have emerged in the Solent cluster, both in and around Fordingbridge in the New Forest and also in West End, just outside Southampton.
In both places, a family, accompanied by a few friends outside of their localities and some visiting teachers from another cluster in the case of West End, have been making efforts among both networks of friends and their neighbourhood/village to invite inhabitants to contribute to the spiritual and material well-being of the communities.
In Fordingbridge, a couple have been running a regular devotional for over a year, engaging seekers for over 6-8 months, sharing in prayer, meaningful conversations and making efforts towards teaching. A Book 1 naturally started and at a recent gathering they took the opportunity share the section from Toronto in the Frontiers of Learning video. Two of the seekers were moved to offer their service community building initiatives. One gentleman who is currently in Book 1 pledged to assist with starting a children’s class with one of the Baha’is, realising the need to study Book 3 intensively and obtain his DBS. His child is one of at least 3 children who are waiting for the class (one Baha’i and two not yet Baha’i). Another lady pledged to study Book 1 and to assist with a JY group in Salisbury as it starts. The Baha’i couple reflect monthly on their activities and write a very systematic report on how things are progressing.
In West End, a believer and her family have been accompanied on several outreaches to try to begin community building activities in the locality. As a result of their efforts, a neighbour and her husband attended a meeting and the neighbour offered to assist with teaching children’s classes. The Bahá’í friend is herself still moving through the sequence of courses, currently studying Book 6. This will be the first activity that she has initiated with contacts and she has a very strong vision of working with others to build a community that is focused on the spiritual and material well-being of their area. She hopes to invite more and more neighbours to a regular devotional and has plans for visits in the neighbourhood to invite them to her home. This family is being accompanied by a visiting teacher and others from outside the cluster, and also a few of the youth within the cluster.
In a few other places, efforts are being made by three youth to invite their peers to participate in devotionals and to also study the youth conference materials with the hope that a further Book 1 can also start through a small youth movement.
When one reflects on this story in light of the guidance below, it is clear that the Solent cluster is passing the first milestone.
Whatever the combination of strategies used, the chief aim is to initiate a process for building capacity within the cluster through which its inhabitants, prompted by a wish to contribute to the spiritual and material well-being of their communities, are enabled to begin offering acts of service. Once this fundamental requirement is met, a programme of growth has emerged. Essential, of course, is the support of Auxiliary Board members and their assistants, whose close involvement from the first stirrings of activity helps the friends to maintain a clear and united vision of what is needed.
Well done to all the friends in Solent and to those from outside the cluster who are lending their support and assistance!
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Patrick O’Mara,
Secretary