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From the table of the National Spiritual Assembly

By ethelrosenberg Tags: ,

3 January 2017
5 Sharaf 174 B.E.

Contents:

  • The bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh
  • Human resource development
  • Regional Bahá’í Councils
  • The Institution of Ḥuqúqu’lláh
  • Other topics

Dearly loved Friends,

The National Spiritual Assembly sends you its warmest love. Here is a taste – presented in a new format – of the subjects that the National Assembly consulted about during its meetings in November and December 2017.

The bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh
With great joy, the National Spiritual Assembly reflected on the upsurge of activity during the bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh. It also gave time to considering how the many souls who have been touched by the spirit of the Faith during recent weeks can be followed up. Central to its consultations was the Universal House of Justice’s request in the 31 October 2017 message, that we see everyone who responded to the invitation to attend a bicentenary event as a potential protagonist in the community building process. Reports of friends, institutions and communities responding to this call has been very inspiring.

Human resource development
The National Assembly consulted for a full day in November with Counsellor Shirin Fozdar- Foroudi on strengthening the training institute process across the United Kingdom. Described by the Universal House of Justice as “a tool of unlimited potentialities” and “the engine for growth”, the training institute is central to all our efforts. In response to this, the members of the National Assembly committed themselves to learning more about the processes of growth through being part of a nucleus of friends in their own clusters, and ensuring their continued involvement in teaching projects and institute campaigns. This will enrich the Assembly’s collective understanding of the institute process, and of the nature of the expanding nucleus of friends.

Also critical to the progress of the Plan is the capacity of the Regional Bahá’í Councils to administer growth, and the National Assembly is actively learning how to accompany them in developing their administrative systems to support their efforts. The Councils and Training Institute Boards are also learning to formulate a vision and plan together, centred on advancing the two movements essential to growth – the steady flow of individuals through the sequence of courses and the movement of clusters along a continuum of their development.

In December, the National Assembly reviewed the voting statistics in the 2017 Council elections. It was pleased to note that members of every Local Spiritual Assembly in Scotland sent ballots, while members of 97% of Assemblies in England cast votes. Members of 100% of Assemblies in Wales also sent recommended names for the membership of their Council. Around 60% of all Local Assembly members around the UK took part in this year’s election.

The Institution of Ḥuqúqu’lláh
At its December meeting, the National Assembly was pleased to meet with the Regional Board of Trustees of Ḥuqúqu’lláh for Ireland and the United Kingdom. These meetings have become a regular feature in the calendar, providing both Institutions with an opportunity to consider how they can support individual believers in fulfilling their responsibility to apply this great law in their lives.

Other topics
Here are some of the other topics that you may be interested to know the National Assembly has given time to:

  • Taking a first look at the proposed budget for the coming year;
  • Consulting upon the space available for offices and other functions within the National
    Ḥazíratu’l-Quds;
  • Ensuring the safeguarding of participants, as well as how to address pastoral care matters
    that may arise, at the forthcoming youth conference;
  • Responding to approaches from prisons when inmates request a visit from a Bahá’í;
  • Discussing measures to protect further the peace, tranquillity and beauty of the Guardian’s
    Resting Place and its environs;
  • Consulting upon the presentations to be made by the Assembly’s representatives at the
    forthcoming conference of the Bahá’í Society for Persian Arts and Letters.

The National Assembly prays at every meeting for the entire Bahá’í community, and by name for those who are facing particular tests or challenges at this time. It also appreciates the prayers of the friends that its efforts in service may be blessed by the confirmations of Bahá’u’lláh.

With our warmest love,
Patrick O’Mara, Secretary

Click here to download a PDF of this letter

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