The final year of the Five Year Plan
27 February 2020
3 Ayyám-i-Há 176 B.E.
SRL-25344
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Dearly loved Friends,
As we approach the fasting period – a time of spiritual rejuvenation and rededication – the National Spiritual Assembly turns to you, the followers of Bahá’u’lláh in these islands, to open its heart and share with you its reflections on the urgent needs of the Cause in the United Kingdom as we enter the momentous final year of the 25-year series of Plans that was launched in 1996.
We have been deeply moved by the many and varied efforts made in recent months to share the message of Bahá’u’lláh with so many thousands of souls. The bicentenary celebrations last October are one example of this, during which numerous profound conversations took place. Another is the increasing number of areas where intense efforts are being made to reach out to the wider community and where hundreds of friends of the Faith are joining in the community building efforts and engaging in activities. We see also that the number of core activities, and the number of friends of the Faith engaged in them, are at their highest level ever. There is much to bring joy to your hearts, but there is much still to be done.
During its consultations on the progress of the Plan, the National Assembly called to mind the following passage from the Universal House of Justice when speaking of the goal set for the Bahá’í world of 5,000 clusters having an intensive programme of growth by Riḍván 2021:
We set this objective before the Bahá’í world conscious that it is truly formidable; that a herculean labour will be required; that many sacrifices will have to be made. But faced with the plight of a world that suffers more each day bereft of Bahá’u’lláh’s elixir, we cannot, in conscience, ask anything less of His devoted followers.
We share this passage with you again because, if we are to contribute our committed share to this goal, then “a herculean labour will be required” and “many sacrifices will have to be made”. Whilst progress is being made in each, the following clusters must establish an intensive programme of growth by Riḍván 2021: Cornwall and the Scilly Isles, Cumbria, Devon, Hainsworth (Northern Ireland), Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Solent, South West Scotland, Stars of the West (Northern Ireland), Suffolk, and Western Isles of Scotland.
At the heart of every effort to achieve these goals is an expanding group or nucleus of friends. They are expanding, not only because they are reaching out to their friends, but because they are using the courses of the institute to build capacity in others who are themselves arising to serve. Such is the beginnings of a process of community building – a programme of growth. As capacity is built within the nucleus, activities multiply, more and more people join in the process, and the programme becomes intensive. And so the first urgent need that the National Assembly must bring to your attention, is for more and more friends to engage in learning about an expanding nucleus of friends, not only in our goal clusters, but everywhere.
A second urgent need is for pioneers, mobile tutors and travelling teachers to arise forthwith, to serve the goal clusters mentioned above. The call now, which it is our duty to put before you, is no different to that made by the Báb when He wrote: “Issue forth from your cities, O peoples of the West and aid God…” If you have a desire in your heart to serve in this way, you are urged not to hesitate, but to turn to the Institutions to make it known and, through prayerful consultation, your offer can be considered. If the offer should come to fruition, well and good. But regardless of this, it is the arising to serve the Cause that releases the spiritual forces that we must now attract if we are to achieve our goals. If you are moved to respond to this call, please contact the National Pioneering and Travel Teaching Committee at pioneering@bahai.org.uk.
Finally, as the teaching work progresses, the day-to-day demands on the National Fund are increasing significantly. Giving to the National Fund with generosity of spirit and with sacrifice is a service that every believer can render, and at this time of need we turn to you to seek your wholehearted support. The beloved Guardian penned many thought provoking words on this theme, of which we share sprinklings with you for your reflection:
I have urged them to support consistently and whole-heartedly the very essential and vital institutions of the National Fund and the National Assembly. It must be made clear to them all that continuous support to these twin institutions is the corner-stone of all future achievements, the mainspring from which all future blessings will flow.
The harder the sacrifice the more meritorious will it be, of course, in the sight of God. For after all it is not so much the quantity of one’s offerings that matters, but rather the measure of deprivation that such offerings entail.
We must be like the fountain or spring that is continually emptying itself of all that it has and is continually being refilled from an invisible source. To be continually giving out for the good of our fellows undeterred by fear of poverty and reliant on the unfailing bounty of the Source of all wealth and all good – this is the secret of right living.
With all the ardour of our hearts, we commend these thoughts to your reflection and action during the sacred fasting period.
With loving greetings,
Patrick O’Mara,
Secretary