How to start Reaching and teaching efforts
The following can be organized by any Area (Cluster) Teaching Committee, or Local Spiritual Assembly, or any authorized institution in charge of IPG:
As you well know, there is not a single method of teaching or reaching people, and in the weekend seminar we will share a few methods, and hope to set the stage for the implementation of your guidance and plan, whether in a form of launching, say, an intensive effort to last for three months or a year with the following possibilities that need to be planned by you beforehand, and we will be glad to work with you to set the stage for it:
- Youth teaching teams with weeks, months, or year of youth service. There should be a plan of activities for our youth, other than cleaning the park or teaching someone how to read, as meritorious as they are. We should boldly go for finding people to connect them to their Lord and not to apologize for it. We might need to learn from Mormons how, systematically and successfully, in pairs they move teams of their youth to find receptive souls in an organized way, invite people to the Core activities, or our youth can be organized to have regular neighborhood children's class. (See Children and pre-youth classes).
- Area around a selected area of the Cluster or Bahá’í Center to be divided into different sub-areas, assigning each to a team of two or three with a companion martyr as team member (See example of Dallas Cluster, Dallas Teaching Teams around the Bahá’í Center). If you approve this, we will be happy to work with you to map out the area and assign each area to a particular team of two or three with an assigned martyr as another member of that team.
- Have this reaching-teaching campaign to be done as a group, meet somewhere and make an effort, say every week, or once a month, with your appointed person, team captain or CIC to be in charge of it, and run with it.
- Inviting and learning from other successful areas, like, for example, Atlanta, that had neighborhood children’s classes in the apartment buildings, and we saw it in the national newsreels. Or look at the example of Alice Mahomes of Detroit, or Example of Neighborhood Children’s Classes In Monrovia, California or Austin Texas Neighborhood Children Classes. or See Neighborhood Children's Classes in a Receptive Neighborhood in San Diego . Put some teacher preferably some youth (See Children and pre-youth classes) in charge of that apartment, youth center, or neighborhood and ask them to continue it systematically for at least a year (designate a martyr to be a team member with them).
- During the winter, plan for next summer’s youth teaching projects, to have daily, weekly or at least monthly activities that would utilize our youth and their summer or year of service. Will be glad to share more information, if interested. We remember years ago in El Centro, California, in the early1970’s, friends rented a store front, and Bahá’í youth went out and invited people to come. After a few days, the spirit of the atmosphere was so powerful that people would come on their own just to sit there and absorb that spirit. We were honored to facilitate a teaching campaign at that time, and we all witnessed astonishing confirmations from Baha’u’llah, and the power of the Holy Spirit at work.
Fire under the ashes:
For all the areas and places that had mass teaching in 1970’s , if the names of those believers be obtained and home visits are made, we might learn that the some Bahá’ís might have passed away and their death not reported. However we should not be surprised to find out that their heirs or those who live in that house be warm and friendly toward you, and some might even believe in the Faith because their family members or friends were Bahá’í and they have been still receiving and reading The American Bahá’í. Indeed, they are like the traces of fire under the ashes, and we should not be surprised when they kindled and wish to enroll, while Bahá’ís still living are rekindled again.
Always look at the power of the Covenant and Bahá’u’lláh, and never at the obstacles, for the impediments are going to be many and staggering. Some Bahá’ís might not like some of the process and might write you accordingly; you might simply thank and ignore it, unless they have a case. The Tablets of The Divine Plan is to be the standard by which we need to move.
At first, the effort might be slow to start and might need to be sustained and encouraged continually; but be assured that, with minor organization and sustained efforts and encouragement, it will pick up momentum and grow like a wildfire, and when it gets to that stage, the main focus should continue to be to direct the activities to the God-given system of Core activities and system of tutors. As you know, local newsletters are very effective in encouraging the friends and should be used continuously to show the activities and efforts, however meager or modest they might be. Show the news in pictures, for people love to look at the pictures and are not as inclined to read. Concentrate on the youth and children and never forget other resources or talents that are available for other activities.
With zeal and eagerness to serve Bahá’u’lláh and the power of the Covenant and the forces on High, many will astonish themselves and everyone else if they keep up the momentum after it has started, as beloved Guardian explains, “The Hosts of the Supreme Concourse are in marshall array, poised between Earth and Heaven ready to rush to the assistance of those who arise to Teach the Faith. If one seeks the confirmation of the Holy Spirit, they can find it in rich abundance in the Teaching Field. The world is seeking as never before, and if the Friends will arise with new determination, fully consecrated to the noble task ahead of them victory after victory will be won for the Glorious Faith of God.”
Shoghi Effendi, High Endeavours - Messages to Alaska, p. 25
We need to look and search for waiting souls, and any efforts should be concentrated in finding the waiting souls and first to lead and then to help connect them to their Lord with great patience, perseverance and love, with the tools and means that God has provided us. We should know that we cannot teach anyone unless we reach them, and we cannot reach them unless we go where they are. Never quit when success arrives, and sometime success is only around the corner.
The following "Khadem Project Dallas", and "Dawnbreakers and Martyrs" files are voluminous Power point files and will take time to download; at your request we are inserting them here.
After return of our pilgrimage, we prepared the following powerpoint slide presentation, and contacted various organizations, such as Kiwanis Club, Lions Club, Masonic Lodge, churches, nursing homes, women's groups, and showed it to six respectively, within five months, with great success and wonderful receptions.
At the request of some of you, we are inserting that presentation here. This file is also voluminous.
Right before the close of the meeting we shared the video "On Holy Ground" vocal by Barbara Streisand.
