Canterbury cluster attains the third milestone
Canterbury friends are celebrating their cluster’s attainment of the “third milestone” of growth after the South Island Regional Bahá’í Council announced this victory on 17 November.
The National Spiritual Assembly is delighted. An email on its behalf, on the same day as the announcement by the Regional Council, applauds “the progress made by the institutions and friends of the South Island, and particularly those within the Canterbury cluster itself, to have a third milestone cluster in that region.”
The National Assembly’s email continues:
“Although Canterbury is as yet at a fledgling third milestone stage, this is nevertheless a momentous milestone that has been reached, and the dedicated service and selfless perseverance of all involved is lovingly acknowledged.
“Given it is the first cluster in the region and only the second in the country to make this transition, there has been considerable contemplation about whether the characteristics of a third milestone cluster are found in Canterbury. However, the Regional Council has wisely understood that it is not appropriate to compare the Canterbury cluster with clusters such as Delhi, or even Auckland, which have much larger Bahá’í and general populations. This nascent third milestone cluster is just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential. The Council recently wrote to the Area Teaching Committee:
“Having considered the various capacities that have been developed in Canterbury, including the increasing collaboration between the ATC and our strongest local Assembly, the number of devotional meetings which are enhancing the devotional character of the cluster, the capacity that has been developed in our many activities to embrace large numbers, the seamless passage through the educational process of a number of children, junior youth and youth, the increasing number of Book One Study Circles (amongst many other capacities), it was felt that if Canterbury continues to progress at its current rate, it could be a mature 3rd milestone cluster within about 3 cycles. Of course reaching a milestone does not mean we can stop or slow down our activities. And it is important that the cluster agencies continue to consider what capacities need further strengthening, as well as what our next goals are to strengthen the pattern of activity in the cluster.
“While there is much work ahead for the cluster, the National Assembly wishes the friends of Canterbury, and indeed of the South Island, and those throughout Aotearoa to heartily celebrate this significant achievement.”
