Plans praised and prospects envisioned
The Regional Bahá’í Council for the North Island shared joys, insights, and news of upcoming initiatives in a letter to Local Spiritual Assemblies and Bahá’í Groups on 13 October. The letter is summarised here.
The focused planning efforts of Local Assemblies across the North Island have delighted the Council. Assemblies are helping the friends to win the goals of the Plan by drawing on guidance from the Universal House of Justice, and in consultation with their communities, formulating lines of action. This reflects guidance from this year’s Riḍván message:
We do not doubt that every cluster, given time, will progress along the continuum of development; the communities that have advanced most quickly, relative to those whose circumstances and possibilities were similar, have shown an ability to foster unity of thought and to learn about effective action. And they did so without hesitating to act.
Questions for consultation
The following questions were offered for consultation at Feasts and other suitable occasions:
What have we learned over the last few months as an Assembly and as a community about effective action to advance the process of growth?
How can we draw on the power of the Writings to invite an ever-wider circle of friends to the community-building spiritual enterprise we are organising for the beloved Master?
What are the next small steps we can take to advance our learning in the name of the Master and in preparation for the Nine Year Plan?
Summer Initiative - January 2022
An inspiring summer awaits! The Regional Institute Board in collaboration with the North Island Bahá’í Council is organising an intense space for study, followed by action in the field of service. An orientation will be held in two locations, Auckland and Hawke’s Bay, probably in early January. The orientation will be followed by intense activity in home communities for a ten-day period of expansion from 11 to 22 January during the summer holidays. There will be opportunities for those who are able to commit a longer period of time to serve as part of the initiative through to the end of February. Naturally, agility and flexibility will be exercised in accordance with pandemic circumstances.
Worldwide Conferences to launch the Nine Year Plan
Following up on the exciting and historic news from the beloved Universal House of Justice about the series of conferences that will radiate across the globe to launch the coming Nine Year Plan, the Regional Council shared that plans are still being finalised, and at this stage it seems likely that several conferences will be organised in the North Island, to allow the greatest participation and learning.
Project Dawn
The Regional Council appealed for support of the National Spiritual Assembly’s Project Dawn, a Bahá’í Fund campaign to Riḍván 2022, showcasing the material needs of the Fund and the bounty it is to be able to contribute, even in a small way. One way to support the vital work of the National Fund is to minimise the amount we draw on it at the local level, by Assemblies and communities working to self-fund activities as much as possible. This might, for example, mean a junior youth camp being funded by the participants contributing directly or fundraising as part of their service projects, while they learn about their own spiritual empowerment and the act of giving sacrificially for the common weal. Assemblies might also consider how they can support those in need, so that material means are never a barrier to full participation.
