Inspiring gatherings illuminate the path forward
In recent weeks, a number of significant gatherings have taken place, grounded in a spirit of collaboration and purpose. These events highlight the ongoing progress within our community and serve as a source of inspiration and upliftment for us all. In this article, we share a small selection of highlights and learnings from these events, to encourage and inspire, but also to strengthen our collective efforts as we work together to advance Bahá’u’lláh’s vision for humanity.
Biannual North Island Regional Area Teaching Committee Seminar
The spirit of collaboration and unity shone brightly at this gathering, held on August 17-18, at Te Whare Akoranga Bahá’í (the Bahá’í Centre for Learning) in Auckland. During the seminar, the North Island Regional Bahá’í Council and Area Teaching Committees across the North Island were able to reflect together and share learnings, as well as participate in collaborative arts and crafts and musical devotions. A post-gathering report was compiled on behalf of the North Island Regional Council and highlights a number of inspiring initiatives that are taking place across the North Island, some of which are shared below.
Participants (featured in the main image of this article) explored the dynamic role of ‘groups of families’ within the Bahá’í community. They reflected on how these groups can serve as a haven for individuals, fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment for the participants. A notable example was shared where two families initiated regular devotional gatherings together, eventually expanding to include five families. This initiative created an uplifting space where Bahá’ís who had been disconnected found a renewed sense of love and connection, leading them to become active participants in community building activities.
A significant learning generated from the seminar was the emphasis on home visits as a powerful tool for building deep and meaningful connections. These visits, viewed as opportunities to engage one soul with another, allow for intimate, heart to heart conversations. Participants mentioned that these interactions often reveal important insights, and the sharing of experiences creates bonds that go deeper than those fostered by everyday interactions. By meeting individuals where they are and in their own environments and addressing their unique needs, these home visits help to solidify relationships, nurture spiritual growth, and inspire a sense of shared purpose in advancing the community’s goals. Discussion at the seminar beautifully illustrated how these personal connections are the heartbeat of community building, serving as a foundation for fostering unity and collective action.
One participant at the gathering commented:
We were blessed by having Auxiliary Board member Jaimee Lolo sharing her profound wisdom and rich experiences with stories to enhance our learning and inspire us all. A collaborative space was created where there was balance between study, presentations, consultation and sharing experiences in bigger or smaller groups. This was enriched when we applied what we studied by going on very well-organised home visits, followed by reflection afterwards, creating such joyful connection with a wide range of beautiful souls. The weekend was enhanced with waiata and also artwork, when we learnt the craft of printing beautiful cards, giving our brain some ‘down-time'. Such a blessing to be able to be embraced by the spirit of enthusiastic endeavour with such a diversity of people working shoulder to shoulder to bring about God’s plan for mankind. This was a memorable and inspiring experience.
Moving forward, the North Island Regional Council is excited to explore how Area Teaching Committees can further support and accompany nuclei, or groups of families, along their developmental paths. Photos of the event are shared below.
Gathering called for by the National Assembly: North Island region
In a similar spirit of unity, consultation, reflection and planning, the recent meeting of the members from three institutions (pictured above) was the North Island gathering called for by the National Spiritual Assembly after its own consultations with Counsellors. An earlier regional meeting was held over the previous weekend in Christchurch (see link below to the article about this South Island gathering). The North Island gathering took place on the weekend of 31 August - 1 September 2024 at the Bahá’í Centre in Glen Innes, Auckland. Counsellor Ms Tessa Scrine and four members of the National Assembly met with the North Island Regional Bahá’í Council, where focused exploration took place on additional measures to ensure that by the end of the Nine Year Plan all 17 clusters of the North Island region have reached (and preferably exceeded) the third milestone of their development. At present Auckland and Hawkes Bay clusters have passed this third milestone and are supporting other clusters as well as continuing their own advancements.
One participant at the gathering commented:
“Together we had a nuanced, careful reading of the reality to look at what special measures are needed to ensure every cluster is progressing — being of one mind to support one collective forward movement.”
Another mentioned that
'“The weekend gathering contributed to our thinking about ensuring teams are serving valuable purposes, adding dynamism to the proven strategies, having creative approaches, drawing on the power of consultation and collaboration, utilising spaces to become more of a stimulus to provide added energy, inspiration and momentum, and adjusting systems and processes as things develop.”
A further comment explained the configuration of the North Island region as three groups of clusters:
“Thinking in terms of groups of clusters where each group forms an identity and consolidates the way the group of clusters works as an entity was something that came very much to the fore in our meeting. The North Island has three groups of clusters: Northern, Central and Eastern, and Southern and Western. The consciousness of having a reservoir cluster in each group of clusters to support the group with resources was heightened.”
South Island regional gathering
Featured in Bahá'í Aotearoa on 30 August, the South Island regional gathering on 24-25 August 2024, held at the Christchurch Bahá'í Centre in Spreydon, also considered extra measures needed to stimulate an acceleration in the pace of progress.
See the article here: Bolstering the movement of clusters
The National Spiritual Assembly expresses appreciation to the Spiritual Assemblies of Christchurch and Auckland for the gracious use of their Bahá’í Centre facilities for the meetings with the Regional Councils.
