Teaching planning - consolidation
Part of a template for Local Spiritual Assemblies in developing plans[edit]
"C. Consolidation
"8. Can the attendance of the friends at Nineteen Day Feasts be improved upon? What about the Anniversaries? Can the increase in attendance be expressed numerically, such as in terms of the percentage of those attending?
"9. Can regular meetings for the benefit of the local friends be held? If so, how often and when? . . . 'Abdu'l-Bahá exhorts the friends to hold such meetings as a "constant" activity, and praises weekly meetings. He repeatedly counsels the believers to read and recite the Holy Word in such meetings and deliver speeches on the teachings, the proofs and the history of the Faith.
"10. Can daily early morning prayer sessions be held? If so, where and when? (If this is not feasible every day, an effort could be made to hold such sessions less frequently. At such devotional meetings not only prayers, but suitable selections from the Sacred Writings could be read. Bahá'u'lláh has pointed out that upon the Word of God "must depend the gathering together and spiritual resurrection of all men," that "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God is endowed with such potency as can instill new life into every human frame," and that were man to "taste the sweetness of the words which the lips of the All-Merciful have willed to utter, he would, though the treasures of the earth be in his possession, renounce them one and all, that he might vindicate the truth of even one of His commandments." It is because of such considerations that the Five Year Plan calls for the friends to memorize selections from the Writings. If a believer finds it difficult to memorize, he may be encouraged to make for his own use a selection of extracts, however brief, which he could reread and enjoy at his own leisure, to satisfy his inner soul.)
"11. Can youth activities be encouraged? If so, in what way?
"12. Can activities and classes for children be established? If so, could a specific goal be adopted?
"13. Can youth activities be maintained? Could this be expressed in the form of a goal?
"14. Is the community strong enough to establish a local Haziratu'l-Quds?
"15. Can a local endowment be acquired and maintained, and possibly used as an investment for the community?
"16. How can local contributions to the local Fund be encouraged? Can a target be adopted?
"17. Can the local community serve as host to a district conference of neighboring communities and localities?
"18. Can the Local Assembly issue a regular Newsletter?
"When the goals are finally decided upon, it is important that they should be announced to the friends. It should be borne in mind that Shoghi Effendi longed to see every believer involved in Bahá'í service, so that universal participation may be achieved. It would be most effective if the Local Assembly, prior to such an announcement, would appoint local committees, to each of which a branch of activity or one or more of the local goals could be assigned. Such committees need not consist of many members. When the committee appointments are made, the Local Assembly will be fully prepared to announce its goals and its committee appointments to the community at a Nineteen Day Feast or a specially called meeting of the community."
- (Letter from the Universal House of Justice, dated December 24, 1975, to a National Spiritual Assembly)
Social gatherings as an important part of community consolidation[edit]
"In the courses for Local Assembly members special attention should be paid to...the value of organizing social gatherings, such as picnics, encouraging the friends to associate together and with their non-Bahá'í friends in love and fragrance.
"Consolidation activities promote the individual spiritual development of the friends, help to unite and strengthen Bahá'í community life, establish new social patterns for the friends, and stimulate the teaching work."
