CommuNIqué - Newsletter of the Bahá'í Community in Northern Ireland
Issue 79 - 4 Ayyam-i-Há 159 BE - 1 March 2003 CE
FROM THE BAHÁ'Í COUNCIL
Bahá'í Council Announces Priority Goals for Ridván
Three top needs in Northern Ireland are as follows.:
1.The opening of the last Cluster of Clougher Valley with its main town of Dungannon. A family or indeed a youth would be ideal and preferably some one trained in the Institute process so that the faith can be established quickly in the region.
2. Newtownards is a very active community in need of re-inforcement.
3. Coleraine has a great desire to become an Assembly again this coming Ridván
Can anyone arise?
With warmest Bahá'í greetings,
BAHÁ'Í COUNCIL FOR NORTHERN IRELAND
SPECIAL MESSAGE
From the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United Kingdom
New International Collaboration Goal
Dearly loved Friends,
The National Spiritual Assembly was delighted to learn from the Universal House of Justice that it has been assigned a new international collaboration goal for the Five Year Plan…...Last year we were asked to assist in the purchase of land around the Temple in the island community of Samoa and we were able to rise to this challenge magnificently. Now the Universal House of Justice is turning to us once again to support another island community, that of Seychelles. The National Spiritual Assembly of Seychelles wishes to purchase a plot of land adjacent to its National Haziratu'l-Quds so that it has ownership of an access road to it. Our National Assembly is asked to contribute US24,350 towards this goal. Another National Assembly has been asked to provide the balance. Owing to the urgency the Bahá'í International Fund has already forwarded the amount necessary and we are asked to reimburse the International Fund in the amount of US24,350.00 (GPB15,219.00).
The National Assembly of the United Kingdom already has earmarked funds for the International Collaboration Goals amounting to GBP10,861.00, so there is an urgent need for GBP4,358. Of course, we anticipate more collaboration goals to be set us in the future and thus all contributions will be very welcome. If you or your community feel able to contribute to this new goal, please do send your contributions, made payable to the NSA of the Bahá'ís of the UK, to Finance Department, Bahá'í Sub-Office,Third Floor, Bridge House, 97-101 High Street Tonbridge TN9 1DR and mark your contribution `International Collaboration Goals'. I will keep you informed of our progress towards fulfilling this request. We are blessed to be in a position to help our Bahá'í friends in other parts of the world and there is something particularly special about one island community assisting another.
May these final words from the Universal House of Justice's letter inspire us: Your community's continuing support of the vital work of the Faith at an international level is warmly appreciated.
With loving greetings,
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY,
Wendi Momen, Treasurer
FROM THE TRAINING INSTITUTE
A VERY IMPORTANT MILESTONE
Beloved friends,
As we enter the spiritually-nourishing period of fasting, the Training
Institute rejoices in sharing with you news of appointments to the following
functions within its structure:
Regional Co-ordinator: Arjang Agahi
Area Co-ordinators: Michelle O'Mahony, Colette Rodgers
These appointments signal an important milestone in the ‘efflorescence’ of the training institute in Northern Ireland. They mark a significant development in the Institute's system for co-ordinating the delivery of its sequence of courses, courses that are aimed at developing the human resources necessary to foster large-scale expansion and consolidation of the Faith in our dear land.
To a great measure, reaching this milestone has come about as a result of the spontaneous response that you, the loved ones of Bahá'u'lláh, have made to the summons from the Universal House of Justice for the friends to participate in the institute process
 The new Regional and Area Co-ordinators |
For the purposes of co-ordinating study circles, their multiplication and the movement of the friends and enquirers through the sequence of courses, two areas according to clusters have been created in the Province. Area 1 and Area 2.
Area 1: Causeway, Clougher Valley, Flax & Apples, Hainsworth, Heartland, Lakeland, South Down and Strule Valley. Michelle O'Mahony
is the area co-ordinator now responsible for this area.
Area 2: Alder Grove, Ballymena & the Glens, Charles Dunning, Downe and Peninsula. Colette Rodgers is the area co-ordinator now
responsible for this area.
The Regional Co-ordinator assumes the role of directing, guiding and monitoring the work of the Area Co-ordinators as well as being generally responsible for the efficient and effective operation of the Institute's system for delivering the courses. The Area Co-ordinators take on the all-important role of directly supporting, guiding and sustaining the tutors in the vital function as well as of co-ordinating, supporting, promoting and monitoring all study circle activity in their respective areas.
This exciting development requires the establishment of new lines of communication between the Institute and the three components of the Five-Year Plan, the individual, the community and the institutions:
At individual level, the individual's contact with the Institute will be through the area co-ordinator of the cluster area in which
she/he lives. Any of you who wish to participate in, or to form a study circle should contact the area co-ordinator of the area in which you live.
With warmest Bahá'í greetings,
‘Dear youth, Greetings and love to all of you from Chad! I am writing to you all to tell you that the youth of N'djamena have no
newsletter, or Baha'i magazine of any kind and they don't get the opportunities to travel to summer schools, or Wetlands as the youth in Europe
do, so they don't really get to learn about the activities of Bahá'í youth and the progress being made in other countries... This
is why I am writing to ask for short (or long) paragraphs about the activities or projects you are involved in at home...such as dance workshops,
study circles, happy hippo show, arts weekends, childrens classes, devotional gatherings, firesides, teaching campaigns, choirs, and other
things I have not thought of that might encourage the activities we have already started with them, or inspire them to begin a new kind of
project. If you could send your articles, they may only be a couple of sentences, to me at [nigel.whiteho@intnet.td], I will translate them
into French and try to put them all together in some kind of youth-page like the ones we get in Ireland...thank you all so much, please pray for
our service in Chad and for Bahá'ís here, and we will pray for you, much love from Bryony.’
The Londonderry Bahá'ís had a community activity with a difference on Sunday 9 February - stripping the wallpaper in the flat
at 5 Clarendon Street that has been used for meetings for some time. This is the next step in its redevelopment and redecoration so that it can
serve as a centre for the Derry community. ... and all ages took part in the work.
Are you in need of a Greatest Name for yourself or as a gift? I can supply hand painted ones in encaustic wax in a variety of colours. The
size is 6" x 8", they are unframed and cost £12.00 including postage and packing. I can also still supply Bahá'í
Prayer Beads in a variety of colours, cost £3.50 including P&P.
Contact me by e-mail. If you want to see them I can e-mail you specimen pictures.
Elizabeth Palin
‘O that I could travel, even though on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions, and, raising the call of Ya-Baha'ul-Abha
in the cities, villages, mountains, deserts and oceans promote the divine teachings!! This, alas, I cannot do. How intensely I deplore it! Please
God, ye may achieve it…..’ Abdu'l-Bahá
These are very familiar words to all of us. Too familiar, perhaps! Since I have been asked by the Council to co-ordinate these actitives I have
had the pleasure of arranging 2 trips to the Province by Val McGinley which were very much appreciated by the communities she visited. On both of
these occasions she was able to share with the friends, and their friends, many of her personal experiences; a lot of information about the Faith,
and enthused some to consider travel teaching themselves. We all know how much we enjoy visits from Bahá'ís outside of our own
community. It's a little like a breath of fresh air. Spring is approaching, so why not consider bringing in a few breezes for yourself. No special
qualifications are needed, just the wish to achieve what 'Abdu'l-Bahá could not.
At this stage of the Five Year Plan there is no great pressure to achieve the goals of the Plan which include forming Spiritual Assemblies and
sending out pioneers, but, equally this is an ongoing goal, and the sooner we get to work on these the more we can achieve without the 'number
crunching' that usually accompanies the last few months of any Plan. I have two offers of pioneering on hand at the moment, and two travel
teachers arriving in April. The House of Justice also specifically referred to home front pioneering in the Ridvan letter of 2001-SO HOW ABOUT
IT, FOLKS! Are we going to leave it to others to achieve our goals, or can we do it ourselves?
Anne Munro,
‘O that I could travel, even though on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions, and, raising the call of Ya-Baha'ul-Abha
in the cities, villages, mountains, deserts and oceans promote the divine teachings!! This, alas, I cannot do. How intensely I deplore it! Please
God, ye may achieve it…..’ Abdu'l-Bahá
These are very familiar words to all of us. Too familiar, perhaps! Since I have been asked by the Council to co-ordinate these actitives I have had
the pleasure of arranging 2 trips to the Province by Val McGinley which were very much appreciated by the communities she visited. On both of
these occasions she was able to share with the friends, and their friends, many of her personal experiences; a lot of information about the Faith,
and enthused some to consider travel teaching themselves. We all know how much we enjoy visits from Bahá'ís outside of our own
community. It's a little like a breath of fresh air. Spring is approaching, so why not consider bringing in a few breezes for yourself. No special
qualifications are needed, just the wish to achieve what 'Abdu'l-Bahá could not. At this stage of the Five Year Plan there is no great pressure to achieve the goals of the Plan which include forming Spiritual Assemblies and
sending out pioneers, but, equally this is an ongoing goal, and the sooner we get to work on these the more we can achieve without the 'number
crunching' that usually accompanies the last few months of any Plan. I have two offers of pioneering on hand at the moment, and fwo travel teachers
arriving in April. The House of Justice also specifically referred to home front pioneering in the Ridvan letter of 2001-SO HOW ABOUT IT, FOLKS!
Are we going to leave it to others to achieve our goals, or can we do it ourselves? Anne Munro,
CommuNique is the newsletter of the Baha'i Council for Northern Ireland ©National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United Kingdom
Following is the URL to the original story. The site may have removed or archived this story. URL:
http://users.whsmithnet.co.uk/~ispalin/bc4ni/comm/
At institutional level, all institutions, including all agencies or committees of the Council, will continue to communicate with the
Institute through the secretary of the Institute Board.
TRAINING INSTITUTE BOARD,
James Holmlund
E-mail: jpholm@utvinternet.comYEAR OF SERVICE NEWS
Hot off the cyberpress! Latest from Bryony in Chad!
COMMUNITY NEWS
TURNING A FLAT INTO A CENTRE
ADVERTISEMENT
Art for the Faith and the Fund
TRAVEL-TEACHING
Travel-teaching Co-ordinator.TRAVEL-TEACHING
Travel-teaching Co-ordinator.
