“Sharing, Caring, & Acting”
Golden Keys to unlocking hearts
By Shoaleh Young and Vahid Hedayati
Challenges ?
Who faces challenges in:
Teaching the Baha‟i Faith
Inviting
Starting a Core Activity
Sustaining a Core Activity
Involving others
Purpose of our presentation
Review the practical aspects for reaching
and teaching the masses
Share examples and methods for reaching
and teaching, inviting, and initiating and
sustaining core activities
Share stories and ideas for action
Share tools and resources for our assistance
Building Relationships and
Caring enough to Share
Cary and Melanie‟s Stories
Ways to meet and share with the
masses and get them involved:
Pray
Generate a Conversation
Share an intro story or description of the
Faith
Share materials and follow-up
Invite and follow-up
Initiate core activities
Sustain core activities
How do we begin?
PRAY daily
Long Obligatory Prayer
Tablet of Visitation
Tablet of Ahmad
Other
Read the Writings daily
Live our lives expecting to teach
How do you generate a
conversation?
“Be worthy of
the trust of
thy neighbor,
and look
upon him
with a bright
and friendly
face.”
(Baha'u'llah)
When they ask
BE READY!!!
SOME OPENING LINES
What are some opening lines you’ve used?
“The Baha’i Faith teaches that there is only one
God, that we are children of that same God….”
“To be a Baha’i simply means to love all the
world, to love humanity and try to serve, to work
for universal peace and universal brotherhood.”
Your Story
- How to share why you are a Baha‟i
Share Your Heartfelt Feelings
What attracted me to the Baha‟i Faith?
Why I am a Baha‟i
Why I love Baha‟u‟llah
What Baha‟u‟llah has brought humanity
Let them respond –
Have a conversation
Don’t talk too much when you give an
introduction or share your story. Maybe
30-60 seconds.
If there is an interest, they’ll ask
questions.
So after you’ve shared the introduction,
STOP TALKING AND LISTEN!!!
LISTEN to their needs and interests
THEN…
Offer to share materials
Would you like some more information?
Would you prefer to watch a DVD, go to
the website, read a pamphlet or a book?
GREAT!
I have short DVD that I think you’d
love….it’s about 20 minutes….
Set up a time for them to review
the information
Keeps them acting (makes it a priority)
Gets them to make an appointment with
themselves to review the information and
for you to follow-up
Gives them a time-limit to return your
materials
“I want to call you after you’ve
watched it (or Visited the
website) and it’s fresh in your
mind to see what you think …when
do you think that might be?”
How to Follow-up
Call them on the appointed day/time
Ask if it is a good time to talk and if so, if they
had a chance to review the information
If not, set a time in the next 2 days to call
again.
Get their feedback
Invite to activity or to share more information
Ask if they are ready to return the material or
if they want to share with someone else
Ways to Keep Track of your Sharing
(Idea 1)
Have a notebook to keep a list of people whom
you have shared information
– What information they have received
– There contact information
– Their religious background and interests
– Their personal information
– Follow-up calls notes
– Invitation notes
– Home Visit notes
– Core activity notes
Ways to Keep Track of your Sharing
(Idea 2)
Have an overall summary sheet
Some Materials to share
Books: Audio CDs:
• Baha’u’llah and the • We are Baha’is
New Era
• Hidden Words DVD:
• Christian subject books • The Light of Unity
• Christ’s New Name
• Baha’i Publishing books Cards:
• Prayer books • Healing Cards
• Open Door
Pamphlets • Invitations
• Pattern of Community • Gift Cards
Life
Christian Subject Books
Intro Books
CDs and DVDs
Sharing materials with friends
your already know
Who do you want to share this great new
book you read with?
Who do you want to invite over to watch
„The Light of Unity‟ DVD? (or send)
Call them up
Ask if they would like to read it
Let them know you‟ll check back with them
to see how they liked it
How to invite to fireside
Know what interests them
Remember: a fireside can be just you and
them
Have a Baha‟i buddy do a joint fireside with
their seekers and yours – (Keeps it casual)
If you have a meeting-type fireside:
– Make a list of seekers/friends to invite
– Call – Send – Call to remind
But Most important – JUST ASK
At the fireside
Keep presentation simple and passionate
(let your spirit and love shine)
Sharing education
Invite to future fireside or gathering
Invite to core activity
Share more materials
Build relationships
Fireside Follow-up
Send an e-mail thanking them for coming and any
information they requested or quote
Call them the next day to thank them for coming and share
how you were glad they came
Do they have any questions or comments?
Do they want to tap into the core activities?
Guests who didn‟t come –
Call and tell them they were missed
Offer to get-together and share a summary of what you
learned
Plant the seed for the next time to put it on their calendar
How to initiate a core activity
Get a Buddy
Set a schedule
– Regular time based on participants schedule
– Beginning and end date for Study Circles
Invite
Follow-up (critical)
How to sustain a core activity
Have a positive attitude
Have a buddy
Finish in a timely manner
Add new participants
Be flexible to change schedule to fit the needs of
the majority, if needed
Do the activity and service components in groups
Make it fun and interesting
Ideas on how to invite your neighbor?
Build relationship first (could take a couple months)
– Movie night
– Game night
– Dinner
– Walking around the block
Offer idea to get a devotional or neighborhood
virtues class started
Set a good time to meet and together
– You have a team
Then invite more neighbors and let them know
what is happening and the purpose
Devotions – thoughts to say
“I‟m having prayers at my house, would you like
to come?”
“We are having monthly devotions at my home,
this months‟ prayer focus is on (Our Children).
I‟d love for you to come pray with us. Can you?”
“Would you like to come over and say some
prayers for healing (or peace) together?”
“Can I come over and share some prayers with
you?” (A home visit and prayers)
“______”
Share invitation (if more formal invite)
Follow-up (call to remind)
Study circles – thoughts to say
“Would like to come participate in a study class
reflecting on the life of the spirit?”
“The class is interactive. We‟ll read from the Baha‟i
Writings and discuss morality, purpose of life, prayer,
and life after death.”
“This curriculum is offered all over the world.”
“I felt I understood my life‟s purpose more fully!”
“The perspective given by the Baha‟i Writings made
sense to me. It answered many questions.”
“You may enjoy and learn from it like I did.”
“The group benefits with diversity. Your sharing…”
Do you want to come and participate?
Resource for Study Circles
www.ruhiresources.org
Virtues classes - thoughts to say
“Would you like your children come to a
neighborhood virtues class?”
“We teach children the importance and
meaning of virtues using games, activities,
and stories.”
Pause – see response
“What virtues would be helpful to cover
with your child?”
Sample invitations
See notebook
Resources for Virtues Classes
There are so many –keep it simple
www.virtueoftheweek.org (free curricula)
www.virtuesproject.com
www.changing-times.net (coloring book)
www.bahaibookstore.com
(CDs, books, support materials)
Hidden Gems – from Magdalene Carney Baha‟i
Institute – mcbi@mcbiinstitute.org
Ruhi Book 3 – Children‟s Classes
Jr. Youth Classes - thoughts to say
PRACTICE – “P”
Pray daily
Plan
Personal Touch
Remember this is a Process
POTENTIAL of what is POSSIBLE
Develop a POSITIVE attitude and PASSION for
your PURPOSE
Patience
Persistence
Partner
Power of attraction
PRACTICE – “R”
Respect your fellow Baha‟is, yourself, and
where people are at spiritually!
Read the Writings everyday!
Resolve!
PRACTICE – “A”
Assist people!
Assure people!
Be Assertive!
Be an Angel!
Attend!
Advance!
Act – systematically!
PRACTICE – “C”
Care!
Commit!
PRACTICE – “T”
Trust in God!
Train!
TRY!!!!
PRACTICE – “I”
Invite and keep inviting until they come or
ask you to stop!
Become Involved!
PRACTICE – “C”
Have Courage!
Have Confidence!
Be Consistent!
Believe that Confirmations will Come!
PRACTICE – “E”
Have Energy and Enthusiasm!
Engage yourself in service and action!
Be an Example!
Each one, teach one!
Personal Teaching Plan
What is my purpose in starting _______
core activity?
What would I like to have happen?
Who will I focus on?
What am I willing to do to make that
happen?
– In terms of time
– In terms of resources
What obstacles will I need to overcome?
“Visualize Your Success”
„See the end of things in the beginning‟
Your plans become your Focus…and What You Focus on Magnifies!
These souls become your Focus to
start the process to introduce the Baha‟i Faith :
They become your Focus Group To Invite to actitivies.
They become your Focus for sharing your story, and planting
the seeds
They become your Focus to introduce more information
(books, CDs, pamphlets, invitations
These potential contacts will become Baha’is or will know and
respect the Faith.
So lets start the process to make friends and share the
message
FOCUS
“So long as the thoughts of an individual are
scattered he will achieve no results, but if his
thinking be concentrated on a single point
wonderful will be the fruits thereof.
One cannot obtain the full force of the sunlight
when it is cast on a flat mirror, but once the sun
shineth upon a concave mirror, or on a lens that
is convex, all its heat will be concentrated on a
single point, and that one point will burn the
hottest. Thus it is necessary to focus one's
thinking on a single point so that it will become
an effective force.”
-Selection from the Writings of `Abdu-l-Bahá
Our Life‟s Passion
“Having grasped the significance of these words,
having obtained a clear understanding of the true
character of our missions, the methods to adopt,
the course to pursue, and having attained
sufficiently the individual regeneration – the
essential requisite of teaching – let us arise to
teach His Cause with righteousness, conviction,
understanding, and vigor. Let this be the
paramount and most urgent duty of every Baha‟i.
Let us make it the dominating passion of our life.”
“Confidence is patiently built as the friends
engage in progressively more complex and
demanding acts of service. Yet, above all, it is
reliance on God that sustains them in their
endeavors. How abundant the accounts of
believers who enter the teaching field with
trepidation only to find themselves bolstered by
confirmations on all sides. Seeing the
possibilities and opportunities before them with
new eyes, they witness first hand the power of
Divine assistance, as they strive to put into
practice what they are learning and achieve
results far exceeding their expectations.”
(UHJ, Dec. 27, 2005)
“A journey of 1,000 miles
must begin with one step.”
Ancient Chinese Proverb
“To try, to persevere is to
ensure complete and
ultimate victory.”
Baha‟i Faith
Act and have faith in the Holy
Spirit to guide you
Nothing Happens until YOU take Action
“As ye have faith, so shall your powers
and blessings be.”
Abdu‟l-Baha
For
You
to Make a Difference!