To the believers in the Northeast region for the Feast of Mulk
Dear Friends,
The Regional Bahá’í Council is delighted to report continuing progress in the region in a variety of endeavors, among them the following:
The Regional Devotional Gathering Campaign is making steady progress toward the goal of reaching 999 new devotional gatherings by Ridván. We are pleased to inform you that since our most recent report, another 65 new devotionals have been added, making a current total of 755 toward that goal.
Beginning this Five Year Plan with 13 first milestone clusters with goals of attaining the second milestone of growth and now in the final cycle of the Plan, we offer gratitude to all who have assisted 10 of those clusters (North Jersey, New Haven CT, Erie PA, Harrisburg PA, Upper Valley VT-NH, Jamestown/Olean NY, Poughkeepsie NY, Altoona/State College PA, South Jersey, and Northern NY) to achieve the goal. Additionally grateful to the Universal House of Justice for the coming One Year Plan to achieve the same goal in the remaining 3 clusters (Scranton PA, Litchfield CT, and Northern Catskills NY), we applaud those believers who, with great determination and perseverance, are also endeavoring to advance to an intensive program of growth in their clusters, not easy given the rural nature of those areas.
Looking at clusters at a further point on the continuum of growth in the region, the Council is thrilled to announce the attainment of the third milestone of growth with at least 100 core activities by two more clusters, MetroWest MA and Upper ME. They join the other 6 (New York City, Boston MA, Rochester NY, Long Island NY, Philadelphia PA, and Westchester NY) already having achieved that goal, some of which have surpassed 200 core activities and are reaching for the next milestone.
There has been a tremendous increase in capacity among the friends in the region during this particular Five Year Plan. This is especially evident in the community-building work taking place in receptive neighborhoods in centers of intense activity throughout the region. Participation of those engaged in that service in continental, multi-region, and regional gatherings for reflection and learning indicates that the neighborhood efforts in the Northeast are making significant progress, even reaching a point where the thought of 50 or more core activities taking place in small pockets of the population is coming into reality.
Woven throughout the dedication of the friends to advance the aims of the Plan through community building and evident in various aspects of their involvement in social action and the discourses of society, they are arising to play their part in remedying the racial injustice that afflicts our society. Efforts to study the related guidance, engage in meaningful consultation meant to build bridges of understanding and unity, and become involved in opportunities to share the vision of the oneness of humanity and the spiritual steps needed to assist in its embrace are taking place everywhere in the Northeast, propelled forward by communities, institutions, and individuals in heartfelt, spirited, and creative ways.
Finally, not all progress is easy to measure, but some can be observed by those who are looking. In this case, the Regional Council has recognized what we can describe as an increase in the spirit of unity and love throughout the region. This is evident in the growing devotional spirit that has infiltrated our homes and community spaces, building growing bonds of friendship between those connected by turning their hearts to the Beloved. We see it in the mounting dependence on the Word of God, whether in our increasing focus on it through study circles or in the voices of children and junior youth as they share it with each other and their families. We all seem more immersed in the divine assistance that we feel surrounding us, as evident in the sweet stories of how you see it affecting your interactions as you arise to serve humanity. You are arising more than ever before, and more of you are arising. We are learning that there is a part for everyone to play, that everyone can do something. We are developing a culture of positive reinforcement at all levels. Spiritual Assemblies, cluster agencies, and individuals are reaching out to accompany, assist, encourage, and love…and we are feeling the effects! And, praise God, the region is advancing and thriving!
With love to each of you,
Regional Baha’i Council of the Northeastern States
Marie McNair, Secretary