> But we have known that, in most societies, we can get far higher
> declaratioon rates by other methods. Door to door, charismatic style
> meetings, targetting specific ethnic or cultural groups, etc can
> generate large numbers of declarants. In the past this has often been
> seen as a complete waste of time because the 'declarants' know
> practically nothing about the Faith and are rarely interested in it.
> Many have just signed the card to get rid of you. An alternative view
> is that although most of such declarants are paper Baha'is only, the
> small percentage who found it genuinely interesting, investigate
> further, and becomefully fully fledged Baha'is are still a better
> 'return' than those coming in though firesides. A complicating factor
> is that there are differring views within the Faith about this style
> of teaching. Some find it distasteful.
Dear John,
I don't like it myself, though I did it back in the seventies. I would
not teach the Faith door to door, but I will go door-to-door in my
neighborhood inviting people to enroll their kids in youth empowerment
circles, etc. I would feel comfortable inviting people to a devotional
meeting if was designed in such a way that would be attractive to
people in my predominantly black and Christian neighborhood.
> A few years ago there was a book published about how to hold
> firesides. It was excellent and its strong advice was not to invite
> Baha'is to firesides.
That raises an im****tant issue. From Paul's description it sounds like
what he attended were not really firesides at all, but rather public
meetings that happened to be held in people's homes. The Guardian
stated that the fireside was the best teaching method because it
allowed the seekers to ask all the questions in their heart. If
instead it centers around a prepared speech I don't it serves its
purpose.
Ruhi book two teaches
> about home visits but only in relation to deepening new believers and
> it was apparently written in a context where the Internet or even
> Baha'i books are unavailable or too expensive. I don't think the
> examples and training in the book are at all relevant to Australia and
> I assume not to America.
I disagree. I don't have much use for scripts provided in Book Two for
these home visits. As you would have gathered from my remarks on
Anna's presentation, I don't like scripts period. But I think home
visits have been a marvelous addition to our community life because
they have drawn us together like never before. In America we have used
them not just with new believers but with seekers as well. We have
found it an effective means of reaching out to inactive Baha'is and
shut ins. After one cluster meeting I was inspired to go visit an
older Baha'i who was quite well deepened but had just been diagnosed
with terminal cancer. During the home visit we discussed her
difficulties in getting out anymore so I suggested we start having
study circles on Book Four in her home. Her Baha'i daughter and
granddaughter attended those study circles as did her non-Baha'i
son-in-law. She died soon after we completed Book Four. A couple of
months later her son-in-law became a Baha'i.
We can't rely on Baha'i books and the internet to spread the Faith. We
are a community and communities are based on relation****ps, not books.
And virtual relation****ps can't replace real ones.
Also the implications of the book didn't
> reflect Australian cultural values as to the protocol of visiting
> people.
What are the protocols in Australia.
> A slightly sad side effect of this is a distinct weakening of local
> democracy within Faith. The clusters, if they have any administrative
> structure at all, are run by appointed rather than elected officers.
Yeah, and that part of it bothers me.
warmest, Susan
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