About THE BAHÁ'í COMMUNITY
Hope in a chaotic world
Bahá'ís believe it is time for humanity to come together as one family. The spiritual teachings of the Bahá'í Faith inspire us to form deep and diverse relationships and building communities that further the well-being of all people. The conviction that we belong to one human family is at the heart of the Bahá’í Faith. The principle of the oneness of humankind is “the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve”.
Building community: love in action
Channeling the Power of the Human Spirit
We believe lasting social change starts in the family and at the neighborhood level when we build relationships based on love and mutual respect. We start small by gathering in homes and community centers, offering opportunities for all age groups to worship, learn and serve their communities together.
Simple, yet profound and revolutionary, this community building process:
• links person growth with social transformation
• rekindles the soul's connection to its Creator
• fosters friendship and intimacy beyond barriers of race and class
• weakens prejudice
• inspires neighbors to think about each other's needs and earnestly search for solutions to shared problems
ANYONE CAN PARTICIPATE IN CORE COMMUNITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES
Children's Classes
Jr. Youth Spiritual Empowerment
Jr. Youth Spiritual Empowerment
Classes that help children discover and strengthen their inherent spiritual qualities like kindness, patience and generosity through stories, songs, prayers and art.
Spiritual education gives children a strong foundation for the choices they will make in their lives as they grow older. Though the lessons are based on Bahá’í teachings, the themes are universal and apply to children of all religions and backgrounds. Bahá’ís partner with their neighbors, friends, and youth, in particular to ensure the spiritual education of all children. Ultimately, the aim is for children to increasingly grow up free from all forms of prejudice, recognizing the oneness of humanity and appreciating the dignity and nobility of every human being.
Jr. Youth Spiritual Empowerment
Jr. Youth Spiritual Empowerment
Jr. Youth Spiritual Empowerment
The youth movement in Charlotte is made up of two distinct groups of youth: The Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program - created—to give youth spaces to explore big ideas, refine the power of expression utilizing the arts and oratory skills, build the aptitude to create environments of mutual support, and strengthen spiritual qualities. It’s about empowering youth to read the reality around them and recognize the forces shaping the world and developing the power to choose and change. This programs lets youth be part of something greater—working for positive change.
Youth in the Lead
Jr. Youth Spiritual Empowerment
Youth in the Lead
Youth have played a vital role in Bahá’í history. The Báb Himself declared His mission when He was but twenty-five years old. From the early years, young people were at the forefront of efforts to proclaim the message of the new Faith. Following in the path that these extraordinary figures, thousands of young Bahá’ís have arisen in each generation to respond to the call of Bahá’u’lláh. Their efforts are guided by the Universal House of Justice—which encourages young Bahá’ís to draw on the zeal and enthusiasm characteristic of the period of youth and so make decisive contributions to the advancement of spiritual and material civilization.
Prayer Gatherings
Involvement in the Life of Society
Youth in the Lead
...to nourish souls and inspire meaningful friendships among neighbors. Service and worship are at the heart of the pattern of community life that Bahá’ís around the world are trying to bring into being. They are two distinct, yet inseparable elements that propel the life of the community forward. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes that, “Success and prosperity depend upon service to and worship of God”.
Study Circles
Involvement in the Life of Society
Involvement in the Life of Society
Study circles where adults learn together about the spiritual nature of life and initiate service projects relevant to their communities. The purpose of Bahá’í study circles is to provide participants with the knowledge, spiritual insights and skills to enable them to contribute to the betterment of society, starting with their own neighborhood. This is done through systematic study of a sequence of courses based on the Bahá’í Writings using the courses of the Ruhi Institute.
Involvement in the Life of Society
Involvement in the Life of Society
Involvement in the Life of Society
Bahá’u’lláh said: “Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.” Bahá’ís throughout the world—both individually and collectively—strive to become involved in the life of society, working shoulder to shoulder with divers groups to contribute to the advancement of material and spiritual civilization.
O God, guide me, protect me, make of me a shining lamp and a brilliant star. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful.
~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
About THE BAHÁ'í FAITH
One Loving Creator
We believe there is one God, a loving Creator. Out of love for humanity, God reveals Himself and His Will through Divine Educators, the Founders of the world's religions. We can know God through studying the lives, scriptures, and guidance of these Holy Messengers.
One Human Family
We believe every person comes into the world as a noble and beautiful creation of God. Our purpose in life is to draw closer to God by offering selfless service to others. Together, we are all citizens and caretakers of one planet. This core belief in oneness calls us to actively root out our prejudices and the systemic inequalities that divide people of different ethnic backgrounds, national origins, genders and social classes.
Founders
The Bahá'í Faith is based on the teachings of two Divine Educators, the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. Both lived during the mid-1800s in Persia and shared revolutionary concepts about the oneness of humanity.
The Báb (meaning "the Gate") encouraged everyone to seek spiritual truth with independent hearts and let go of superstition and dependence on clergy.
Bahá'u'lláh (meaning "the Glory of God") envisioned a future where all of humanity operates as one loving family. His teachings help us create harmonious relationships between women and men, black and white, rich and poor, friend and stranger.
Scripture
Bahá'ís believe God revealed his latest guidance for humanity through Bahá'u'lláh. In more than one hundred volumes, Bahá'u'lláh shared social and ethical teachings, laws and ordinances, mystical passages and prayers and meditations.
Daily Practices
The Bahá'í Faith is organized without priests or clergy. Each person is responsible for his or her own search for truth and relationship with God. Bahá'ís are encouraged to take time every day to pray, read from scripture, meditate, and reflect on how to translate the Bahá'í teachings into action. The Bahá'í Faith also elevates work done in the spirit of service to the act of worship.
The Organization of Community Life
Each year, the Bahá'í community elects local and national councils, known as Spiritual Assemblies. All Bahá'ís 21 and older are eligible to both vote and be elected. Diverse membership, non-partisan elections and collective decision-making are basic features of the Bahá'í model of leadership. The Bahá'í community also received guidance from its international elected governing council, the Universal House of Justice.
Find Out More: A Widening Embrace