ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

Children’s Classes are offered to provide a means for developing positive attitudes and qualities that will lead to the children’s spiritual and character growth. The lessons promote qualities that require the children to think, reflect, and apply spiritual virtues to decisions in their lives. Great attention is given to the development of spiritual qualities and to those beliefs, habits, and behaviors that constitute the essential attributes of a well-rounded, happy child. The arts are used to enhance each activity and lesson.

All of these classes focus on developing morals, virtues, and other spiritual tools that the future citizens of this world will need to increase the process of building peace. The program is currently offered to children aged 2-11 and hosted in various East County communities. 

Junior Youth Groups is a program that assists youth ages 11-14 (junior youth) to navigate through a crucial stage of their lives so they may become empowered to direct their energy towards making positive contributions to their communities. The junior youth meet regularly with a trained teacher (animator) to study and discuss lessons created for the program and engage in artistic, extracurricular, and small community service initiatives. The program offers them a platform to discuss and analyze both the constructive and destructive forces operating in society to become more aware of the influence these forces exert on their thoughts and actions. 

Through this practice, these junior youth can exercise their perceptions, enhance their powers of expression, and reinforce positive moral practices that will serve them throughout their lives. Although the moral concepts are in alignment with the teachings of the Bahá'í Faith, the program's content is not religious in nature and has been designed for a diverse range of junior youth, thereby addressing the needs of the greater community. 

The program is currently hosted in various homes, community centers, and participants' neighborhoods in our local communities and over 150 countries around the world.

Devotional Gatherings offer an opportunity for community members to pray and consult together on the issues that concern them most. Bahá'ís believe that regular prayer and meditation result in a more balanced inner spiritual life. At these gatherings, prayers are selected from both the scriptures of the Bahá’í Faith, as well as other religious traditions. Musical presentations often play a pivotal role, too.

These gatherings occur naturally in an environment where conversations about the spiritual aspects of human existence are present. The typical devotional format is comprised of reciting prayers, singing songs, playing music, and sharing passages from Bahá'í and other holy texts in an unceremonious, yet reverent, setting. These gatherings foster unity among friends who are actively seeking to increase the fellowship and understanding between one another's diverse perspectives.

All are welcome to participate. Devotional gatherings occur when as few as two or as many as a thousand people come together. They are hosted in various homes, parks, community centers, houses of worship, and participants' neighborhoods in over 200 countries around the world.

Study Circles are groups comprised of 2-30 people who meet at least once a week for as little as an hour to a few hours at a time. Often meeting in one of the participant’s homes or community centers, these study sessions shy away from formally taught classes and, instead, foster a participatory method of learning. Led by a facilitator, the format of the courses encourages participants to engage in open dialogues about how to apply the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh in their own lives and communities. 

The materials used in study circles have an emphasis on the Bahá'í writings as a means of finding a unity of vision and action by focusing on the fundamental elements of Bahá'í beliefs. The materials most frequently used are known as the Ruhi sequence of courses. The Ruhi series of books have been used by communities worldwide for over 20 years and were created to assist individuals in deepening their understanding of the Bahá'í writings, exercising their spiritual perception, and practicing the skills necessary for carrying out the work of an ever-advancing civilization.

Through the process of action, reflection, consultation, and accompaniment, study circle participants around the world have become increasingly committed to the vision of individual and collective transformation, and to building the foundation for a global community centered on service and worship.

How can I get involved in activities here?

Activities happen all around the area. If you happen to know a Bahá’í in your neighborhood, you could ask them to assist you. Otherwise, you could get in touch with the Local Spiritual Assembly or group in your local, which could put you in touch with a Bahá’í near you. Using the Contact Us page, we can also direct you to the Bahá’ís nearest you.