Baha'i Community of Port Moody
Newsletter
Month of ’Izzat/Might 176 BE September 8 – September 26, 2019 Vol. 13, No. 10
Inside this issue:
Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power. To this beareth witness that which the Pen of Revelation hath revealed. Meditate upon this, O men of insight!
Baha'u'llah
Feast Information
Feast of Might
Date: Sunday, Sept 8, 2019
Time: 7:30 pm
Venue: Heritage Cluster: Etemadi Residence
Inlet Cluster: Rahmany Residence
Glenayre Cluster: Fariba + Fred Goldan's Residence
Message From Your Local Spiritual Assembly
Decentralizing Community Feast - updated links
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Port Moody is pleased to announce that after extensive consultation and based on a number of considerations, including a review of the guidance of the Universal House of Justice from a message dated May 2009, it has arrived at the following decision:
To proceed with decentralizing our community feasts to three geographically-based neighbourhood feasts on a trial basis until at least the end of this year, with the first one of our decentralized feasts to be held in the 3 neighbourhoods of Heritage, Ioco/Inlet and Glenayre/College Heights will be the Feast of Names (Asma), scheduled to be held on Tuesday August 20, 2019.
In order to provide an opportunity for the entire community to still be able get together as one unified community, to share learning and ensure established relationships are nurtured and maintained, every third (3rd) feast will continue to be centrally held at the Old Mill Boathouse.
The Assembly will be looking for community members to offer to host these neighbourhood level feasts and as such will be presenting the community with a "sign-up" sheet over the next couple of feasts (July 14 and Aug. 01), which are still to be held at the Boathouse, for consideration.
The schedule of the feasts for this year and a draft outline of the community members residing in each of the neighbourhods are attached.
With loving Baha'i greetings,
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Port Moody
Study on the Life of the Báb
Dear Friends,
In honour of the historic nature of the bicentennial of the birth of the Báb, we joyfully invite you to a monthly study session on the life of the beloved Herald of our Faith.
Details are in this short video. The sessions will be once a month on selected Thursdays.
The next session will be on:
Date: September 19, 2019
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Venue: 1 Wilkes Creek Drive, Port Moody. B.C.
Hosted by: Sean, Rae & Shirin
Please email or call to confirm attendance (contact info in this short video).
Study material and refreshment will be provided.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing your radiant faces at the study session.
With much love,
The Segran Family
Message from Your Area teaching Committee
Cycle 14 Reflection Meeting
Dear Friends,
We look forward to coming together again for our cluster-wide Reflection Gathering celebrating accomplishments of Cycle 14 and planning for Cycle 15. As the bicentenary of birth of the Bab is approaching, we are excited to come together and plan for growth of the Community Building activities during this period of special potency in our cluster.
Below are the details:
When: Sunday, September 15, 2019
Where: Boathouse at Rocky Point Park in Port Moody
Time: 10:00 am
Light refreshments will be provided. Looking forward to seeing you all!
Loving regards,
Tri-Cities Area Teaching Committee
Message From Your National Spiritual Assembly
Message to the Bahá’ís of Canada, September 7, 2019
Please click here to read.
Launch of "The Bahá’í World" Website
Dear Bahá’í Friends,
We are pleased to share with you the attached letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies dated 23 May 2019 regarding the launch of the website “The Bahá’í World”.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Karen McKye, Secretary
Group Visits to the Shrine in Montreal
Dear Bahá’í Friends,
We are delighted to advise you that the program of group visits to the Shrine in Montreal has now launched, with the first formally-registered group having visited in February from the Rundle neighbourhood in Alberta. The joy that these friends experienced and that they brought to the community in Montreal was a wonderful start to what we hope will become a regular feature of Canada’s spiritual life.
A team has been appointed to assist groups from neighbourhoods or clusters to coordinate visits to this sacred spot and become acquainted with the places that 'Abdu'l-Bahá visited during His stay in Canada. A website is under construction that will share information and offer the opportunity to register for such a group visit. For the time being, those wishing to register to visit in a group should apply by email at . Of course, individuals wishing to visit the Shrine may do so without registering during the regular hours that the Shrine is open, which can be found on the Canadian Bahá'í website at .
We take this opportunity to remind you of the wonderful news received two years ago that the Holy Places at the Bahá'í World Centre had been made more accessible to a greater number and diversity of friends. For those unable to go to the World Centre, and those who can do both, it is the National Spiritual Assembly’s hope that wave upon wave of friends might take advantage of this opportunity to visit Montreal, becoming the means whereby, in the words of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, “the melody of the Kingdom may travel to all parts of the world from that Dominion and the breaths of the Holy Spirit may spread from that center to the East and the West of America.”
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Karen McKye, Secretary
News of Community Properties Fund
Please click here to open the National Spiritual Assembly's message.
Compilation on Prayer and Devotional Life
Dear Bahá’í Friends,
We are very happy to share with you the attached newly-released compilation on prayer and devotional life; kindly arrange for its wide distribution. It is also available in the compilation section of the Bahá’í Reference Library. A French version will be circulated as soon as one is available.
In its covering letter dated 28 February 2019, the Department of the Secretariat of the Universal House of Justice shared the following about this compilation:
“As the friends intensify their efforts to pursue the last Plan of the series of Plans that end in 2021, a year that marks the centenary of the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the inauguration of the Formative Age, signs of the enrichment of the devotional life of the community are manifest. Devotional activities are everywhere multiplying and are increasingly being integrated into the core of community life. To add further stimulus to this signal development and to help the friends take full advantage of the period of special potency during which the bicentennial anniversaries of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh and of the Báb are commemorated, the Universal House of Justice has directed us to enclose a compilation of extracts on prayer and devotional life drawn from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and from the letters of the Guardian and the House of Justice.
“It is the hope of the House of Justice that this compilation, prepared by the Research Department at its request, will be studied widely and will be of assistance to individuals, families, and communities as they strive to evoke the spirit of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in the creation of occasions where any soul may inhale the divine fragrances, experience the elevating power of prayer, and be drawn together with others in fellowship and common cause.”
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Karen McKye, Secretary
Message from the Baha'i Council of British Columbia
Website for the Bicentenary of the Birth of the Báb
Dear Bahá’í Friends,
Further to our letter dated 4 September 2019 (ref. S99376) regarding resources for the bicentenary of the Birth of the Báb, we are pleased to share the following additional information from a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies dated 6 September 2019:
“As was the case two years ago, a section of the Bahai.org website will provide information about the events unfolding in various countries during the upcoming Twin Holy Days. This online portal, available in all the languages of Bahai.org—Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Hindi, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swahili—is now active, and it can be accessed by the friends at bicentenary.bahai.org. Some content related to the coming anniversary is already available on the site, and the film Dawn of the Light will be added by the end of September. During the hours when the believers and their friends will celebrate the Birth of the Báb and the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh throughout the world, the site will offer glimpses of activities in several locations, including live streaming of services held at Houses of Worship, that will be illustrative of the wide array of initiatives being undertaken in localities everywhere. It is hoped that before, during, and after the Holy Days, this website will serve as a valuable resource upon which the friends may draw for inspiration and encouragement.”
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Karen McKye, Secretary
Eighteenth Harper Mountain Gathering 2019 - Updated Info
Dear friends,
As we expressed in the announcement sent out in July to friends and communities, it is with a sense of wonderment and humble gratitude that we prepare for the eighteenth annual Harper Mountain Gathering to be held in the Ski Lodge in a few short weeks. We also noted that the 200th anniversary of the Birth of the Bab occurs this fall and that we join with friends around the world in honour of this sacred milestone and dedicate this year's gathering a tribute to the Herald of the Baha'i Faith.
The Harper programme includes daily prayer circle, sharing circle, stories, talks, consultation, arts presentations, action planning and time to enjoy conversation and meals together.
So that we may all participate, we would like to again suggest to bring a short quote from the Writings relating to the Bab to share and perhaps express why you chose it and what meaning it has for you.
A general outline with schedule of some highlights of the programme is as follows:
Friday, 27 September from 2:00 – 9/9:30pm
Saturday, 28 September from 9:00am to 9/9:30pm
Sunday, 29 September from 9:00am to 2:00pm
Friday is a welcoming day and spiritual preparation for the consultations that follow. We begin with a prayer circle and to further assist us a Pipe Ceremony follows the sharing of food Friday evening. Expressions of the spirit in music and artistic presentations follow Saturday’s programme of talks and consultations after the evening meal. Sunday morning’s focus is haring possible individual and/or collective commitments of service. Sunday’s devotions are prepared and presented by the children and youth. Lunch is served before departure.
Programmes for children and junior youth are facilitated by dedicated, experienced teachers and assistants. Tents will be reserved solely for the youth activities. Children have their special space within the Lodge. Sunday mornings devotions are prepared and presented by the children and youth; a gift to warm the heart of all attending.
The Harper Mountain Gatherings do not have a registration fee and so expenses are covered by donations. In addition to earmarked funds, the friends donate handcrafted items and artworks for silent auction bids or raffle as a reciprocal way to contribute to the gathering including a special silent auction for children only.
May we extend a special measure of love and effort to invite and support in whatever way we can Aboriginal friends, families and youth, as well as Elders we are privileged to know or have opportunity to work with.
For any further information please contact Gladys Anaquod at 403-871-1844 or email gladjnault@gmail.com and/or Noni Nault at 250-361-6218 and/or email noninault9@gmail.com.
All Our Relations
Harper Mountain Coordinating Team
Note: How to get to Harper Mountain and Accommodation
Harper Mountain is a beautiful alpine setting, a 25-minute drive from Kamloops. Take Highway 5 north (Jasper) out of Kamloops. It is a day lodge facility only and tents and campers are welcome. Space is available for those with bed rolls inside the lodge. There are very good washrooms inside but no shower. Travelling north, turn right at the intersection of Highway 5, Halston Avenue (on left) and Paul Lake Road (on right at the Husky Station). Follow the signs up the mountain, keep right all the way. After the Paul Lake condominiums, take the gravel road straight up the mountain to the Ski Lodge. Other accommodation for hotels, motels or bed and breakfast in Kamloops may be found on the eb at www.kamloops.worldweb.com.
Letter to All Believer in British Columbia - Youth Activities
Please click here to read letter.
Letter to All Believers in the Tri-Cities
Please click here to read letter.
Letter To All Believers: Financial Goals
Please click here to read letter.
Message From The Baha'i National Centre
Position Opening - Bahá’í Canada Assistant Editor
Dear Bahá’í Friends,
We would appreciate your assistance in making known to the friends in your communities of a recent opening for the position of Bahá’í Canada Assistant Editor at the Bahá’í National Centre.
Bahá’í Canada is a publication of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada. Through its website, Bahá’í Canada shares news, information and learning from across the country. Its magazine, set to be published quarterly, features analytical pieces on themes relevant to the learning objectives of the Bahá’í community. It is served by the Bahá’í Canada Committee, an agency of the National Spiritual Assembly, which sets the editorial direction and approves the content for the two publication outlets.
The Committee is currently looking for an individual to serve as an Assistant Editor for its two publications. This individual will support the work of the Managing Editor to share news, information and the experience of the Canadian Bahá’í community in a language and format that is accessible, inspiring and dignified to a diverse readership. Education and/or experience with writing and editing is essential, as is a strong knowledge of and personal experience with the framework for action of the current Five Year Plan. The Assistant Editor will have the opportunity to work with a diverse group of people and develop a range of skill sets and abilities.
For more information about the role, please find enclosed the complete job description and its requirements.
Individuals who would like to apply are asked to kindly submit a cover letter and a copy of their resume to the National Spiritual Assembly at officecoordinator@bahai.ca.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Office Coordinator, Bahá’í National Centre
Message from the Universal House of Justice
Announcements
Please See Messages Above!
The Fund
News
Core Activities in Port Moody
Children's Classes
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Grade 1 run by Parham Ebrahimi
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Saturdays at 10:30 am, rotating residences
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Grade 2 run by Anusha Ahmadi
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Sundays at 10:30 am, Anusha's home
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Junior Youth Groups
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Spirit of the Faith animated by Sahaab Moffedi and Hamed Mahdi (all JYs are from Coquitlam)
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Walking the Straight Path animated by Dana Sabeti
Study Circles
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Book 3, Nouran Rahmanian
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Book 5, Sourna Vafadary
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Book 7, Elham Sabeti
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Book 9, Yasha Khatamian
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Book 9, Marina Seifi
Devotional Gatherings
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VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 5 SEPTEMBER 2019, (CBNS)
The global momentum of bicentenary preparations is building through the Americas. Artistic expressions, thoughtful presentations on the past and present, and other activities give a glimpse of how the continent’s diverse populations are readying themselves for the upcoming historic anniversary of the Bab’s birth.
During this period, neighborhoods across Canada are experiencing a new impulse of energy.
Bahá'í World Centre staffing needs
Dear Bahá'í Friends,
We have been asked to share with you the following message from the Office of Personnel at the Bahá'í World Center regarding opportunities to serve there. It is hoped that you will distribute it as widely as possible.
"As the vital work of the Cause unfolds in every part of the world, the effective functioning of the Bahá'í World Centre takes on added significance. The World Centre of the Faith—described by Shoghi Effendi as the "pivot of the agencies of the New World Order"—is supported by a flow of believers from a diversity of countries and occupations who arise selflessly to offer a period of service, of varying length, in the Holy Land. The staffing needs at the World Centre are continually changing in light of the evolving demands and resources. At any given time, there are roles to be filled which require particular competencies or specialized training, and others that simply require a readiness to learn about one's specific assignment. Due to the nature of service at the World Centre, the essential requirements include an ability to offer 12 months or more and a basic proficiency of English.
"Anyone interested in learning more about the possibility of offering a period of service at the World Centre is encouraged to contact the Office of Personnel at serve@bwc.org. Offers of service can also be submitted directly at https://bahai.bwc.org/service/.
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
Joo Jong Kung, Secretary-Aide
National Secreteriat"
International News
Religious leaders, students, scholars, and others recently met at the Baha’i House of Worship in New Delhi, India, to explore the role that sacred spaces play in contemporary Indian society.
For more international news, please visit https://news.bahai.org/
Calendar
Note: Please refer to LSA's message about decentralization of Feasts
Cycles of Growth
Contact Info
Cluster Agencies
