Yay! There has been a lot of recent growth in Bahá’í communities around the world. One reason is that we are more openly promoting the teachings that we have no doubt will work to transform ourselves and the world. We are moving past our preconceptions about what it means to confidently tell people about our faith and encourage them to embrace these principles, too.
And we can do even more! We can be even more open…without feeling like we are imposing or pushing.
Today I found the following video presentation with a clear and concise message about what Bahá’í Direct Teaching is and what it isn’t. Like the title says, it’s really plain and simple.
Of course this little bit of information will appeal mostly to my fellow Bahá’ís, but I can imagine there are others out there for whom this little video will be enlightening in some way. It may be just the fantastic style of animation the creators used, it may be a window on the methods the Bahá’ís are using to educate themselves and others, or it may be something entirely different which piques your interest. Whatever it is, I found the video to be fun, and I hope you do too.
An animated video presentation for Bahá'ís about what direct teaching is and what it isn't and how to get started doing it.
Where can I find “Anna’s presentation” to have a look/see?
Hi Hans,
Thanks for posting this video on direct teaching. The video mentions one basic, simple form that direct teaching can take, namely the Anna’s Presentation of Ruhi Book 6. And it mentions in passing that there are many other such forms. Yet I don’t see how this video says anything about what direct teaching is not.
There are indeed many forms of direct teaching available to us as Baha’is which we are encouraged to pursue. In fact, in defining direct teaching, the International Teaching Center in its 2003 document, “Building Momentum”, has written the following:
‘Teaching projects will be especially effective if they are “carefully designed” and reach specific segments of the population in a cluster. Teaching approaches and materials may be tailored to persons, for example, of particular occupations (schoolteachers, university students, lawyers), ethnicities (Aborigines, Chinese, Roma), and religions (animist, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim), or to women and youth. After substantial experience accumulates in the field as to the appropriate methods and contexts for teaching special populations, Bahá’ís involved in this work can assist the institute by designing a course that is specific to a particular group; such a course could be offered as a branch of the basic institute course on becoming an effective teacher.’
What a wonderful, challenging and coherent invitation this is to engage those we know in the ways we know them in directed spiritual teaching!
From this guidance we can easily see that many Baha’i communities are in a very early stage of development in terms of understanding and implementation of effective teaching. I for one perceive the extremely sore need for further development of teaching resources and methodology along the lines outlined in the above guidance if we are to fully engage all levels of the societies around us in all the ways we need.
What’s more, the above guidance from the ITC is particularly encouraging to the more creative and intellectual among us. So for friends who perceive such a need, one approach can be to synthesize such ideas, perceptions and experience, put together a concrete proposal, and submit it, together with the above guidance, to one’s local institution.
Such positive, specialized contributions by friends with particular experience are an overwhelming contribution we can make toward the further development of our Faith!
Thanks for raising this vital issue and I hope more people are encouraged to consult, further our understanding of what is needed, and continue our development toward truly inclusive and coherent growth in this time.
Kind regards,
Andrew
Thanks alot for the simplest way of direct teaching which I really enjoyed and be sure that I am going to share it with the resst of my community!!!
Mojdeh, I’m really happy you found this useful!
Thanks Hans it was very useful for me and very soon I will share it with the rest of our community!!! off course with your permission Hans.
Mojdeh Jahan from Newzealand
Greetings to you Hans,
Thank you very much and have a nice day!!!!
Mojdeh