Adults
Waves of Pioneers Preparing in Ontario
With the launch of the Nine Year Plan, Bahá’ís and their collaborators are expanding their vision of growth in a number of ways, including considering
August 25, 2022
2022 Conferences
Drawing on the Arts Across Ontario’s Worldwide Conferences
The arts have been integral and vibrant throughout the current wave of worldwide conferences taking place across Ontario. In both rural and urban contexts, the
June 17, 2022
2022 Conferences
Building Clarity: The Transformative Influence of the Worldwide Conference in London-Elgin-Middlesex-Essex-Kent
The world is yearning for change. We hunger for it. We dream of it. We wait for it. And the introduction of the global conferences
June 9, 2022
2022 Conferences
Sudbury’s Global Conference: A Mighty Effort Uniting the North
By: Chandyn Bachiu The first global conference in a series of conferences sweeping the province was held in Sudbury in early May. Over 250 people
June 3, 2022
2022 Conferences
Preparing for a Wave of Conferences Across Ontario
Twenty-three conferences will be taking place between early May and late June in Ontario. This series of conferences is part of launching the Nine Year
May 4, 2022
Adults
Humbly Learning About Contributing to Discourses of Society
As groups of friends and families across Ontario are gathering to study the recent guidance of the Universal House of Justice, they are noting the
March 18, 2022
Junior Youth
Camps, Campaigns and Service Reinvigorate the Friends Across Ontario
Amidst an ongoing pandemic and what often feels like the rising tide of a sea of uncertainties, one constant remains: a growing longing for joy,
March 18, 2022
Adults
“If not now, when?” Kawartha Lakes Reaches the Second Milestone
A group of friends in the Kawartha Lakes cluster have made an incredible discovery: the untapped potential of a good cup of coffee. As we
March 17, 2022
Personal Reflections
Translating Insights from the National Meeting Into Action at the Grassroots
In early February, more than 150 representatives of local, regional and national Bahá’í institutions and agencies gathered at the Toronto Bahá’í Centre to consult on
March 16, 2022
Adults
Preparing for the Nine-Year-Plan: Turning to New Guidance Across Ontario
Families, teams of friends, entire communities and those serving on institutions turn with eagerness to new guidance for the Nine-Year-Plan.
January 24, 2022
Children
“You Could Feel the Warmth!” Studying New Guidance in Springdale, Brampton
The team in Springdale, Brampton came together the day the December 30th message from the Universal House of Justice was shared. One friend serving in
January 24, 2022
Adults
“This is Our Community”: Nipissing-Timiskaming Reaches a New Milestone
The friends in Nipissing-Tamiskaming not only increased the number of core activities but are rooting certain processes in the community.
January 24, 2022
Adults
Sharing Prayers and Having Hope in Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk
A vibrant group of souls in the Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk cluster have been sharing prayers and developing an outward looking orientation. This large cluster touches Lake Erie
January 24, 2022
Personal Reflections
Travelling the Bethany Galaxy
Do you ever wonder why we are so attracted to outer space and all the unknowns of the galaxy? And what that has to do with service?
January 24, 2022
Adults
Thousands of Friends Across Ontario Commemorate the Centenary of ʻAbdu’l-Bahá’s Passing
Over the last month, thousands of friends have honoured the beloved Master in this, the Centenary year of His Ascension. The Universal House of Justice
December 20, 2021
Adults
Building Strength in Cobourg & Lindsay
With less than two cycles remaining of the current One Year Plan, dynamic intergenerational teams are surging forward in two Ontario clusters determined to establish
December 20, 2021
Adults
Strong Nucleus, Strong Activities, Strong Friendships
In the wide-spread cluster of Lennox, Addington and South Hastings, a group of friends is discovering just how much a nucleus of friends who are
December 20, 2021
Adults
The Stony Path to the Second Milestone in Sault Ste. Marie
Written by Chandyn Bachiu Louisa van Lith has lived in Sault Ste. Marie (Soo) for almost her whole life. In the spring of 2019, through
November 19, 2021
Children
A Vibrant Festival in the Victoria Hills Neighbourhood Kick-starts Fall Activities
Written by Maryam Ahrari, Emily Glabush & Núr Elmasri Summer has come and gone in a flurry, and we are not only reflecting on our
November 19, 2021
Adults
An Assembly in a Learning Mode Spurs Growth at the Grassroots in Hamilton
The Local Spiritual Assembly of Hamilton has been consciously working towards building bonds of love and fellowship in the community and supporting initiatives at the
November 17, 2021
Adults
An Outpouring of Celebrations for the Twin Holy Days Across Ontario
Friends and neighbours gathered across Ontario to celebrate the Twin Holy birthdays of The Báb and Bahá’u’lláh on November 6th and 7th. The following accounts
November 17, 2021
Adults
Ice Cream Aisles and Fishing Resorts: Home Visits On the Go
By the end of the first week of their home visit campaign, the Thunder Bay team had already had 40 home visits: “So we kept right on going.”
October 19, 2021
Children
Having Conversations with Families in Bayview Mews
A group of families living in the Bayview Mews neighbourhood of Toronto, near Sheppard and Bayview, have been learning for the last 6 years about
October 19, 2021
Junior Youth
Reflections on Youth Service: Animating in Brockville and Ottawa
Contributed by Anis Alkhushi “…much depends on the ability of the institutions to draw on help from friends in other clusters, reinforcing the actions of
October 19, 2021
Adults
Ontario’s Virtual Baha’i Summer School: Fellowship, Music and Reflecting on the Life of the Master
Written by Emma Persaud From Friday, the 20th of August until Sunday the 22nd, people gathered in various groups across the province for a summer
September 20, 2021
Junior Youth
Fostering True and Lasting Friendships in Kipps Lane
Written by Carmelia Taheri & Emma Persaud Stepping into London’s Kipps Lane neighbourhood in the evenings, any onlooker can see youth coaching volleyball, children running
September 14, 2021
Children
“Together We Shine” ROBSI Summer Camp Dedicated to ‘Abdu’l-Baha
Written by Heather Harvey In late July, almost 60 participants gathered for a three-day online ROBSI camp experience inspired by the life and writings of
September 14, 2021
Personal Reflections
“I joined because you knocked on my door!” Reflections on Youth Service
Mena and Jonaya are both 17 and have been serving in the Chester Le pocket in the Upper Don Mills neighbourhood of Toronto for the
September 13, 2021
Youth
“I want to feel that too”: Youth in Kitchener Reflect on the Power of Prayer
Written by Emily Glabush A small nucleus of friends in the neighbourhood of Mooregate, Kitchener, have been making efforts to sustain core activities since February
August 6, 2021
Junior Youth
Beautifying the Neighbourhood Unity Centre in Sudbury with LiveLoveLouder
Written by: Rebecca Hamilton-Bachiu & Chandyn Bachiu The team in the Sudbury-Manitoulin Cluster entered the summer of 2020 with audacious goals to advance the community
August 6, 2021
Adults
A Tutor Reflects: Robot Competitions and Spiritual Perception in London
“Consort with all men, O people of Bahá, in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. If ye be aware of a certain truth, if ye
August 6, 2021
Personal Reflections
“Hardwired to Make Efforts”: Reflections on Youth Service
Since the initial youth conferences held in 2013, many cohorts of youth have reflected on the idea that “in selfless service to society is the
August 6, 2021
Personal Reflections
A team of Four Arises to Serve Full Time in Sudbury
Amidst the rising energy across Ontario at the outset of this one year plan, a team of collaborators in Sudbury, the reservoir cluster for the
July 7, 2021
Pioneering
The Camel Stopped Where It Was Meant To: A World Traveller Pioneers to Brockville
“For a while, it was forbidden to travel to Brockville because of COVID restrictions. It’s very new for me this concept of pioneering, of expansion,
July 7, 2021
Personal Reflections
“I can give this year to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá!” Dedicated Service in Thunder Bay
Written by Carolyne Dowdell Our family moved to Thunder Bay in 1987 with the desire to serve and a love for Northern Ontario. I retired
July 7, 2021
Children
Tending the Spiritual Garden: Book 3 Campaign plants the seeds for nurturing children’s classes in South-East Ontario
Written by Nancy Lavoie One of my favourite Ruhi books is Ruhi Book 3: Teaching Children’s Classes, Grade 1. The profound principles and concepts that
July 7, 2021
Children
Aurora Children Create a Video Tribute to 215 Children of Kamloops Indian Residential School
Over the course of the pandemic, the Aurora children’s class committee has invited various children’s classes in Aurora to participate in creating short videos as
June 16, 2021
Devotionals
26 Prayers Adorned with 26 Flowers of Ontario
In March, a selection of prayers was released in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing, prepared by the Research Department of the
June 9, 2021
Personal Reflections
Your True Home Isn’t a Physical Place: Prayer and Pioneering
By Margaret Niego I have been a pioneer since I was a youth. I was working at a summer job in Alberta and a Bahá’í
June 9, 2021
Adults
“She Elevates my Soul”: Friendship on Georgina Island
Mandana Sabet has been visiting Indigenous communities in Canada and Greenland since she arrived in Canada decades ago. Alongside Bahá’í friends in Newmarket and Georgina,
June 9, 2021
The Deep Dive
The Institute Inspires Expanding Conversations in Upper Don Mills
The Upper Don Mills neighbourhood, along Don Mills Rd and Finch Ave in Toronto, has been home to neighbourhood activities since 2006, during the first
June 9, 2021
The Deep Dive
“I hope you don’t think this was easy!”: Adventures in Sharing Learning
seeing the way that a “development in culture finds expression in the quality of their interactions.”
May 3, 2021
Adults
“We became a food hub”: The power of collaboration in Vaughan
Sunder Singh grew up in India. When she was 14, she met three fashionable Persian women in the marketplace. They were so kind and friendly
May 3, 2021
Youth
Navigating Crisis and Victory: Studying Book 4 in Rowntree
The isolation caused by the pandemic can lead to feelings of frustration, even despair, among youth. In Rowntree, a neighbourhood in the northwest part of
May 3, 2021
The Deep Dive
“They’re a Group of Youth at the Vanguard”: Working with Groups in Greenboro
In Ontario, several centres of intense activity have been making incredible strides towards their goals, witnessing the “swelling tide, whereby the capacity, confidence and accumulated
May 3, 2021
Uncategorized
Newly-translated Prayers Invigorate the Lennox-Addington Cluster
The 26 prayers of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, recently translated into English to commemorate the centenary of His ascension, inspired a flurry of activity in the large rural
April 20, 2021
Children
Service Week in St. James Town
In the fall of 2020, the team in Toronto’s densely-populated neighbourhood of St. James Town was thinking about how their efforts to draw new youth
April 5, 2021
Children
Developing Virtues on a Farm in Martintown
The Tremblay-Savoie family lives on their farm, Nature’s Acres Homestead in Martintown, Ontario, in the Cornwall cluster. Alex and Zac, both participants in a junior
March 23, 2021
Adults
Zooming on Manitoulin Island: The Spirit Island
Written by JP Mayer and Pam Jackson How would you conduct a children’s class without children being present? Ask Ina Swain and Pam Jackson, two
March 22, 2021
Adults
Touching the Hearts Through Service and Artmaking in Ruddington
The Ruddington Drive neighbourhood is comprised of seven apartment buildings with a population of about 3,200 people in the North West of Toronto. Newcomers from
March 17, 2021
Personal Reflections
Believing is Seeing: Reflecting on Prayer and Service
“There is no time to lose. There is no room left for vacillation…Such an opportunity is irreplaceable. Let the doubter arise and himself verify the
March 16, 2021
Children
Bringing our Questions to Families: Collective problem-solving around Children’s Classes and Junior Youth Groups
In both the Springdale neighbourhood of Brampton and the St. James Town neighbourhood of Toronto, youth from the local population who have graduated from children’s
March 16, 2021
Devotionals
“A space for everyone to feel connected”: Drawing on the Power of Prayer in Clusters at the Forefront
In many localities in Ontario, friends are extending the spirit of collective worship to those around them. Those in the Greenboro-Heatherington neighbourhood of Ottawa, which
March 1, 2021
Adults
Seeking Untapped Potential: An Expanding Nucleus in North York
Sara Louie Daliran came to Canada from Iran 15 years ago. Early in her university education, she married her husband, Reza, who is from a
February 27, 2021
Adults
A Reflection on Pioneering: Delivering the Message
Be thou a summoner to love, and be thou kind to all the human race. Love thou the children of men and share in their
February 19, 2021
Adults
Malika’s Magical Mask: Brampton Collaborators Publish a Children’s Book
In Springdale, a neighbourhood in Brampton, the community of friends serving and praying together has grown significantly and stirrings of social action have become apparent.
February 19, 2021
Adults
Walking with Hope in Sudbury
Helen and JP Mayer have been having devotional gatherings at their home in Sudbury, Ontario for several years. After pioneering in China for seven years,
February 19, 2021
Pioneering
Deciding to Pioneer: “Our role is to walk the path of service with our friends”
By Sonya Appadoo Our desire to homefront pioneer was first sparked when we studied the 29 Dec. 2015 message from the Universal House of Justice
February 15, 2021
Adults
Highlights from Bethany: Kitchen Transformation: From Grimy to Gleaming
Confirmations seem to fill the walls of the Bethany Baha’i Centre of Learning as dedicated volunteers work to bring the centre up to code. Emad
February 2, 2021
Adults
Highlights from Bethany: “See Saw Margory Daw:” Who Can Learn to use a Chainsaw?
While Aida Ghodrati never expected to become a proficient chainsaw operator it fits well with one of her life’s goals: breaking down gender stereotypes one
February 2, 2021
Adults
“How could we offer something without leaving our homes?” Dawn Prayers in Stratford
The Oxford-Perth cluster first advanced beyond a couple dozen activities just last year, through holding more frequent institute campaigns every cycle. These regular institute campaigns
January 22, 2021
Adults
The Power of Intergenerational Friendships in Stratford
In the Oxford-Perth cluster, the friends have seen dramatic growth with respect to devotional gatherings over the past few cycles. The spirit of intergenerational accompaniment
January 22, 2021
Adults
“We’re all really like family”: Distinctive Conversations in Cornwall
Accounts from a number of clusters illustrate the way that all activity begins with a “simple strand of love,”[1] and one of the ways in which
January 19, 2021
Junior Youth
“A True Rallying Point”: A New Neighbourhood Centre in Sudbury
In early November 2020, through support from the region, the friends in Sudbury were able to lease a neighbourhood centre, at the exact midpoint between
January 19, 2021
Adults
Online seasonal school to be held this summer
Two of Ontario’s seasonal schools are joining forces to host an online school this year due to the ongoing circumstances with COVID-19. Kawaa’aataae and Shining
July 19, 2020
Adults
New Ruhi Book 10 unit focuses on accompanying one another to serve
ONTARIO – The first unit of Ruhi book 10 has arrived, and study of it is already underway. On the first weekend of June over 40
June 20, 2016
Adults
McQuesten’s first neighbourhood Ridvan celebration is a success
By Mona Rahimpour HAMILTON: The McQuesten neighbourhood in Hamilton recently had its first Ridván gathering. Invitations were printed, and over a two week period the
June 19, 2016
Youth
Sudbury youth can’t stop – won’t stop – teaching
Submitted by Farzan Hosseini SUDBURY: The youth gathering from a year ago has continued to inspire youth in Sudbury, no matter how much time has
June 13, 2016
Devotionals
Unity in diversity: brought together through prayer
BELLEVILLE – Regardless of religion, residents of Belleville are finding a communal place to pray at the home of Steve Hayman. Steve, along with his
April 18, 2016
Adults
Five ways to find Bahá’í Books in Ontario
ONTARIO – From the Holy Writings to the texts of the Ruhi Institute, from uplifting stories of Abdu’l-Bahá to the biographies of the Hands of the
March 31, 2016
Adults
Ontario starts reaching for 5,000 goal
ONTARIO – Much anticipation surrounded the arrival of the 29 December 2015 letter from the Universal House of Justice, addressed to the Conference of the
March 31, 2016
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Monthly updates on community building efforts throughout Ontario