Local Contacts 

Local Contacts

Local teaching teams and local resource volunteers can be any Baha'i (with full administrative rights) who is actively engaged  in community life and teaching who is willing to take on the role of following up with seekers who inquire online from their area or beyond.

These roles in seeker response are of the utmost importance as they are often the first local contact for seekers. In some regions, the Regional Council identifies these local resources while in others the Cluster Seeker Response Coordinator takes on this responsibility.  They can be identified through consultation with the Regional Baha'i Council, Regional, Cluster, and Locality seeker response Coordinators, along with input from Auxiliary Board members or their assistants, Area Teaching Committees, and Local Spiritual Assemblies.

• The goal of the local resource Contact/teaching team is to engage the seeker in conversation; develop a connection, determine the seeker's level of interest in the Faith; connect the seeker with activities and the institute process according to their interest, strive to meet the needs of the seeker through accompaniment, assist them to become a protagonist in community building activities, and report the steps of the seekers journey to the coordinator they are working with in a systematic way. 

• Teaching teams/resource Contacts currently do not have access to the Inquiry Management System (IMS).

• Frequent communication is key for updating the Inquiry Management System (IMS). Resource volunteers/teaching teams are asked to keep close contact with the Regional, Sub-Regional, Cluster, or Locality Coordinator who forwarded the seeker contact information to them. Local resource volunteers are vital to the Seeker Response network in a region and their communication with the Coordinator about the seeker's journey is critical so that it can be recorded in the database to assist with systematic response and to ensure prompt follow-up takes place. 

Qualities to consider:

• Teaching enthusiasm.

• Good communication skills.

• Involvement in the institute process: It is helpful if the Seeker Response Resource Volunteer/Teaching Team member(s) have completed or are engaged in the process of completing books 1-7 in the Ruhi series (at least 1, 2, 4 and 6) and have experience such as making home visits, tutoring study circles, hosting a devotional or fireside, and and inviting people into core activities.

• Race, languages spoken, gender.

• Commitment to reaching out to seeker inquiries within 24 hours and reporting back to the coordinator they are working with. 

• Warmth, friendliness, respectfullness and trustworthiness

• Excellent listening skills, can carefully consider what a seeker is asking/expressing and respond in a way that generates interest and addresses the seeker’s statements and questions. 

• Willingness and ability to connect the seeker to local activities, or start an activity with the seeker--share a prayer, an overview of the Faith, make a home visit, etc.

• Comfortable with home visits (with another person) and text /telephone, and email contact as necessary.

Many Regional Councils are seeking volunteers to expand their networks for Seeker Response. Please contact your Regional Baha'i Council if you or someone you know is interested in this service.