Over the past year, Bahá’ís and friends developed new capacities, steeled their resolve, linked arms with everyone they could, took a running jump and landed in the invigorating waters of the bicentenary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh.

As refreshing as that was, in no way are these intrepid souls content now to merely tread water. No, they’ve come too far to let pass an opportunity to explore — with more and more companions — the ever-widening channels and uncharted tributaries before them.

For ahead are the 200th anniversary of the Birth of the Báb in 2019 and, around another bend, the centenary of the passing of their Exemplar, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in 2021 — by which time they fully expect to have surpassed milestones undreamed of in past chapters of the Divine Plan for renewal of life on the planet.

Fortunately, signposts all along the banks are lending guidance and fresh inspiration for this quest.

On Oct. 31, 2017, in the wake of the bicentenary celebrations, the Universal House of Justice urged Bahá’ís and friends to “see in each person who responded to your invitation a potential protagonist in the community-building process” (we have added the boldfacing):

“We urge you to consider how conditions may be created that would enable many to walk this path together. Connected to the transformative power of the Revelation, every soul can draw closer to Bahá’u’lláh, grow in capacity, find joy in service, and learn to assist others.

“The results of the magnificent effort you have made offer tremendous promise—but fulfilling that promise will require fortitude. Let the forces released in this period lend impetus to your personal and collective endeavours during the remainder of this bicentennial year and, indeed, through all eight cycles leading up to the two hundredth anniversary of the Birth of the Báb.”

Soon after, on Dec. 8, the National Spiritual Assembly suggested fruitful avenues for realizing “a vast increase in the number and range of individual and collective teaching initiatives”:

“Among them, devotional gatherings ― where others are invited to join us in prayer and reflection on the sacred texts ― can often open hearts to elevated conversations about the life and teachings of the Blessed Beauty. Continued screenings of Light to the World, coupled with discussions relating His unifying teachings to the current state of our society, will surely generate interest on the part of countless souls.

“A great increase in the number of firesides ― where seekers have the opportunity to learn about the Faith in an atmosphere of warm hospitality ― can in the aggregate serve to introduce many thousands to Bahá’u’lláh’s message. Regular home visits will strengthen bonds of loving friendship and will help us to better understand each other’s hopes and aspirations. Celebrations of coming Holy Days can have the same impact as those we just experienced. And there is no limit to the potential that resides in creative use of the arts as a means of attracting receptive souls.

“In all these and other efforts, let us introduce the universal message of Bahá’u’lláh, study His writings, and explore with our friends and contacts their implications for the reconstruction of the world. Let us see each as a portal to service, inviting those so inclined into other efforts in which we can together join hands in applying the Bahá’í teachings to the building of a new pattern of community life.”

The stories in this package reveal a community steeped in hard-won experience, growing in confidence, fortified with faith that its course is true — and, unsurprisingly, increasingly inspiring the same in those they meet.

Making a splash, as it were, in a world thirsty for hope. And saying to all, “Come on in. The water’s fine!”