Institute
Don’t underestimate the Institute process!
The institute creates vibrant communities
Knowledge of the Ruhi Institute
Devotions followed by consultation + reflection + service
Do things together outside of Feasts, Holy Days
You know when you have grown spiritually when you receive more tests
Pray to connect to Bahá’u’lláh’s power
Ask people to join you -accompaniment
Outward-looking
Have faith & step out of your comfort zone!
Building community vs teaching faith directly
Open spaces to more people
More informal gatherings (BBQs etc.) together leading to spiritual conversations
Regular informal gatherings to lead to study circles “spiritual shenanigans”
Diversity enriches discussion
Meet people where they are
Humility
Agreement
Learned: Making friends + listening 3x before inviting
Awareness -of own & others’ capacities, -of lack of our own knowledge, -of individual & collective paths
Individual contributions shape the whole
No acronyms
Open-ended structure