Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. The Thames Valley Baha’i Community website was viewed about 1,300 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 22 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Elizabeth, age 9, with her picture about compassion

“One day Shori was walking in the countryside and saw a little lamb whose leg was caught in a fence. Shori gently removed the leg and put a bandage on it. Shori showed compassion to the lamb.” 

This was one of the stories about compassion told to youngsters at the West Berkshire Bahá’í Community children’s class recently.

After hearing tales and singing songs about the quality, the children - aged 8 to 11 – did drawings to illustrate what it means to them.

Class leader Myra Erbenova said: “When someone we know has a problem or is sad, we should do our best to be understanding and to help him or her.

“We must be compassionate and kind with everyone, under all conditions, like the tree that gives fruit to one and all, even to those who throw stones at it.”

More details about the children’s classes can be found on our children page.

Thames Valley Baha’i Shawn Khorassani said: “Every time we post a photograph from within the Community, we experience a surge of interest and as a result more people are introduced to the Baha’i Faith and become interested in our activities.

“Photographs are a great way of keeping a website active and constantly changing, so we are asking all Baha’is to get their shutters (or indeed their digital cameras clicking) and send us in the results.”

The photographs should be taken of or at a Baha’i event and of or by someone within the Thames Valley Baha’i Community – please include basic details. You should have the permission of any person in your picture for it to be published. All contributions should be sent as attachments to susan@1bahai.org

Happy snapping!

Celebrating the centenary of Abdu’l-Baha’s visit to the UK

About 200 people from throughout the Thames Valley and beyond dined together at Maiden Place Community Centre, in Lower Earley, Reading to celebrate the centenary of Abdu’l-Baha’s visit to the UK.

Cake to celebrate centenary of Abdu’l-Baha’s visit to the UK

Food was one of the key components of an event in Earley held by the Thames Valley Baha’i community to celebrate the centenary of Abdu’l-Baha’s visit to the UK, including this fantastic cake.

The son of the founder of the religion came over to the west 100 years ago to present his beliefs after he had become leader himself.

Abdu’l-Baha is seen as the perfect example of  the Baha’i teachings in word and action. The Baha’i  religion embraces the idea that all religions are stages of one progressive faith: so celebrating the idea of unity – one faith, one religion.

The sessions are open to all newcomers. They are often simple and accommodate participants regardless of their religious background.

Music, food and discussion often feature, but the main purpose is to enable people to gain perspective on how spiritual principles can be applied to day-to-day life, using the power of prayer to transform, unify and revitalise.

Join in! Anyone who wants to join in any of these activities when they resume is welcome – whether you are a Bahá’í or a non-Bahá’í. Please call 01635 552558 or email myra@khorassani.com for more details.

Here’s January 2012′s ‘thought for the month’: ”Man is even as steel, the essence of which is hidden: through admonition and explanation, good counsel and education, that essence will be brought to light. If, however, he be allowed to remain in his original condition, the corrosion of lusts and appetites will effectively destroy him” – From a Tablet – translated from the Persian

Myra Erbenova, who leads the classes, said: “In spite of all the suffering that filled His life, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá never became disheartened. Through the most grave and difficult times, He remained content and thankful to God.

“He used to tell the friends that it is easy to be content when everything is going well, when one is healthy and living in comfort. What is more difficult is to feel happy and content in times of trouble, in times of illness and hardship.”

The children will sing a song about contentment and memorise the quotation - ’The source of all glory is acceptance of whatsoever the Lord hath bestowed, and contentment with that which God hath ordained’. They will hear a story about how misfortune can turn into a blessing.

More details about the children’s classes can be found on our children page.

• five to seven year olds
• eight to 11 year olds.

January’s sessions are as follows:

• 22 January (five to seven)
• 29 January (eight to 11)

February’s sessions are as follows:

• 5 February (five to seven)
• 12 February (eight to 11)
• 19 February (five to seven)
• 26 February (eight to 11)

Myra Erbenova, who leads the sessions, said that the classes encourage youngsters to develop a strong sense of purpose, whilst empowering their own transformation and leading them to contribute to the advancement of society.

She said: “They are designed to help ensure that children grow strong intellectually, morally and spiritually. The Bahá’í writings attach great importance to the periods of childhood and youth, providing clear guidance to parents and communities to raise children in a nurturing and unambigious environment.”

For more details, email myra@khorassani.com for information.

A close look at the teachings of Baha’u’llah, in a Tablet (translated from the Persian) [14] could shed light on where disobedience in children may start.

 Baha’u’llah said: “That which is of paramount importance for the children, that which must precede all else, is to teach them the oneness of God and the laws of God.

“For lacking this, the fear of God cannot be inculcated, and lacking the fear of God an infinity of odious and abominable actions will spring up, and sentiments will be uttered that transgress all bounds. . .

“The parents must exert every effort to rear their offspring to be religious, for should the children not attain this greatest of adornments, they will not obey their parents, which in a certain sense means that they will not obey God.

“Indeed, such children will show no consideration to anyone, and will do exactly as they please.” 

Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, A Compilation on Baha’i Education (Haifa: Baha’i World Centre, August 1976) P. 3. Available from http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/c/BE/be-19.html