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7/18/2009 - 7/22/2009
The Key to Entry by Troops: Arising to Serve with Bob Harris & The Process of Change and Growth with Barbara Harris, Janet and Rodney Richards
The Key to Entry by Troops: Arising to Serve with Bob Harris: Explore the power inherent in the Word of God as outlined in Ruhi Book Six. With selected quotations as our guide, we will examine these major themes: The Spiritual Nature of Teaching, The Qualities and Attitudes of the Teacher, and The Act of Teaching. We will strive to understand that teaching is an act of powerful, spiritual significance, and to appreciate that effective teaching involves both "being" and "doing" - attention to one's inner condition as well as constant activity. ~~~~~ The Process of Change and Growth with Barbara Harris, Janet and Rodney Richards: From the beginning of our Faith, the Administrative Order, our communities and the patterns of our individual Baha'i lives have changed and evolved. Examination of these changes during the period of time beginning with the election of the first Universal House of Justice in 1963 through to the present Five Year Plan, will be the focus of this weeks’ program. Does the emerging culture of growth hold clues to future changes? Bring a copy of The Five Year Plan for reference. Classes for Children Ages 3-14.
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7/24/2009 - 7/29/2009
Spiritual Education and The Secrets of Story Telling – with Keyvan Geula
Throughout the history of civilization the Great Civilizers of humanity - the Divine Messengers - have used story telling to educate and enlighten. The stories of Job and Joseph have been told in the Bible and revisited in the Quran and the Bahá'í Writings to teach us about the dual nature of human reality and the ways we handle ourselves in facing and overcoming crises.
Explore with us the following questions:
How and why have the Messengers of God used the power of story telling and narrative in Their teachings?
What are the implications of story telling in teaching the Cause of God and in the transformation of the human heart?
How do the stories told by the Bab, Baha'u'llah, and 'Abdu'l-Baha affect our reality and influence our learning?
Classes for Children Ages 3-10.
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7/24/2009 - 7/29/2009
Spirit of Faith - Junior Youth Institute for grades 7-9 with Jessica Meurer and Miles Sobhani
“Spirit of Faith aims to help junior youth learn more about the purpose of their existence as spiritual beings in conjunction with the natural world around them, and encourages them to think about the purpose of physical reality in a spiritual and scientific way.”
-Palabra Publicatios
“The spirit of faith is the flame of reality, the life of humanity and the cause of eternal illumination. It inspires man to attain the virtues and perfections of the divine world.”
–‘Abdúl-Bahá
The junior youth who participate in this one week program will learn to:
• Enhance their powers of expression
• Recognize the moral issues underlying everyday decisions
• Understand the importance of the search for truth in their lives
• Reflect on their spiritual development, and the development of their community
• Discuss the Bahá’í views on; the nobility of man, true identity, higher and lower nature, free will, fate, the power of intellect, the power of observation, cause and effect, cooperation, and the spirit of faith.
Aspects of this program include:
• Studying dynamic new Ruhi material geared towards junior youth
• Learn to stretch their creative abilities with true arts and crafts
• Develop team building skills and friendships in recreation
• Discuss important passages from the Bahá’í writings
• Engage in service activities
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7/31/2009 - 8/5/2009
The Creative Interplay Between the Spiritual and the Practical with Gordon Naylor
A mature soul gives birth to the child of faith, yet this is just a beginning. Faith connects us to the Divine through the plan of God, yet we have a material reality that is of this world. Living an inspired life, in the way God would have us live it, is a quest that all are engaged in whether consciously or unconsciously. Managing the practical realities of relationships, family life, children and finance is a serious challenge, yet this too must be viewed as part of our development. In the “mighty spiritual enterprise” known as the Five Year Plan, The Universal House of Justice is encouraging us to become involved in the physical as well as the spiritual life of our communities and clusters. *****
Come explore this quest and share the struggle to learn more and discover the fundamentals of an integrated practical and spiritual life, a quest that mankind is longing to achieve!
Classes for Children 3-14.
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8/7/2009 - 8/12/2009
Two Programs: (1) "Make mention of Me on My earth" with Kambeze Etemad, and (2) Spirit of Children with Children's Authors and Musicians
Please Click "Details" to learn more about both 5-day programs. Classes for Children 3-14.
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8/7/2009 - 8/12/2009
TABARSI YOUTH INSTITUTE with Sina Mossayeb and Oceana Brandon
An outdoor spiritual retreat filled with interactive activities, service, reflection, and storytelling. Equal time will be spent in the form of active exploration, service, reflection, and relating inspiring stories from the long and short history of the Baha’i Faith, including stories on the Central Figures, the Dawn-Breakers, and contemporary stories relevant to the daily lives of youth living in American society. The four learning components of this program (interactive activities, service, reflection, and storytelling) are embedded in the environment of the retreat—the Green Acre camp grounds and the nature that surrounds it. While taking an unconventional approach to learning, the high standards to which all participants are called is uncompromising and reflective of the true nobility of every human being. In other words, this is not a vacation or a social club. It is a powerful and enjoyable time dedicated to the spiritual transformation and rejuvenation of all who attend.
The purpose of the program is to foster a relationship with Baha’u’llah and His teachings, to develop a deeper sense of Baha’i identity and moral leadership in the broader community while cultivating a spirit of dedication and service to the Cause and its immediate needs and goals. Youth will be camping out in tents for this institute.
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8/21/2009 - 8/24/2009
Two Programs: (1) Alternative Energy: Material and Spiritual with Larry Staudt, and (2) Spiritual Literacy and Human Development: Reflections on the Global Effort to Edify the Souls of Men with Michael Penn
Please Click "Details" to learn more about both 3-day programs.
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8/28/2009 - 8/30/2009
Amazing Grace: The Power of Music to Reach the Soul and the Heart! with Van Gilmer
“…set to music the verses and the divine words so that they may be sung with soul-stirring melody … and that the hearts of the listeners may become tumultuous and rise towards the Kingdom of Abha in supplication and prayer.”
('Abdu'l-Bahá)
“… although music is a material affair, yet its tremendous effect is spiritual, and its greatest attachment is to the realm of the spirit.”
('Abdu'l-Bahá)
Would you like to use music more in your spiritual community? Join Van Gilmer this weekend in the study of the practical application of the use of music in attracting others to devotional gatherings, study classes and public meetings. Based on the Baha’i Writings and through the use of practical examples throughout the weekend, this course will demonstrate the effects music has in reaching the souls and hearts of all peoples. Together we will explore what has worked and what has not worked and identify barriers that prevent us from more effectively using music in our communities while developing strategies to overcome them. This will be a weekend for everyone who loves music and of course could not be complete without an attempt to encourage participants to SING PRAISES TO OUR LORD!!
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9/4/2009 - 9/7/2009
The Soul of Love with John Woodall (3-day program)
The seed of the transformation of our lives lies within the struggles we face. Planted in the soil of love, this seed can grow to bring new life to ourselves, our families, our communities and our troubled world. The Soul of Love retreat explores the fulfillment of this promise of love. Our distinguished facilitators, grounded in professional and Baha’i experience.with traumatized individuals and communities, will share insights on resilient spiritual responses to trauma and explore from a perspective of the Baha'i Writings the psychological and spiritual underpinnings of hope that can lead us from despair to compassionate, purposeful and joyful living.
The purpose of the retreat is to provide a living experience of the love of God and to celebrate the appearance of Baha’u’llah as the fulfillment of that love. There will a strong focus on the need for spiritual community and the value of the core activities as a revolutionary and dynamic way to express that love through community. We will examine how the power of the Word of God expressed in community assists us to mine those gems of divine virtue we all possess to transform of our lives, our families, our communities and our world.
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11/5/2009 - 11/8/2009
BNASAA 20th Anniversary Conference
This year the Baha’i Network on AIDS, Sexuality, Addictions and Abuse (BNASAA) is holding a conference at Green Acre from Thursday evening, November 5 to Sunday noon, November 8, 2009, to celebrate its 20th Anniversary. The regular conference format will be adapted to accommodate the needs of a larger group but the conference will retain the purpose and basic structure of BNASAA conferences.
The objective of BNASAA conferences is to promote healing and growth related to personally sensitive issues in an atmosphere of love, trust and confidentiality. The three day weekend program includes artistic and uplifting presentations, key-note plenary speakers of general interest, group activities of sharing and support, humorous relief, and elective topical participatory workshops on issues of addictions, AIDS, child and partner abuse, sexuality and sexual-orientation. The program is open to individuals struggling with challenging personal issues as well as family members, health practitioners, members of institutions, and other concerned individuals.
Because of the nature of the Conference, we request that attendees plan to stay and participate in the entire conference. We request that everyone arrange their travel plans so that they can arrive Thursday evening and stay through lunch on Sunday. People will generally not be allowed to join the program after the beginning of the opening circle at 9 am on Friday morning.
Registration for the entire Conference, including meals and accommodation (equaling 3 full days), is $241.00 which includes a materials fee of $10. Registration can only be for the entire conference.
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