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Fireside Teaching
Who Is Responsible?
What Is Fireside Teaching?
‘The friends must realize their individual responsibility. Each must hold a Fireside in his or her home, once in 19 days, where new people are invited, and where some phase of the Faith is mentioned and discussed. If this is done with the intent of showing Baha’i hospitality and love, then there will be results. People will become interested in ‘what’ you are interested in, and then be interested in studying. Individual firesides will bring the knowledge of the Faith to more people, under favorable circumstances, and thus constantly enrich its circle of friends, and finally its members. There is no substitute for the teaching work of the individual.” (From a letter dated 6 March 1957 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer—Bahd’i News, no. 317 [July 1957], p. 4)
“What is fireside teaching? It is the simple occasion planned and conducted by an individual Baha’ or Baha’i family (perhaps with the assistance of one or two other Baha’is) for the specific purpose of attracting personal friends or acquaintances to the Faith.
‘*There is no standard technique for carrying on such an undertaking. Every Baha’i teaches in his own home in a way that is most natural for him. For most people, conversation is easier than giving a talk. The informal character of conversation is conducive to discussion and asking questions, and questions open the door to teaching... .
‘*There are two ways of teaching. First, there is the logical approach. No matter how we view the affairs of the world, the Baha’i Faith is the next step. This is the logical approach which is usually employed in public meetings. But an individual is always more impressed by the sense of confidence, serenity, poise and deep faith
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expressed by the believer than he is by the number of persons present at the fireside and the eloquence of the talk. Curiosity about the source of that inner peace and confidence usually stimulates questions and at that point real teaching begins.
“To be confident, full of vitality and enthusiasm is the basic requirement for teaching. These qualities come only from the believer’s own understanding of the essential verities of the Faith and from his full recognition and acceptance of the Divine Manifestation and His teachings.’’—National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States
(Published in U.S. Supplement Baha'i
News, no. 101 [July 1966], p.2)
