Feast of Mulk (Dominion) 2023
Look Out for “The Love that Binds” Campaign
With just a couple of months, before we close this fiscal year, the Office of the Treasurer will be inviting each of you to a special campaign, “The Love that Binds.” With activities, inspirational quotes, and weekly updates, we will be inviting all the friends - young and old - to “work together, be as one soul in one body” in pursuing the National Fund goal by increasing the number of unrestricted contributions towards the National Fund goal! We will be announcing more details about the campaign in the following weeks.
To stay in touch and to receive weekly updates and more, please sign up for the texting initiative by texting, “bahaifund” to: (224) 414-3863!
With warm Bahá’í love,
Office of the Treasurer
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Prayer Beads
In response to the letter sent to the Feast of Masa’il, a family sent this heart-warming note about their children’s response to the message:
“At the Feast of Masa'il (Questions), the National Spiritual Assembly's letter about the Fund prompted consultation around Fund education and participation. In learning about the Fund themselves and seeing the pictographic of our National Fund goal, our children … wanted to contribute as well. The children who had recently received a box of clay, decided to use that clay to make beads. After rolling, chilling and baking the clay, they then strung them together into sets of 19 (+5) as an aid to everyone in saying their "95 Allahuabha's :)". They made 19 sets of beads over the course of the month that were then offered to interested friends and family members for a suggested donation of $... during the month of Sharaf (Honor), all of which will go to the National Fund.”
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The Significance of Our Spiritual Heritage:
Louis George Gregory is one of the earliest African-American Bahá’ís and a prominent member of the American Baháʼí Community. Deeply loved by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and later the Guardian - Louis Gregory was a lawyer by trade, a gifted speaker, writer, administrator, and an unflinching proponent of Race Unity. He embodied the principles of the Faith, spreading the Light of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation through his work - demonstrating the oneness of mankind in every aspect of his life. Through his devoted efforts, Bahá’í teachings found their way to many hearts making an important and lasting effect in the work for racial justice in America.
Explaining the impact of Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings, Louis Gregory once said, “This Most Great Reconstruction which the majestic Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh brings to view, is not black or white or yellow or brown or red, yet all of these. It is the power of divine outpourings and endless perfections for mankind.” ("A Gift to Race Enlightenment," 1936)
Among the many items stored in the American Bahá’í National Archives are timeless relics that belonged to Louis Gregory. These items include his copy of the Bible, a Bahá’í Prayer Book, and his watch fob. The goal is to preserve these precious relics so that posterity will continue to learn about the significance of early American Bahá’ís like Louis Gregory and many others whose efforts contributed to the Bahá’í community we see today.
To submit a story or item from your archive, i.e. photograph, material, item, etc, write to bahaitreasurersoffice(at)usbnc.org with a photo and answers to the question: Why did this item go in your archive? Why is it important to have an archive for the Bahá’í Community?
To learn more about the National Archive Campaign: Preserving our Spiritual Heritage, read the Bahá’í Fund Bulletin and The American Bahá’í magazine. Keep an eye out for videos, kids’ content, and more!
The Archives Renovation Fund goal is 2.5M and we have received contributions of 1.05M as of February 1. To contribute to the project, select "US Bahá’í National Archives Renovation Fund" in the Online Contribution System.