Bahá’ís Launch Growth Program
PHILOMATH, OR
January 26, 2008
What happens when a community wants to bring the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith to an entire town? The Baha’is in Benton County, Oregon found out. Over the past 9 days, about 40 dedicated souls (30 of whom reside in the county) knocked on just about every door in Philomath (population 4530), offering to share Bahá’u’lláh’s message of unity. Teams were well-prepared in every way – trained to offer each person an opportunity to learn more in the most courteous language, unified in their goal of finding receptive souls and teaching them, carrying bilingual prayer books, and wearing Gore-Tex. Yes, we had rain, snow, sleet, and hail (as well as a few sunny moments). But just like those who deliver the mail, we forged ahead to deliver the Word of God. And when our last day rolled around, we stopped a little early on account of the Super Bowl — though we know the Faith is “So Much Better than TV” (our unofficial campaign slogan). So we spent that afternoon talking about how to follow up with the many people who wanted to know more.
(Jump to pictures here)
In all we reached 780 people, and about 15% had some level of interest. The teams found the people very polite, and many expressed admiration at our devotion and willingness to brave the weather in order to spread such a positive message.
There will be lots to do in the next 3 months as we “consolidate interest,” by following up with over 70 people. We will start a Book 1 study circle with some new seekers before the end of the month, and we expect more new friends at neighborhood devotional gatherings and children’s classes.