Fireside

A Fireside is an event held in a Bahá’í home to teach the Bahá’í Faith. Shoghi Effendi advised that every Bahá’í should attempt to hold a fireside at least once every nineteen days.

Background

Shoghi Effendi described and promoted firesides in a letter written on his behalf in 1950 noting they were being used in the United States:

… One of the best ways to teach is what the Americans call a 'fireside', in other words a little group of your friends in your own home, to whom you can introduce a few believers whom you feel would be congenial and help confirm them. When you have made them true Bahá’ís, then take them to the community and let them be accepted. In this way they are protected from tests until their faith is really strong.

In 1955 and 1957 letters written on his behalf Shoghi Effendi advised that Bahá’ís should hold a fireside in their home every nineteen days:

… I would like to comment that it has been found over the entire world that the most effective method of teaching the Faith is the fireside meeting in the home. Every Bahá’í as a part of his spiritual birthright, must teach, and the one avenue where he can do this most effectively is by inviting friends into his home once in 19 days, and gradually attracting them to the Cause.

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 Bahá’í 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 favourable circumstances, and thus constantly enrich its circle of friends, and finally its members. There is no substitute for the teaching work of the individual.

In 1969 the Universal House of Justice advised Bahá’ís to adopt individual teaching goals noting firesides were a means by which they could be pursued:

… It is now imperative for every Bahá’í to set for himself individual teaching goals. The admonition of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to lead at least one new soul to the Faith each year and the exhortation of Shoghi Effendi to hold a Bahá’í fireside in one's home every Bahá’í month are examples of individual goals. Many have capacities to do even more, but this alone will assure final and complete victory for the Plan.

In 2015 the Universal House of Justice discussed firesides in the context of the institute process:

Conversations about the Person of Bahá’u’lláh and the purpose of His mission occur in a variety of settings, including firesides and visits to homes. The actions undertaken during this phase allow abilities developed through studying the relevant institute materials to be exercised and refined.