Programme of growth

Presenting statistics on the growth of community activities at a gathering in Colombia.

A programme of growth is a system of organizing activities to achieve the expansion and consolidation of the Bahá’í Faith in a cluster. It is related to milestones of growth, a conceptual model for considering Bahá’í community development which incorporates the concept of programmes of growth.

Once a programme is well established it is classified as an intensive programme of growth. As of 2022 there were 6,000 programmes of growth across the Bahá’í world of which 5,000 were intensive, and the goal of the Nine Year Plan is to have 14,000 operational programs with 11,000 being intensive by 2031.

A programme is launched through consultation between local institutions and organizes community activity into cycles which focus on planning, teaching, consolidation, and human resource development. They are structured around the training institute in a community, ensuring it becomes self sustaining, and utilizing it to establish and maintain core activities. The Universal House of Justice has written the following regarding programmes of growth in a 2010 message:

"Within every cluster, the level of cohesion achieved among the core activities must be such that, in their totality, a nascent programme for the sustained expansion and consolidation of the Faith can be perceived. That is to say, in whatever combination and however small in number, devotional gatherings, children’s classes and junior youth groups are being maintained by those progressing through the sequence of institute courses and committed to the vision of individual and collective transformation they foster. This initial flow of human resources into the field of systematic action marks the first of several milestones in a process of sustainable growth."

The specific strategies used in a programme are adopted through grassroots consultations in local communities and also based on advice from the International Teaching Center which consolidates and disseminates learnings from operational intensive programs of growth across the Bahá’í world. The Center has advised against applying its guidance in an overly rigid or formulaic manner.

Intensity

At the onset of the Five Year Plan launched in 2011 the Universal House of Justice introduced the concept of distinguishing programmes of growth based on intensity noting that the goal of the plan was establishing programmes of growth at any level of intensity.

Regarding the criteria for assessing whether a program of growth has been launched in a cluster the Universal House of Justice has written:

"Whatever the combination of strategies used, the chief aim is to initiate a process for building capacity within the cluster through which its inhabitants, prompted by a wish to contribute to the spiritual and material well-being of their communities, are enabled to begin offering acts of service. Once this fundamental requirement is met, a programme of growth has emerged."

Some of the criteria for a programme of growth to be classified as intensive are the following:

". . . that moment which has come to be known as the “launching” of an intensive programme of growth represents conscious recognition that all the elements necessary to accelerate the expansion and consolidation of the Faith are not only in place but also functioning with an adequate degree of effectiveness. It signals the maturation of an ever-expanding, self-sustaining system for the spiritual edification of a population: a steady stream of friends is proceeding through the courses of the training institute and engaging in the corresponding activities, which serves, in turn, to increase the number of fresh recruits into the Faith, a significant percentage of whom invariably enters the institute process, guaranteeing the expansion of the system."

Structure

An intensive program of growth is designed to provide a framework for activity within a cluster for a full year with activity being planned in four approximately three month cycles. In a 2005 letter the Universal House of Justice described each cycle as being further organized into the following four phases:

• expansion
• consolidation
• reflection
• planning

Expansion phase

Main article: Expansion phase

Expansion often includes some form of systematic teaching activity.

Regarding the expansion phase the Universal House of Justice has written:

"The expansion phase, often a period of two weeks, demands the highest level of intensity. Its objective is to widen the circle of those interested in the Faith, to find receptive souls and to teach them. Although this phase might include some element of proclamation, it should not be seen as a time to hold a few events for this purpose or to undertake a set of activities that merely convey information. Experience suggests that the more closely teaching approaches and methods are aligned with the capacity acquired from the study of the institute courses the more rewarding the results."

The Universal House of Justice has described the expansion phase as consisting of implementing teaching projects and mobilizing teaching teams to undertake a campaign of home visits and firesides and an aim is to have people become Bahá’ís. The House advises that if a large number of declarations occurs it may be preferable to immediately enter a consolidation phase rather than prolonging the expansion phase.

The Universal House of Justice has also noted that in some areas declarations are rare and in these settings the goal of the expansion phase should be to invite people to participate in core activities which are open to people whether they are members of the Bahá’í community or not.

Consolidation phase

Main article: Consolidation phase

Study circle participants in the Democratic Republic of the Congo learn to serve as teachers of children's classes.

The Universal House of Justice identifies a primary objective of the consolidation phase as having a percentage of people who declared during the expansion phase enter the institute process during which they undertake training through study circles to prepare them to serve as human resources for the Bahá’í community and establish and facilitate core activities. Participating in a study circle is not mandatory and those who choose not to are to be encouraged to participate in devotional gatherings, the Nineteen Day Feast, and Holy Days so they are integrated into the Bahá’í community.

In areas with few declarations and where the focus of the expansion phase is increasing participation in core activities the Universal House of Justice has noted that the focus of the consolidation phase should be on assisting core activity participants who are interested in the Bahá’í Faith in studying the Faith and possibly joining the religion.

Reflection and planning phase

In a 2010 message the Universal House of Justice described the process of a program of growth as consisting of an expansion and consolidation phase followed by a meeting at which reflection and planning take place, rather than designating reflection and planning as distinct phases. As such cluster reflection meetings serve as both the reflection and planning phases in contemporary programmes of growth.

Youth and adults consult and plan together at a reflection meeting in Belarus.

Regarding reflection the Universal House of Justice has written:

"Key to the progress of an intensive program of growth is the phase dedicated to reflection, in which the lessons learned in action are articulated and incorporated into plans for the next cycle of activity. Its principal feature is the reflection meeting—as much a time of joyous celebration as it is of serious consultation. Careful analysis of experience, through participatory discussions rather than overly complex and elaborate presentations, serves to maintain unity of vision, sharpen clarity of thought and heighten enthusiasm. Central to such an analysis is the review of vital statistics that suggest the next set of goals to be adopted."

Regarding planning the Universal House of Justice has noted that a review of statistics is important. Regarding this the House has written the following:

"Plans are made that take into account increased capacity in terms of the human resources available at the end of the cycle to perform various tasks, on the one hand, and accumulated knowledge about the receptivity of the population and the dynamics of teaching, on the other."