Service
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Service is a virtue characterized by the act of assisting others, or performing helpful actions for the benefit of others. Service may be remunerated; those who serve may be paid to do so, such as in the case of an administrative assistant to a Local Spiritual Assembly, or of a firefighter who is hired to act in service of the public. Acts of service may also be performed without remuneration, simply for the good of others: this is altruistic, or selfless service. The latter is often associated with the act of volunteering.
Service and social action[edit]
- See also: Social action
Bahá'í community life is characterized by a number of activities related to devotion, education and service, including those referred to as core activities—children's classes, devotional gatherings, junior youth groups, and study circles. Most of these activities involve individuals in various kinds of service: for example, acting as teachers, animators, or tutors; cooking meals or offering hospitality; providing transportation or accommodation; organizing devotional programs or children's programs; etc.
While individuals may be involved in their own specific acts of service, they may also participate in collective service projects, organized efforts to be of service to their community. These projects may involve any combination of the above activities, organized in such a way as to meet the material and spiritual needs of a community. Service projects play a significant part in the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program, a global social and economic development initiative supported by the Bahá'í community in which young people aged 12-15 years old learn to channel their energies into the betterment of society.[1] Such service projects may take any number of forms depending on the specific needs present in a community, ranging from visiting the elderly and providing mentorship for young children, to caring for sheltered animals, feeding underprivileged members of society, or cleaning up litter and planting trees.[2]
Other forms of service[edit]
Bahá'í administration[edit]
- See also: Bahá'í administration
Individual Bahá'ís may also be called to serve as members of Bahá'í institutions; for instance, those who are 21 years of age or older may vote and be elected to the membership of a Local or National Spiritual Assembly.
