Your Local Bahá’í Community
In any given village, town or city where Bahá’ís live, they form a community that meets regularly for activities that build unity among the members and put Bahá’í ideals into practice. The local community engages in collective worship, study of the sacred texts, service projects and social development activities. Its various activities support the spiritual, intellectual, artistic and practical aspects of life.
Face painting at a special event
Study circles, devotional gatherings, junior youth empowerment programmes and children's classes are among the core activities of Bahá'í community life. A formal Feast (comprised of three segments - spiritual, consultative and social) is held every 19 days to mark the beginning of each Bahá'í month. The Bahá’í calendar includes eleven Holy Days that commemorate historic and spiritually significant events. These include the birth and passing of the two Prophet Founders of the Bahá’í Faith – the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh; the days on which They announced Their Revelations from God to Their followers; and the Bahá’í New Year, or Naw-Rúz.
Local Bahá’í communities around New Zealand vary in size, with the large city communities having hundreds of members and some rural areas having just two or three. As the Bahá’í Faith has no clergy, the affairs of each local community are administered by the members themselves. Where a community has nine or more adults, a Local Spiritual Assembly – a body of nine adults – is elected annually. In the Bahá’í election process, there is no campaigning for office and every adult member is automatically eligible for election (without nomination). Voting is conducted in a prayerful and meditative atmosphere.
To get in touch with the Bahá’í community in your area, please contact the Bahá’í National office.