The experience of a Book 6 Study Circle in Glassboro, NJ, USA, when they invited Counselor Rebequa Murphy to speak to them about teaching campaigns.

"I am so pleased to be sitting in a living room in America talking about study circles!"  On Tuesday, November 25^th, Counselor Rebequa Murphy was a guest for the Glassboro, NJ Book 6:  Teaching the Cause study circle.  The evening went quickly as Counselor Murphy shared information and stories with us.

How did we come to have the great bounty of having Counselor Murphy join us?  When planning the study circle, I decided that we needed information on teaching campaigns since the practice for Book 6 is "to design and implement your own personal teaching plan and to participate in at least one teaching campaign."  Having never participated in a teaching campaign myself, I was and am particularly anxious about this practice.  Being a perfectionist, I want to do it right.

I thought about who could help us when we got to Unit 3: The Act of Teaching.  I know that two members of the Glassboro community participated in a teaching campaign in Belize this past summer.  I plan to ask them to share their experiences when we come to this unit, so that we can have first hand knowledge and apply anything that we learn to our own plans.

But would this be enough?  Who else could prepare us?  Who could tell us about teaching in other areas?  I made a list of the human resources who could easily come to our study circle.  There are a few people who live within reasonable traveling distance:  a member of the NE Regional Training Institute Board of Directors, a member of the Regional Baha'i Council of the Northeast and Counselor Rebequa Murphy.  I decided to start at the top and work my way down.  I e-mailed Counselor Murphy with my request and several possible dates.  She immediately accepted.

The week before her visit, I asked the study circle if there were specific questions that we wanted Counselor Murphy to address.  A short list of questions was generated that I then e-mailed to Counselor Murphy.

November 25.  Counselor Murphy discussed clusters, study circles, teaching, transformation of the individual and the community and teaching campaigns.  She shared stories about her recent trip to Haifa, meeting with the International Teaching Centre, the Universal House of Justice and Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Varqa.  Everyone had an enjoyable evening and we will proceed through Book 6 (we start Unit 2 next session) with confidence and looking forward to designing and implementing our own personal teaching plans and participating in at least one teaching campaign.

So, the tip to share with tutors is to be audacious in your planning.  Counselors are very busy, but you won't know if they are available for study circles unless you ask.  Be flexible with the dates (I gave Counselor Murphy four dates from which to choose).  Prepare for the visit.  The questions that were given to Counselor Murphy beforehand helped her to focus her presentation and made each study circle member attentive as he/she listened for the answer to his/her particular question.  Take pictures to document the special event.  Enjoy!