The Bahá’i Community of West Lafayette, Indiana
Bahá’ís are:
“. . . committed to the prosperity of all, recognizing that the welfare of individuals rests in the welfare of society at large.”
Who we are
The Bahá’í community of West Lafayette is a vibrant group of families and individuals who are interested in working towards unity and the welfare and prosperity of all. Through study, prayer, action, and reflection, we strive to understand the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and bring them forward in our endeavors. We have no church or formal center, but rather we gather in people’s homes and public spaces for worship, prayer, Holy Days, festivals, celebrations, and service.
We welcome all to get in touch, to learn more about the Bahá’í Faith, and to join us in our community-building activities to help create a more united community.
Organization
The Bahá’í Faith does not have any clergy or religious leaders. Rather, on an annual basis, the individual members of the Bahá’í community elect a group of nine individuals to serve on the Local Spiritual Assembly—an administrative body that guides the affairs of the community and ensures its unity and well-being.
There are approximately 20 Bahá’ís in West Lafayette who gather in homes and different venues across town to honor Bahá’í Holy Days, consult on matters of unity, engage in prayer and worship, and create spaces for reflection.
Building Vibrant Communites
If you want to make the world better and wonder what you can do to make a difference, we invite you to join friends, families, colleagues, and neighbors to explore a vision of a more unified world, and specifically how the thoughtful reflection, consultation, and decision-making can contribute to community building.
Our only purpose is to convene a gathering that welcomes diverse cultures in unity and loving fellowship for everyone to add their contribution to this discussion. We have no agenda related to convincing another of a particular perspective or religion. We only want to consult about how to build a better world together—drawing from the experiences and learning of all who attend.
The Bahá’í contribution to this discussion includes Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings of the oneness of humanity and how that relates to social progress, justice, racial unity—and how consultation and decision-making may assist our continued progress in these directions. We will share some of our process of discovery about creating flourishing communities and hope you’ll share yours.
We believe “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” In that spirit of oneness, and because arts are at the heart of this approach to community building, we’ll draw from local artists and contributors over the weekend of April 26 – 28, 2024 to help our area feel even more like one human family. We are so glad to have co-sponsorship from the Unitarian Universalist's Social Justice Committee.
Over the course of the weekend, we will create art together, learn more about decision-making from a spiritual angle, eat, enjoy music, have small group discussions—along with lots of other activities.
If this is appealing, please come and bring friends. The specific agenda and registration information will be forthcoming.
Again, there will be no charge for anyone, and our only intention is to help each of us relish in, learn from, and contribute to the community.
You can come to part or all. No problem.
We hope to see you there!
If you have any questions, contact Johanna Wu at johannawu@gmail.com, 336-253-4824 to text or call; or reach out to the Baha’i community directly at wlbahai@gmail.com.
We genuinely hope you and your friends can come!
Schedule
Saturday, April 27
Consultation & Decision-Making workshop - with arts, music, food, and drumming (with lunch and light breakfast)
9am-5:30pm
Location: Unitarian Universalist Church, 333 Meridian St., West Lafayette
Sunday, April 28
Brunch family style, with quilting and yoga or just hanging out
9:00am-11:30 am
Location: 124 Seneca Lane, West Lafayette
Contact Us
Contact us for any questions regarding logistics, program specifics, offerings for artistic expressions, etc.
Phone — (765) 233-6233
Email — wlbahai@gmail.com