Bahaʼís of Salem, OR
Bahaʼís of Salem, OR
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Baha'i Faith
    • Community
    • Racial Equity
  • Events
  • News
  • Contact Us
  • More
    • Home
    • Who We Are
      • Baha'i Faith
      • Community
      • Racial Equity
    • Events
    • News
    • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Baha'i Faith
    • Community
    • Racial Equity
  • Events
  • News
  • Contact Us

Community Building in Action

Bahaʼís are working in neighborhoods to help individuals develop capacities to work together to improve their communities.

Children's Classes

teacher and children sitting under a tree

Helping children develop their spiritual potential, these classes use stories, pictures, quotes and games to learn spiritual qualities.

Learn more

Junior Youth Groups

youth working on a service project

Empowering adolescents to develop their capacities to work together and serve their communities.

Learn more

Devotional Gatherings

Devotional Gatherings

Devotional Gatherings

Diverse people sitting with arms linked

Gather to share prayers and inspirational readings as well as music and share stories.

Learn more

Study Circles

Devotional Gatherings

Devotional Gatherings

four people sitting around a table, laughing and talking

Learning together, adults develop skills in consulting about how to improve their community and take action together. 

Learn more

Children's Classes

child gazing up into the sky

 

“Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”

— Bahá’u’lláh

Children are a precious treasure

Baha’is value children as the most precious treasure of any community,  the promise of our future. If children are to develop their true potential, they need spiritual nourishment as well as academic instruction.   Everyone is invited to participate in supporting the children.


Baha’i children’s classes (ages 5-11) nurture children by helping them develop spiritual qualities and behaviors that are the foundation of a joyful life.  Teachers of Bahá’í children’s classes are volunteers, youth and adults who live in the neighborhood where classes are offered.   All teachers have had a safety background check.  


What does a typical lesson look like?

Baha'i children's classes include a number of different activities—songs, stories, arts, crafts, and drama around the lesson's theme.  Themes for younger children are related to a particular virtue or spiritual quality, such as kindness, justice or truthfulness. Lessons in later grades examine a variety of topics, including applications of good conduct and cooperation. Children will also learn about nature and history of religion with stories from the world’s great spiritual Teachers. The presentations focus on the common themes of all great religions. 

Help your children reach their potential

The well-being and safety of children is foremost for us. Parents' approval is essential for children to participate. 


At present, all classes are conducted online. Join us for a loving, learning experience. 

Contact Us

Junior Youth Groups

Spiritual Empowerment for Junior Youth

Worldwide, junior youth are participating in an endeavor that strives to give them a voice in today’s society. These junior youth groups are enhancing their power of expression, sharpening their spiritual perception, and allowing them to analyze the constructive and destructive forces of society. 

Who participates in a Junior Youth Group?

These groups are for young people between the ages of 12 and 15. This is a crucial period of a person's life as their consciousness is expanding and, day by day, they are becoming increasingly exposed to the forces of society.


Older youth and adults serve as mentors, or “Animators”,  to the junior youth groups. Their role is to assist the junior youth in developing their capacities, encouraging them to contribute to the betterment of society as well as encouraging them to question the world around them. Most importantly, an Animator must strive to become a true friend to the junior youth. (All mentors undergo a safety background check.)

What Happens in a Junior Youth Group?

One aspect of the group is to study text which includes stories of junior youth from around the world. These are very relatable stories about actual challenges and help the junior youth apply the concepts to their own lives.


Another aspect of a junior youth group is the service component. The junior youth consult about the needs of their neighborhood and how they can help. These acts of service have a twofold moral purpose: to engage in one's own spiritual growth and to simultaneously contribute to the well-being of one's community. Depending on the group, many other activities may take place such as: sports, recreational activities and various art projects.

How Can Junior Youth Make a Difference in their Community?

Junior youth groups are actively contributing to their communities, neighborhoods, villages and even the world at large! When junior youth become spiritually empowered, they take on tremendous responsibility to contribute to the betterment of their communities. A junior youth group has the potential to change their surroundings through the service projects that they do, keeping in mind that change is most sustainable when their efforts are consistent. With countless groups around the globe, junior youth are already moving the world! 

Everyone is Welcome!

The well-being and safety of junior youth is our foremost priority. Parents' approval is essential for the junior youth to participate in the program.

 
At present, all activities are conducted online. Come and join us!

Contact us

Devotional Gatherings

Baha’is believe in the potent power of prayer. You’ll find Baha’is and their friends, throughout the world, coming together to pray. This is often referred to as a ‘devotional gathering’ or ‘devotional meeting’, and they happen in diverse settings, whether in cities or villages. Although there is no set formula as to how devotional gatherings should be organized or when they occur, they generally consist of reading prayers and passages from sacred texts of the world’s religions, including readings from the Baha’i Writings, in an informal yet respectful atmosphere. Music is often interwoven with the prayers and readings.


These gatherings are open to all and are intended to embrace that attitude of prayer and practice of devotion that is universal to all religions.  It is hoped that a spirit of communal worship generated by these simple gatherings will begin to permeate the neighborhood and the community’s collective endeavors. Participants in these devotional gatherings often form a study circle for a more focused study of a spiritual life. 


Find out when devotional gatherings are happening online...

Contact us

Study Circles

four people sitting around a table, laughing and talking

Baha’i study circles invite participants to learn and dialogue together. These groups explore the knowledge, spiritual insights and actions that lead to the betterment of society, starting with their own neighborhood.  Study circles follow the sequence of courses based on the Baha’i Writings developed by the Ruhi Institute. Started thirty years ago, these study circles now are found all around the world among people who wish to be actively involved in the strengthening of the families and their communities. 

Discuss Wisdom

The first in the sequence of ten books is called Reflections on the Life of the Spirit. It examines spiritual matters such as prayer, meditation, life and death and the development of the soul.  A brief description of each book in the sequence can be found below. Study circles are held all around the United States and are open to all. You are invited to take inspiration from the Bahá’í teachings, benefiting from whatever gems of wisdom and knowledge will help you to address the challenges you face. 

Spiritual Environment

Study circles are held in an uplifting environment conducive to the spiritual empowerment of individuals, who come to see themselves as active agents of their own learning. The role of the study circle facilitator is not to impart knowledge, but to assist discussion. Study circles feature participatory learning, involving discussion with others, and the use of the arts. 

Relevant Topics

Here is a brief look at some of the topics for Study Circles:

  • Book 1: Reflections on the Life of the Spirit
    The first book examines our spiritual identity.  Studying together,  participants enrich their personal spiritual lives, gain insights from the Bahá’í Writings and prayers and shape a pattern of life with with a devotional foundation.
  • Book 2:  Arising to Serve
    Looking to the needs of others is an essential aspect of a just and united community. Participants discuss the joys of service and ways to engage others in conversations that uplift our minds and spirits and strengthen connections in our communities.
  • Book 3: Teaching Children’s Classes
    Everyone is encouraged to join in the spiritual and intellectual education of the children in their community.
  • Book 4:  The Twin Manifestations
    The amazing stories of the Bab and Baha’u’llah, the Twin Prophet- Founders of the Baha’i Faith, are a source of inspiration and encouragement.
  • Book 5: Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth
    This course trains mentors for the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program.
  • Book 6: Teaching the Cause
    This course explores ways to share  the Teachings of Baha’u’llah, as a path toward world unity and peace.
  • Book 7: Walking Together on a Path of Service
    This course trains tutors to facilitate study circles for the courses in the Ruhi series.


There are more courses... see Ruhi Institute for more information.

Come Learn With Us

For the present, all study circles are conducted online. Join us for a rich exploration of spiritual topics.

Contact Us

"Be as one spirit, one soul, leaves of one tree..."

Learn More

Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois

Global Process of Learning

The Baha'i community is engaged in a worldwide effort to learn together how to build community. To find out more about the conceptual framework and materials we study, see Ruhi Institute.

Get Involved

If you are interested in building community and would like to learn along with us, please get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.

Contact us

Get Connected

Find out what's happening in your neighborhood. Sign up for our newsletter!


Copyright © 2025 Bahai's of Salem - All Rights Reserved.

  • Home
  • Baha'i Faith
  • Community
  • Racial Equity
  • Calendar
  • Events
  • News
  • Contact Us

Powered by