TOWN OF VIENNA (VA) BAHA'I NEWSLETTER December 2008

UPCOMING EVENTS
Dawn Breaker’s Baha’i Academy at the Northern Virginia Baha’i Center between 12 noon and 7:30 PM, Saturday, December 13th.

Strategy Meeting/Sunday Program Planning for the NVBC on Sunday, December 14th between 1 and 3 PM.

Town of Vienna Children’s Class at the Cedar Park Apartments, 256 Cedar Lane, Apt. 172 (home of Hayat and Mayer Gafair) 703-231-4244, Saturday, December 20th, 1 to 4 PM.

Next LSA Meeting at the Northern Virginia Baha’i Center on December 21, at 9:30 AM. NVBC Board Members will meet with the members of the LSA.

Feast of Sharaf at the Alavian home on December 30th, at 8 PM.

Fairfax Reflections Cluster Meeting, Saturday, January 10th, at 10 AM at the Northern Virginia Baha’i Center till 1 PM. NOTE: Our community is sponsoring this meeting, with a spiritual program, light refreshments at the beginning, and pizza for lunch.

Monday January 19th, join the Baha’is of Leesburg (VA) in the Martin Luther King Parade. Meet at the steps of the courthouse for a great teaching opportunity. Time to be announced.

TOWN OF VIENNA COMMUNITY NEWS

The TOV Community has held Children’s classes at the Cedar Lane Apartments since August 2008. It’s 5th class will be held on Saturday, December 20th. Thank you to Hayat Gafair and Carol Dunlop Scruggs (as well as Michael Scruggs) for their stalwart efforts to promote the classes and conduct them successfully. We will be very fortunate to have Layli Miller Muro (Executive Director of the Tahireh Justice Center) speak to the children at one of our classes in February). Please invite your neighborhood children and youth to these wonderful classes which occur every other Saturday at 1 PM. There will be no class on January 3rd. First class in 2009 will be announced.

Ruhi Book 4 Study Circle may begin in the Town of Vienna in early 2009. More details to follow.

Inter-Faith Devotionals continue in 2009 on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 8 PM at the Ferdowsi home.

Annual Community (Non-Fund) Goals Established: The LSA established the following community goals for the year: 1. Encourage full community support for monthly Inter-Faith devotional gatherings (second Thursday of each month) at the Ferdowsi home at 8 PM; 2. Conduct children’s classes in the community as scheduled and implemented by the Children’s Class Committee (Carol Dunlop Scruggs coordinator); 3. Ruhi Book 1 to be offered in the community starting in mid-September. Vahid will support as needed; 4. Home visits will be conducted at the home of believers in the community who are sick, incapacitated, or inactive.

TOWN OF VIENNA BAHA’I NEWSLETTER September 2008

UPCOMING EVENTS

Monday, September 15th: The beginning of Reflections on the Life of the Spirit (Ruhi Book 1) study circle at the Ferdowsi home at 8 PM.

Thursday, September 18th: LSA Meeting at the Ferdowsi home at 8 PM.

Saturday, September 20th: The first monthly Dawn Breaker Baha’i Academy at the Northern Virginia Baha’i Center for 7th through 12th Graders from 10 AM to 7 PM. Speakers include: Dr. Lameh Fananapazir, Dr. Kavian Milani, and Nabil Bashirrehahi. Subjects: The Dawn Breakers, The Tablets of Baha’u’llah, and Some Answered Questions. The cost is $25 per session. Second and third sessions scheduled for October 18th and November 22nd. Contact Leila Milani of Greater Vienna for registration.

Friday evening, September 26th: Feast of Mashiyyat (Will), to be held at the home of Hayat and Mayer Gafair at 8 PM.

2008 Town of Vienna Council Invocation Dates: Mondays at 8 PM: October 6th, and December 1st.

Thursday October 9th-Saturday October 11th: Baha'i Conference on Law Series: Exploring the Intersections of Religion and Governance: Past, Present and Future, American University, Washington College of Law . This a free conference. Register at http://www.wcl.american.edu/secle/registration.
Saturday, October 11th: Fairfax Cluster Reflections meeting. Time and location to be announced.

Thursday October 9th: Interfaith Devotional at the Ferdowsi home at 8 PM (The second Thursday of each month).

Sunday, October 12th: Baha'i District Convention (Electoral Unit 021) will be held at the Northern Virginia Bahá’í Center, 21415 Cardinal Glen Circle, Sterling, VA; Registration 9am, Convention 9:30 AM -2 PM.

TOWN OF VIENNA COMMUNITY NEWS

Annual Community (Non-Fund) Goals Established: The LSA established the following community goals for the year: 1. Encourage full community support for monthly Inter-Faith devotional gatherings (second Thursday of each month) at the Ferdowsi home at 8 PM; 2. Conduct children’s classes in the community as scheduled and implemented by the Children’s Class Committee (Carol Dunlop Scruggs coordinator); 3. Ruhi Book 1 to be offered in the community starting in mid-September. Fariba Ferdowsi and John Russo will facilitate. Vahid will support as needed; 4. Home visits will be conducted at the home of believers in the community who are sick , incapacitated, or inactive.

FYI. The Town of Vienna Baha'i website is now linked to the newly and beautifully redesigned Northern VIrginia Baha'i Center website (www.novabc.org). Our website is one of 3 or 4 Northern Virgina community websites on the Center site.

TOWN OF VIENNA BAHA’I NEWSLETTER March-April 2008

UPCOMING EVENTS

One World Baha’i School—every Sunday between 10 AM and 12:15 PM at the

Northern Virginia Baha’i Center, Sterling, Virginia

Devotional: Second Thursday of each month 8 PM at the Ferdowsi home

Thank you Barbara and Vahid for hosting and everyone in the community for contributing to such a wonderful Feast of Baha (Splendor)/Naw Ruz Celebration on Friday, March 21st.

LSA Meeting, Tuesday, April 1st, at 8 PM.

Feast of Jalal (Glory) on Tuesday, April 8th, at the Ferdowsi home.

Fundraiser for the NOVA Baha’i Center at the Center, Friday, April 11th, 6:30 PM, Dinner served. $15 per adult/$6 for children 6 and under. Tickets available at the Center

Fairfax Cluster Reflections Meeting, Saturday, April 12th at the Northern VA Baha’i Center at 4 PM.

Cascade of Colors Musical Extravaganza-Fund Raiser at the Northern Virginia Baha’i Center, 7 PM, Saturday April 19th. Tickets: $20. On sale at the Center.

First Day of Ridvan (Holy Day celebration) Annual Election of the LSA: Sunday, April 20th, at 7:30 PM at the Roshanian home.

Feast of Jamal (Beauty), Sunday, April 27th, 7:30 PM. Location to be announced.

Ninth Day of Ridvan (Holy Day)—Monday after sunset/Tuesday before sunset, April 28-29. Event to be announced.

2008 Town of Vienna Council Invocation Dates: Mondays at 8 PM: June 16, October 5th, and December 1st

THIS YEAR’S GOALS

Fund Goals: $650 per month: $250 to the NBF; $200 to Baha’i Center; $50 to Kingdom

Project for Chilean Temple; $150 retained in Local Fund.

Seven Non-Fund Goals: (1) Institutes (5 or 7); (2) Devotionals once a month; (3) Children’s Classes (OWBS and Neighborhood Classes); (4) Community Outreach/Service; (5) Teaching; (6) LSA Development; and (7) Media/Publicity.

Goal Coordinators: (1) Institutes-Kamelia; (2) Devotionals –Barbara; (3) Community Outreach/Service-Farzad; (4) LSA Development—Vahid; (5) Social Activities—Houman; (6)Teaching—Fariba; (7) Media/Publicity—John.

WELCOME NEW TOV MEMBERS: We lovingly welcome our new members: Sagar Shah, Michael, Carol (Dunlap), Andrew, and Bryant Scruggs, Hayat (Gafair), Maher, Sara, Merit (Mimi), and Safa Bibawy, and Kamran, Kambiz, and Rezvan Ghafari. So nice to have you in the Town of Vienna community.

OUR DAILY BREAD PROJECT: The Town of Vienna community will be aiding “Our Daily Bread” which identifies & addresses the unmet fundamental needs of Fairfax County residents and empowers the community to help our neighbors maintain self-sufficiency by collecting, storing, & distributing canned goods and non-perishables for needy individuals/families. Thank you everyone for bringing canned goods to the last Feast. The Sundays open for helping with deliveries are: July 20th, July 27th, August 3rd, and September 7th.