 | The Sarasota Bahá'í Cluster
U N I T Y
"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illumine the whole earth"
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Clusters: A New World Wide Geographic Category
From the Universal House of Justice
In its letter of 9 January 2001 to the Conference of the Continental Board of Counsellors, the Universal House of Justice asked the Counsellors to assist the National Spiritual Assemblies in each of the countries around the world to divide their country into new sub-divisions called "Clusters." These clusters were defined purely on geographical and social criteria and not on the strength of local Bahá'í communities. The second part of the equation was to categorize each Cluster as a method to evaluate its capacity for growth. Creating and categorizing Clusters were key steps taken by the Universal House of Justice as part of its fundamental strategy to create a culture of growth. This emphasis on systematic growth will continue until at least 2021.
In its Ridvan 2002 message the House of Justice described how the exercise of clustering and categorizing has given institutions and believers a vision of systematic growth: "Such a mapping ... makes it possible to realize a pattern of well-ordered expansion and consolidation."
The Sarasota Cluster
Initially the Sarasota Cluster was categorized as a "C" cluster which indicated that three Core Activities (Study Circles, Devotional Gatherings and Children’s Classes) were being established. In 2007, the Southern Regional Council elevated our status to the "B" level indicating that "established communities [are] gaining strength through a vigorous institute process. In 2009 the Regional Baha’i Council of the South Central States advanced the Sarasota Cluster to the "A" level.
In a letter dated December 8, 2009 Regional Baha’i Council of the South Central, our cluster was:
- Commended for our diligent efforts to bring about the necessary propitious conditions for intensive growth.
- Reminded that our commitment to Core Activities and teaching activities directed at receptive populations will be vital to effectively implement the framework for the Five Year Plan.
The Sarasota Cluster includes all of the incorporated cities and towns in Sarasota and Manatee Counties as well as the unincorporated areas.
In Manatee County there is a Local Spiritual Assembly in the unincorporated part of Manatee County, and in the City of Bradenton there is a Registered Group of Bahá'ís; however there are no Bahá'ís in the incorporated cities/towns of Holmes Beach, Palmetto, Anna Maria Bradenton, and Bradenton Beach.
In Sarasota County there is a Local Spiritual Assembly in the unincorporated part of Sarasota County; there is a Registered Group in the city of Sarasota and a soon to be registered group in North Port; however there are no Bahá'ís in the incorporated cities/towns of Venice and Longboat Key.
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© 2010 The Bahá'ís of Sarasota County, Florida
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