On Community Building and the Nine Year Plan:

About: This article explores the dynamics of community building within the Bahá'í Faith during the current Nine Year Plan (2022–2031) (p. 1). The author posits that the community consists of two nested spheres: an inner Bahá'í community and an outer "wider community of interest" (pp. 1, 4).

Bookwalter identifies two primary challenges for the contemporary era:

1. Maintaining Balance: Balancing "outward-looking" activities (expanding and consolidated the “branches” of the wider community) with "inward-looking" efforts to expand and consolidate the spiritual “roots” of individuals, families, and institutions within the Bahá'í community) (p. 1).

2. Managing the "Threshold": Expanding and consolidating the transition process for individuals moving from participants in Bahá'í-sponsored activities to dedicated, enrolled members (pp. 1, 5).

Using the metaphor of a "garden with a gate," the author discusses the "infinitely precious moment" when a soul crosses the threshold into the Faith (pp. 2-3). He cites recent research on social tipping points to argue that a "hundredfold increase" in growth is necessary for the Bahá'í community to reach a critical mass (estimated at 10–25% of the population) capable of driving rapid social change (pp. 1-2).

The text concludes by emphasizing the reciprocal relationship between these two spheres. A strong inner community provides the leadership and resources necessary to sustain activities in the wider community, while the wider community provides the receptive souls required for the Faith’s continued expansion and its ultimate mission of establishing a new World Order (pp. 4, 6).