The nature of the training institute can be understood by imagining an ongoing conversation taking place among friends in thousands upon thousands of social spaces—neighbourhoods, villages, schools, universities, and workplaces—concerned with contributing to the advancement of civilization through the application of the Bahá’í teachings. As the number of participants in the conversation grows, processes to achieve collective spiritual and material goals in each space are set in motion.
The first course, Reflections on the Life of the Spirit, asks participants to deepen their understanding of a number of questions that are crucial to the human experience, including:
The materials and courses produced by the training institute are studied by people all over the world. They offer a structure for participants to deepen their understanding of spiritual concepts explored in the Bahá’í writings and to gain practice in the skills required to contribute to community building efforts.
Participants from all backgrounds are invited to reflect on the Word of God and apply it to their lives, thus taking charge of their own spiritual development. They also build their capacity for service to humanity by training themselves to teach children’s classes, animate junior youth groups, hold devotional gatherings, and engage in other community-building endeavors of their own design.