In the courses for Local Assembly members special attention
should be paid to the significance of the Assembly and the importance of
attending its meetings; the functions and duties of the Assembly's officers,
especially those of the secretary, upon the proper discharge of whose
responsibilities the efficient functioning of the Assembly largely depends; the
importance of making the Word of God easily accessible to the friends and of
holding regular deepening classes where the Teachings can be studied and
discussed; the vital necessity of prayer, and the value of holding gatherings
for dawn prayers where and when feasible; the proper holding of Nineteen Day
Feasts and the observance of Baha'i Holy Days and anniversaries; the need to
pay particular attention to the education of children; and the value of
organizing social gatherings, such as picnics, encouraging the friends to
associate together and with their non-Baha'i friends in love and fragrance. - The Universal House of Justice (From a message dated 17 April 1981, addressed to all National Spiritual
Assemblies; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986)
