A Look At Bruce Koerber’s Prayer and Study Circles, shared with permission from the Cedar Rapids Baha’i Newsletter, May 2012, Edition 4, Volume 5

For over six months, Bruce Koerber has hosted Prayer and Study Circles to accompany anyone looking to be of service. “There is no agenda, whoever comes is the agenda,” said Koerber.

In explanation, Prayer and Study Circles are interchangeable and tailored to meet the needs of the attendees. “(The Circles) are geared toward trying to make the Faith satisfy what they’re looking for,” said Koerber. Consulting about direct teaching and practicing skills from different Ruhi books are just a few of the possible activities.

Fundamentally, the Circles are “geared toward having the (Bahá’í) Center open,” said Koerber. Newcomers and Bahá’ís alike may also engage in prayer at this time as devotions are a key component of the Circles. To emphasize this aspect, Koerber’s flier for the Circles and Sunday’s Devotional reads, “Prayers in the Neighborhood: Bringing prosperity, safety, health and happiness to all of us; and for the betterment of the world.”

To personalize attending one of the Circles for new guests, Koerber is building an inventory of prayers to hand out based on each individual’s interests. For example, if fishing were to be determined someone’s hobby, he or she would in turn receive a prayer related to it. To help establish this inventory, Koerber encourages members of the community to print off prayers that are special to them, and they can then be supplied to him at Feast or simply left at the Center with a note stating what they’re for. Koerber points out that children or those who are artistically inclined can be also help with the inventory by “illuminating,” or decorating the prayers.

In summation, the Circles are designed ‘To entice, to explore possibilities, or to serve,” said Koerber.