The Green family of Indianapolis took the saying “the family that prays together stays together,” one step further. Baha’is Andrea and Eric, and their daughters, Ashton, 15, and Asia, 12, invited two families of other faiths to join a study circle they were coordinating.

Given that the parents, who all knew each other socially, wanted to share spiritual values with their children, it was no surprise to the Greens that the families accepted their invitation. That brought the study circle total to 12 participants plus two instructors, Carol and Gary Peterson.

Baha'is happily welcome anyone, regardless of background, to join a study circle or other activity, such as children’s classes and devotional (prayer) programs. It makes for interesting discussions. It certainly did in this instance.


Members of the study circle “The study circle deepened us in our Faith and encouraged our friends to ask a lot of questions,” Andrea Green said. “Our daughters are the only Baha’is in their school, so the class was a nice way to let their friends be part of their world.” Conversely, Ashton and Asia have attended their friends’ vacation Bible school on occasion.

The fact that the Greens’ friends are a diverse lot – one is from Puerto Rico, one from Jordan and one from Egypt – was a bonus: Baha’is embrace all cultures and believe that all humanity was created by one God and is part of one human race.

The Greens used the group’s diversity to its best advantage: They held a potluck dinner before each session and asked members to bring dishes that reflected their ethnic background.

“Everyone felt at ease expressing their opinions in a warm, loving atmosphere,” she adds. “They shared their own perspectives and accepted learning from those in other faith traditions.” And using cooperative games, arts and crafts, and poetry loosened everyone up.

Ms. Peterson says what made the study circle an exceptional family experience is that all the kids wanted to be with the parents, rather than break out in a separate group.

The study circle, Ms. Green concludes, was a success. “It’s a good way to socialize with friends,” she says, “and also a good way to discuss how to live life.”