When "staying connected" means nothing more than being able to get on the Internet, personal relationships suffer. Depression, anxiety and other problems take hold, studies show, especially in kids and teens who don't have healthy, face-to-face relationships.

Michael Penn, a Baha'i and an associate professor of psychology at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania, was headed for the 31st Annual Conference of the ABS (Association for Baha'i Studies-North America) in Ontario, Canada, and found himself seated next to another scholar on the plane.

Priscilla Banks wasn't planning to move. Her apartment in Paradise, Nev., suited her fine; her rent wasn't about to go up. In December, however, she relocated three blocks northeast to the adjacent town of Winchester to help fellow members of her faith form a Local Spiritual Assembly, the administrative body that serves Baha'is in their communities.

"If I weren't glad before to be a Baha'i, I was especially glad after participating for the first time in the Faith's electoral process; it was one of the highlights of my life," says Irma Simuni of Wilmette, Ill.

Residents of Atlanta's West End Historic District might not know his name, but there's a good chance they know Mike Mumper's six-month-old newspaper, Our West End Newsletter.

The Baha'is of Huron Valley, one hour north of Detroit, are a good example of how members of the Faith can make an impact in their community despite their small number.

With approximately 900 Baha’is in the metropolitan area, the New York City Baha'i Center is a happening place.