Is not losing last year’s new members the best way to gain new ones?

Yes, the two belong together. Whoever wins people and then leaves them alone will lose them again. That is why every new member needs personal care and, soon, a task of his own.

Winning new people and soon losing them again is no success. If a large share of last year’s newcomers can no longer be reached, one has to examine carefully why. It often turns out that good advice was available but was not taken seriously. Where it is put into practice, the situation changes noticeably.

A new member needs people above all, not paper. Whoever is responsible for their care must be able to approach others with personal warmth and inspire them. He forms small groups, keeps lively contact and sees with his own eyes whether cool reserve is gradually turning into warmth. Mere reports about instructions sent and places visited say nothing about this.

It is especially important that newcomers soon receive responsibility themselves. Someone who carries a task feels that he belongs and looks out for others. In this way yesterday’s newcomers become tomorrow’s companions for others. The more such people are prepared locally, the safer the path.

The model for this is the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw). The first verse above describes how it grieved him when people fell into hardship and how ardently he sought their good. This care, joined with constant prayer, holds a community together. Then it grows not only in number but also in firmness.