© 2019 David Kulieke
© 2019 The Urantia Book Fellowship
by David Kulieke
Since 1955 the Education Committee has sought to enhance the excellence and indepth exploration of The Urantia Book for readers and groups who study the book.
A complementary objective has been to help disseminate the teachings of the book to support the Urantia Book Fellowship’s effort “… to present enlarged concepts and advanced truth…to expand cosmic consciousness and enhance spiritual perception…“ UB 0:0.2 Following early efforts of the Brotherhood School, 1956 to 1973, the Education Committee inaugurated the Summer Study Sessions, which have met two of every three summers since the 1970s. These have served as a time for sustaining and enlivening friendships as well as affording opportunity for in-depth study and worship. Many outstanding teachers and presenters have organized these seminars and spoken and given workshops at them. More than a dozen members of the committee participated in the planning or by presenting at this year’s ”Experiencing God’s Presence." One day was given to short morning and afternoon presentations followed by responsive workshops containing questions and materials created by the Education Committee. These materials explored the theme of the conference focused through four subthemes: study, socialization, spiritual communion, and service. A further objective was to emphasize sound educational techniques reflecting principles both from The Urantia Book as well as from secular wisdom. A spiritual retreat and a Society Conclave which the Education Committee cosponsored with the Membership Committee preceded the conference.
The committee seeks to enrich education about The Urantia Book in several other ways. One is through efforts in the field. Committee members visit study groups who invite them to present high quality workshops while reinforcing effective methods of study outlined in The Urantia Book as well as in best practices found elsewhere. This year two members of the committee presented a workshop on personality integration and the mansion world schools of thinking, feeling, and doing to seminars and conferences for the Chicago, Florida, and New York societies, in addition to several study groups. There have been about 10 such presentations recently. The Education Committee is committed to helping strengthen local Urantia Book reader communities. If a group or conference would like members of the committee to visit, contact them at urantiaeducation@gmail.com.
In recent years the committee has provided downloadable educational materials on its website, which can be reached at http://www.urantiabook.org/committees/education/index or by going to the second item under the Study tab on the Urantia Book Fellowship website.
If a group or conference would like members of the committee to visit, contact them at urantiaeducation@gmail.com.
Some of the materials available on the Urantia Book Fellowship Education Committee Website:
Under Resources:
- "Prime Education References from The Urantia Book.” These are 21 topically organized pages of the best quotations about education, teaching, and learning, condensed from 130 pages.
- Educational References: several articles from such topics including:
- How Jesus Taught
- Study Group Materials
- In Depth Study
- Workshop Materials Adapted for Teaching: The committee considers this to be one of its most important initiatives. It includes handouts, lesson plans, and outlines for participants that can be used or adapted. These workshops are carefully chosen, and they are growing.
- Study Group Materials: This includes “Community: Beginning and Organizing Effective Study Groups,” a colorful publication of the Education Committee, rich with photos and ideas.
- Seminars: Among its more notable achievements, the Education Committee presented three seminars from the Wrightwood series of the 1990s: “Building the Living Temple of Spiritual Fellowship”, “Gender and The Urantia Book,” and “Perspectives on Race in The Urantia Book.” In addition, the committee put forth a joint seminar with the education committee of Urantia Foundation entitled “Giving of the Truth of Heaven: Using Our Talents,” which focused on spreading teachings of The Urantia Book. The papers from these four seminars are at this site.
- Included among several other resources in Events, Links, and About Us, are historical materials from 64 years of Education Committee activities.
The committee’s current plans include adding helpful materials to its website. The group is currently discussing with the Urantia University Institute the possibility of using their resources to present live, online study that reflects the committee’s emphasis on sound educational principles. There is also continued support for the fledgling Urantia Educational Center, an independent initiative representing several organizations, which intends to begin full year courses in 2020 to train teachers, as well as providing other services.
The Fellowship Education Committee also pledges to keep working cooperatively with the education committees and initiatives of other Urantia organizations. Such interorganizational collaboration has produced nearly a dozen joint projects during the past several years.
The Education Committee would like to congratulate every Urantia Book reader and group who continue to pursue the lifelong objective of studying and better learning the teachings of the book, enhancing them with a continuing liberal education, and seeking to apply them in their lives.
David Kulieke has been chair of the Education Committee since 2012, which he considers as an honor and responsibility. He is grateful for diligence of committee members and adjuncts. He believes that expanding education throughout the world, both secularly and through the teachings of The Urantia Book, is critical for Urantia’s health. David is also president of the First Urantia Society for Readers of The Urantia Book (Chicago), a veteran of several study groups, and a presenter of many workshops. After earning a B.A. In English literature from the University of Illinois and an M.S. in Education from Northwestern University, he taught English, writing, and literature for three decades to middle and high schoolers and served as a department chair. Today, in addition to his educational work within the Urantia movement, he tutors, leads small classes and summer courses, and teaches students in China online. Together with his wife of 45 years, Marilynn Kulieke, who is also an educator and who serves as vice president of Urantia Foundation, he has been to China twice so far to teach his students in person. David and Marilynn live in Lincolnshire, Illinois. They have three children, five grandchildren, and two golden retrievers.
“The entire universe is one vast school.” UB 37:6.2