© 2023 Georges Michelson Dupont
© 2023 French-speaking Association of Readers of the Urantia Book
¶ Reminder of the school’s pedagogy
It is based on the study of the book through reading, questioning and sharing. Teachers do not give answers because it is up to the student, depending on their understanding and reading level, to search for themselves and by themselves and then share with other students. This dynamic teaching method is very popular because it also allows students to confront other religious cultures, to enrich themselves through exchanges and to form friendships.
¶ Linguistic development of the school.
We are pleased to inform you that the school now offers courses in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Polish and Hungarian, 7 in total.
Each quarter sees the number of students increase significantly with new participants.
¶ New courses via zoom.
Since the beginning of last year, we have tested Zoom courses while maintaining the pedagogy of non-interpretation on the part of the teacher-moderator. The reading list and questions are given in advance so that participants have time to read and reflect on them, then the discussion begins during the Zoom. It seems that more and more students appreciate this mode of sharing which looks a little more like a weekly guided study group.
¶ Spotlight on…
A brand new monthly, multilingual series of shared lectures entitled “Spotlight on… has been created at the initiative of the Urantia Book International School (UBIS), under the aegis of the Urantia Foundation.
Each month, a speaker is invited to shed particular light on a subject of his or her choice relating to The Urantia Book. For the moment and as a test, these conferences are given in French, English and Spanish. Naturally, the ideas, opinions and conclusions expressed by the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent those of the Foundation and its affiliates.
The first conference in French was given on February 12, 2023 at 4 p.m. Paris time and 10 a.m. in Quebec by Agnès Lazare and Guy Perron. The theme was: “What is God’s will”.
This is possibly the question most asked by students of the 5th revelation.
“This was a conference which lasted well into the night, in the course of which the young man requested Jesus to tell him the difference between the will of God and that human mind act of choosing which is also called will. In substance Jesus said: The will of God is the way of God, partnership with the choice of God in the face of any potential alternative. To do the will of God, therefore, is the progressive experience of becoming more and more like God, and God is the source and destiny of all that is good and beautiful and true. The will of man is the way of man, the sum and substance of that which the mortal chooses to be and do. Will is the deliberate choice of a self-conscious being which leads to decision-conduct based on intelligent reflection.” (UB 130:2.7)
