© 2020 Chris Wood, Jeannie Vázquez, Kwadjo Spiri, Emeka Anazodo, Line St Pierre
© 2020 International Urantia Association (IUA)
¶ In This Issue
- President’s Message – March 2020 – Chris Wood, USA
- Urantia Book Study Group Directory – Study Group Directory Admin Team
- Vancouver 2020 Update – UGE 2020 Team
- Peru 2021 International Conference – Registration Now Open – Peru 2021 Conference Team
- Third National Conference in Mexico City – Jeannie Vázquez, Uruguay
- Reports on Nigeria-Ghana Urantia Conference – Kwadjo Spiri, Ghana and Emeka Anazodo, Nigeria
- Daughters of God Update – Line St Pierre, Quebec, Canada
- Upcoming Events
- About Tidings Newsletter
- International Service Board
¶ President’s Message – March 2020
Chris Wood, USA
A Solitary Messenger tells us that:
The doing of the will of God is nothing more or less than an exhibition of creature willingness to share the inner life with God… [UB 111:5.1 emphasis added]
In that spirit, I would like to share a little story about my life.
My time with the Association has run parallel with my time as a parent. I ask a lot of questions of parents who have raised children with The Urantia Book. I prioritize first and foremost that my boys do not grow up resenting the Urantia Community for taking away their father’s attention. For seven years, I have tried to apply many of Jesus’ approaches when it comes to these two responsibilities. In Paper 138, we are told that Jesus would “…interrupt a serious conference with his apostles to fraternize with an intruding child” [UB 138:8.9]. I try to make sure that the kids feel comfortable interrupting any video conference I am participating in. We are also told that, as a child, Jesus “…accumulated a vast body of knowledge; as a youth he sorted, classified, and correlated this information…” [UB 127:6.14]. And so, whenever the opportunity arises, my wife and I will try to fill my kids with knowledge, hoping that they will be able to organize this knowledge into a true philosophy of living as they age.
¶ Urantia Book Study Group Directory
Study Group Directory Admin Team
The Urantia Book Study Group Directory (UBSGD) recently surpassed the largest number of listings added in any single year since 2011. A total of 68 new groups were added in 2019. This is more than double the number of new groups added in 2018. The Study Group Directory continues to grow as readers from more than 55 countries have found the Directory and added their study group information. At the end of 2019, the Directory had a total of 463 study groups.
¶ Origins and Development
In 2010, at Urantia Foundation, the leadership of Urantia Association International and The Urantia Book Fellowship met formally for the first time to promote unity among our organizations. Following this event, the organization’s information technology developers held a meeting to encourage the sharing of information. During this meeting, Urantia Foundation suggested the need for a central online source for study group contact information; a place where students of The Urantia Book could easily find study groups in their area, and for study groups to find new members to grow their ranks. It was suggested this should be a progressive joint project. The result was the creation of the Urantia Book Study Group Portal. Today that portal is known as the Urantia Book Study Group Directory: UrantiaStudyGroup.org.
¶ Vancouver 2020 Update
UGE 2020 Team
Lifting Together – United in Purpose – Serving God the Supreme
University of the Fraser Valley, BC Canada
July 28 to August 1, 2020
Registration is now open – Urantia Global Experience
The Urantia Association of Canada and The Urantia Book Fellowship have teamed up to host this gathering in the Vancouver Fraser Valley. They invite everyone to come together to serve the global community by making a personal contribution to civilization on Urantia.
The Urantia Global Experience is a gathering of minds dedicated to serving God the Supreme through the exploration of solutions for the progressive evolution of civilization. We believe the overall success of this experimental endeavor rests on our spirit unity – our common motive to express the will of God in our daily lives as well as in our social institutions.
All participants are expected to actively engage in discussion groups focused on a variety of topics drawn from The Urantia Book (71:4 Progressive Civilization). From these discussions, we hope to derive common ideas, solutions, and purpose.
¶ Peru 2021 International Conference – Registration Now Open
Peru 2021 Conference Team
¶ Towards Cosmic Citizenship
We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 2021 Urantia Association International Conference in Peru which is being held in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Urubamba, Cusco, Peru April 22—25, 2021!
Sign up now for this memorable event in Peru and receive an Exclusive Promo discount of USD$120.00 and pay only USD$330 if you register before March 31, 2020.
¶ Conference Costs
The current cost for the conference is USD$330.00 (if you book before 31st March 2020) and includes the following services:
¶ Third National Conference in Mexico City
Jeannie Vázquez, Uruguay
On August 24th and 25th, 2019, the Urantia Association of Mexico organized its Third National Conference in Mexico City, which was attended by sixty-four readers of The Urantia Book from various cities of Mexico and Uruguay.
This gathering with our Mexican siblings was a cheerful and fraternal occasion, where we met again with several old friends and got to know personally other virtual friends who have been frequent participants in the online conferences organized by Urantia Association International’s Education Committee and in the online meetings of the Latin American Study Group.
Conferences organized by the Urantia Association of Mexico are characterized by being dynamic and participative, as well as interesting, instructive, and free for all attendees. The Mexican Association holds bi-monthly conferences and workshops where the attendees are invited to study and present themes from The Urantia Book. This dynamism is reflected in National Conferences because the attendees participate actively during their ongoing presentations, showing discernment and interest in the shared teachings. It is fascinating to see so many faces eager to absorb the teachings; answering their insightful questions is often a challenge for the presenter.
¶ Reports on Nigeria-Ghana Urantia Conference
Kwadjo Spiri, Ghana and Emeka Anazodo, Nigeria
¶ Fostering Spiritual Unity Through Loving Service
Urantia Nigeria and Urantia Ghana, in collaboration with Urantia Association International, organized a successful conference from 6 to 8 December 2019 in Lagos on the Victoria Islands in Nigeria. The theme was Fostering Spiritual Unity Through Loving Service. In attendance were readers from Ghana and Nigeria as well as Urantia Association’s Conference correspondent and organizer on the ground, Antonio Schefer.
Following are two reports written by Kwadjo Spiri and Emeka Anazodo:
¶ Daughters of God Update
Line St Pierre, Quebec, Canada
In our retreats, women are invited to deeply explore how the Divine dances with you in your physical, social, and spiritual life, and how you can deepen this relationship and reach out to other women in sisterhood.
We are a team of four women inspired by the teachings of The Urantia Book. Coming from different walks of life, we bonded through a shared vision, and it became our mission to enhance the status of being a woman dedicated to spiritual growth, intellectual advancement, and moral progress. In stepping out of conventional models of leadership, we have adopted the fishbowl conversation to create a milieu of soul-sharing.
Over the last 7 years, we have conducted workshops during conferences and facilitated women retreats nationally and internationally—we were fortunate to be invited to work in Canada, the USA, Hungary, and the Netherlands.
¶ Upcoming Events
Check out Urantia Association International’s Events Calendar at http://urantia-association.org/events-list. Upcoming events can be viewed in a List or Calendar view.
Urantia Book reader events provide opportunities for students to gain a deeper understanding of the ideas and concepts presented in The Urantia Book and help to facilitate a personal commitment to the ideals of spiritual living. We hope you can make it to some of these events and experience the joys of meeting and studying with fellow readers.
If you’re planning a Urantia Book reader event in your region and would like help in promoting it, please send us your information and we’ll consider it for our Events Calendar.
¶ About Tidings Newsletter
The Tidings newsletter is a quarterly on-line publication that serves as Urantia Association International’s primary communication tool for reaching out to the Association’s membership, supporters, donors, volunteers, and general readership friends. It provides news and information on the many activities and events of the National and Local Associations around the globe as well as information and announcements from Central Office, the International Service Board (ISB), and the Representative Council (RC). It serves to keep members in touch with one another and gives readers a sense of belonging—of being an integral part of a truly international movement that is designed to promote the Urantia revelation to all corners of the world.
Note: Tidings also occasionally provides news of other Urantia-related activities and events that may be of interest to our supporters and friends. Please note that any interpretations, opinions, conclusions, or artistic representations, whether stated or implied, are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Urantia Association International, the National or Local Urantia Associations, or the editorial team of the Association’s Tidings.
¶ International Service Board
Members of the International Service Board (ISB) are elected by a vote of the Representative Council (RC). The officers and committees of the ISB and the Executive Administrator plan, coordinate, and carry out the activities of Urantia Association that are international in scope and have been authorized by the Representative Council. They also serve as an information resource for the constituent associations by compiling and sharing information and experiences of other associations. Read on for the list and functions of the current ISB personnel.