© 2015 Normand Laperle, Gaétan G. Charland, Gilles Brien, Marc Belleau, Guy Viau, Sylvère Marcoux
© 2015 Urantia Association of Quebec
¶ New Year’s greetings!
Normand Laperle
Editor of Réflectivité
May this time of rejoicing inspire you to reveal God’s love to everyone who crosses your path.
May the year 2015 be filled with health and opportunities for service and spiritual growth.
God rocks you.
¶ 2015 Sherbrooke International Congress
Gaétan G. Charland
Event Organizer
The year is coming to a close and a new one is about to begin. During this holiday season, why not give yourself a spiritual gift for the year ahead; or help someone else obtain that gift? The Urantia Association of Quebec, on behalf of the Urantia Association International, is organizing the next International Urantia Congress to be held in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, from July 30 to August 2, 2015. This is an event you should not miss, because it offers a remarkable program that will explore spiritual progression from childhood to adulthood, within the context of family life.
The theme of this conference is: “Progressing from the Human to the Divine—Revealing Oneself to God.” The program has been designed to reflect the needs of readers around the world; it will focus primarily on education in the home context, since this is where change can occur. New generations of children and young adults need to be educated with truths drawn from epochal revelation, and be prepared to contribute spiritually and socially to our changing world. Come and learn how, from experienced readers!
The program will include workshops that will elaborate on the themes presented in the plenary sessions, contributing to the learning experience in a practical and avant-garde way. The main language will be English, with simultaneous translation for French and Spanish speaking readers. The workshops will opt for the language of the participants.
If for good reason you cannot attend this conference, why not sponsor someone who cannot afford it? We have many students of The Urantia Book from Africa, Pakistan, Eastern Europe, South America, and elsewhere who would love to attend and would benefit greatly from the experience, but have few resources. We also offer free registration for children under 13, so that families can stay together for this experience; or you can donate so that a family can enjoy this conference with their children.
The Eastern Townships region is a very scenic place to visit during the summer months; so why not make this destination your next vacation spot, and enjoy some French-Canadian hospitality.
Please register now, and donate generously to our sponsorship fund, so that others can enjoy the benefits of this conference.
In a spirit of brotherhood.
The Satisfaction of Service. (UB 28:5.17)
¶ A unique fraternity experience
Gaétan G. Charland
President of the AUQ
Dear readers,
For several years, my wife and I traveled throughout Europe and various countries in South America to promote The Urantia Book and its teachings; sometimes, we were hosted in readers’ homes for a few days to experience their daily lives, visit their part of the country, enjoy their culture, and get to know them better. What a wonderful human experience each time and what lasting memories!
As many of you know, the Urantia Association of Quebec is organizing the 2015 Urantia Association International Conference which will take place at Bishops University in Lennoxville from July 30 to August 2 with the theme: “Progressing from the Human to the Divine - Revealing Oneself to God.”
In order to make this experience even more enriching for some readers coming from outside Canada, we would like to offer some participants the possibility of being hosted with us after the conference. Visitors will come from several countries, either French, English or Spanish speaking, and some will have children accompanying them.
We are asking for your generosity to offer hospitality and lodging to some of them after the event, to allow them to enjoy Quebec culture and for you to live a unique experience of fraternity. In order to ensure the proper coordination of hosts and guests, we ask that you respond as soon as possible once you have made the decision to become a host.
To be added to the host list, here is the information to provide:
- Your profile: Give a brief description of your personal situation, are you single, in a relationship, number of children or other particularities, language spoken.
- Your contact details: Your postal address, email and telephone number, to reach you easily.
- The number of people to be accommodated: 1-2 or more.
- Your availability: Number of days offered.
- A program of visits or not: Your projects if possible, your involvement in terms of transport, etc.
In addition, anyone who would like to offer themselves as an assistant coordinator in their own region will be welcome. Any help, no matter how small, will be appreciated. There are many tourist sites and places to visit and the regions are quite far from each other to organize or synchronize different activities to be carried out.
Already a volunteer has come forward to take care of the correspondence in Spanish. So you can see that this hospitality service can become much more than just accommodation.
Send your intentions and contact details to Gilles Bertrand and Louise Renaud, coordinators and managers of this initiative.
- By email: fidoquebec@gmail.com
- By phone: 418-871-4564
- Or at their postal address: 1613 Boul. Masson, Québec, G1P 1J1
“Trustworthiness is the true measure of self-mastery, character.” (UB 28:6.13)
¶ HOLIDAY BRUNCH 2014
Gilles Brien
Laval
There were about thirty members of study groups, readers, spouses of readers and friends at the last annual holiday brunch of the Urantia Association of Quebec, on December 7th. Since the Universal Father has his home in the absolute North and everyone knows that Santa Claus resides at the North Pole, it was in the north of the Montreal region, at the Best Western in St-Jérôme, that the celebration was held. It was the time according to our calculations that, from all regions of Quebec, readers accompanied or not by Urantian sympathizers meet to share a meal and a good time together.
These meetings are often an opportunity for reunions for some who have known each other for a long time. The testimonies and exchanges are always luminous and fill the hearts of the guests. Even if readers of “The Urantia Book” know well that Jesus was not born in December, this does not prevent the annual brunch from being even more popular than the celebration of the feast of Jesus, organized for years by faithful readers like Pierre Routhier and others.
Thanks to Line St-Pierre, Gaétan Charland and all those who have happily participated in making this activity a tradition for several years.
Thanks to Guy Vachon and his velvet voice, Gilles Brien, Robert Cadieux and Gilles Lapierre for their musical performance.
“The great challenge to modern man is to achieve better communication with the divine Monitor that dwells within the human mind. Man’s greatest adventure in the flesh consists in the well-balanced and sane effort to advance the borders of self-consciousness out through the dim realms of embryonic soul-consciousness in a wholehearted effort to reach the borderland of spirit-consciousness—contact with the divine presence. Such an experience constitutes God-consciousness, an experience mightily confirmative of the pre-existent truth of the religious experience of knowing God. Such spirit-consciousness is the equivalent of the knowledge of the actuality of sonship with God. Otherwise, the assurance of sonship is the experience of faith.” (UB 196:3.34)
¶ A question of faith
Marc Belleau
Lasalle
I have always found it difficult to define faith; to me it is a rather abstract concept. What is faith? Is it the absence of doubt? Is it the certainty of divine things? To define faith in this way does not seem quite adequate to me. According to The Urantia Book it is something more than the certainty of the divine; it is, in reality, the experience of our personal relationship with God, an experience so extraordinary that it transforms us profoundly.
First, the 5th revelation defines faith as the creature’s trusting attitude toward the divine parent. Jesus taught that one should receive the kingdom of God with the naturally trusting attitude of a child. Adults tend to be suspicious and entertain all sorts of doubts. It must be admitted that it is not easy to be an adult and maintain a faith as trusting as that of a child. We accumulate, during our life, many difficult and sometimes traumatic experiences. Adults are also more aware of the injustices and suffering experienced on our planet and this can become an obstacle to human faith. A child raised in a healthy environment does not have these problems, because like the adult, he has not yet been tested by life. Maintaining a trusting attitude in the divine plan despite the upheavals that occur during our earthly existence is the most important fight we have to wage. “There is but one struggle for those who enter the kingdom, and that is to fight the good fight of faith. The believer has only one battle, and that is against doubt—unbelief.” (UB 159:3.8)
Jesus knew how to maintain a robust and exemplary faith in all the trying situations of his life, especially during his unjust judgment and his tragic death on the cross. When life dealt him its hardest blows, he could have abandoned the good fight of faith. The episode of Gethsemane is an inspiring example of a faith that triumphs over the most recurrent experiences of existence; after this hour of communion with his heavenly Father, Jesus was ready to drink this bitter cup, to courageously face the most dramatic episode of his incarnate life. This triumph did not consist so much in accepting the sufferings and humiliation of the cross; the Master’s concerns went well beyond the pain he was preparing to endure. They consisted above all in accepting to leave behind him, after only a few years of training, his apostles barely more mature than spiritual adolescents. Let us remember that at the last supper, the day before, they were still fighting over places of honor; and what about the temerity of Peter who, by following Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest Annas, put himself in danger when he had been warned by Jesus himself not to risk his life unnecessarily (See UB 184:2.2); the story will end with a hard test, the denial of his beloved Master. Jesus also knew what kind of experience his apostles would have to go through during the future expansion of the kingdom of heaven and that many of them would have to endure much suffering for the establishment of spiritual and human brotherhood. Imagine for a moment that you had to leave never to return and leave your children to their own devices while life has hard trials in store for them. Jesus knew that he would send his spirit upon all flesh after his departure. However, would he have wanted to remain here below a little longer to better prepare his apostles for the tribulations that must necessarily follow his death and resurrection? I believe so. Moreover, after having inaugurated the kingdom of heaven on earth, he had to place the rest of his mission in the hands of his Heavenly Father, a mission to which he had devoted his entire life. Would he have wanted to postpone his death in order to allow the kingdom of God to take deeper root in the hearts of the men and women of his time? Personally, I think so. This was the triumph of Jesus’ faith in Gethsemane; during this hour of great anguish, he succeeded in reaffirming his confidence in God’s plans, he had entrusted himself to divine guidance. Throughout this difficult experience, he was able to maintain the confidence of a child towards his Heavenly Father, but his faith was not childish; it was inspiring, mature, full of courage, robust and virile. “Before Judas and the soldiers arrived, the Master had fully regained his customary poise; the spirit had triumphed over the flesh; faith had asserted itself over all human tendencies to fear or entertain doubt.” (UB 182:3.11).
Secondly, faith is defined by the revelators as a way of living one’s life; faith always transforms its followers. In my opinion, this is its broadest and most inclusive meaning. If faith does not contribute to transforming habits of life, it means that it has degraded itself to being only an intellectual concept. Far be it from me to say that concepts have no place in spiritual growth. Rather, I believe that they have a relative importance, they have a different function than faith; they allow us to understand reality and react to it. Since we are growing, we must be flexible enough to adapt our concepts to our growing vision of reality. Otherwise, these same concepts will imprison us and prevent the growth of our faith. In reality, concepts are useful scaffolding that allow us to evolve from one level of consciousness to another. Faith and concepts have different, but very complementary, functions. I would like to give you an example from my own experience. When I was a Catholic, I went through a period of perplexity about the inconsistency of some Christian concepts. The doctrine of redemption, in particular, was a stumbling block for me. How could God demand the death of his son as payment for the redemption of his wayward children and at the same time be a loving God? The two concepts seemed incompatible to me. The idea that he would enjoy seeing his sinful children suffer in the torments of a supposed purgatory, not to mention hell—eternal damnation—was equally inconsistent with the beautiful emerging concept of a God who loves his creation, a heavenly Father who desires to be in relationship with each of his creatures. This troubled me to the point of eroding my faith, even to the point of doubting the existence of God. The fifth revelation, by presenting a clear vision of divine affection, through the life and teachings of Jesus on earth, corrected these errors and brought coherence to my religious concepts. This allowed me to continue my spiritual growth with a renewed and stronger faith in my creator. Although faith is the engine of spirituality, coherence of concepts is essential to the growth of this same faith. Since faith transforms the way of living one’s life, it must be understood that this transformation can only be done according to the concepts elaborated by our thought. “Beliefs reach the level of faith when it motivates life and shapes the way of living.” (UB 101:8.1).
Faith plays several roles in our growth:
- Faith bridges the chasm between the idea of the First Cause, the origin of all that has been, is, and will be created, on the one hand, and the Heavenly Father depicted in revelation, on the other. The facts compel us to recognize that something must be at the origin of all this vast creation. We can also assume that, logically, to create such a complex universe this thing must possess a superior intelligence, an incredibly powerful creative thought. But to transform this First Cause into a personal God approachable by all the creatures of a vast universe, the only path we can take is faith in revelation. It is through revelation that we can believe in a personal God who loves his creation and ensures the survival of every creature who has made the supreme decision to respond to the invitation to become perfect as the Heavenly Father is perfect. This perfection consists in growing on all levels of reality. Indeed, Reason, Wisdom, and Faith constitute the highest human accomplishments. The balanced development of these three levels of consciousness should occupy the center of our attention. In The Urantia Book this trio is variously named: things, relationships, values—science, philosophy, and religion—scientists, philosophers, and prophets. In the higher philosophy of the universe, wisdom, like reason, is allied with faith. “Reason introduces man to the world of facts, things; wisdom introduces him to a world of truth, relationships; faith initiates him into a world of divinity, of spiritual experience.” (UB 103:9.6) “The whole summary of human life is the knowledge that man is educated by fact, ennobled by wisdom, and saved—justified by religious faith.” (Paper 196:3.4; p. 2094:3) This is how these three approaches to reality interact to give us a broader vision of God.
- Faith allows us to enter the kingdom of God. And that kingdom consists of the experience of living a privileged relationship with the heavenly Father. This relationship means passion, commitment, constant effort, growth, self-transcendence. I do not believe that faith is a blissful and passive confidence in the certainty of the existence of God. I am convinced that on a normal planet, the question of the existence of God does not arise. If evolution on Urantia had followed its normal course, we would not have all these acrimonious debates on the possible existence of God. The government of the planetary Prince and the world cultural center of the Adamic couple, had they not failed, would have educated humanity in the very simple and natural idea of a creator who sustains life and loves his creation.
- “Faith [is energy; it] is to religion what sails are to ships, it is an extra power” (UB 159:3.8). Faith, when well channeled, used intelligently, enables us to accomplish extraordinary things, to move mountains. It incites the personality to maintain its balance in trying situations, it engenders a sublime trust in God in the face of bitter disappointments and crushing defeats — “It displays an inexplicable stability and a fortifying tranquility, in spite of disconcerting illnesses and even acute physical suffering” UB 101:3.8 — “It continues imperturbably to worship God in spite of everything, and whatever happens. It dares to declare: Even if he immolates me, I will serve him.” (UB 101:3.16). In the opposite case, when faith is misdirected, we know what happens; We only have to watch the evening news to see opposing religious extremist factions killing each other in the name of their vision of God. Faith can cause great misfortune and suffering, it can be treacherous when not directed by the Spirit of Wisdom.
- Faith is a tool that we use constantly in our daily lives. It is essential in many areas of our lives; it allows growth and development, it is synonymous with passion and commitment. When we develop projects that involve a certain degree of risk, it is faith that allows us to persevere despite the pitfalls that will necessarily arise. Those who undertake a career in a contingent environment must have faith in their abilities. Living as a couple requires more than just trusting each other; sometimes we must have faith in our partner. Investors who join forces to create a company must have great trust in each other and in the project they support; otherwise, there will be paralysis caused by the fear of being deceived, by the fear of investing a lot of time, money and energy in a project that might not work. In reality, faith is present in all the great achievements of our lives and we use this mechanism naturally without being very aware of it. Faith is essential in our daily lives, for it enables us to rise above the debilitating fears that paralyze us and dare to venture into the unknown seas of experience. “All this must be according to the Father’s plan, which has predicated finite progress upon effort, creature achievement upon perseverance, and personality development upon faith.” (UB 115:7.2).
Faith is but the first in a series of mechanisms by which our personality development takes place. “Increasingly throughout the morontia progression the assurance of truth replaces the assurance of faith. When you are finally mustered into the actual spirit world, then will the assurances of pure spirit insight operate in the place of faith and truth or, rather, in conjunction with, and superimposed upon, these former techniques of personality assurance.” (UB 101:5.14) The idea of using all of these techniques seems right to me; it is more integrative of the reality with which we will be confronted. We will use all of these mechanisms to meet the challenges that will be presented to us during our ascension and even throughout the remainder of eternity. I believe that we will still need faith even after we have become accomplished finaliters. I try to imagine the distant day when the second age of the universe, the one in which we now live, will be consummated. God will announce the beginning of the third age, an epic of adventures filled with new challenges. We will have to learn to solve problems that we have never faced before, and in the face of the unknown, faith in the divine plan will still be our lifeline. The idea of having recourse to faith when we have become accomplished spirit beings may seem strange, but it must be remembered that human beings are not the only creatures who have recourse to faith. In varying degrees, the majority of spirit personalities who populate the grand universe and the citizens of Paradise must also make this exercise. “It is probable, then, that only the Eternal Son and the Infinite Spirit truly know the Father as infinity; to all other personalities such a concept represents the exercise of faith.” (UB 0:3.25).
¶ The Agondontarians: an exemplary faith
Let us speak of those creatures who come from isolated spheres and who have resisted the sophistries of rebellion. They are called Agondontarius, which means: “evolutionary will creatures who can believe without seeing, persevere when isolated, and triumph over insuperable difficulties even when alone” (UB 50:7.2). We are told that these beings are gathered very early in special groups for education and service adapted to the abilities they have developed during their experience on the dark spheres. They are offered missions that only creatures endowed with an unfailing faith can take on. There are few of these creatures in the grand universe and one thing is certain, they are distinguished from beings who have their origin on normal spheres. But what are the living conditions that have led these creatures to develop such sublime faith? It is the absence of the material presence of God embodied in the government of the planetary Prince and the cultural center of Adam and Eve. Here on Urantia we cannot rely on our material senses to know God as we do on a normal planet. We must rely exclusively on invisible influences for growth; I am speaking here of the Thought Adjuster, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, and all the other spiritual influences that hover around us. This requires us to develop a strong faith in the divine plan. Adam and Eve, when they came to earth, could consult no celestial being to share their difficulties and seek counsel; they were completely alone because Urantia was cut off from the circuits of universe communication; they had not learned to persevere in solitude as we must here. I firmly believe that if they had experienced isolation on another planet or in another system, they would still be with us today. Persevering in solitude is what characterizes the faith of an Agondontarius. These beings demonstrate how faith is a primordial and sought-after characteristic in the universe.
I am reminded of a phrase that Nelson Mandela said in one of his speeches; he said that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the ability to overcome it. The same is true of faith; it is not the absence of doubts, but rather the ability to transcend them. Without the ability to doubt, faith cannot exist. Remember the passage from The Urantia Book about inevitabilities: “4. Is *faith—*the supreme assertion of human thought—desirable? Then must the mind of man find itself in that troublesome predicament where it ever knows less than it can believe.” (UB 3:5.9) God is infinite, he has no limits, there will always be a part of him that is unknown to us and that will challenge our faith. Faith is the first of several mechanisms that allow us to live our relationship with our Heavenly Father. It is synonymous with cosmic responsibility, with commitment to the divine plan. It is a passion for God that transforms the individual in depth, making him pass from the animal state to that of ascending Son of the loving Father of all creation. “Faith most willingly carries reason along as far as reason can go and then goes on with wisdom to the full philosophic limit; and then it dares to launch out upon the limitless and never-ending universe journey in the sole company of TRUTH” (UB 103:9.7).
¶ Spirituality
Guy Viau
Gatineau
I don’t know about you, but it seems very difficult to talk to people about spirituality. I have a very good circle of friends with whom I get along very well. We talk about all sorts of things, but if I dare to bring up the subject of spirituality in conversation, I get an uncomfortable reaction as if I’ve just revealed a shameful family secret. It seems that these days it’s very difficult to find anyone interested in talking about spirituality or religion. Why?
In Jesus’ day, it seemed easier. At least, that’s the impression one gets from reading about Jesus’ life in The Urantia Book. Jesus always seems to find people interested in hearing him talk about religion and spirituality. He seems to have no difficulty discussing these subjects with complete strangers. What’s the truth?
In fact, there are probably a number of factors to consider here. First, it is probably important to understand that the authors of the fourth part of the Book only record the times when Jesus was actually able to establish a positive conversation about religion or spirituality with his contemporaries. It is more than likely that Jesus encountered a crowd of people who were not at all interested in hearing about religion, but what is the point of reporting these incidents in the UB; it is rather pointless. The authors have preferred—rightly so—to record the many occasions when Jesus was able to rekindle the flame of faith in the souls of his contemporaries. This is, in any case, more instructive for us readers.
Then, it is possible that the times were more suited to it than ours. The Midwayers mention that the first century of the Christian era was one of the richest and most fertile periods for the implantation of new religious ideas. The thirst for truth was stronger there. Our times, it would seem, are more materialistic. People in general are only concerned with their work, their family, their leisure time and their money. There is little room left for spirituality.
Finally, there is the personality of Jesus that can also provide an explanation. Jesus was certainly very gifted at getting people to open up, at taking the conversation to another level. Jesus was outgoing, he probably possessed a lot of magnetism and charisma. People wanted to open up to him, to talk to him and, above all, to ask him questions. He had the gift of putting people at ease.
Finally, there is the attitude of the Master. Sometimes, often, Jesus took the lead. He did not wait to see if the person in front of him was receptive or not; he cast his line, just in case. Like the time when he was building boats and he kept talking about God to his workmate, even though he had shown no sign of being receptive in this direction. Or the time when he offered his help to the depressed young man on the island of Crete. The young man replied, “But I didn’t ask you for anything.” But Jesus knew well that the young man was crying desperately for help, deep down. For this was another quality of Jesus: he could sense when someone was thirsting for the truth, he could search hearts and know who would be receptive to his gospel.
So he didn’t waste time with those who didn’t want to know anything. Like that stubborn pagan he met in northern Italy. Because he too sometimes found himself in trouble, coming across someone who wasn’t at all receptive. At those times, he knew what to do: nothing. Don’t insist. Like when he was mocked by the crowd while he was on the cross. He didn’t answer. He had preached to his disciples not to throw their pearls before swine and he dared to live according to his precepts.
Talking to people about spirituality is not easy. But with perseverance and the example of Jesus, who can certainly serve as an inspiration, it can be done. Because after all, even if it seems that our times are too materialistic, there is a spiritual flame inside each person that is sleeping, however faint it may be. It is simply a matter of awakening it, as Jesus knew so well how to do, because he knew how to probe souls. Some readers of UB did not wait for the “right moment” and went for it. They approached spirituality with relatives or even strangers. Some have undoubtedly suffered bitter setbacks, like me, but others have managed to make contact with other souls and sharpen their curiosity. This is how, one person at a time, the world gradually becomes more and more spiritual, which is the next earthly goal of our evolution.
Today’s materialism is destined to disappear; it is only a matter of time. The next earthly age will be spiritual, there is no doubt about it. Let us begin today to prepare the world of tomorrow.
¶ Everything is lent to us
Sylvère Marcoux
Thetford-Mines
I have some possessions, but I own nothing. I own nothing, and yet I am accumulating treasure.
During an interview where I was applying to volunteer, I was asked what my motivation was. I answered that our true wealth is what we give.
We can say my wife (my husband), my children, my house, my car, etc.
Even our present life does not last very long. It is lent to us.
The people around us are on loan to us. It is a sacred trust. (Parable of the talents, of the mines? It is important to take care of them and to return them in a better state than when they entered our life. It is with love, a joyful service, that we can do this work.
We are not always aware of our journey, of our evolution.
I’ll tell you what happened to me. With a companion, had undertaken to renovate a basement. One morning, I was getting ready to work. There was not a single tool left in the truck. At first I thought I had taken someone else’s truck. It was indeed my truck. A thief had been there.
How come I wasn’t angry?
How come I gave these tools and asked God for a blessing for this person so that he could earn an honorable living?
Sometimes we receive these wonderful unexpected gifts that make us realize that we have grown. I was surprised by my unconventional attitude and I can only be grateful for this step forward.
“The religion of the spirit means effort, struggle, conflict, faith, determination, love, loyalty, and progress. The religion of the mind—the theology of authority—requires little or none of these exertions from its formal believers.” (UB 155:5.11)
¶ ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
AUQ
The AUQ will hold its next Annual General Meeting on Sunday, February 15, 2015 starting at 10 a.m. at Hôtel Le Dauphin 600 Boul. St-Joseph, Drummondville.
As readers of The Urantia Book, you can attend this meeting and see how the members of the board of directors are working to make the revelation known in Quebec. A review of the 2014 activities will be presented as well as upcoming projects and activities.
Routes from Montreal:
- Join highway 20 towards Quebec.
- Take exit 177 to join Boulevard Saint-Joseph heading East.
Routes from Quebec:
- From the Pierre-Laporte Bridge take highway 20 towards Montreal.
- Take exit 177 to join Boulevard Saint-Joseph heading East.
On the agenda
- Opening of the meeting by the president after taking attendance and establishing the quorum.
- Reading and adoption of the agenda of February 15, 2015.
- Reading and adoption of the minutes of the meeting of February 2, 2014.
- Reading of the activity report for the year 2014.
- 2014 financial report and budget forecasts for 2015.
- Election of an election chairman and reading of the election procedure.
- Presentation and election of candidates for the positions of President and Treasurer.
- List of resolutions ratified for 2014.
- Upcoming projects for the Association.
- Adjournment of the meeting.
After lunch, at there will be sharing.
¶ Call for applications
Secretary of the AUQ
This year, at our Annual General Meeting to be held on Sunday, February 15, 2015 at Hôtel Le Dauphin, 600, boulevard St-Joseph, Drummondville QC, there will be an election for the positions of President and Treasurer.
Description of the positions of President and Treasurer.
(Taken from our corporate statutes and regulations)
President: The President chairs the meetings of the Board of Directors and the annual general meetings of all members of the association, acts as spokesperson for the association and presents an annual written report of the activities of the association to the local or national association, as well as to the chair of the Coordinating Committee.
Treasurer: The Treasurer is responsible for the association’s cash register and bank accounts; collects dues and contributions; is responsible for fundraisers.
***
Any member in good standing wishing to submit their application may do so now by communicating their intention by mail to the following address:
Urantia Association of Quebec,
A/s to the Secretary,
C.P. 304, St-Jérôme, QC
J7Z 5T9
Or by email to: secretaire.auq@gmail.com.
¶ Editor’s note
Normand Laperle
Lévis
If you have visited the AUQ website in the Réflectivité archives, you may have noticed that it is impossible to download from August 2014 onwards. We have asked our web technicians to check this problem.
In the meantime, if needed, you can click on the following links:
- For the Réflectivité of August 2014: https://urantia-quebec.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/documents/Reflectivite/reflectivite_2014_8_0_4.pdf
- For the Réflectivité of September 2014: https://urantia-quebec.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/documents/Reflectivite/reflectivite_2014_9_0_4.pdf
- For the Réflectivité of October 2014: https://urantia-quebec.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/documents/Reflectivite/reflectivite_2014_10_0_4.pdf
- For the Réflectivité of November 2014: https://urantia-quebec.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/documents/Reflectivite/reflectivite_2014_11_0_4.pdf
Happy to serve.
¶ “Hear ye, hear ye!”
The Urantia Association of Quebec is looking for a webmaster to redo its website and take care of its maintenance.
If you are a reader who has this know-how and who desires to serve the Revelation, here is an opportunity to fulfill this aspiration.
For more information, contact Gaétan G. Charland at: president.auq@gmail.com
Gaetan G. Charland
President AUQ
¶ Upcoming AUQ activities
AUQ General Assembly
Mark your calendar for the AUQ General Assembly, Sunday, February 15, 2015, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the “Le dauphin” hotel, 600 Boul. St-Joseph, Drummondville.
Even if you are not a member, you can attend this meeting. You will hear, among other things, an account of its activities and projects in 2014 and those to come.
In the afternoon, there will be testimonies on The Urantia Book.
¶ The Urantia Association of Quebec
The Urantia Association of Quebec (U.U.Q.) is affiliated with the Urantia Association International (U.I.A.) and supports Urantia Foundation in its mandate as described in the Urantia Foundation Declaration of Trust and assists it in the dissemination of the teachings revealed in The Urantia Book. The Association is governed by a Board of Directors composed of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer. All are elected for a two-year term at the Annual General Meeting. Membership in the Association may be as a Regular Member or a Friend Member, according to eligibility criteria specific to each.
The Urantia Association of Quebec reserves the right to revoke or refuse any application for membership if the applicant does not meet its requirements and regulations or those of Urantia Association International.
REGULAR MEMBER
Eligibility criteria:
- Have read The Urantia Book in its entirety.
- Accept and adopt the teachings of The Urantia Book in your daily life.
- Read and accept the regulations of the A.U.I., the A.U.Q., and the Declaration of Trust (DOT).
- Pay your contribution before February 28 preferably.
Benefits of being a regular member:
- A. May hold a position in the management of the Association or one of its committees.
- B. Has the right to vote in elections.
- C. Takes part in decisions regarding the direction of the Association, when required.
- D. Is invited to regular meetings.
- E. Subscribes for free to the monthly Réflectivité.
- F. Subscribes free of charge to the UIA Journal.
- G. Opportunity to render service.
FRIEND MEMBER
Eligibility criteria:
- Have begun reading The Urantia Book with the intention of completing it.
- Have undertaken the acceptance of the teachings of The Urantia Book.
- Pay your contribution before February 28 preferably.
Benefits of being a friend member:
- A. May take part in one of the committees.
- B. Is invited to regular meetings.
- C. Subscribes for free to the monthly Réflectivité.
- D. Subscribes free of charge to the UAI Journal.
- E. Opportunity to be of service.
URANTIA ASSOCIATION OF QUEBEC
WWWURANTIA-QUEBEC.CA
MEMBERSHIP FORM
PLEASE PRINT IN BLOCK LETTERS
NAME : _____
FIRST NAME : _____
ADDRESS : _____
CITY : _____
PROVINCE : _____
POSTAL CODE: _____
SUCH. RES. : ( _____ ) _____ SUCH. BUR. : ( _____ ) _____
E-MAIL : _____
DATE : _____
Signature : _____
- I request membership as: _____ regular member friend member
- I would like to receive the monthly Réflectivité in format: digital (PDF file) paper (by post)
Attached: A check in the amount of $60.00
To the order of: Urantia Association of Quebec Send to: Urantia Association of Quebec, P.O. Box 304, St-Jérôme QC, J 7Z 5T9
(Updated 2015-01-02)
¶ STUDY GROUPS
THIS ACTIVITY ALLOWS MULTIPLE READERS OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING to share and study together the teachings of The Urantia Book. It promotes spiritual progress by allowing its participants to find practical applications to the teachings of_ The Urantia Book_ in their daily lives. This important practice helps to maintain a broad perspective on concepts of truth.
You wish to participate or form a study group; we will be happy to assist you. If you wish to have your study group appear in this list, contact the person in charge, via email association.urantia.quebec@gmail.com or at 450-565-3323.
Outaouais Group
Gatineau Region
Tuesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Maurice Migneault:
(613) 789-6833
Group : “Sans Frontière”
Hawkesbury Region
Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Yvon and Irene Belle-Isle: (613) 632-5706
Group : “Laurantia”
Petite Nation region in Outaouais
Sundays from 9:00 a.m.
Denise Charron & Jean-Claude Lafrenière Tel: (819) 983-2113
Group: “Découverte”
Laurentides Region
Mondays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Gaétan Charland and Line St-Pierre
Tel.: (450) 565-3323
Group : “Étoile du Soir”
Laurentides Region
Wednesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Carmen Charland: (450) 553-3601
Group : “Les Débonnaires”
Terrebonne Region
Every 2 weeks: Thursdays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Julien Audet: (514) 315-9871
Group: “Uni-Terre”
Lanaudière region
Sundays from 9:00 a.m.
Eric Martel: (450) 756-9387
Group: “Fraternité-Urantia”
Lanaudière region
Wednesdays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Richard Landry & Gisèle Boisjoly Tel: (450) 589-6922
Group: “The United Family of Urantia”
Montreal Region
Tuesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Ms. Diane Labrecque: (514) 277-2308
Group : “Le Pont”
Montreal South Shore Region
Thursdays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Guy Vachon: (450) 465-7049
Group: “The South Shore Lighthouse”
Montreal South Shore Region
Mondays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Luciano Camellini and Dominique Marchessault Tel.: (450) 332-1459
Group : “Vers les Sommets”
Ormstown & Valleyfield Regions
Fridays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Louise Sauvé: (450) 829-3631
Sherbrooke Group
Sherbrooke region
Every 2 weeks: Tuesdays or Wednesdays (to be confirmed) from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Hélène Boisvenue and Denis Gravelle Tel.: (819) 569-6416
Group: “Readers of Mauricie”
Trois-Rivières Region
Mondays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Madeleine Boisvert: (819) 376-8850
Roger Périgny: (819) 379-5768
Group: “The Agondontarians”
Quebec Region
Every 2 weeks: Sundays from 13 h 00 to 4:00 p.m.
Guy & Rolande L. Martin: (418) 651-3851
Group: “The Partners of the Supreme”
Quebec Region
Mondays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Richard Lachance: (418) 614-2520
or (418) 933-0244 (cell.)
Group: “At Maisonia”
Quebec Region
Every 2 weeks: Sundays from 1:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Gilles Bertrand & Louise Renaud:
(418) 871-4564
Group: “The Ascendants”
Quebec South Shore Region
Every 2 weeks: Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Guy Le Blanc: (418) 886-2366