© 1996 Michael Gillespie, Robin Robinson & Melissa Wells
© 1996 The Fellowship for readers of The Urantia Book
“… the faith of spirt born man confers the assurance of living fellowship with the eternal God.” The Urantia Book UB 178:1.11
By Michael Gillespie, Robin Robinson & Melissa Wells
A buzz of activity is underway as the Urantia reader community prepares to explore the many dimensions of “Living Faith” at the 1996 International Conference, August 3rd through 8th at the Northern Arizona University campus in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Conference chairman Janet Farrington, vice president of the Fellowship, has led a host of volunteers for the past three years to create a setting of spiritual and intellectual stimulation as well as involvement for each member of the family, no matter what age or level of interest in The Urantia Book. All the favorite aspects of previous international conferences have been arranged, as well as some new experiences for conference goers.
Best of all, IC’ 96 has been priced so that families can more easily arrange to take advantage of this special opportunity to meet or remeet friends of the Urantia community from all corners of the world.
“We have done our best to plan a brief and beautiful encounter,” says Farrington, “to experience living faith in loving action.”
We hope that you will join us at Flagstaff this summer. What follows is a broad-brush view of events that have been arranged for your education, entertainment and edification.
¶ Keynote Speakers
Plenary speakers include a bevy of proven communicators on a wide range of subjects. Dan Massey will be the keynote speaker for the program on Sunday, August 4th, which will focus on the Cosmic Family. Massey, who lives in the Washington, D.C. area and is chairman of the Fellowship’s Education Committee, has been a featured speaker at the three Scientific Symposia and the recent Summer Seminars.
Earlene Green, also from the Washington, D.C. area and a reader of The Urantia Book for nearly 20 years, will speak on Monday, August 5th, about the Global Family. Her presentation is entitled “We’re All Connected.” This will be an inspirational sharing focusing on diversity and what unites people. “We’re each a part of God’s flower garden,” Green says. “I’ll explore our responsibilities to each other and our planet.”
No plenary session is planned for Tuesday, August 6th, since that day has been dedicated to recreation and scenic tours of the northern Arizona area, rich in the tradition of Native Americans.
Wednesday, August 7th, Geri Johnson will speak on the Human Family. Johnson resides in Saudi Arabia with her husband and two sons, and this family helped form the Grand Canyon Society while residing in Phoenix.
On Thursday, August 8th, Mo Siegel, chairman of the Domestic Extension Committee, will speak on the Faith Family.
¶ Morning Study
Concurrent morning sessions will further explore the themes developed by the plenary speaker of the day.
As a sampling of offerings at IC’ 96 , topics and presenters include: “Foundations of Faith: The Spiritual Dimension of Fathering” by Claire Thurston; “Harmonizing the Global Family” by David Glass; “A Cosmology of Race” by Kermit Anderson, Matthew Block, David Kantor, and Charles Olivea; “What I’ve Always Been But Never Really Knew” by Marta Elders; “Global Family — The Way Forward” by Will Wentworth.
The list goes on. These lectures, discussion groups, and panel sessions are the culmination of years of research, in some cases, and professional expertise. They will provide an excellent opportunity to dialogue on issues among readers with a worldwide range of knowledge and experience.
“My lecture on faith will indicate its origin, importance, function, and use, also its incredible results and rewards,” says Father Robert Schuer at St. Agatha Church in Columbus, Ohio, whose session is entitled “Faith - Seeing the Invisible, Knowing the Unknowable.” “After physical and spiritual life itself, faith is the most valuable of all gifts from God. It truly makes family fellowship with God the Father and with all other human beings possible.”
¶ Afternoon Studies
The goal of the afternoon is to present a balanced set of opportunities. There will be more discussion groups, emphasizing the theme of the morning lecture program, as well as a variety of indoor or outdoor family activities.
“Thus far there are over 30 committed presenters for talks and discussion groups,” says Lee Smith, discussion coordinator. Topics include “Experiencing Sonship with God,” “Be Still and Know That I Am God’ — Unifying Meditation Techniques,” “Jesus’ Teaching about the Kingdom,” “The Rights of the Child and the United Nations Convention,” “Journey into Wholeness: Understanding Relationships,” “Faith: Our Spiritual Receptivity,” “The Psychology of Living Faith,” and “ 21 Steps to a Spiritual Awakening.”
“So, ”whosoever will may come,“, Smith says. ”We encourage your attendance, your involvement, and the sharing of your Living Faith."
¶ Family Activities
The IC’96 program includes family activities for kids of all ages. Both indoor and outdoor activities are planned to balance the traditional emphasis on more intellectual pursuits. Outdoors, there will be group sports, including softball and volleyball, with matches set for the categories of adults, teens, and children. Non-competitive games will be featured, too. Indoors, there will be music, poetry, group dancing, yoga, puppets, and various crafts.
“We’re making sure that there are plenty of family activities,” says Tony Finstad, activities organizer, “fun for all the kids — even the middle-aged and older ones.”
Finstad is looking for additional volunteers. Give him a call at (206) 4024315 if you would like to help.
¶ Worship
Each plenary session at IC’96 will begin with a time of worship, providing a flavor of approach to God by spiritual leaders from around the world. Sunday morning’s program will begin with worship in the tradition of Native Americans. Wednesday’s worship will be led by Sister Jayanti of the Brahma Kumari. An hour of worship in the evenings has also been arranged by Gard Jameson, chairman of the Fraternal Relations Committee.
¶ Club UB
In the evenings, the Coffeehouse, open from 9 p.m. until 10 p.m. and serving, of course, coffee, as well as beer and wine, will accommodate the discussions that are just too good to end with the afternoon. Then at 10 p.m. we’ll shift into Club UB featuring the ever-popular live entertainment of talented individuals within the Urantia community.
Another evening will be devoted to jazz. Violinist Cristina Seaborn and singer-songwriter Barbara Hester will be on hand to entertain, and there will be a professional band to back up guest musicians. Magician Shawn Greer will present mystifying feats of legerdemain.
If you would like to perform at Club UB, call organizer Gary Deinstadt at (914) 276-1026.
¶ Day Trips
On Tuesday, the schedule will change to include daylong tours to a variety of scenic, historical, and archeological sites in the area. Tour packages have been arranged and prices (adults/ children 5-15) include all park entrance and national monument fees, but lunch is not included.
The Grand Canyon sightseeing tour ($37 / $18.50) will visit the Navajo Reservation, Trading Post, and Coconino National Forest as well as the Grand Canyon. The tour will also visit Grand Canyon Village, Bright Angel Lodge, and several scenic vantage points.
The Oak Creek Canyon/ Montezuma’s Castle tour ($32 / $16) will visit many of Oak Creek’s natural wonders, including Bell Rock, the Chapel of the Holy Cross, and Cathedral Rock, a turreted sandstone butte at Red Rock Crossing. Montezuma’s Castle is a latestage dwelling of the Sinagua Indians that was erroneously named for the famous Indian chief.
The Petrified Forest/Painted Desert tour ($54 / $27) will visit the fossilized, rainbow-colored, 150 million-year-old silica forest discovered by the Anasazi
Indians, the meteor crater where NASA astronauts trained for their moon landings, and the Indian ruins on the Puerco River. The Petrified Forest has more than 300 ancient (pre1400 A.D.) Indian ruins and other sites.
A fourth tour, by boat from Lake Powell to the Grand Canyon ($80 / $70), will take conference goers from Lake Powell to Lees’ Ferry. The 15mile trip begins at the Glen Canyon Dam and travels southwest through Glen Canyon toward the Grand Canyon. Appropriate clothing and sun protection are recommended.
“It’s very important to make reservations ahead of time for all tours. Only a few last-minute reservations will be accepted at the conference site,” says day trip coordinator Eve McMahon. “Don’t be left out of an exciting outdoor experience.” For additional information, call McMahon at (602) 788-1750.
¶ Fun at the Country Fair
The final event of IC’96 is a 1940sstyle country fair, which will be held in the Bowl at the campus. campus. The grassy area, surrounded by 100 -year-old pines, will be turned into a fairgrounds.
Coordinator Jennifer Siegel, who resides in Boulder, Colorado, envisions Urantia Book readers strolling past tents, enjoying musical entertainment, hawkers and treats like popcorn and cotton candy.
“We wanted to recreate the feeling of festive community they had in the good old days,” Siegel says. “The Bowl is the perfect location for a fair. It even has a gazebo in the center.”
Siegel plans to add park benches for folks to sit and enjoy fair events along with the panoramic view of the mountains beyond the pines.
Plans for events and entertainment are still shaping up. Siegel is asking for suggestions and assistance from any readers with experience organizing carnival rides, watermelon contests, threelegged races and entertainment. She’ll also need help setting up the site on Thursday, August 8th.
For those who are interested in this opportunity for service, Siegel may be contacted at (303) 447-0212, preferably Monday through Friday between 9:30 and 11 a.m. (Rocky Mountain time).