© 2013 Michelle Klimesh, Andrea Barnes, Charles Laurence Olivea
© 2013 The Urantia Book Fellowship
¶ Our Gift to God the Father: Service to the Supreme
The Urantia Book Fellowship’s Summer Study Session 2013
July 10 - 14, 2013
What is the relationship of doing the Father’s will to serving the Supreme? How does worshiping God foster serving our brothers and sisters? How do mortals reveal the Supreme to their fellows?
Join with other Urantia Book students to explore the answers to these and many other life transforming questions this July at The Fellowship’s Summer Study Session. It will again be held at Techny Towers which is just north of Chicago. Plenary speakers Gary Deinstadt, Cristina Seaborn, Seth Wood, and Tamara Strumfeld will share their insights on the topic. The Education Committee’s commitment to cultivate high quality thinking and nurture the pursuit of wisdom through in-depth study of the teachings of The Urantia Book promises to provide stimulating workshops.
In addition to the regular program, you may extend your stay by attending one of several preconference events. A spiritual retreat, “The Unity of Worship and Service,” the Urantia Society Representatives Conclave, and a speakers and presenters workshop will begin on Wednesday evening, July 10th and continue on Thursday, July 11th. A Chicago city tour will be held on Thursday as well. You are also welcome to stay at Techny on Sunday night to observe the General Council meeting on Monday, July 14th. As always, the Summer Study Session is a time for making new friends, renewing old relationships and joining with each other in prayer and gratitude.
If you are interested in giving a workshop, please contact Nick Stefero at nstefero@cox.net.
¶ SSS13 Focuses on Service to the Supreme
Summer Study Sessions always provide opportunities for in-depth study, inspiration, and fellowship. In addition, this summer’s program with a focus on “Service to the Supreme,” will include a “service” strand featuring workshops with practical applications for outreach as well. Among others, there will be a workshop on how to use the internet to increase your service to the revelation, a workshop using tested and creative ideas for introducing The Urantia Book, and a study group conclave to explore ways to enrich study groups and build a vital revelation community.
Are you interested in the variety of ways, including search engines and glossaries, to use the internet in service to the revelation? Do you need fresh new ideas for how to introduce The Urantia Book? Do you have someone close to you who would like to be introduced to the book? Would you like to participate in a process to improve the quality of study in study groups and revitalize your study group community?
If so, join fellow revelation workers this summer at Techny Towers, July 11-14.
¶ More Activities at SSS 13
This year’s Summer Study Sessions, sponsored by the Fellowship Education Committee, will again take place at Techny Towers in Northbrook, Illinois, just north of Chicago, on July 10 – 14.
Workshop Leaders Needed
The Education Committee is looking for workshop leaders. Please ask members of your group to consider submitting a proposal to make such a presentation within this year’s theme of “Our Gift to God the Father: Service to the Supreme.” The theme focuses on our partnership with God the Father, a relationship that is made possible because of the fragment of God within, furthered realized through service, and facilitated under the auspices of the emerging Supreme Being. Proposals to give workshops should be emailed to Nick Stefero: nstefero@cox.net.
Triennial Delegate Assembly to Re-convene
Societies are also reminded that last year’s Triennial Delegate Assembly recessed rather than adjourned and that it is scheduled to meet again according to the votes of the delegates. The meeting will start Wednesday night, July 10, and continue on Thursday, finishing by dinner. A significant portion will be in the form of a Society Conclave, a gathering designed to share ideas to improve each society’s functions and outreach.
Study Group Conclave
A new event at this year’s Seminars will be a Study Group Conclave. This will be a meeting to which study group leaders and attenders are invited. It will meet during workshop times on Saturday morning, July 13. This first Study Group Conclave will be a somewhat open meeting that will be begin with comments from three Fellowship committee chairpersons: Lara Amyx of Membership, Andrea Barnes of Outreach, and David Kulieke of Education. They will all briefly discuss how their committees can help study groups and how they see future ways to support and expand study groups, always mindful of the desire of the study group for such assistance. Then the floor will be open to ideas. Attenders will be given the chance to submit further thoughts for study group help as well as ideas for how to organize future Study Group Conclaves. The committees hope that suggestions will become ongoing activity.
Please contact: david.kulieke@gmail.com with questions or suggestions.
¶ Historic Gathering of U AI, UBF, and U F
On Thursday, March 7, 2013, Urantia Association International (UAI), The Urantia Book Fellowship (the Fellowship), and Urantia Foundation held a joint meeting of presidents, executive directors, and appointed representatives at Urantia Foundation headquarters in Chicago.
Gaétan Charland, James Woodward, and Chris Wood represented UAI. Lila Dogim, Paula Thompson, and John Hales represented the Fellowship. Mo Siegel, Jay Peregrine, and Gard Jameson represented Urantia Foundation. Marilynn Kulieke attended and presented the results of the reader survey.
The groundwork for a new era of trust and mutual respect was laid at this historic gathering. All the attendees were hopeful that, with continued leadership, shared good will, and the thoughtful execution of projects agreed to at the meeting, results of the meeting would benefit the entire community.
It was proposed that the leaders and representatives of all three organizations agree on the following:
- To participate cooperatively at book fairs in the United States and worldwide.
- To work cooperatively regarding Urantia Book educational seminars and spiritual retreats. The attendees acknowledged that training teachers and leaders is a priority. Toward this end, it was agreed that the education committee chairs from each organization - namely, Sheila Keene-Lund, David Kulieke, and Gard Jameson will discuss educational seminars and spiritual retreats, bringing any proposals pertaining to cooperation to the boards of their respective organizations.
- To continue cooperating on the international study group directory. A committee has been working together to improve the directory.
- To continue the cooperation among the three organizations with respect to adjustment of their calendars in order to respect the planned events of the other organizations.
- To cooperate in the production of secondary works. The delegates agreed that secondary works in other languages are a high priority and suggested that the education chairs of the three organizations meet to discuss this matter.
- And, finally, to meet together once a year.
Inasmuch as the delegates and many readers of The Urantia Book feel that greater unity among the three organizations not only benefits the revelation but also reflects the teachings of the book, the participants at this meeting felt that the day represented a positive step forward in the evolution of the Urantia community
¶ Pipeline of Light Report
In the first quarter of 2013, Pipeline of Light volunteers placed one hundred and fifty-eight copies of The Urantia Book into eleven countries. Your donations for the Pipeline helped us deliver books to readers and study groups in Nigeria, Mexico, Kenya, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Chile, Pakistan, the United States, the Philippines, El Salvador, and Ecuador.
Current efforts bring our Pipeline all-time totals to 3,862 books placed into seventy-five countries around the world.
We deeply appreciate the contributions of our volunteers and our donors. If you would like to contribute to this work, donations can be made online at: www.urantiabook.org/urantia-book-store/contributions or by mail to: The Urantia Book Fellowship, PO Box 6631, Broomfield, CO 80021.
Thank you so much for your support.
Michelle Klimesh
Pipeline Coordinator
¶ Family Life in the Fellowship
The Family Life Committee is an adjunct of the Youth and Young Adult standing committee and was formed to begin gathering materials on family life and organizing them for an archive on Urantia Now. This process is currently underway with initial materials provided by Sara Blackstock of the Family Life Committee. More materials are needed and the committee would greatly appreciate help gathering the topical studies, parenting articles, books, curriculum, musings, and humorous stories about family life on Urantia. Please send scanned materials to Richard Daunt at: richard.daunt@hotmail.com. Of course, the author’s permission is required.
In addition, we will add new programs and materials as they become available. There will be a menu option for new programs and we hope parents will try out new ideas and give feedback to improve the materials.
Finally, the Family Life Committee will be involved in the “Bring the Kids” track at IC14. We hope to have a small Jerusalem Marketplace and to provide a few workshops to support parenting and family life, such as Family Meetings and Values Based Parenting strategies. Please forward requests and/or ideas to Janet Graham at: jfarrg@gmail.com. We hope to see lots of children and their parents at the Fellowship’s 2014 International Conference.
Thanks to the YaYA Committee for sponsoring the Family Life adjunct committee. Stay tuned for more exciting news as we integrate family life into revelation study and service.
In loving service,Sara Blackstock, Miranda Clendenning, Richard Daunt, Janet Graham (Chair)
A human being’s entire afterlife is enormously influenced by what happens during the first few years of existence.” [UB 177:2.5]
¶ The General Council in Los Angeles
The General Council of the Fellowship meeting in Los Angeles February 6-10 began with a retreat and closed with a social gathering with area members. The retreat involved both a group meeting as well as small group discussions. As is the custom, area members were invited to watch the Council in session, and several did observe the meeting. All enjoyed the Saturday evening social.
¶ Introducing the Study Buddy Program
Remember when you first discovered The Urantia Book?
Do you remember how so many things became suddenly clear?
How so much of history suddenly made sense?
How so many mysteries suddenly had plausible explanations?
And did your relationship with God change—now “nearer that breathing, closer than hands and feet”, a loving companion?
What a transformative experience to learn we live in a friendly Universe, and there is nothing to fear…ever… from our loving Father, God.
Was it sometimes difficult reading The Urantia Book alone in wide-eyed wonder, filled with hope and joy? How much did you yearn to spend some time with anyone who had a common conceptual framework and vocabulary? Do you, like me, treasure the experience of meeting “new Urantia Book readers” partly because you get to share in those early moments of amazement and profound enthusiasm?
Then it’s your lucky day…There are opportunities for you!
The Fellowship’s Outreach and International Fellowship Committee along with our staff want to be able to offer mentors to new readers, to invite more wonderful people into the circles of our fellowship. We are launching what we call the Study Buddy Program because we believe that every Urantia Book reader should have someone to talk to, ask questions of, or share insights with, if they are so inclined.
We are creating a list of long time Urantia students who are willing to pair with newer students one-toone. Study Buddies can meet at a local fast food place, coffee shop, or library, or just over the phone. We need permission to help one Urantia reader to contact another so we are asking, are you interested in meeting with and mentoring a new Urantia Book reader occasionally? If you are interested in being or having a Study Buddy to meet
with, it’s easy; just fill out this form online, www.urantiabook.org/study/find-study-buddy, and we’ll do the rest.
¶ Outreach using Craigslist or Facebook
By Andrea Barnes
In seeking interesting, non-threatening ways to introduce The Urantia Book to thousands of hungry truthseekers who are yearning for such a beautiful revelation, I have come up with an idea that we can all participate in.
It’s an idea that started 25 years ago when I had an extra phone line put in my house and bought an answering machine so that people could call in and hear a recorded two-minute message about The Urantia Book. Over the years hundreds, if not thousands, of people listened to that message because of a simple ad I would run every week in a local newspaper. The little ads said things like:
- Atheists! Challenge your beliefs!
- A truth-seekers paradise!
- Religion, Science, and Philosophy can be harmonized!
- Free yourself from fear!
- You can survive death!
- Are you spiritually hungry and still searching?
- Jesus, a fresh new look 2,000 years later.
All were followed by “For a free taped message on The Urantia Book call ***-****”
Mo Siegel and Paula Thompson picked this up and ran with it creating a campaign in the Denver/Boulder area that was seen by thousands.
Today we have so many new tools at our fingertips and it occurred to me that this method could be morphed into something different but powerful.
So, what I have done is listed an ad on Craigslist in the “general” section which is under “Community.” It’s very simple to place an ad on Craigslist.org. If you would like to try this in your area, and need any help, please contact me. In the subject line of the ad I simply say “You can survive death!” or some other one liner that you like. What will grab them and make them want to click on that link?
Then I put in the body of the ad the following:
For a free taped message about The Urantia Book call 800-288-3772 or read it here:
The Urantia Book’s contents are staggering in their scope and diversity. The Urantia Book has thousands of readers the world over. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s probably because it hasn’t been publicized or commercialized. It’s not a cult with any strange rules or practices. There are no dues to pay and no human being to exalt in connection with the book.
While The Urantia Book holds the answers to the world’s deepest questions it does not close you down to the truth contained in other religions. It says we would be better off to see the best in each other’s religions and focus on the truth we have in common.
The Urantia Book is to be used as a springboard for developing a personal relationship with God. Jesus said, “In preaching the gospel of the kingdom, you are simply teaching friendship with God.” Nothing is more important than a firsthand experience of God, and realizing that we can have a loving relationship with God, for ourselves and in our own lives. The Urantia Book fosters tolerance for all sincere efforts to find God, and is true to the teaching of acceptance, forgiveness and love which Jesus so graciously lived 2,000 years ago.
The book offers a very straightforward, commonsense approach to God, the universe, our planet and mankind. It plausibly answers the seemingly unanswerable questions like: What happens when we die? How will we ever all learn to get along? Are we the only intelligent beings in the universe? Can religion, science, and philosophy be unified and harmonized? Who are we and where are we going? What is the purpose of life? Why do bad things happen to good people? You will find The Urantia Book’s answers to be a revelation beyond imagination. The answers are logical and unequivocal.
The Urantia Book doesn’t dull life, it sharpens it. It doesn’t attempt to set you apart as a saint in a Godless world. No matter what religion you are, or even if you have no religion, The Urantia Book will intrigue and inspire you.
Go ahead, be skeptical! Get the book for yourself and read it. If it brings an unexplained smile to your face and rings the chord of truth in your heart, you may decide, as so many have, that it’s true. The Urantia Book removes fear and doubt and restores faith. It opens hearts to the reality of God’s love and to the fact that we live in a friendly and well-ordered universe. It offers humanity a wonderful new perspective on our world. That’s why we want to share it.
You can find the book in libraries and bookstores and read and listen to it free online; just search U-R-A-N-T-I-A Book. There are also study groups in most US cities. If you would like more information about the book or a list of study groups you can go to our website at www.urantiabook.org or leave your email address and we’ll send you a list of ways to access the book for free online.
This script is very similar to the original but Paula made a few changes that, I think, make it really good. I am also including a picture of the book cover on the Craigslist post. If you right click on the image here you can save it to your computer and upload it later when posting on Craigslist.
When you call in you’ll hear Paula Thompson speak it which is really nice to hear. She’s got one of those warm, sincere, and persuasive voices that is easy to listen to.
Please consider doing this in your area.
Simply: go on to www.craigslist.org, then ‘Community” => “General” then in the top right corner you see “Post”. Just click that and then fill in the subject line (as I’ve suggested here or come up with your own one-liner), then fill in the body of the thing just like an email using the above 800 number and text. You can start an account and there is no charge or big forms to fill out. Keep your ad updated monthly.
Here are some other ideas for one-liners to put in your Craigslist.org ‘subject line’.
- The Urantia Book: Simply the most important book on our world!
- How to Be Happy
- Synthesizing Science and Religion
- Effective Prayer
- Angels: Their Purpose and Function
- Primary Priorities in Life: The Art of Living
- Relationships are Eternal Things: Ends in and of Themselves
- The Phenomenon of Mind and its Relationship to Spirituality
- Marriage and Family: Partnering with The Opposite Sex and Partner Choosing
- Education: What Should Our Priorities Be in the Twenty-first Century and Beyond
- The Life and Teachings of Jesus: What is his REAL GOSPEL?
- The Future: What to Expect
This can also be used on Facebook by simply putting in the ‘one liners’ and then giving them the phone number to call and listen to a 3-minute taped recording about this amazing, life-changing book called The Urantia Book.
Good luck, and contact me if you need any help.
Andrea Barnes
¶ On the Importance and Meaning of In-depth Study
By Charles Laurence Olivea © 2013
“The Urantia Book Fellowship Education Committee creates and fosters opportunity to cultivate high quality thinking and to nurture the pursuit of wisdom through in-depth study of the teachings of The Urantia Book.” (Emphasis added)
This Mission Statement of the Education Committee is part of an effort to place new emphasis or value on the idea of broader and deeper study of the Fifth Epochal Revelation. It reflects the Fellowship’s Constitutional requirement that we “foster the in-depth study of The Urantia Book…centered on universe educational ideals of encouraging the development of student-teachers.”
I would take the Mission Statement and the Constitutional mandate further by suggesting they anticipate norms that emerge on the Fifth Mansion World. “At about this point the average mortal ascender begins to manifest bona fide experiential enthusiasm for the Havona ascent. Study is becoming voluntary, unselfish service natural, and worship spontaneous.” [UB 47:7.5] (Emphasis added)
Why should we wait until the Fifth Mansion World?
It seems to me that, since this revelation was given in book form, the practice of in-depth study ought to become a permanent and widespread norm of the culture of readers and students of The Urantia Book. It should be manifested in the behavior of individuals, study groups, summer study conferences, seminars, or workshops and so on. Should it not become part of the living fabric of how we learn and teach others?
The pedagogy in The Urantia Book itself invites a reader or student to think, hypothesize, or question, or, when in the company of fellow students, to listen profoundly and to weigh carefully what is revealed in a follow-up reading. The revelation has been thoughtfully constructed around the need to study.
The word “study,” from the fourteenth century, was meant to denote “A state of contemplation…application of the mental faculties to the acquisition of knowledge…in a particular field…or to a specific object…careful extended consideration…or analysis of a phenomenon…or question.” The term, “In-depth,” coined in 1965, referred to a “comprehensive…thorough…study,” as in an “in-depth” study.” (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary)
In-depth study implies a shift toward programs requiring specific preparation of participants in workshops or seminars at conferences or in study groups. This ideal of studying seeks to maximize the intellectual participation of all individuals involved in small group discussion. People should be expected (as a norm) to bring their copies of The Urantia Book to discussions and to reference them to highlight or support a point or question in the flow of a conversation. All participants in workshops or study groups could benefit from reading and engaging in some reflection prior to a meeting.
As a process, it places a premium on critical thinking, listening carefully, and speaking intelligently and respectfully. In-depth study does not assure a fixed or certain outcome to any particular discussion. A group may reach an hypothesis or inference, leave off with a question, or result in a desire for continued conversation at a later date.
Time ought to be viewed as our “servant,” not our “master.” We should not be in a hurry. Jesus exemplified this. The notion of “voluntary study” suggests a willingness to broaden one’s knowledge and deepen one’s insights. This must not be viewed merely as a task, but a joy to be achieved in the art of living.
Again, for us, it means an intelligent desire to listen and share with kindred minds and souls. Personal growth sooner or later requires social interaction. An individual person can study on his or her own, but to really grow, your mental and spiritual powers need to interact (eventuate) with others in a brotherly or sisterly manner. Remember that relationships between personalities—human or divine—are ends in themselves; all else is secondary. [UB 112:2.4] Let us be forever inspired by the great declaration, “The entire universe is one vast school.” [UB 37:6.2]
¶ Save the Date for IC’14!
Mark your calendars and plan to bring the whole family for The Fellowship’s next International Conference! IC’14 will be held Wednesday, July 23- Sunday, July 27, 2014 at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
The theme of IC’14 is Grow Godward, and the program celebrates our many approaches to spiritual growth. IC’14 is designed as a fellowship of believers from around the world and across generations: parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, young adults and teenagers, longtime readers of The Urantia Book and spiritually curious friends and relatives who want to understand what it’s all about.
Learn lots more about the conference at ic14.org and submit a workshop or activity proposal by January 1, 2014.
Get up-to-the-minute info by liking the IC’14 Facebook page.
Info about registration, pricing packages, and scholarships will be available this summer. We know conferences can be expensive, so we are working up as many options as possible to make IC’14 affordable for you and your friends and family.
Keep checking the website for exciting updates on our flexible new conference program, our YouTube Film Festival, the awesome Truthseekers program, participation by all the societies, our special social day on Sunday, and lots more!
There is a great team working to create a dynamic, relevant, fun, eye-opening, and powerful conference for all of us. Contact Angela Thurston, conference chair, at chair@ic14.org to get in touch.
See you in New England next summer!
¶ Upcoming Events…
- Body, Mind, Spirit Expo, Outreach, Honolulu, HI, May 18-19, 2913
- Fellowship Summer Study Session 2013 - Techny Towers, Chicago July 11-14, 2013
- Fellowship General Council Meeting - Summer 2013, July 14-15
- Urantia Campout Miracle Beach, Vancouver Island, August 5-9, 2013. For further information, contact at Debbie Bartman, 144 Tait Rd. Nanaimo, BC, Canada, V9X13 or nebadon373@hotmail.com.
- United Urantia Family Festival, Yosemite, CA, August 20-24, 2013. For further information contact: dianelabreque@sympatico.ca.
¶ This ‘n That…
The classic “Selected Excerpts” brochure has been reformatted by Paula Thompson and published on the Fellowship website for downloading and printing. Go to: http://ubfellowship.org/outreach/ubexcerpts-v2.pdf. Print and distribute as many as you like.
¶ The Mighty Messenger Staff
Published by Uversa Press for the Publications Committee of The Urantia Book Fellowship.
Members: Linda Buselli, Chair Cece Forrester, David Glass, Merritt Horn, Nancy Johnson, Sage Waitts
877.288.3772
fellowship@urantiabook.org
www.urantiabook.org