© 2014 Avi Dogim, Meredith J. Sprunger, Peter Laurence
© 2014 The Urantia Book Fellowship
¶ Join Us For An Unforgettable Journey
Come to IC’14
Our greatest adventure is to grow toward God by striving to discover and do his will—and at IC’14 we will come together to explore what that means for each of us.
The journey begins with a pre-conference retreat called Grow Godward: A Circle of Trust. Here we will take a Godward journey in the encouraging and challenging presence of others. The retreat is limited to 30 participants and is nearly full, so register to secure your place.
After a celebratory opening night reception, we’ll kick off the conference at the first of four morning plenaries. Experience extraordinary music and worship our heavenly Father among hundreds of other Urantia Book readers from around the world. We will have one keynote speaker each morning, whose speeches will be followed by engaging small group discussions on some of the most pertinent and thought-provoking topics of concern to our community.
Your fellow UB readers will present more than 40 workshops and activities at IC’14, expressing their many approaches to God and sharing what they have learned about growing closer to Him. The program offers different tracks to help inform your decisions about what to attend. These include: “Study the Book,” “Serve with Love,” “Live the Teachings,” “Seek Truth,” “Bring the Family,” “Grow Personally,” and “Engage the World.”
The Family Life program at IC’14 will highlight some of the best ideas we have gathered through the years regarding the spiritual play life of children and effective tools for parenting. It will all happen under a big tent just outside the main conference venue. In the morning, the famous Jerusalem Marketplace will come to life, complete with costumes and a village commerce. In the afternoon, a values program developed by a team of dedicated teachers and youth leaders will offer materials for parents and hands-on experience for children.
The Truthseekers program will engage our teenagers in a meanings and values curriculum each morning, grounded in the teachings of the UB. Then they will head off in the afternoons for water boarding, kayaking, canoeing, sliding down waterfalls, rock climbing, zip lining, and caving. In the evening, the big tent will become a gathering place for Youth Group, where our youth and young adults will share their experiences living The Urantia Book’s teachings and imagine what is to come in the future of our movement.
We invite you to sell your books and art at the conference store, submit to the YouTube Film Festival, and perform your music, poetry, and comedy at the evening open mics. Come see a documentary film and a musical based on The Urantia Book, test your knowledge at the UB Quiz Show, and check out the project fair for UB-based projects you might want to get involved in.
Most importantly, since we only have international conferences every three years, this is a chance for you to fall in love with more of your brothers and sisters on Urantia. Set in the rolling hills of the Pioneer Valley, IC’14 promises a beautiful setting in which to sit on the lawn with old friends and new. As we know, on our Godward quest, relationships are ends in themselves.
¶ Welcoming the Thought Adjuster
A new International Conference tradition began at IC99 in Vancouver, BC, when 17 children between the ages of 5 and 7 attended a Welcome Thought Adjuster party in the Jerusalem tent one evening after dinner.
In the excitement over the upcoming ceremony the children dressed in the costumes they had worn during the day. They were told the Thought Adjuster is a piece of God that will live in them, and will be with them forever, to love them and guide them, that this Adjuster was a light that would shine in them forever.
Each child had a special card with their name on it and strung on a blue ribbon placed around their neck. To represent this new light within them, each child was given a large blue candle. Smaller white candles were then distributed to all of the adults present.
Then the blue candles were lit, and the adults solemnly lit their candles from those of the children to symbolize the light which these children could spread to the world. Meanwhile, a parent played a guitar softly in the background. The soft candlelight and music in the darkened tent was a gentle accompaniment to everyone singing “Jesus Loves Me.” Then the candles were extinguished and the children were congratulated and welcomed into the Urantia family.
Children who have gone through this ceremony do not forget it. Many of them are now young adults and active in the Urantia community.
Another ceremony is planned for IC14. And any child over the age of five who has not attended such a ceremony at either an international conference or within their parents’ study group is invited to participate. If you have a child who would like to participate at IC 14, please let the conference organizers know in advance, so that the appropriate materials can be prepared.
¶ Welcome Agondonter Boot Camp Society (ABCs)
After many years of meeting together and holding annual conferences since 1976, a group of Florida readers became the 28th Urantia Book Fellowship society to be chartered. The chartering ceremony was held at the home of Riula and Willy Deoto in Wellington, Florida on Saturday, March 22nd. More than 20 readers joined the Deotos and their children, Solonia and Gabriel for a day of sharing and fellowship. The Floridians were joined by Avi and Lila Dogim and Bobbie and Steve Dreier from the New York Society.
Daniel Amyx, the society’s first president, designed a charter certificate which included the names and signatures of the founding and charter members. Separate certificates were created for Charter Members and the Deoto’s children Solonia and Gabriel. Each member was presented with a copy of the certificate after a champagne toast to celebrate the occasion. The festivities which lasted from 1-6 pm included an unending variety of homemade delicacies. The new society will be hosting the opening night social at IC’14. Be sure to drop by to meet the Fellowship’s newest members!
¶ Delivering the Good News
People are languishing for the TRUTH.
We have it! This book was given because we have a philosophic emergency on this world! The book needs to be seen by those who will find the nourishment within and keep spreading it, just like we are doing. This ministry is done similar to the way Jesus did his work. We talk to each person individually. We meet them where they are at in their journey. We go to places where we think we’ll find open minded and sincere seekers.
YOU CAN HELP US! Traveling to these cities, renting the booth, shipping the books, printing materials, and working the weekend talking to people about this book is what the Outreach Committee does, along with many other projects. All of us are volunteers and we do this wonderful work because we believe in what we are doing.
Reaching out to new readers here in North America and all around the globe to disseminate The Urantia Book is one of The Fellowship’s most successful projects. Last year our tireless Outreach Committee members, accompanied by scores of volunteers, went to 19 different cities to spread the word. None of these folks are paid and they do this wonderful work solely from the goodness of their heart and their love for the revelation. All the cities and events they went to last year and where they hope to go in 2014 is in the chart to the right.
If you would like to help in supporting these outreach efforts and all the other great work that The Fellowship is doing, please go on to our web site www.urantiabook.org and click on the ‘Donate’ section at the top of the home page and several choices will appear. Just pick the one you like and follow the instructions. Personally, I chose the ‘Monthly Autodebit Donation’ because it allows me to donate a little each month right from my credit/debit card. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. As a new auto debit donor of $20 or more per month, you will receive free, a beautiful, gold leafed, leather bound Urantia Book as our way of saying Thank You for your support.
Please remember there are other ways to give than just donating money. If you would like to volunteer when the Outreach folks come to your area, or for other causes, please let us know. Just send an email to Andrea or Paula at volunteer@urantiabook.org and tell us how you would like to serve. We’ll get right back to you to discuss the ways you can help. Or you can call us here in the U.S. at 303-467-7858. We’d love to hear from you.
FYI, the Outreach Committee members who participate at the events on the left are: Andrea Barnes-Chair, Lynn Goodwin, Thomas Orjala, Mary Jo Garascia, Paula Thompson, and Dave Tucker.
Sincerely yours,
John Hay, Chair, Robert Burns, Barry Clark, Don Green, Paul Klaver, Cayce Snyder, Geoffrey Theiss
Finance Committee
| 2013 Event Cities |
Books Sold |
Contacts Collected |
Event Attendence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Evolve Expo | 26 | 26 | 1500 |
| LA Health Freedom Expo | 52 | 33 | 3000 |
| Milwaukee BMS* Expo | 19 | 7 | 1000 |
| Denver BMS Fair | 30 | 34 | 6000 |
| Nanaimo BC BMS Expo | 28 | 21 | 800 |
| Ft Collins, CO Holistic Fair | 26 | 19 | 1500 |
| Albuquerque BMS Fair | 12 | 12 | 900 |
| Honolulu BMSE | 30 | 15 | 1100 |
| Chicago Whole Life | 36 | 32 | 5000 |
| Denver Peoples Fair | 17 | 20 | 50000 |
| Tampa BMSE | 51 | 38 | 1450 |
| Spokane Festival | 15 | 13 | 1000 |
| Durango Whole Life Expo | 28 | 35 | 1500 |
| Couer d’Alene HL Fair | 9 | 7 | 300 |
| Loveland, CO Holistic Fair | 14 | 11 | 1000 |
| Indianapolis BSME | 28 | 7 | 1150 |
| CO Springs BMS Expo | 30 | 34 | 1500 |
| Portland BMS Expo | 40 | 31 | 1700 |
| Minneapolis Edge Life | 28 | 27 | 2500 |
| Free Book Cards | 215 | 215 | 220 |
| TOTALS | 734 | 642 | 83,120 |
| 2014 Event Cities |
Cost | Est. Event Attendence |
|
| — | — | — | |
| LAX | $1000 | 5500 | |
| Phoenix UFO Congress | $350 | 1000 | |
| ASU campus, Tempe, AZ | $300 | 1500 | |
| Irvine | $250 | 1500 | |
| Milwaukee | $545 | 1000 | |
| Denver BMS Celebration | $415 | 5500 | |
| LA New Earth Expo | $250 | 2500 | |
| Portland BMS Expo | $545 | 1800 | |
| San Mateo | $300 | 2500 | |
| Fargo Edge Life Expo | $400 | 3500 | |
| Cleveland/Columbus | $255 | 3000 | |
| Philadelphia BMS Expo | $800 | 7500 | |
| Columbus Life Expo | $300 | 6500 | |
| Nashville Galactic Expo | $280 | 2500 | |
| Atlanta BMS Expo | $400 | 3000 | |
| Honolulu BMS Expo | $575 | 2500 | |
| Denver Peoples Fair | $125 | 50000 | |
| PDX Afterlife Conf | $455 | 2000 | |
| San Jose BMS Expo | $545 | 3000 | |
| Albuquerque BMS Expo | $545 | 1500 | |
| Lawrence Metaphysics Fair | $250 | 2000 | |
| Wild Goose Asheville NC | $4000 | 2500 | |
| Skokie IL BMS Expo | $550 | 4000 | |
| Durango CO Whole Expo | $375 | 15000 | |
| Casper WY | $250 | 1000 | |
| Indianapolis | $300 | 2000 | |
| CO Springs BMS | $300 | 1500 | |
| Minneapolis Life Expo | $500 | 3000 | |
| Portland | $545 | 2000 | |
| TOTALS | $12,105 | 127,300 |
¶ An Objective of Enhancing In-depth Study
By David Kulieke,
The following is an introductory talk given at the Summer Study Session 2013
Let me read something from one of my favorite books:
“It’s not books you need, it’s some of the things that [are]… in books. … The magic is only in what books say, how they stitch the patches of the universe together into one garment.”
This reference is not from The Urantia Book, although it’s perfectly consonant with its teachings. It’s from the science fiction classic Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In the novel’s dystopic future, books are outlawed because they cause conflict and therefore unhappiness. The significance of this reference is what it is telling us about what better knowledge and thinking skills can do for us: that we can increase meaning by being able to discern true relationships among facts, ideas, and systems of ideas.
The Urantia Book, among many other things, is about enlarging our perspective and putting things in relationship with one another. It is about advancing our universe progress making connections. It’s about putting our lives in a purposeful and spiritual context. In fact, The Urantia Book revelation is not any single statement within the book; it’s the incredible integration of all the ideas into an amazingly unified whole.
In Paper 112 the book states: “… the concept of the personality as the meaning of the whole of the living and functioning creature means much more than the integration of relationships; it signifies the unification of all factors of reality as well as co-ordination of relationships. Relationships exist between two objects, but three or more objects eventuate a system, and such a system is much more than just an enlarged or complex relationship. This distinction is vital, for in a cosmic system the individual members are not connected with each other except in relation to the whole and through the individuality of the whole.” [UB 112:1.17]
Recently our study group was taking a year-long stroll through the “Foreword” when a relatively new student of The Urantia Book, or at least of the “Foreword,” posed an oft-asked, but still interesting question. In discussing “The Three Absolutes,” the author, a Divine Counselor, who is pretty smart individual, uses phrases like “seems to be” and “we are convinced” and “we do not fully perceive.”
“Well, if he’s not sure, how does he expect me to understand it?” asked our newer reader.
A more common quandary is generated by our own limitations. Throughout the book we encounter statements such as this one from an Archangel of Nebadon: “But I almost despair of being able to convey to the material mind the nature of the work of the celestial artisans.” [UB 44:0.20]
Another problem is acknowledged in the second paragraph of the book and many, many times after that: the limitations of human language.
So how does one approach The Urantia Book with such seeming constraints? One must be prepared to study it in depth.
- This means that while there may be facts in the The Urantia Book, we cannot read the book literally. We must accept that we are given frameworks for understanding, and, as we are told in one of the most important references in the book, “… while such universe frames for creature thought are indispensable to rational intellectual operations, they are, without exception, erroneous to a greater or lesser degree.” [UB 115:1.1]
- We must be willing to read the book figuratively and philosophically, which requires a rigorous approach to study.
- Despite the limitations of the form, we must acknowledge that the Revelators gave us a book, a form that involves the process of mind mediation. Among other things, this means that we should study human wisdom outside of The Urantia Book. Was there ever such an inspiration for educating one’s self as The Urantia Book? We must be willing to read things several times, often in preparation for a group. And we must be willing to cross-reference. Here’s a practical application, using an idea that is stated twice.
- (Mota 11): The weak indulge in resolutions, but the strong act. Life is but a day’s work—do it well. The act is ours; the consequences God’s. [UB 48:7.13]
- Man does not unite with the Supreme and submerge his personal identity, but the universe repercussions of the experience of all men do thus form a part of the divine experiencing of the Supreme. The act is ours, the consequences God’s. [UB 117:5.5]
I believe that the first use of “The act is ours; the consequences God’s” is one of the most often misinterpreted ideas in the book. It suggests that once we have acted, we can wash our hands of the consequences and give them to God. But the second use of the idea shows that while the consequences do indeed reside in God the Supreme, we must share in the responsibility of the consequences of our decisions as well. So often does The Urantia Book require the context of several references to gain perspective. - We must try to study in groups. Besides the even more important aspects of socialization, of creating relationships with other personalities, group study enlarges and leavens understanding. How many of us have experienced the “When we read ahead, it answers what we were just discussing” phenomenon? This is not an accident. It is not a redundancy. It’s an enrichment.
- And we must know that understanding a little better is not an end in itself.
- Knowledge deals with facts; wisdom, with relationships, truth, with reality values.
But truth can never become man’s possession without the exercise of faith. This is true because man’s thoughts, wisdom, ethics, and ideals will never rise higher than his faith, his sublime hope. And all such true faith is predicated on profound reflection, sincere self-criticism, and uncompromising moral consciousness. Faith is the inspiration of the spiritized creative imagination. [UB 132:3.5]
In describing such goals of these study sessions, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the extraordinary Education Committee of which I am a part, including Charles Olivea, Katharina Becker, Daniel Glazer, Barbara Newsom, and the four members of the planning committee: Nick Stefero, our program chair, Bobbie Dreier, Ken Keyser, and Marilynn Kulieke, all of whom have put in such extraordinary dedication and enormous time to prepare.
The Education Committee’s mandate to is to “foster the in-depth study of The Urantia Book …” So we are a little biased. But we also recognize the value of balancing study with service and with relaxation. We are told that on Jerusem The activities of such a world are of three distinct varieties: work, progress, and play. Stated otherwise, they are: service, study, and relaxation. The composite activities consist of social intercourse, group entertainment, and divine worship. There is great educational value in mingling with diverse groups of personalities, orders very different from one’s own fellows. [UB 46:5.29].
We hope that your experience at the Summer Study Sessions will enhance all three!
¶ International UFO Congress Report
The Fellowship Outreach Committee is always looking for new venues and the International UFO Congress fit the bill. UFO Con is the elite event in the UFO community attended by some 700 individuals from many countries who attend to see films and to hear 20+ speakers including writers, scientists, researchers and filmmakers and those who have had contact.
After doing some research and talking about what we could share of the Revelation we created talking points that would be of interest to this crowd. We were careful to “keep it to the book”, sharing the info about the celestial hierarchy, the friendly and orderly administration of the universes, types of ascending and descending beings, the ascendency plan, the Lucifer rebellion etc.
And our choice proved on target, we had an amazing response selling 77 books to a relatively small crowd of 2000 making this event the most successful ever!
A woman from South Africa bought 5 books for her friends at home and she has been connected to the Cape Town readers study group. One young woman, a professional filmmaker from Canada, was thrilled to get the UB after having heard about it from Don Ware, who directed many to the booth saying “You must read this book, cover to cover!” 
We had a real treat when we met George. He’d been reading all alone for 20 years, never having met another reader in all that time and he was knowledgeable, familiar with the website and Facebook pages and in love with the Revelation. So much so that he has shared it with his 11 yr old son! He came back several times and we enjoyed sharing stories and getting acquainted.
Also we got contact info for 5 longtime readers that will be added to the data base so they’ll get the Fellowship posts. I just finished compiling the contact list and and sent a “greeting” letter to all with study group links and an invite to join in on Andreas new Monday online study meeting. And I just heard back from 2 on the list! Very exciting outreach, these people are serious seekers and we enjoyed sharing the Urantia Revelation with every one.
Thanks to the Grand Canyon Society readers and to the Fellowship for making all this possible!
¶ Upcoming Events…
- May 17, 2014: First Urantia Society Miniconference, DePaul University, O’Hare Campus, Chicago, IL, “Spiritual Unity”. For information, contact Ken Keyser, 773-338-1127.
- June 11 - 15, 2014: UAI Study Group Symposium, Edgewood College, Madison, WI. www.urantiausaorg.
- June 27 - 29, 2014: Urantia Madison Conference, “The Parables of Jesus”, Edgewood College, Madison, WI. www.urantiausa.org.
- July 23 - 27, 2014: Urantia Book Fellowship International Conference 2014, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. www.IC14.org.
¶ 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