© 2017 Paula Thompson, Michael Painter, Tom Allen, Mark Erickson, Christopher Selmek
© 2017 The Urantia Book Fellowship
Join us this coming summer, July 19 – 22, 2018, at Techny Towers in Northbrook, IL, for the Fellowship Summer Study Session, sponsored by the Education Committee. Our theme is “It’s a Friendly Universe: Serving with Our Celestial Family.” A number of activities are planned.
On July 17, the Triennial Delegate Assembly will convene to elect candidates to fill more than a dozen seats on the Fellowship General Council. If you have an interest in serving the revelation in one of these positions, see page 3 of this issue for further information and an application form for Council service.
Also, just prior to the beginning of the Study Session, it is the custom for special gatherings such as spiritual retreats to be held. If you have an interest in these activities, more information soon will be forthcoming.
And, of course, as always, many workshops relating to the theme of the Study Session will be scheduled. Do you have an idea for a program you would like to create for a workshop? If so, contact Jacquelyn.Koury@gmail.com.
We’re looking forward to a great gathering and a chance to see old friends and meet new ones! Start making plans now!
Geoff Taylor in a nut shell….
I am a 66 year old iterative, innovative, experimentalist techie with a background in Aeronautical Engineering. I had several pilots’ licenses, built one jet, and crashed one ultra light. My career as engineer on turbine engines started in Winnipeg, Canada, then went to Dallas, TX, and then to LA. A midlife “awakening” prompted by reading The Urantia Book in 1985 rekindled my early Christian roots, and took me back “home” to Winnipeg ―but not before I had traveled the world, been inside three Space Shuttles, and won a couple of Design awards (the ego was getting too big to manage).Back at home I started Vista Medical with my brother, invented stretchable pressure sensors for the prevention of bed sores, and a few other doo dads. Having sold the business, retired, and lost my wife of 43 years to cancer, I am working on the cure and singing in choirs to raise money for local charities. Crashing that ultra light in 2003, focused me on the things that matter most; relationships with people, cooperation, and harmony. Check out my personal web page www. ubgeoff.com for pictures and my “Theory of Everything”― incremental improvement in all things.
By Paula Thompson
There are a total of thirty-six seats on the General Council and at least twelve more seats will open up this summer as well. To be eligible, a person must be a member of the Fellowship, either a Member at Large or a Society Member. In addition, the Fellowship’s constitution requires that you must have read The Urantia Book in its entirety, at least one time, as the pre-requisite for service. General Councilors are typically elected by the Triennial Delegate Assembly (TDA). Every three years representatives from regional Urantia societies come together with the task of electing or reelecting twelve full term Councilors. A full term lasts for nine years. Occasionally someone resigns before their term has expired. The GC fills this seat temporarily until the TDA can elect someone to finish the remainder of that person’s term.
The General Council is a deliberative body which guides the overall direction of The Urantia Book Fellowship. The GC elects the Fellowship’s five officers as well as the chairmen/women who head up our nine standing committees. These fourteen people are called the Executive Committee. The GC also has the power to create by-laws and change the Fellowship’s constitution. To read more about the General Council from our constitution, go to: www.urantia-book.org/Constitution/Constitution2013-02-09.pdf
Membership on the GC involves attending just two meetings per year. Meetings are held over a weekend and in a variety of locations across North America. Meetings typically occur in February (in a warm climate) and again at the close of, and in conjunction with, the Fellowship’s summer conference. General Council meetings begin on Friday evening for about four hours, then resume on Saturday morning for eight hours and again on Sunday morning, ending at noon. Saturday night is usually held open for a social with readers from the area where the meeting is held. We vary the location of meetings to allow for this fellowship and to facilitate local readers getting to know the leaders of the Fellowship. This event is often a highlight at Council meetings. Sometimes another day may be added to the GC meeting for a retreat.
Meeting agendas typically consist of reports by the officers, and standing committee chairs, discussion of policy, and proposals for new arenas of service and dissemination. Meetings are presided over by the Fellowship’s President and are run according to Roberts Rules of Order.
It’s important to note that Councilors must be able to cover their own costs to attend meetings. This includes travel to the meeting, hotel room, and meals. Occasional financial assistance may be available to Councilors if circumstances leave them unable to meet these expenses.
Being on the Fellowship’s General Council is an amazing experience. Some General Councilors have served for 2, 3, and 4 nine-year terms. Lifelong friendships are established and the beauty of deliberation, group wisdom, and teamwork is illuminated in remarkable and inspiring ways.
If, after reading this and checking in with our Father, you feel you would like to join the long list of General Councilors who have served the Urantia movement faithfully for 60 years, fill out the application for: Application for Organizational Service, on our website.
Between April and September 2017, our Pipeline of Light volunteers placed four hundred, forty-six copies of The Urantia Book into eighteen countries. Your donations to the Pipeline helped us deliver books to readers and study groups in Uganda, Mexico, Venezuela, Indonesia, the United States, Cuba, Brazil, Zambia, Spain, Peru, New Zealand, Ecuador, Ghana, England, El Salvador, and Columbia.
We also scored two new countries: The Urantia Book has found its way into a theological college the Kingdom of Tonga, and into an LDS mission in the country of Liberia. Books sent out this quarter include 51 English books, 20 Portuguese, and 375 Spanish translations.
The current efforts bring our Pipeline all-time totals to seven thousand, five hundred and fifty-six copies of The Urantia Book placed into eighty-eight countries around the world. Many thanks to the wonderful volunteers who keep this flow of books moving into the world for us!
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: http://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 Reporter
By Michael Painter
The following are thoughts about the North American Interfaith Network conference prepared by Cristina Seaborn and Michael Painter, co-chairs of the Interfaith Committee, who represented the Fellowship at the Interfaith Conference in La Jolla, California. To find out more about NAIN, go to http://www.nain.org/who-we-are.htm.
The first people we met were the conference organizers, Reverends Steve and Abigail Albert, a very friendly, nice couple. There were 260 attendees and 21 religions represented (22 if atheism is included.)
The bridge ceremony was touching, beautiful, a great way for people to begin to connect. It created a great sense of unity to start the conference. All attendees were given a nice gift of a stole with the symbols of 21 religions on it. Overall, it was a genuine, sincere, warm and friendly group who all revealed that presence of God within them.
We were all there to find out what fulfills another person because of the faith, religion, or tradition whose teachings they live. A common question we asked was “What propelled you to change from the religion of your childhood or seek a higher truth?” Cristina felt she rarely gets to have this quality of conversation with people in her “normal life”.
Throughout the five days, we each had many personal interactions in which we share why we are drawn to The Urantia Book. Through the workshops and personal interactions we made at least 50 people aware of the teachings, and had positive interactions with the NAIN leadership.
What struck us was the realization that what we said wasn’t as important as the way we said it. Few will remember what we said about the book, but their first impression of the book is really their impression of us individually.
So, the book and teachings were well represented at the NAIN conference of 2017. Interfaith activity is a great way to make The Urantia Book more visible!
Join us at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Toronto, Canada, November 1 – 7, 2018.
You may have wondered what we do, and perhaps even pondered why we need your donation to keep doing what we do…
Well, you may have heard about our great programs of active outreach to disseminate the book, as well as our efforts to bring Urantia students together for study and socialization. We’ve been around for 62 years and have done these things faithfully. We at The Urantia Book Fellowship spend much of our time creating a greater awareness of The Urantia Book, but we also sincerely endeavor to bring people together with the book and each other for worship, study, service and socialization. Even so, that doesn’t tell you why we do what we do. After all, anyone who has ever attempted to disseminate The Urantia Book has realized that doing so is no easy task. We can’t necessarily count on established religions for help to do our work, it’s mostly the people who have read this book that support what we do. We are therefore a small group with a huge task. So why do we do it? What keeps us going?
First of all, you keep us going. God is our father, we are family. We love you and want to serve you as a beloved believer in the revelation. That gives us something to look forward to every day.
Also, we think that there are likely beings all over this universe who would LOVE to have the opportunity we’ve been given on this “world of the cross.” We get to share these wonderful teachings about a loving Creator Father and his exquisite celestial associates, an extraordinary cosmology, a friendly universe, guarding angels, planned evolution, superior philosophy, the reality of ascension, and the whole amazing story of Jesus, and that’s just the low hanging fruit! Oh, wouldn’t those bored beings on normal worlds just love the chance that we are now blessed with? We appreciate that, and don’t want to waste any time getting to it.
We do this because we’ve seen the difference this book makes in people’s lives. Jesus said that the truth would make us free, and boy, it sure has. We who read this book don’t have to be afraid to die, but we also don’t have to be afraid to live. We know, of a certainty, that God is on our side, cheering us on, helping us every step of the way. We want to make sure that those who are not blessed with these assurances have every opportunity to discover them and experience the profound peace they bring.
We also do what we do because we seem to intrinsically understand that a transformed world begins with transformed individuals and we know that this book transforms people. It is not uncommon for people who study The Urantia Book to let go of fear, anxiety, dread, anger, suspicion, and paralysis of the will. Those who find it and read it are typically renewed with a desire to live in partnership with God. We understand that we are in this for the long haul and that the spirit of this book will move around every obstacle in time, but we also have to keep going and trying, so that every human being might be “carried forward by the momentum of the cosmic brotherhood.”
Most of all, we do this because service is what runs the universe. It is the main currency in God’s economy. We understand that by serving our fellows we are serving our God and all others who serve him. Won’t you join us in the great endeavor? Together we will change the world.
Call us at 1-877-288-3772 or drop a check in the mail to: The Urantia Book Fellowship, PO Box 6631, Broomfield, CO 80021. OR, go online to www.urantiabook.org and choose “donate” from the main center navigation bar. Whatever you can do helps us to keep doing what we do.
The Wild Goose Festival in Hot Springs, NC was, once again, a joyful interaction with hungry truth seekers. Our larger booth provided space for spontaneous groups to gather with us, sharing the new wine of the revelation.
Assistants at the booth were Thomas Orjala, Lynn Goodwin, Gard Jameson, Pamela Chaddock, and locals Isadora Gadjour and Rabia Harris. Missing this year were our YaYAs. Last year Angie Thurston and Darren Atherton added fresh flavor to the mix, Angie presenting, and both serving in the booth and sallying about 2X2. This educational and interactive venue serves as optimal ground for our effervescent YaYAs.
We received contact information from 50 people who have been sent a follow-up “Greeting” letter with links to fellowship and Foundation resources. Next year, we can nurture the connection and send out emails with an invitation to come say “Hi.”
The signs were put up by the North Carolina Council of Churches camping alongside us. Their leader, Suzanne, is a minister who got a book last year from her friend and ours, Isadora, and now Suzanne is an enthusiastic reader. And who says the churches are not ready for the UB?
While it is a huge effort to attend Wild Goose, we are so well received and can see the difference it is making in this dynamic, evolving community. It requires support from multiple sources and is most appreciated by those of us that travel each year to be with this fine community of God-seeking believers.
Do you need another reason to visit Florida this winter? How about a weekend of spiritual sharing, worship, learning, and real fellowship in sunny warmth?
“The Art of Getting Along with Others” is the theme of the second Agondonter Boot Camp (ABC) Society of Florida annual conference, February 9 – 11, 2018, at Day Spring Conference Center in Ellenton, Florida, (about an hour south of the Tampa airport.)
Dayspring provides lodging in comfortable two-bedroom cabins with two beds and a private bath in each bedroom. See http://dayspringfla.org.
Saturday morning workshops will be on the theme “Getting along with others”, and afternoon workshops will work on “Dealing with different types of people.”
For further information go to the ABC-Society website (ABC-Society.com) and select the Conference Registration page. The cost of attending is $250 per person for a shared double room, or $325 for a private room, with 6 meals included. Commuters may attend for a single day or the entire conference at a reduced rate. The early registration deadline is January 8, 2018, after which registration costs increase by $50.
Please register as soon as possible to reserve your place! For social information we are also on Facebook and Google+. Please “Friend” us. Email abcsociety606@gmail.com with any questions you may have.
By Tom Allen
When I found out about four years ago that a total eclipse of the sun would occur on August 21st, 2017, on the 2023 birthday of our Lord and Master, it immediately occurred to me to have a Scientific Symposium conference over the weekend prior to the Monday eclipse. There has been a rich and popular tradition of having Urantia Book inspired talks about science beginning in the 1988 SSI in Tennessee. Oklahoma City took over the mantle and sponsored SSII and SSIII in 1989 and 1994. Berkeley Elliott spearheaded these conferences, and because she would have been 100 years old on August 23, 2017, this makes this symposium special for the memory of her service.
I was thrilled when Susan Cook, who is well acquainted with how to organize a conference, volunteered to be the Conference Chair.
Presenters were Stuart R. Kerr III, Sonny Schneider, David Neuter, Larry Geis, John Lange, Mike Woods, Philip Calibrese, Tom and Patricia Strawser, Larry Johnson, and Aprilhelen Morgan, and Todd Scarborough.
To fill our souls with comfort and unity, K Brendi Poppell, Steve Sawyer, Robert Aponte, Cristina Seaborn, Buck Choquette, Bill Graham, Bob Salone, and Olga (never caught her last name) entertained with their art or music at intervals during the programs.
Only one night were we able even partially to enjoy the night sky as the weather was not cooperative. Never the less, on Saturday night we gazed with powerful telescopes at Andromeda, Sagittarius, and other night sky notables with instruction by Dawn Grant.
Beginning at 1:08 PM on a warm August day, we gazed for two minutes thirty eight seconds of the most amazing totality in awe inspiring rapture.
Thank you is not even enough to say to everyone involved with making this a most successful conference. One thing that makes a Urantia conference so successful (and they all are) is the willingness of so many people to volunteer. When profits and payrolls are not included in the price of admission, volunteerism is the driver of success.
By Mark Erickson
Thank you, Mighty Messenger for this opportunity to share reminders of our memorable concert on July 29th at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Anaheim.
Most of the challenges were smoothly met by the wonderful cooperation and support of our two co-sponsors—the Interfaith Council of Garden Grove, Westminster, and Stanton and the Unitarian Universalist Church in Anaheim. It was a thrill and honor for me to oversee the planning and the production of “Musical Meanderings and Mimosas” – a faith community cultural co-adventure.
Singer, writer, guitarist Severn Browne came to us highly touted by our better known Urantia musicians who also performed that evening – Cristina Seaborn and David and Chapelle Holt. Particularly impressive was the ease with which Cristina with her violin could jump in and back up such a variety of musical offerings that evening from both the Holts and from Severin Browne.
Some of us attend that church in Anaheim, and on this particular Saturday afternoon we adorned the stage area with an attractive, dedicated backdrop featuring the logos of all three organizations. The UUCA remains a very welcoming, well-equipped and conveniently located venue for UBLA. It’s a blessing to count on this church’s inclusiveness and cooperation.
Both of our sponsors have indicated an interest in repeating again next July. Talks are underway. It was a wonderful way for our wider community of faith to enjoy some good music and some camaraderie. And I hope we do it again.
Members and friends of Urantia Society of Greater New York met at the Warwick Conference Center in in New York in October to participate in “A Course in Spiritual Formation” led by Marvin Gawryn. The program entitled “A Way of Life in the Family of God” was a sampler of Marvin’s nine week course. In his words its purpose is to take an in-depth look at this higher way of life in spiritual family and each of the seven truths that are a part of it: The Spiritual Parent Child Relationship, the Spiritual Sister Brother Relationship, the Indwelling Spirit, the Will of God, Eternal Life, and Faith.
The weekend began with time for worship “…the highest privilege and first duty of all created intelligences.” Marvin introduced “Centering Prayer” and we concluded Friday evening with quiet time to center in our Father’s embrace. On Saturday and Sunday we enjoyed time for socializing with old and new friends. We spent the balance of our time considering Urantia Book quotes and related questions for discussion around each of the seven truths. It is Marvin’s hope that the program will be a way not only to help readers live these truths through faith and spiritual transformation, but to bring Urantia Book truth to to a wider non-reading audience.
The First Society for Readers of The Urantia Book has always sought to provide high-quality study of the book, ever since its inception in 1956 as the organizational successor to the Forum, the group that studied the unpublished papers before the publication of the book. The group has grown: it now includes far more worship and prayer at its meetings and now sponsors two study groups, one in Chicago and one in the suburbs. The society continues to sponsor thorough study with a schedule and leaders.
The Chicago group, which met at Foundation headquarters at 533 Diversey until 1989 and now meets a few miles north of it, continues its paper by paper sequential reading of the book. First Society is in Part 1 of its fifth time through the book, which began with a 15-week study of the Foreword. Each paper is studied two or three weeks under the guidance of rotating leadership.
The Lincolnshire group is more topically based and also includes thorough reading peppered by discussion, cross references, and support from various resources. The group is about to finish a 15-week study of “How Urantia Became a Wayward Planet: Part I: Lucifer, the Planetary Prince and Planetary Rebellion.” Then the group will embark on “How Urantia Became a Wayward Planet: Part II: The Loss of Eden.”
First Society recently hosted the 2017 Midwest Conference at Techny Towers in Northbrook. The theme was “How Shall We Serve? Seeking Opportunities for Loving Service.” An enthusiastic group numbering in the mid-50s, many of whom were comparatively new readers, discussed the topic, considered “How Shall We Serve,” enjoyed two excellent plenaries given by Richard Goodman and Alice and Chris Wood as well as a worship led by Barbara Newsom and a closing remembrance supper. Conference chair David Kulieke remarked. “I am especially pleased that some new readers are now showing interest in Chicago study groups.” The Midwest Conferences were a traveling success each year from the 1970s to the early 1990s, and Midwesterners are trying hard to revive them to their former glory.
Each year First Society also hosts or co-hosts four special events, including two seminars and an August 21st celebration that began in the 1930s. The society feels fortunate this year to welcome Linda Buselli, from Indianapolis, who presented her highly regarded presentation “The Seven Psychic Circles in World Religions” on November 5 at the Evanston Library from 1:00-4:00. These seminars include refreshments and socializing and are always highlights of the society’s year. All are welcome.
First Society continues to be a very active group that faces the challenge of many Urantia groups: the aging of its participants. Nevertheless, the society continues to seek new opportunities, do outreach, and spread the teachings. Although the society will not do an expo this year because of the Midwest Conference, this is the first year in well more than a decade the society has not sponsored a booth, an expo or book fair. For further outreach the society is dipping its toes into increased social media outreach and refurbishing its traditional outreach materials. First Society also is discussing ways to support Filipino study groups that have been established by two of society members, Belen and Eugene Asidao, who spend months in the Philippines every year as well as looking for ways to support a friend from Kenya and his groups. And society members never give up looking for new and young active members. High quality study will always be a cornerstone of First Society
What happens when the members of a Fellowship society scatter to the four winds?
In 1961 the Orvonton Society of Chicago (Orvonton because it was the seventh society installed by the Urantia Brotherhood) had more than the requisite number of members for a new society. But at the 50th anniversary gathering in Indianapolis, it was noted that its membership had moved to new locations, some as far away from Chicago as Mexico. Members were contacted on a yearly basis, but most were much too distant to attend regular meetings. Some members had either started or joined study groups where they were living. For about four years leading up to the year 2005 the society became essentially inactive.
Societies are generally found in a specific location, Los Angeles, New York, Oklahoma, etc., but the largest number of Orvonton members in one place were in Indianapolis at that time, not Chicago. In 2005, the membership voted in a new Governing Committee who decided to drop the ‘Chicago’ from the title, and get the society as a whole actively working again. In 2007, the membership voted to amend the constitution to eliminate “Chicago” from its title.
The society went ‘virtual’ conducting business meetings using ZOOM conferencing as well as email exchanges. In addition, the regular Wednesday evening study groups went ‘virtual’ also using ZOOM. The study groups are open to all members and guests. Other members are beginning study groups of their own.
The Orvonton Society is alive again and growing in membership. Three of its members are now serving as Committee Chairs, and on the Fellowship Executive Committee, and the society hosted a Midwest Regional Conference in Indianapolis in 2016.
Celebration of Jesus’ birthday on Aug. 19 at the home of Lyle Brown in Cottonwood, AZ.
By Christopher Selmek
Four members of The Urantia Book Fellowship’s Education Committee presented a workshop entitled “The Twelve Apostles” to about a dozen readers in Columbus, Ohio on November 11. Committee Chairman David Kulieke said this was the third such meeting in which members have given in-depth workshops to study groups.
“The summer study sessions in July bring many readers together for in-depth study of the teachings, and the Education Committee began to wonder what more we could do to bring the teachings out to the readers,” Kulieke said. “This is an initiative to bring in-depth study to the field.”
Members of the First Society for Readers of The Urantia Book (Chicago) initially created “The Twelve Apostles” workshop to present at IC14 in Amherst, Massachusetts. A 28-page packet profiles each apostle and examines his response to key events as well as Jesus’ personalized counsel to each apostle at important moments. Each individual’s description was followed by a page asking readers to reflect on various questions about the life and responses to their experiences of the apostle.
“I would like to say that we’re going to take this lesson and carry on in our small group where we left off tonight,” said Scott Brooks, a member of the Columbus study group.
“It was very illuminating,” said Michael Hayes, a member of the Columbus group who has been reading The Urantia Book for 40 years. “The character of the apostles is something you don’t get a very good look at in the Bible, and this study gives you a roadmap for discussion and provides new areas for growth.”
Kulieke said the education committee has pressented similar workshops in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. The in-depth aspect of these lessons provides an alternative to the traditional study format. “Part of what we’re trying to do is open people’s eyes to all the patterns and higher thinking that went into the writing of The Urantia Book,” he said.
The Fellowship in the Field is a project to take in-depth studies and bring them to local groups. “We’ll go to conferences or study groups; we’ll go to just about anything people want us to. I like going to a group like this where there are small groups of committed people whom we can help to give some momentum. It’s a service opportunity for us,” he said.
Marilynn Kulieke commented. “As an educator, when I put something like this together, I try to work with some of the educational principles to get people to ask questions and gain knowledge,”
The Education Committee has several workshop presentations that are available online and are preparing several more. Study materials for “The Twelve Apostles,” “Patterns for Personal Growth,” and “Using Concept Formation To Understand How Jesus Taught” are currently downloadable at http://www.urantiabook.org/committees/education/WorkshopMaterialsAdaptedTeaching
Urantian Communities Northwest (UCNOW) is excited to announce that we’re hosting a regional conference next summer in Oregon. UCNOW is a ‘super-regional’ non-affiliated organization that was formed to better serve and support The Urantia Book readership of Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Although our community focus is within that region, we are inviting our extended family to join us in a deepening of Relationships. We will gather at a retreat center in the remote northeastern corner of Oregon—beautifully situated at the base of the Wallowa Mountains. Together we’ll explore this natural wonderland while growing eternal relationships with each other and within our inner-spiritual lives.
Date: September 6-9, 2018
Title: 2018 Gathering at Wallowa Lake
Theme: Growing Eternal Relationships: Reaching In, Reaching Up, Reaching Out Location: Wallow Lake Camp ~ Joseph, Oregon
Published by Uversa Press for the Publications Committee of The Urantia Book Fellowship.
Members: Andrea Barnes, Linda Buselli: Chair Larry Bowman, Avi Dogim, Cece Forrester, Sage Waitts
877.288.3772
fellowship@urantiabook.org
www.urantiabook.org