Tidings – September 2016
|
In This Issue
|
|
Chris Wood  I have been thinking lately about the Nodites and the Amadonites. The Nodites descended from the rebellious group of Dalamatians, while the Amadonites descended from the loyal Dalamatians. Cousins really. But animosities between the two groups were passed from generation to generation long after the original split. We are told,
There existed a traditional enmity between the Nodites and the Amadonites. This feud was constantly coming to the surface whenever the offspring of these two groups would try to engage in some common enterprise. Even later, in the affairs of Eden, it was exceedingly difficult for them to work together in peace. [Paper 73:1.4, page 822.1]
That’s more than 160,000 years of conflict! Can you imagine that? I mean, I have five brothers, so I can imagine 60 years or 70 years of animosity easily, but 160,000 years?
This ability to hold a grudge and to pass that grudge on to the next generation is within all of us. It is part of our inheritance as human beings. Of the early Andonite clans, we are told,
Only two things came to occupy the minds of these peoples: hunting to obtain food and fighting to avenge themselves against some real or supposed injustice or insult at the hands of the neighboring tribes. [Paper 63:4.7, page 714.5]
My wife and I gave a presentation once on our thoughts on being parents in the Urantia community and we said that one of our goals as parents is to raise our children with less cultural baggage then we inherited. That is easier held as a theory than enacted as a practice.
Children are permanently impressed only by the loyalties of their adult associates; precept or even example is not lastingly influential. [Paper 100:1.4, page 1094.6]
How many of my loyalties are dedicated to holding onto personal slights and grudges?
Whenever my thoughts turn to the Nodites and the Amadonites and our baser inheritance, I eventually begin to ponder Jesus and his teachings. What would have changed, how would his mission have differed if he didn’t have to spend so much time teaching basic skills of forgiveness? What new levels of teachings could he have imparted? Of course, if we were not so backward then we would not have been chosen for his bestowal. But then I think of The Urantia Book and realize that we now have many of those continued teachings of Jesus and those new levels of understanding. And this is why it is important to actively make choices toward inclusion and away from grudges. We might say the “right things” in public, but if at home we show our true grudges then our children will absorb this behaviour and pass it to the next generation. We must show that our loyalties truly lie with our angels.
Every year we have many opportunities to come together with other Urantia Book students and learn how easy it is to love one new person each day. If you missed the San Antonio conference, there are conferences in Tasmania, Budapest, and Bogota right around the corner, not to mention your local and national events and study groups. Let’s meet and celebrate how far we have come and marvel at how far we have yet to go!
In service,
Chris Wood
President
|
|
In early October, representatives of Urantia Book Fellowship and Urantia Association International will meet to discuss ways our two organizations can better work together to serve the Urantia Community, including exploring the feasibility of uniting our two organizations. This group looks to continue the goodwill that has been building within local Societies and Associations, as well as joint projects like the San Antonio Conference, Parliament of World Religions, and numerous book fairs.
If you have any comments or ideas you wish to pass along, you can contact Association President Chris Wood askchriswood@gmail.com or Fellowship President Michael Challis mchallis@neodigita.com
|
|
Jay Bird, Samantha Noir, Alex H The following are reflections and impressions from three conference attendees: Jay Bird, USA, Samantha Noir, France and Alex H, Germany. They recently attended the 2016 joint conference of Urantia Association of the United States and Urantia Book Fellowship held June 9th to 12th at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas.
From Jay Bird, USA:
As a young reader I was one of those guys who were helped along in my initial Urantia Book social experience by Berkeley Elliot. The Oklahoma Urantia Book reader’s community was vibrant due to her relentless efforts. It is difficult to express how disillusioning it was for me at that young age to see the leadership of Urantia Foundation and the Fellowship go through the many subsequent years of disagreement and legal action. The joy of my finding the answers to the questions I had been searching for became mixed with the confusion of witnessing the disruption of our community. My reaction was to withdraw from the social side of The Urantia Book reader’s experience. But always, in the back of my mind, I have been waiting for the day of our social reunification.
For me, the San Antonio joint meeting was the fulfilment of those dreams. It provided the setting for a launch into the rarified atmosphere of living truth. Carolyn Prentice’s morning presentation on Friday was the launching point. Her simple message was based on Jesus’ truths spoken from her heart in a brilliantly impactful way. This process of reunifying our split organizations is both positive and powerful. Gathering so many truth seekers together in one place and with one purpose allows us to refocus on our great challenge.
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… [Paper 196:3.34, page 2097.2]
A big thank you to our Texas brothers and sisters, the organizers, and all the session leaders. You have enhanced our spiritual receptivity!
From Samantha Nior, France:
So I was on my way to see my spiritual family. All excited and energized to see old friends and meet new ones. I had already had contact with a number of younger readers and we would be working together during the conference in hosting a workshop with three different topics. The fact that I knew there would be quite a few younger readers made it even more exciting.
Arriving at the San Antonio Trinity University at midnight Wednesday it was already very hot and heavy, but a beautiful place even at night. I finally met up with a few of the organizers who gave me my room key and a welcoming bag. After a short night the next morning I went to the canteen for breakfast and there were quite a lot of people there, though most would arrive during the day. It was the rekindling of old acquaintances and the connecting with new ones. The atmosphere was light and fun; just mostly hanging around talking and exploring the campus (which by the way is a beautiful university).
The next day was the start of the conference with plenaries and workshops. All of very good quality and good cheer. We all had lunch and in the evening we had a TexMex dinner outside on campus. It was such a beautiful and joyous day. Later in the evening people stayed together playing music and sharing.
Friday and Saturday were also days of plenaries and workshops of which one was hosted by the YaYAs and the UYAI together with Jeffrey Wattles, with each their own topic. The people who attended our workshops were really interested and curious about what we were doing and wanted to do in the future. They were very supportive. In the evenings there was again music and drinks at the improvised bar on campus, with a great big balcony that looked out over San Antonio. In the evening of Saturday we were blessed with a stunning and moving performance by Christina Seaborn and Bob Solone.
We had so much fun and everyone was so relaxed and loving. Of course some stayed up late till the wee hours of the morning every night just talking, sharing and laughing. Some of us had pain in our jaws from laughing.
Sunday was the last morning of the conference and the departure of a lot of friends, which was a mix of happiness of having been able to spend time together and sadness of saying goodbye. Because there was the Fellowship’s General Council meeting for the next two and half days, a bunch of people did not leave until Tuesday. Sunday afternoon a group of us younger readers went out and spent the afternoon together. In the evening some of us went out to dinner, which was really nice. It was like being with longtime friends.
Monday was also a day of hanging out together and going sightseeing in San Antonio with those not in the General Council meeting and in the evening a group of us went to the river walk and had drinks. It is a beautiful city, with lots to see. Again just spending time together and relishing these moments.
Tuesday was sadly the day of departure. Since I left later in the afternoon most people were already gone. I felt like a kid again, you know when you were homesick. The hole I felt of having said goodbye to everyone and my friends leaving knowing I wouldn’t see them again for a while was painful, but I felt so blessed of having had the opportunity to be present during this amazing conference. I left with a sense of having gained knowledge and a bigger family. The pleasure of talking to fellow readers, getting to know each other and having such fun is just exhilarating.
During the Conference there were no borders, no organizations and no generation gaps. We were truly one loving spiritual family just sharing and connecting. It was a glimpse into what the world could be like, if we all respected, loved and were really interested in each other. How lucky are we!
The fact that there were a lot of younger readers with which I have become so close in such a short time and that we will be moving forward towards working together for the future of the revelation, has moved and motivated me beyond words.
I would like to give thanks to the Northern Lights Society of Alaska, the Lone Star Urantia Association and the YaYA Committee for their combined and cooperative efforts to provide me with this wonderful opportunity to experience the benefits of this joint conference and to encourage the growth of our Young Adult Urantia community.
The next Urantia Association International conference will be held near Amsterdam in 2018; organized by the Dutch association UAISUN. It will be situated near the world famous Keukenhof which is also known as the Garden of Europe; it is one of the world’s largest flower gardens. It is also 5 km from the sea.
This will be a perfect opportunity to come together in brotherhood and sonship. We hope you will come and maybe prolong with a holiday in Europe.
Anticipating the next opportunity to see you all again.
Samantha Nior,
Vice President of the Urantia Association of The Netherlands (SUN)
Chair of the Urantia Young Adults International (UYAI)
Executive Team Member of the Membership Committee of Urantia Association International
From Alex H, Germany:
I would like to report on my experience of the 2016 US National Conference (UAUS) and Summer Study Session (Urantia Book Fellowship) that took place at the Trinity University in San Antonio.
I arrived right on time at the Trinity University Campus after an 18-hour trip with three flights from Cologne to Berlin, Berlin to Chicago and Chicago to San Antonio. The Tex-Mex welcoming was just about to start and there was no time to rest as I wished to hug the few people I knew and meet all these new ones directly. After having nice introduction conversations, many of us went up to the Skyline Room, where we all met every evening. Having a wonderful view of the Skyline of San Antonio, this was my first moment thinking, “Yes, now the German guy is in Texas! Feels nice!” And, as I remembered it from other conferences, I just needed to forget for a while where I came from so I could get used to how open and lovely all these brothers and sisters are, and how quickly we get into that feeling of brotherhood.
After the first plenary presentation on Friday with Carolyn Prentice about “The Master Teacher: Exploring how Jesus taught,”I attended James Woodward’s workshop on “Worship: What’s Rest Got To Do With It?” James gave us a good summary on what The Urantia Book teaches about how to worship the Father truly and effectively in our everyday life. After that we, some of the young adults from the YAYA (Youth and Young Adults) and the UYAI (Urantia Young Adults International) groups, along with Jeffrey Wattles, conducted a workshop together with 30-40 people attending. Our workshop was about “Young Adult Students on the Master’s Teachings”. In that workshop we had three groups with three different topical questions. We repeated this workshop on Saturday. In our group we discussed the opportunities of holding an online study group, and shared our experiences with the other participants. Everyone was very excited about how well we young adult readers interact and what our plans are, as the YAYA and the UYAI Committees will work together in future. I would like to thank everyone who took this chance to encourage us younger readers in our activities and offered support for our future plans. The last workshop I attended on Friday was Derek Samaras’ about “The Attractive Personality of Jesus.” In two hours he presented how important it can be for us to be mindful about our own attractiveness in order to spread the gospel.
Saturday morning I gave a short speech about our newly formed tri-national Urantia Association for German speaking Urantia Book readers called Urantia-DACH. I also wanted to promote the next big conference of the European Blue Club in Budapest, Hungary, from 15th to 18th September this year. Our topic will be “Who is Jesus?” With the help of Urantia Association and Urantia Foundation we managed to complete a list of great speakers and workshop-hosts that will make this event a must to visit. I hope that I was able to motivate some of the US readers to come and visit us at this conference. For more information on that please visit the “Upcoming Events” page on Urantia Association’s website. I really enjoyed the many plenary presentations that complimented the workshops in the program. The ones I enjoyed most were David Kulieke’s “Jesus, The Master Learner and Teacher” on Sunday and Jeffrey Wattles’ “What We Can Learn from Jesus if We Aspire to Become Teachers in his Gospel Movement? The Unity of Jesus’ Person, Message and Methods” on Saturday. On Sunday we had a joint meeting of the YAYA and UYAI committees where we young adults collected our ideas and discussed our plans for the future. We are of one accord in that our two committees belong together in some way and that it is our task to grow and cooperate. During that meeting I became emotional when I noticed how much I love and how much I will miss them all when I am back in Germany. This is my international spiritual family.
We finished every evening in the Skyline room with music and socializing. On Saturday evening we enjoyed a great concert given by Bob Solone on piano and Christina Seaborn on violin. It was a great atmosphere in which to catch up with everyone and those with smiling faces who say to you, “Hey, we haven’t been introduced yet?” I call it hardcore socializing when I notice that I had time to converse with nearly everyone present. I loved all those beautiful people and it seemed as if many of them had a special interest in my person, because I was the only guy from Germany there. I did not know that the Americans have so much love for us Germans. That was a precious experience for me. I learned that I really love the Americans too. I like the natural spirituality that connects everyone with another. And the most special thing I noticed is what I would call the ability to be so unconditionally enthusiastic and open-hearted. I often thought of keeping that in mind and taking a bit of this mentality back to my hometown. The time that I shared with the other young readers was especially delightful. We understood each other so well and one could feel the “love in the air” as if we had known each other for years. It is so wonderful how fast we all became brothers and sisters. We had so much fun, that some of us had pain in their cheeks from laughing and smiling. At the end of the conference I felt richer for having a hundred new friends and many more brothers and sisters. For me, to meet all those lovely people, was the most special thing about this trip to Texas, because here in Germany it is very hard to get in touch and get to know and love other readers. I consider that as a fact that needs working on because the revelation is still in the “kindergarten” here. There is much to do in Germany…
I was very lucky that I had the opportunity to stay a few days longer in Texas after the conference, which made my trip feel like a holiday. I remember last year, when I attended the Association’s international conference in Quebec, Canada, I was very sad catch my shuttle as soon as the conference ended; I didn’t even have the time to say goodbye to everyone. But this time I had the pleasure of spending one evening and two more days with others to explore the cities of San Antonio and Austin and have fun together. I will keep this experience in my mind as one of the greatest weekends of my life. To point out that I do not exaggerate with that statement, I have to mention that I have not done very much traveling in my life as yet so have not seen very much of the world, therefore Texas and the USA in general was a very special experience for me. But no experience is greater than to share unconditional love. I love you all! Thank you so much!
Special thanks go to the Lone Star Urantia Association of San Antonio, the Northern Lights Society of Alaska, and Urantia Association for their efforts to make my attendance possible. Without their help I would not have been there. I am looking forward to the next opportunity to meet you all again.
Love to you!
Alexander H, Cologne,
Board Member and Ambassador of Urantia-DACH
Urantia Young Adult International committee member
|
|
 Urantia Association’s Information brochure has been revised and can be found on the website under About Us/Governance & Policies, or you may follow this link to go directly to the downloadable PDF: http://urantia-association.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/AssocBroch_en.pdf.
This is a 3-panel, foldable, one page brochure that gives a brief overview of Urantia Association International. It is designed for students of The Urantia Book who may not be familiar with our Association and who may wish to become involved in our services and programs.
National and Local Associations are encouraged to use this brochure to inform readers about who we are and what we do. It can be downloaded and printed; there is space on the back to place a sticker with contact information of your National or Local Association. Central Office will also have a small supply on hand. Contact: http://urantia-association.org/about-uai/contact-us .
|
|
 The 2015 Annual Report for Urantia Association International is now available on the website.
The Annual Report is produced each year to give detailed information on the Association’s mission, purposes and goals, accomplishments for the year, financial income and expenditure, and plans for the immediate future.
You can find it on the website under About Us/Governance & Policies or you can follow this link to go directly to the PDF: http://urantia-association.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/UA_AR2015.pdf.
Comments or questions are always welcome. You can send them via the website at http://urantia-association.org/about-uai/contact-us.
|
|
If you are active on Social Media, Urantia Association International has been developing a presence on some of the various Social Media platforms. Would you please consider helping us in our dissemination work by following, liking or joining us on any or all of the following?:
Facebook Main Page: https://www.facebook.com/urantia.association
Facebook Public Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/UrantiaAssociationInternational
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_a2gwYGKpctnii4_nx8_vA/playlists
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urantia_associat_international
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UrantiaAssoc
The Forum Discussion Groups: http://urantia-association.org/forums
Your support will be greatly appreciated.
|
|
 It is with great pleasure that we announce the European Urantia Conference, to be held in Budapest, Hungary, 15 to 18 September 2016.
The Blue Club (European Urantia Book Readers) has been working hard to create this event in Eastern Europe. To unite the east with the west we chose this historical city for our next International Conference. Our last meeting was in Berlin 2014. Fifty-five Urantia Book readers participated in that event. The aim of this conference is to discuss questions about Jesus with the theme: Who is Jesus? Urantia Book readers from all around the world are welcome to join our Continental Conference.
15-18 September 2016
Novotel Budapest Centrum, Budapest, Hungary
LIVE BROADCASTING of all presentations! Use this link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/88W3TR4mwVc
Click here
REGISTRATION
Registrations must be made no later than 7 September 2016!
Conference Package without accommodation has a value of €285
For registration related questions email:
mailto:europeanconference@urantia-association.org
https://youtu.be/d7bs7gF1soM
Novotel Budapest Centrum
Rakoczi ut 43-45
1088 BUDAPEST – HUNGARY
Tel (+36)1/4775300 – Fax (+36)1/4775353
Website hotel
Email: H3560@accor.com
Google Maps: click here
Novotel Budapest Centrum hotel offers direct booking using a unique booking URL. This way you will have a room at the hotel during the event. You can book your room by clicking here
Because of high season activities in Budapest during our event, and to keep the financial risk low for the event organizers, we only have an option with the hotel for 90 people. On 15 June the hotel will cancel 40% of the non sold block if we cannot guarantee these rooms to them. After that date the hotel can rent the rooms to any other paying guest, even if they are not taking part in our conference.
 If you have not booked a room by 15th June, 2016 we cannot guarantee you will have a room at the hotel during the conference!
Please let us know if you want to share a double room or triple room.
PRICING
The Early Bird Conference Package (pre 15th June) without accommodation and with the value of €235, – * includes
PAYMENT
Your hotel room needs to be paid separately, to Novotel Budapest Centrum, during the booking at their website. For rates and room types go to the hotel website. You can book your room here
To register your Conference Package without accommodation, you need to use RegOnline: Click here. There you can pay with Credit card, Paypal and via wire transfer.
TRANSFER
Participants may take a shuttle (at the airport) to the hotel if they do not want to take the bus or metro. For this reason, we ask that participants communicate the estimated time of their arrival, number of passengers they travel with, and time of departure from the hotel, by emailing or phoning the hotel (see contact details above).
 EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP
For this conference we created a special European Leadership Scholarship. This means we give preference to those leaders in Europe who need financial assistance to represent their country at this International Conference. Current or future European Presidents, Vice Presidents and leaders will benefit from participating in this event and take the teachings back to their Associations. If we are able to bring enough European leaders to this conference we will organize a special meeting for them at the end of the event. For more information about the European Leadership Scholarship contact Antonio Schefer at conference@triniteit.org
Note: European Leadership Scholarships are not available anymore!
PROGRAMMING
Link to the Event Schedule
Program might change!
Link to the Poster
Note: This conference is hosted by the Blue Club and sponsored by Urantia Association International, Urantia Foundation, Truthbook, Lone Star Urantia Association and The Urantia Book Fellowship!
Link to the European Urantia Event PDF brochure
|
|
 The Bogotá Urantia Association invites you to the First Latin American Urantia Conference, on October 14, 15, 16 and 17th, 2016 in Bogotá, Colombia, at the Lancaster House.
The name and subject of the Conference will be The Teacher and The Student. This theme will be developed from questions such as: What does it mean to be a teacher in our community? What does it mean to be a teacher at the local level, to advanced students, to new readers, to those who never heard of the book and don’t care to hear about it? How can we talk about the teachings in the book without ever mentioning the book? How did Jesus teach each of the different audiences he encountered? What can we learn from the teaching methods of all the various ‘schools’ described in the book – Melchizedek schools, Edentia schools, Dalamatia, Salem, Urmia? How were teachers trained in previous revelations?
14-17 October 2016
Lancaster House, Bogotá, Colombia
This conference is hosted by the Bogotá Urantia Association and sponsored by Urantia Association International, Urantia Foundation and Urantia Book Fellowship
Latin American Leadership Scholarship
For this conference we created a special Latin American Leadership Scholarship thanks to help of the Urantia Foundation, Urantia Book Fellowship and Urantia Association International. This means we give preference to those leaders in Latin America who need financial assistance to represent their country at this International Conference, current or future Latin American Presidents, Vice Presidents and leaders who will take home the acquired teachings, to multiply and apply them in their Associations, and in their communities.
If we are able to bring enough Latin American leaders to this conference we will organize a special meeting for them at the end of the event. For more information about the Latin American Leadership Scholarship contact: latinamericanconference@urantia-association.org
REGISTRATION
Registrations must be made no later than 7 October, 2016! Conference Package without lodging USD$180.
Register Now
For registration related questions email to: latinamericanconference@urantia-association.org
TRANSFER
Transportation from the airport to the hotel will be provided free to those who need it after registration. They will be contacted by the organizers to confirm their arrival date and time. The Lancaster House is in the northern part of the city and is a four star hotel.
Lancaster House
Paralela Autonorte #106 B – 28
Bogotá – Colombia
+571 629 1100
Website hotel
Email reservas@lancasterhouse.com.co
Google Maps click here
LODGING
Lancaster House has parking, WiFi, gym, sauna and restaurant. It has two types of rooms, apartment style, very comfortable and wide.
Junior Suite room: It has a bedroom, kitchen, dining space, living room with sofa bed and one bathroom. In it can accommodate two or three people. The bedroom can have a double bed or two twin beds according to your wish. Some rooms may have a balcony. Below are sketches and pictures (click to enlarge):
Master Suite room: It has a master bedroom and a secondary one, kitchen, dinning space, living room with sofa bed and two bathrooms. It can accommodate four or five people. The bedrooms can have double beds or twin beds according to your wish. Some rooms may have a balcony. Below are sketches and pictures (click to enlarge):
Your conference package options are as follows:
1. Without lodging: It includes:
- Conference fee and translation to English.
- Friday dinner, Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday lunch, Monday lunch. Midmorning snacks.
- Cultural activity on Saturday night.
- Activities in the city.
- Registration fee to RegOnline.
- Security 24/7.
- Wifi connection.
2. With lodging: It includes:
- Conference fee and translation to English.
- Lodging of Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.
- Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner, Sunday breakfast, lunch and dinner, Monday breakfast and lunch. Midmorning
- Cultural activity on Saturday night.
- Activities in the city.
- Shuttle service from the airport to the hotel.
- Registration fee to RegOnline.
- Cable TV with international channels.
- Room equipped with mini bar.
- Gym, Sauna (charges may apply).
- Room Service 24/7.
- Security 24/7.
- Reception 24/7
- Wi-Fi and broadband Internet connection.
If you have a preference for your roommates please let us know in advance when you register!
LODGING PRICES
These are the conference packages with lodging prices:
- Master Suite room for 5 people (one in the sofa bed), $223 (price per person).
- Master Suite room for 4 people, $234 (price per person).
- Junior Suite room for 3 people (one in the sofa bed), $229 (price per person).
- Junior Suite room for 2 people, $252 (price per person).
- Junior Suite room for 1 person, $289 (price per person).
RESERVATIONS
- For Colombian residents: Please go to www.urantiabogota.com and follow the instructions provided.
- For visitors outside of Colombia: The instructions are as follows:
To register your Conference Package with or without lodging, you have to use RegOnline by Lanyon. There you can pay with Credit card, Paypal and via wire transfer.
You can register your Conference Package with or without lodging here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JyWjeXjyZo
Let us know if you want to share a room when you register. Please note if you have not reserved a room with the hotel, or us we cannot guarantee you will have a room at the hotel during the event! We have a limited number of Junior Suites for 1 person so register as soon as you can if this has your preference
PAYMENT
Your conference package with lodging needs to be paid to us in USD via RegOnline by Lanyon. We will use RegOnline for an easy and safe collection of payments. There you can pay with Credit card, Paypal and via wire transfer.
You can register here
Latin American Leadership Scholarship
For this conference we created a special Latin American Leadership Scholarship thanks to help of the Urantia Foundation, The Urantia Book Fellowship and the Urantia Association International. This means we give preference to those leaders in Latin America who need financial assistance to represent their country at this International Conference, current or future Latin American Presidents, Vice Presidents and leaders who will take home the acquired teachings, to multiply and apply them in their Associations, and in their communities.
If we are able to bring enough Latin American leaders to this conference we will organize a special meeting for them at the end of the event. For more information about the Latin American Leadership Scholarship contact: latinamericanconference@urantia-association.org
PROGRAMMING
Program might change!
Link to the Poster
Note: This conference is hosted by the Bogotá Urantia Association and sponsored by Urantia Association International, Urantia Foundation and The Urantia Book Fellowship
Link to the Latin American Event PDF Brochure
|
|
Tamila Ragimova  Welcome to the first meeting for Russian speaking readers of The Urantia Book to be held 9 to 11 September, 2016 in Moscow, Russia.
All Russian speaking Urantia Book students are invited!
9 to11 September, 2016
Hotel Novahoff, Moscow, Russia
Click here for information in Russian
Theme: Becoming Friends and Loving Each Other
While you cannot observe the divine spirit at work in your minds, there is a practical method of discovering the degree to which you have yielded the control of your soul powers to the teaching and guidance of this indwelling spirit of the heavenly Father, and that is the degree of your love for your fellow men. This spirit of the Father partakes of the love of the Father, and as it dominates man, it unfailingly leads in the directions of divine worship and loving regard for one’s fellows. [Paper 146:3.6, page 1642.2]
It is not so important to love all men today as it is that each day you learn to love one more human being. [Paper 100:4.6, page 1098.3]
Those who are interested in giving a presentation are kindly asked to send us the title of their presentation and a brief half-page summary of its content before August 1, 2016. Email: urantia.tamila@gmail.com
We will be sending monthly updates of the meeting as more details unfold.
Note that there will be no English translation!
 PROGRAMMING
The meeting program begins on September 9 at 10.00 am and ends on September 11 at 5.00 pm. Presentations will be held in the morning and workshops of 5-7 people will be held in the afternoon to discuss specific topics.
REGISTRATION
To register please contact:
Ekaterina Alexandrova – email: miss.katara2014@yandex.ru Telephone: +7 916 114 73 73 or
Tamila Ragimova – email: urantia.tamila@gmail.com Telephone +57 312 850 97 16
Those who are interested in participating are kindly asked to send their name, email, phone number, city and country before August 1, 2016 to urantia.tamila@gmail.com
 PRICING
A double room costs 3,000 rubles per person per day (US$50), meals (US$10). Check into the hotel September 8, after 3.00 pm. Payment is due upon arrival. Contribution to the costs of organizing the meeting is 2,000 rubles (US$33) paid at registration. We have sponsors so please contact us in case of the need for financial assistance.
- Address: Km12 Moscow . Nicholas – Uryupino Village. Gagarin Street No. 23
- Telephone: +7 495 646-66-56
- Website: http://novahoff.ru/
Airport Taxi: You can order a taxi from Sheremetyevo International Airport to Hotel Novahoff via www.transparking.ru or by phone +7 964 588-88-80.
Public Transport: Bus or taxi № 541 from metro station “Tushinskaya” to the last stop “Nicholas Uryupino” (40-60 min).
|
|
The Conference Committee An Amazing Experience
It is with great joy and enthusiasm that we are here to tell you about the task that is being performed by Urantia Association International’s Conference Committee, in the organization of webinars for all of Latin America. The committee is chaired by Antonio Schefer, with the collaboration of Tamila Ragimova, Olga López Molina, Flor Robles, Mario Ferreyra, Cesar Paulo Zapelloy and Jeannie Vázquez.
This adventure of study and communion, in the spiritual brotherhood, began on July 12, 2015, with the presentation of Tamila Ragimova, from Colombia, on the theme “Human Races.” These webinars are held via an on-line room in Zoom, of our friends of the Urantia Association of Brazil. These user-friendly online rooms allow the attendees access to webinars from their computer, tablet or cell phone, and allows you to record the meetings in high-quality videos, which we are uploading on the Association’s YouTube channel.
We have had attendees from all the countries in the Americas, as well as from Europe, Japan and Russia. The on-line platform has proven to be a great means of contact, friendship and union between readers resident in different places around the world, providing an opportunity to know each other, to share life experiences, to learn more about the Urantia revelation, and above all things, to enhance our relationship as members of the spiritual brotherhood of our Heavenly Father’s kingdom.
These webinars help us to share different viewpoints about the teachings of The Urantia Book and to enrich and develop a deeper understanding of them so that we may increase our ability to make wise decisions regarding our spiritual growth such as; to come closer to the Father; to do his will with more loyalty; to love him and our brethren more; to enjoy fraternal communion; to know each other better; to strengthen our personal dedication to our spiritual progress; and to serve our siblings. To walk in the clear light of living truth is the purpose that guides us in the service to the community of our brethren, readers and students of The Urantia Book.
As of July, 2016, we have presented 24 webinars on a varied range of subjects, including; “Reflections for Teachers and Believers in the Fifth Epochal Revelation,” presented by Olga López Molina, from Spain; “Realities of the Living Faith – The Method of the Religion of the Spirit,” presented by Jaime Díaz, from Mexico; “The Energy-Matter of Physics and The Urantia Book,” presented by Carmelo Martínez, from Spain; “Reflections on the Religion of the Ideal – Rodan of Alexandria,” presented by Flor Robles, from USA and Mario Ferreyra, from Argentina; “How Jesus Taught,” presented by Andrés Ramírez, from Colombia; “An Effective Way to Serve the Revelation – Teachings of The Urantia Book,” presented by Jeannie Vázquez, from Uruguay; “The Geography as a Support for the Study of History,” presented by Jaime Rey, from Colombia; “The Omnipotence of the Universal Father,” presented by Alfredo Esquivel from, Mexico; “Worship and Meditation: Tools of the Soul,” presented by Mariano Pérez, from Spain.
Our next project will be to hold workshops on the subject, “The Life and Teachings of Jesus” every Sunday in August and September, up until October 9, 2016. During these workshops, we will work to prepare answers to anticipated questions from students who are interested in learning more about Jesus. The aim of these workshops is to assist speakers who will take part in the First Latin-American Urantia Conference in Bogota, answer such questions. This conference will be held in Bogota, Colombia from October 14-17 October, 2016 and the theme will be “The Teacher and The Student.”
Dear friends, we cordially invite you to take part in this cycle of webinars and workshops. For more information about how to access Zoom, and to see the schedule of webinars and themes to be presented, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/urantia.association
To see the webinar videos, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_a2gwYGKpctnii4_nx8_vA
Everyone is welcome!
Warm and fraternal greetings,
from your siblings and members of Urantia Association’s Conference Committee
|
|
Danielle La Scala, Italy  We are pleased to announce the second conference in Italy for Italian, Swiss and French-speaking readers of The Urantia Book to be held 7 to 9 October, 2016 in Italy.
It will be an honor and a pleasure to welcome Spanish, German and English-speaking participants also. We intend this event to be a spiritually uplifting meeting as we come together in a friendly atmosphere to share our common ideals.
7-9 October 2016
Theme: “Survival of the Human Self?”
Hotel Europa, Desenzano del Garda, Italy
Register Now by contacting:
Danielle La Scala
123 chemin de Bouger
F 74250 Fillinges (France)
T +33 6 33 84 3440
Email: danielle.lascala@yahoo.it
The cost of the conference package is 30€. Please note this does not include accommodation or food.
Read more for details on hotel booking which includes accommodation and all meals.
Payment
You will need to pay the registration fee of 30€ at the conference.
Hotel & Reservations
https://youtu.be/KdkZjXaoNCg
Hotel Europa 
Lungolago Cesare Battisti, 71
25015 Desenzano del Garda – Italy
Tel +39 030 914 2333 – F +39 030 914 1006
Website hotel
Email: info@desenzanohoteleuropa.com
Google Maps: click here
Pricing
The Hotel Europa will have special room rates for the Conference:
40€ per person per night for a double occupancy double room including breakfasts
45€ per person per night for a single room or single-occupancy double including breakfast
15€ lunch, including beverages and coffee
17€ dinner, including beverages and coffee
Please reserve your rooms directly with the hotel.
Book Here
The special rates are available from Thursday October 6 to Monday October 10, 2016.
Transfer
The Desenzano’s Rail station is 2 km away from the Hotel Europa.
The taxi fare is about 8€. Verona’s Airport is about 30 km away.
Milan-Bergamo’s Airport of Orio al Serio is about 80 km away.
Milano Malpensa and Milano Linate Airports are about 100~120 km away.
We look forward welcoming again last year participants, as well as meeting new readers!
|
|
Bogotá Urantia Association  The Bogotá International Book Fair (FILBO) brings together exhibitors from the book industry worldwide but primarily from Latin America. It is held annually at the Corferias-Centro de Convenciones in Bogotá, Colombia.
Diversity characterized the 2016 fair, which took place from April 19 to May 2. More than 150,000 titles were available in twenty-three exhibition halls, and three hundred of the best-known domestic and foreign authors were present. A total of 1,240 events, representing twenty-one countries, attracted more than five hundred thousand people.
The Bogotá Urantia Association has been present at the fair for the last several years, but it was only in 2014 that the Association began participating with its own booth. This endeavour has meant both a financial investment and a human one of time and service.
More volunteers are participating in the booth as awareness of El libro de Urantia is growing. This project would not have been possible without the service and support of more than forty people, including direct volunteers at the booth and indirect partners providing support in various other ways. The Bogotá Urantia Association gives the volunteers a big thank-you for their work and service.
We are also thankful to Urantia Foundation for donating 150 hardcover books for the fair. One hundred and two books were sold at our booth, and proceeds were used to help offset costs of the booth.
 Over sixteen thousand flyers were distributed to persons who visited our booth. These flyers contained Urantia Association contact information, websites, and lists of books and other publications about The Urantia Book.
Volunteers spoke directly with more than two thousand people about El libro de Urantia, giving them an explanation about the book and addressing the different interests of each person. Many of these people already had heard of the book. Some of them already have the book or have study groups and are interested in receiving more information.
Names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses were collected from 305 people interested in purchasing a book, receiving the Association’s News Bulletin, or participating in events, lectures, or future conferences.
During the course of the fair there were three introductory lectures about The Urantia Book and a workshop entitled “Epigenetics of Urantia,” which was attended by more than thirty people.
The location of the booth was excellent as measured by the great flow of people who visited us, especially young people. The booth was attractive and included a counter, a display of books, two tables with chairs for visitors, a computer to take information, and a dataphone for credit card payments. The walls were decorated with large-scale posters of the book, Jesus, and the Master Universe.
 We gained great personal satisfaction from our efforts in several ways: through meeting new readers, making contact with long-time readers—especially independent Urantia Book readers—and, above all, helping many people discover the Urantia Revelation. We are also gratified that this project blazes a trail and sets an example for readers elsewhere in the world who may be encouraged to undertake similar service projects.
Warm regards,
Andres Ramírez, Marlene Tovar Alvarado, and Wilson León
Members of the Bogotá Urantia Association
|
|
Olga López, Spain  The 15th Meeting of Spanish Urantia Book readers was held 28th April to 1st May, 2016 in the Hotel Conde Duque in Bilbao (Basque Country, Northern Spain), close to the famous Guggenheim Museum. Until then, meetings of Urantia Book readers were never held in that part of the country, so it was time to compensate for this absence. And it was a good decision, indeed!
We were almost 40 people coming from almost every corner of the country. As in the last meeting, we had the pleasure to be with Antonio Schefer, who came from the Netherlands representing Urantia Association International. Thank you for coming, Antonio!
We repeated the same the 3 night/4 day formula as we did last meeting, since it’s really appreciated by the attendees (one more day means more enjoyment). The theme of this meeting was “The Way Home: the Ascension Career,” and its purpose was to talk about all the aspects of the ascending mortal career, as it is stated in The Urantia Book.
On this occasion, different formats were used: presentations which lasted approximately 30 minutes; along with 3-people presentations, each one lasting about ten minutes. We also had a workshop and a roundtable with one moderator and four participants. The Spanish Association is not very fond of monotony!
These are the presentations that we enjoyed in this meeting:
- “A Quick View on the Ascension Career,” by Jaime Marco
- “Inner Aids,” by Ginés Avilés
- “Outer Aids,” by Víctor Izquierdo
- “Physical and Material Aids,” by José Manuel Duarte
- “Free will,” by Carmelo Martínez
An open and lively discussion would start right after each presentation. The workshop was about Paper 112 (Personality Survival), and it was facilitated by Eduardo Altuzarra.
The roundtable was moderated by Mariano Pérez. The main theme was “The Meaning of the Ascension Plan,” and the participants were Miguel Bustos, Ismael Gracia, Paula Requejo, and Ana María García. This activity was recorded and you can watch it here in case you are interested.
 We also had the opportunity to enjoy two extra activities that allowed us to fraternize even more: the first one was a brief excursion to Artxanda, a hill which offers a great view of Bilbao. The second one was a walk along the Nervion River, which ended with a wonderful time eating “pintxos” (the “tapas” of the Basque Country) and drinking beer and wine.
But the activities of our meeting didn’t stop here. Every night spontaneous discussions arose, and we got engaged in conversations until very late in the evening. It’s our particular way to enjoy each other’s company!
On Sunday, we had an open assembly of the Spanish Urantia Association, where the board explained the activities done in 2015. In addition, there was a change in the board of the Spanish Association: Ismael Gracia left his position as Secretary, and Miguel Bustos took his place. It was also decided that the President and the Treasurer will be vacating their positions in 2018, so the board will be partially changed every two years.
After Sunday lunch, it was the time to say goodbye, which is the saddest part of all, but we all came back home with our spiritual batteries fully charged, and looking forward to attending the meeting of the next year!
Olga López
Urantia Association of Spain
|
|
Neville Twist, New Zealand … and helping to establish the Auckland Study Group
 I first encountered The Urantia Book some time in 1985. It was through a work colleague who would bring this very large blue book to work and read it at lunchtimes. When I asked him what this big blue book was about, a hesitate answer would say something to the effect “It’s nothing and very hard to understand,” a reply repeated several times, before I picked the book up one day and perused the contents for myself. On seeing the Jesus papers, I knew instantly I had to read this book. Shortly afterwards I secured a copy and started reading and reading and reading!
Having been brought up in a conservative, fundamentalist, Christian home, I was given a good grounding in the teachings of the Bible and listened to many sermons by the likes of the evangelist Billy Graham. And although I hadn’t attended a church for some years, I’d always retained my faith in God. I had a desire to rediscover God and to learn his purpose for my life. This desire took me to exploring other churches and denominations, traveling to far-away countries, to living on a kibbutz in Israel. I was eager for higher truths and the deeper meanings of life.
Not long after I had buried myself in The Urantia Book, (to the detriment of house renovations and many other aspects of my life), we were privileged to have visit us (here in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1986), John Hales, Berkley Elliot and Tom Allen representing Urantia Foundation/Brotherhood. They encouraged us to form a study group and to meet on a regular basis. This we embraced from the outset and formed the first Auckland Urantia Book Study Group, which I am pleased to say, has functioned pretty well ever since. (There had been at least one other study group prior to this in the New Zealand capital city of Wellington).
Although we are a diverse group of individuals, we have stuck together for 30 years now. The study group has become an important focus in our lives. It has been a source of inspiration and learning, an exchange of ideas and meanings, a time of friendship and fellowship with others who are of like mind; knowing we are in possession of the greatest truths on our planet and of the responsibilities this carries; being able to share our inner selves with other believers in the Universal Father, the Creator Son, the brotherhood of man, and the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
When we first began our study group, and for the first 10 years or so, we would meet on a weekly basis with fixed papers/themes programed for the whole year. From memory, we read most, if not the entire book this way. Attendees at these meetings ranged from 4 to 10, with a stalwart group of around 5. Over the years we have had many visitors to our group, but unfortunately few have stayed. Many were sincere truth seekers passing through, while others had alternative agendas to promote. Very early on, we determined the study group was for studying The Urantia Book and The Urantia Book only.
Over the years, the way we have conducted the study group meetings has evolved and changed, just as the world around us has changed. Traditionally, we have always had a moderator to chair the meeting and keep things on track. Another part of our format was to begin and end with a short prayer, something I think needs to be part of every study group. It helps one prepare the mind, become more aware of the spiritual forces in and around us; and more welcoming to our unseen visitors. It also helps us to focus on the teachings, and for these teachings to ‘reflect’ true meanings and values to us.
I know a number of people who are sincere readers of The Urantia Book, but for various reasons do not wish to fraternize or study with other readers. To me this is sad. Being able to freely socialise and discuss the teachings with fellow Urantia Book readers is important. And to discover that someone else interpreted a paragraph in a completely different way to what you did – then debate it! We have found holding social occasions very important as well. Celebrating Christmas (21 August), Easter, National Study Day, as well as attending regional and international conferences is also very important, although the latter can be difficult in this part of the world because of our remoteness on the globe.
The world is changing, and changing fast. We live in an evolving universe in time and space, so change is inevitable. Therefore, things will change as to how and where we conduct our study group. The Internet will undoubtedly be a major influence in this change. In fact, at a recent study group, we decided to make our next meeting an Internet meeting by hooking up on either skype or zoom. If this goes well, we propose to hold one meeting per month in this format, so others throughout New Zealand can join in to be part of it. We will always meet in person on a regular basis though, as we feel the social contact part of our study groups and conferences is an essential part of growing with the revelation.
It’s disappointing that membership numbers have remained pretty much static over the years especially as many of our group are heading into their retirement years. It’s a pity there isn’t a younger generation coming through who will take the reins and keep the fires burning. We have been told that we have been given the revelation early, so we must await the time when the teachings will come into their own. No doubt the seraphim of the churches and the seraphim of progress will be debating the most appropriate ways to utilize the revelation. I’m sure Urantia Associations International’s Study Group Committee will be discussing effective ways to foster new study groups and how to link them up.
Over the years, I have attended about 12 regional and international conferences, all in Australia, except for 2 in New Zealand. Through excellent planning and organisation by dedicated and talented individuals, these conferences have always been truly educational, uplifting, motivating, refreshing and inspirational. They are a wonderful opportunity to get to know new readers, reacquaint with old friends, share experiences and to learn from some very wise and clever people. It is also humbling to be able to share in group prayer, meditation and worship, as well as to fraternize with music and skits and laughter. Friendships made that can last a lifetime or maybe much longer.
As an individual, as a believer in The Urantia Book and its teachings, as a believer that the fifth epochal revelation will one day entirely change this world, I believe it is my responsibility to quietly share these truths with others; to whet the appetites of one’s fellows for the truth; try and appeal to their divine fragments. I am never ashamed of The Urantia Book. With discretion I will discuss the book with anyone who hungers for truth. Most people who know me also know that I am a student of The Urantia Book and that I am only too willing to share these supernal truths with anyone who will lend an ear.
What a privilege it is to have discovered The Urantia Book and to have so much confusion, doubt, dogma, theology, tradition and rituals removed. To have a new ‘central point of reference’ in one’s mind; to have hope in this planet, of eternal life and an everlasting universe career. Praise be to the Father and his wonderful creator son, Jesus of Nazareth, son of God and son of man.
Neville Twist
Member of Urantia Association’s Study Group Committee
Vice President of ANZURA
|
|
Check out Urantia Association International’s Events Calendar at http://urantia-association.org/events-list. Upcoming events can be viewed in a List or Calendar view.
Urantia Book reader events provide opportunities for students to gain a deeper understanding of the ideas and concepts presented in The Urantia Book and help to facilitate a personal commitment to the ideals of spiritual living. We hope you can make it to some of these events and experience the joys of meeting and studying with fellow readers.
If you’re planning a Urantia Book reader event in your region and would like help in promoting it, please send us your information and we’ll consider it for our Events Calendar.
|
|
