Find a Group

From , By Admin Team on

Wherever you reside in the world, you can find someone to talk to about The Urantia Book or to find out about Urantia Book related activities. There are study groups, membership associations, discussion forums, and with the help of technology you are only a call or email away from finding another reader/student to talk with about your incredible discovery.

National & Local Associations

The National and Local Associations are local membership chapters of our international body: Urantia Association International. Members are devoted to the fostering of the study of The Urantia Book and the spreading of its teachings. They provide a central hub in various regions around the world to assist reader/students in finding out about study groups and activities in their local areas. To contact a member of the National or Local Associations in your region click on the relevant continent below to find associations closest to you.

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Online Education

From , By Jeannie Vasquez, Education Committee on

Service to the Urantia Community

Urantia Association International’s Education Committee is honored to serve the Urantia Community by organizing webinars and workshops in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, with the purpose of providing opportunities for study and reflection, as well as cultivating friendships among members of our community around the world.

When the pandemic began, our online activities intensified, offering more opportunities to come together to share learning moments and help each other to get through these difficult times.

The service of the presenters in studying and sharing their sincere understandings of the revelation, has tremendous didactic and spiritual value. The efforts to acquire knowledge and teach by sharing one’s discernment fulfills the universal method of learning and imparting the teaching to others, a method also used in the school of evangelists in Bethsaida as organized by Jesus.

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Other News

From , By The Urantia Book Fellowship’s Education Committee on

Summer Study Session 2022

Thursday, July 21st — Sunday, July 24th

Machiventa Melchizedek — Preserving Truth and Lighting the Way for Future Revelations

Oak Brook Hills Resort and Conference Center 3500 Midwest Rd, Oak Brook, Illinois (near Chicago)

The Urantia Book Fellowship’s Education Committee is pleased to announce the upcoming Summer Study Session (SSS) 2022 to be held at the beautiful Oak Brook Hills Resort and Conference Center. At long last, we will be gathering with our Urantia family in-person again to learn about “one of the most unique of all characters ever to become connected with the history of Urantia.” [Paper 93:10.11, page 1026.1]

It was 4,000 years ago that Machiventa Melchizedek heroically “personalized” on earth; at a perilous time when revealed truth was on the brink of extinction.

Together we will:

  • Examine the circumstances that led to his bestowal
  • Study his teachings and how they set the stage for Michael’s bestowal
  • Explore the lessons to be learned from the Melchizedek mission for modern-day truth revealers
  • And much more…
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Contribute

From , By Admin Team on

Most of the services for managing and coordinating Urantia Association’s worldwide activities are rendered by devoted students who donate their time (and often their treasure) to the projects that help bring us closer to our heavenly Father. Your donation is what makes it possible to spread the revelation.

Donate Now

About Tidings Newsletter

From , By Admin Team on

The Tidings newsletter is a quarterly on-line publication that serves as Urantia Association International’s primary communication tool for reaching out to the Association’s membership, supporters, donors, volunteers, and general readership friends. It provides news and information on the many activities and events of the National and Local Associations around the globe as well as information and announcements from Central Office, the International Service Board (ISB), and the Representative Council (RC). It serves to keep members in touch with one another and gives readers a sense of belonging—of being an integral part of a truly international movement that is designed to promote the Urantia revelation to all corners of the world.

Note: Tidings also occasionally provides news of other Urantia-related activities and events that may be of interest to our supporters and friends. Please note that any interpretations, opinions, conclusions, or artistic representations, whether stated or implied, are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Urantia Association International, the National or Local Urantia Associations, or the editorial team of the Association’s Tidings.

Tidings Archives
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Publication Mandate

COMPILED BY: Certain members of the General Council of Urantia Brotherhood

FOR: The files of the Executive Committee of Urantia Brotherhood

PRESENTED: 4 April, 1955

It seems appropriate, a second time, to bring to the attention of the Executive Committee certain wise comments and advices which have been gathered over a period of years and which pertain to the future problems of The Urantia Book. These advices could well be presented under the general caption:

The Timing of The Urantia Book

(Generally designated as “The Publication Mandate”*)

“We regard The Urantia Book as a feature of the progressive evolution of human society. It is not germane to the spectacular episodes of epochal revolution, even though it may apparently be timed to appear in the wake of one such revolution in human society. The book belongs to the era immediately to follow the conclusion of the present ideological struggle. That will be the day when men will be willing to seek truth and righteousness. When the chaos of the present confusion has passed, it will be more readily possible to formulate the cosmos of a new and improved era of human relationships. And it is for this better order of affairs on earth that the book has been made ready.

“But the publication of the book has not been postponed to that (possibly) somewhat remote date. An early publication of the book has been provided so that it may be in hand for the training of leaders and teachers. Its presence is also required to engage the attention of persons of means who may be thus led to provide funds for translations into other languages.

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Study Group Hosting Hints

(This document has been adapted from Urantia Foundation’s brochure titled Suggestions for Beginning a Study Group.)

Introduction

The early leaders of the Urantia movement were advised to form thousands of study groups. Perhaps this was because the study group environment is considered to be the most effective place for The Urantia Book teachings to take root in the hearts and minds of the participants while developing a social bonding of friendship among readers. Ideally, participation in study groups allows a natural growth of understanding to develop in a friendly, family-style atmosphere.

Study group hosts embark on a journey that is filled with many rewards as well as some difficulties. Some study groups flounder while others thrive. Successful study group hosts have found that the basic keys to success are consistency, dedication, patience, understanding, love, and effort.

This document is designed to assist readers who would either like to become Urantia Book study group hosts or who are already hosting a study group. It is a significant decision to make a commitment to lead a study group as you must be prepared to share these papers, that are so near and dear to your heart, with people you hardly know.

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Historical Study Group Material

Much has been written over the years on the value of Study Groups. Here you will find links to some historical articles that were written about Study Groups by some of the early leaders of the Urantia Movement.

Why a Study Group

by Julia Fenderson

On Study Groups

by Julia Fenderson

Effective Study Groups

By John Ploetz, USA on

Have you ever wished you had been alive in Jesus’ time, to walk Galilee with him? If only we could have seen Abraham with Melchizedek, or labored with Van to prepare the Garden, what opportunities we would have had to grow our faith and to be of service!

Unlike most people who have ever lived, we are alive in a time of epochal revelation. The chances to be of service to this revelation are almost unlimited, but we must prepare ourselves. In my opinion, there is no more important task at this stage than the development of leaders and teachers motivated by love and the desire to serve. We must know the book (the facts) and teach the book (the meanings) so that we can live the teachings of the book (the values).

The living laboratory from which teachers naturally emerge is the local study group. Here the in-depth study of difficult material can be attempted in a supportive family of other readers.

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The Value of Study Groups

By Gard Jameson, USA on

Table of Contents of this Article

Click on the section title in the list below to jump straight to it:

Gard Jameson

There are many joys associated with becoming part of a group of readers which has as its main purpose a thorough study of The Urantia Book. A Study Group has the potential to “expand cosmic consciousness and enhance spiritual perception.” (1.2) 0:0.2 And these are the two exalted purposes of the Fifth Epochal Revelation.

If you are considering a study group you have made a decision of great consequence. You have decided to participate with a group of fellow human beings in an endeavor which has eternal implications. We live in a society which has a difficult time discussing religious or spiritual subjects, let alone universe cosmology. The Papers of The Urantia Book are precious and the opportunity to share them with others provides an experience of great learning and inspiration!

An Historical Perspective

Balanced participation, shared openness, intellectual discovery, a heightened sense of values, warm fellowship and good cookies: what could be a more superb focus for study than The Urantia Book?

In the early years of the revelation we were asked by the revelators to form thousands of study groups to enable this great message to evolve into the consciousness of the population. There are hundreds now in existence with many more on the horizon as many foreign translations of the book find their way into the hands of souls hungry for an enlarged perspective on the meaning of our existence. The need for more study groups is great. And so are the rewards for the group, the individual, and the planet.

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Video Part 4D: Ancient Orvonton, and a Young Cosmic Web

From , By Nigel Nunn, Canberra, ACT on

The Urantia Book presents a cosmology that stirs the soul: a central and perfect universe, fringed by spacetime shallows in which finaliters are born—finaliters, destined to launch from this cosmic continental shelf into oceanic depths, seeding the light and life of personality throughout nested levels of outer space.

Soul stirring indeed! A cosmology pervaded by meaning and value, eclipsing in its scope our finest Sci-fi. What a relief from the consensus-materialist models that native science has managed to evolve.

However, right after having thus stirred our souls, the authors pour cold water over our expectations.

…within a few short years many of our statements regarding the physical sciences will stand in need of revision… [Paper 101:4.2, page 1109.3]

“Will stand in need of revision.” When compared with current consensus cosmology of a young universe beginning with a hot Big Bang, the cosmology of The Urantia Book is so unorthodox, and so apparently wrong, that some students of these papers now see this cosmology as little more than decoration for the book’s more important themes: its spiritual and philosophical revelations. But take another look at the “Limitations of Revelation” discussed in Paper 101. Immediately after stating that they were limited in what scientific facts they could reveal, they go on to list a number of things they were permitted to do. The first of these is especially interesting.

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President’s Message – December 2021

From , By Enrique Traver on
Enrique Traver

“Be you perfect, even as I am perfect.”

God-knowing creatures have only one supreme ambition, just one consuming desire, and that is to become, as they are in their spheres, like him as he is in his Paradise perfection of personality and in his universal sphere of righteous supremacy. From the Universal Father who inhabits eternity there has gone forth the supreme mandate, “Be you perfect, even as I am perfect.” In love and mercy the messengers of Paradise have carried this divine exhortation down through the ages and out through the universes, even to such lowly animal-origin creatures as the human races of Urantia. [Paper 1:0.3, page 21.3]

When I read this paragraph for the first time, many emotions and doubts filled my mind. There are so many truths in this text that it’s difficult to choose which to focus on.

One thing that gets our attention is the perfection of God. When we think about God, his perfection, and our desire to fulfill his command to be perfect as he is, we can become confused.

A first thought would be the mistaken idea that reaching the perfection of God is the same thing as “becoming a God.” Of course, it is a mistaken idea since God is much more than a perfect being. His perfection could perhaps be summed up as his unity and balance, the unity of the physical, mental and spiritual energies divinely coordinated by personality. Yes, this is something we can achieve if we wish. Yet God IS, not only the unity of these energies, but he is the source of them. We can achieve balance and unity of our physical, mental and spiritual energies but we will never become the source of those energies. Yes, we can be perfect as he IS in our spheres of action, but we would never “be God.”

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Hand in Hand with Urantia Book Internet School (UBIS)

From , By Joanne Strobel, UBIS Executive Director, Georgia, USA on

The mission of Urantia Foundation is to seed The Urantia Book and its teachings globally. The mission of Urantia Association International is to foster the in-depth study of the book and the dissemination of its teachings—teachings which have the potential to rejuvenate spirituality in this world and enhance the comfort, happiness and well-being of every person. I have the privilege of serving in both organizations, and it is no coincidence that we overlap, especially in the area of educational outreach.

Urantia Foundation’s online school began in the late nineties, when the internet was still in its nascency. The vision of trustee Georges Michelson-Dupont became a reality thanks to a team of enthusiastic and dedicated readers who in turn recruited students to join as staff members and fellow facilitators.  And it still works that way. UBIS has always fostered peer-to-peer facilitation, rather than the credentialing of teachers. We offer training in the art of group dynamics and in the development of insightful questions that help students explore layers of facts, meanings, and values. Every individual has a unique experience of the revelation, and the soulful sharing of these insights and new-found truths animate our course discussion periods.   

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The Meaning of Christmas

From , By Mark Blackham, Canada on
Image by Kerut

As most of us know, Christmas began as a celebration of the birth of Jesus, and to many it still is. On Christian websites, the meaning of Christmas is said to be a celebration of God’s love for the world, or the celebration of the God-man who came to earth for the salvation of all people. And on other sites, it is a time to glorify God and Jesus.

For those who are not so religious, Christmas has come to mean something a little different. The meaning of Christmas in more secular circles also includes a celebration of love (but not God’s love), and other meanings center around friends, family traditions, helping others, and peace on earth. These are meaningful interpretations of Christmas but they do not represent the whole truth.

Fortunately, those of us blessed with the revelation have a more profound understanding of why Jesus bestowed himself on our world. Christmas, even though it does not coincide with the actual birth date of Jesus, is still a great time to celebrate, especially for the people of Urantia.

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The Journal Publication—Latest News

From , By Mark Blackham, Canada on
journal

Urantia Association International’s Journal has been in publication for over two decades and is published in four languages (English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese) twice yearly (May and November.) It contains in-depth essays, articles, and study aids by readers and for readers of The Urantia Book.

Over the years, many students of the book have expressed their appreciation of this publication and value the many thoughtful insights contributed by their fellow students. We publish articles about personal spiritual experiences as well as fresh insights and new perspectives of the Urantia Book teachings. Also of interest are thematic studies and articles that compare, evaluate, or integrate other research (scientific, social, religious, or otherwise) with the teachings of The Urantia Book.

Recent times have impacted our social interactions, even halted our in-person study groups so it’s a great time to catch up with your reading and subscribe to your very own hard copy of the Journal. Although it is available electronically free of charge, we have recently upgraded and redesigned the hard copy version for those who prefer to read this kind of in-depth publication offline. (See below for subscription details.)

Calling for Submissions

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The Jesus Museum and The Jesus Metaverse

From , By Gabriel Rymberg, Israel on

We’d like to share with you two projects we’ve been working on for some time now: The Jesus Museum and the Jesus Metaverse

The world needs a new vision of the Master’s life on earth. 

Urantia Book students are now building the Jesus Metaverse—an online portal that will offer an immersive presentation of Jesus’ entire life as portrayed in The Urantia Book.  Jesus’ story and teachings will also be featured in the planned Jesus Museum, near the Sea of Galilee.

Have you ever dreamed of visiting a museum entirely devoted to Jesus? Have you ever dreamed of building a temple to the unseen Father?  Such a venue, situated at a most befitting location, will focus on our heavenly Father (as revealed by The Urantia Book and Jesus) and promote the religion of Jesus. 

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Irmeli Ivalo-Sjölie – Obituary

From ,

Irmeli Ivalo Sjölje passed away on November 28th in Helsinki, Finland at the age of 92. She will be greatly missed around the world by the Urantia Book reader community and many others from all walks of life. In 2007, Irmeli was appointed an Associate Trustee of Urantia Foundation and also served as a Urantia Book ambassador for the Foundation. She traveled widely, attending conferences and study groups, and assisting with many bookfairs.

Over the decades, Irmeli worked faithfully to disseminate The Urantia Book in her home country of Finland as well as in Brazil, Hungary, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. She lived in Brazil for 20 years and played a significant role in facilitating the printing of the Portuguese translation. After teaming up with Werner Sutter (a German/Canadian Urantia Book reader) in 1999, they devoted their lives to assisting with book distribution in Europe. Irmeli was also instrumental in the creation of a book placement project in Dallas, Texas.

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Reflections: Ibero-American Urantiathon – November 2021

From ,

A Spiritual and Fraternal Feast

The Ibero-American Urantiathon held by Urantia Association International and sponsored by Urantia Foundation on November 20th and 21st, 2021, was a beautiful showcase of study and discernment, with presentations offered by sixteen Urantia Book students of all ages from many Ibero-America countries, in Spanish and Portuguese with simultaneous translations into Spanish, Portuguese, and English.

The theme of this Urantiathon was “Leadership and Spirituality,” offering a wide range of interesting views on the challenges of leadership in the Urantia movement, service, spirituality, the reality of religious experience, leadership in everyday life, and more.

Below, we present the pearls of thought shared by some presenters:

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2021 ANZURA Virtual Conference Report

From , Presented by Kathleen Swadling, Sydney on

This year’s 2021 ANZURA conference, hosted by our Sydney team was held as a virtual Zoom conference on 2nd October. Once again, for all the “new normal” reasons we had to cancel our in-person event. We had high hopes all year that we could meet face-to-face as we saw our case numbers rapidly diminish to almost zero and then… as we all know, Delta hit and cases soared, so it was back to square one. Nevertheless, since we are told that disappointment is actually good for us, we joyfully knuckled down to figure out how we could adjust our plans accordingly.

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