Like many of you who work on behalf of the revelation, I wear several hats. My day job is working remotely for Urantia Foundation, where among other things I have the privilege of serving as executive director of Urantia Book International School (UBIS). During my spare time I am the board secretary of Urantia Association International. Over the last four years, I have observed how many local leaders are serving in multiple organizations. This should come as no surprise since a love of the revelation and a desire to serve in leadership roles often go hand in hand.
UBIS has grown exponentially over the past 25 years. From its origin as a correspondence school for English-speaking readers, the program has expanded to seven languages, offering courses in Spanish, French. Portuguese, Hungarian, German, and Polish. In January we will introduce a prototype course in Chinese. And by next September, we hope to offer courses in Indonesian and Finnish.
UBIS trains motivated readers like you and me to become teacher-facilitators (TFs). We adhere strictly to a non-interpretive teaching philosophy, and acknowledge the revelators as the true teachers. Our TFs simply facilitate the process of self-discovery of revealed truth. The school’s pedagogy is based on the Jesusonian method of questions and answers, making each student a dynamic participant. Intermittent discussion weeks are full of personal sharing and robust dialog among students from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
I’ve observed that many of our TFs are also involved with Urantia Association or the Urantia Book Fellowship, often serving on the Education Committee or as an officer of a local affiliate. Some examples include Tim Duffy (UBIS, UUI, and the Fellowship), Michael Zehr (UBIS and the United States Association), Hara Davis (UBIS and the United Kingdom Association) Jaime Marco and Eduardo Altuzarra (both are active in the UBIS Spanish branch and the Spain Association), Mirela Gradinariu (UBIS German branch and DACH) to name a few.
What draws us to serve our fellow readers? Do leadership skills and teaching ability go hand in hand? Is it the servant’s heart? Or perhaps it is a desire to be part of something bigger than ourselves. It is definitely a taste of the ascension plan, where we will work with mortals from diverse planets.
The entire ascendant plan of mortal progression is characterized by the practice of giving out to other beings new truth and experience just as soon as acquired. You work your way through the long school of Paradise attainment by serving as teachers to those pupils just behind you in the scale of progression. 30:3.9 (339.6)
The teachings of The Urantia Book and a desire to spread the teachings bind all of us together. So if you or your constituent association are looking for an effective outreach program, I hope you will consider joining the UBIS team. Our school offers free online courses three times a year. It is a special ministry that can be performed in the comfort of your home, at any time of the day or night. As Michael Barrett of the United States wrote, “If there is anything I could do for anyone who is serious about learning of the spiritual realities revealed in The Urantia Book, it would be to encourage that person to take a UBIS class and experience the power of the Spirit that guides us all and somehow permeates these virtual classrooms!” Won’t you join us?
In the universal regime, you are not reckoned as having possessed yourself of knowledge and truth until you have demonstrated your ability and your willingness to impart this knowledge and truth to others. 25:4:12 (279.13)