During the last two months, calls were made to many different Urantia Associations across the world to recruit volunteers to join the Urantia International Study group Committee. We had good results; four members of different Associations have come forth and offered their help to further the mission of this committee. Presently the committee can start addressing its task by first revising its strategic plan.
Of those volunteers, two are from New Zealand, one from Australia, one from Colombia, one from the United States, and me from Canada. The role of this committee in the coming years will be to coordinate certain activities among the various Urantia Associations around the world in fostering the creation of more study groups, while making available to them study aids, documents and guides to help them improve the quality of the teaching and learning experience within them.
The members of this committee will also be engaged in various activities such as making presentations and workshops about study groups at international, national and regional conferences. One of our members is also part of the committee managing the Study Group directory so the Study Group committee will be able to make recommendations to this dedicated group in order to improve the service it provides to students of The Urantia Book around the world while promoting its website to increase the number of registered groups.
The Study Group committee will also be promoting the creation of virtual study groups using the ZOOM platform which provides incredible and reliable quality of video and audio communication. For this to happen, more experience must be gained in that area so we can provide interested hosts and participants valuable advice on how such groups can be as good as a regular in-person group.
Another goal that will help focus our efforts is the promotion of the acquirement of teaching and leadership skills by students in study groups. There is much to be done in that area if we are to follow the advice the Revelators given in the Publication Mandate. What better place to acquire those skills than in the purview of a study group?
If you would like to join our committee, please contact me at studygroupchair.uai@gmail.com
In spirit of Brotherhood,
Gaétan G. Charland
Study Group Chair
Urantia Association International