The Urantia Book Study Group Directory now has 532 listings in 20 languages. It is “a free and open service to readers of The Urantia Book to facilitate their connection with other readers for the purposes of collaborative study and spiritual fraternity, and to study group hosts to publicize their meetings toward this purpose.”
The Study Group Directory is overseen and curated by representatives from Urantia Foundation, and volunteers from Urantia Association International, Urantia Book Fellowship, and a website administrator. Each listing has a description of its operation and contact information. The website also has a global map showing locations, downloadable study aids, and a registration page.
It may seem strange that a pandemic (Covid) caused so many new study groups to come online, but that is the case. A while ago I decided to visit all the online English-speaking groups in the Directory. So far, I have visited almost twenty. I can attend one or more Zoom groups every night. Several groups meet on the same day at the same time, so I usually attend a group for a few months then go to another. It’s such a privilege to have so many choices and I can always return to any group.
Study group touring has been a remarkably rewarding experience. The number of Urantia Book readers I’ve come to know and love has increased with every group I visit. Each group is unique in several ways, in how the host conducts study, in how attendees respond, in how many attendees there are, even in how topics are presented. No two are alike; I visited a study group where only the host and I showed up, whereas others have up to thirty attendees.
So much depends on the host. Some hosts like to be at the center with graphs, charts, and they lecture their group. Other hosts hardly lead but allow a free flow of conversation after a segment of Urantia Book text has been read. One group doesn’t read at all, rather the host plays an audio version of the text.
Some groups read whole sections before opening the floor to discussion. One group I attend may read only one sentence, even one phrase, and discuss it before moving on. There is much variation in who will speak. In general, the larger groups require that a member’s hand be raised and called on by the host, whereas smaller groups often allow speakers to enter the conversation spontaneously when there is an opening. I can report, almost without fail, everyone is courteous and deferential.
Notwithstanding the fact that hugs are impossible in electronic meetings, they are quite convenient in that I can visit with readers of one country one night and another the next, even the same night if the meeting times don’t conflict. Intimacy is not a problem; most meetings close with one or more signing off with “Love you all.”
I recently spoke with a host living on the US’s east coast whose group meets at 7AM! She explained that her group is for Chinese readers who are twelve hours ahead. This host has a translator on hand and many Chinese mainlanders in attendance. It was such a joy to discover that someone has taken our revelation to China. And she does it without leaving home.
I encourage everyone to try study group touring. I’ve met and made friends with scores of readers I would never have known existed if not for the Study Group Directory. These are people with whom we are going to spend eternity ascending, studying, and serving. I may not make it to all the English-speaking groups listed in the Directory before I graduate to the mansion worlds, but I am certain that each one I do visit will bring a new set of beautiful souls into my living room and new insights into the text of the greatest book ever written.
The Directory’s listings can be filtered by type, language, country, and day of the week. This link will take you to the home page: https://www.urantiastudygroup.org/en It is available in English, Estonian, Portuguese, French, and Spanish.