Targeting Outreach

richard_thumbBy Richard S. Omura

Many years ago, after reading The Urantia Book for a while and slowly beginning to understand it, I felt an urge for service that I didn’t have before. I also felt an urge to communicate with others the wonderful, strange, new concepts and ideas found in the book. So I did.

My first outreach activity with the book was at a Whole Life Expo, way back in the last century, (boy, that sounds ancient!) It was a lot of fun! I learned so much from those experiences of talking to strangers and telling them of the book and what it says. One time a group of fundamentalist Christians warned me of the dangers of the UB. Another time, a man wanted me to exorcise the devil out from his wife. I prayed for him, I think. But the memories of what happened are quite muddled. I don’t know exactly what happened but he walked away satisfied.

I did a few of those types of outreach at first, then it was so much fun I wanted to do it all the time. That’s when Don Roark started to set up a regular Urantia Book table at Venice Beach. Norman Ingram joined in and I helped out from time to time. That was when a producer from UPN asked me for an interview regarding The UB to be aired on the Strange Universe tv program. I think that was the only time The UB has been on national television. From what I heard later on, the book sold phenomenally well in the succeeding months after the program aired. Subsequently, I met a few people who told me that the program was their first introduction to the book.

I was beginning to get a feel for talking to truth seekers about the book. Next thing I did was to have a booth at UC Irvine’s Religious Diversity Fair. This was another eye-opening experience. The percentage of people stopping by was very gratifying. There was a lot of interest. The advantage of a religious fair was that it had a targeted audience, while at Venice Beach one would have to deal with the general public in which only a tiny percentage would be interested in the UB’s subject matter. The Expos, and other new age venues as well as book fairs were better than Venice Beach at getting people to stop by but the events were infrequent and I felt that there were better options.

So I endeavored to figure out how I can target potential readers even more. At this point, I had a book out with my insights into applying UB concepts into a modern philosophy (The Whole Universe Book) and I wanted to talk to people about those ideas. My next move happened when I was just fooling around surfing the net. I Googled “USC philosophy club” just for fun and came up with USC’s Philosophy Club website. It had info on what they’re about, how often they meet and a link to their Facebook page. So I got on their FB page and found the email address of the president of the club, emailed him and asked him if I could make a presentation. He said okay, and I said cool!

IMG_0477I made the presentation and it was very interesting and edifying. I was little intimidated at first but they turned out to be regular college kids.There were only about 5-6 members attending but we had a great discussion. I followed up by going to a metaphysical presentation that the president invited me to after he graduated.

I go through phases in my life in which I try different tactics and ways of doing things, including outreach. Lately, my energies have veered off into getting the ideas and concepts of the book out there, rather than just focusing on pushing The Ubook itself. Still, I am aware of the importance of introducing the physical book to the public.

So, I offer my experiences above as a pattern for those who also feel the tug of outreach. Act now right after you finish reading this. Google a college or university near you and type in (institution name) and philosophy club, or religious club, new age club, UFO club, Jesus club, interfaith club, peace club, or wherever your creativity leads. Go to their website or FB page if they have one. Then find the email of the president and start up a conversation. Be easy, casual and fun! You don’t want to teach, correct, or fix their beliefs. Proselytizing can be a turnoff. You just have this mysterious book and want to introduce it to people. You can do a simple intro to the book or if you’re confident of your knowledge of the concepts, give a presentation on some of the deeper ideas. If you’re not, find long time readers to help you. A team of two or three would be great, but there’s nothing that says you can’t do it on your own.

This may sound like a lot of work and effort and you may feel that you are not qualified enough, smart enough, don’t know the book well enough, too shy, etc. etc. etc. This is your insecurity talking! Have faith! If you make the effort, you will be lead to people that will appreciate your particular interpretation of the book. There will be people that will come to you because you have just the right amount of intelligence and spiritual fragrance, for them.

You have the divine spark within you. Even if you can’t do it, the Adjuster can! You have the support of a host of angels! The family of God’s cosmic conspiracy for spiritual upliftment is backing you! All you have to do is be willing to serve His will. Pray and worship. Consecrate your will to God’s will and then just relax. You will be lead naturally, without external pressure, to act, because it will be a pleasure, not a chore. The reality that the UB describes is real. We are surrounded by seraphim and other spiritual forces and agencies just waiting for humans to consecrate their will to God so that they can assist. I can vouch for this through my own experiences which I wrote about in my latest book, Alien Angels – The Seraphic Transcripts. (www.RichardOmura.com/angels) The universe reality that the UB talks about is true, but one needs to act on the knowledge for it to become real in one’s soul. And make sure it is fun! You will find pleasure in it, a lot of it, because when souls converse about God’s reality, it is a fountain of joy and satisfaction. One of the greatest pleasures in the cosmos, I would say!

Intuit that this is your path. Understand the significance. Have Courage. Use your Knowledge. Counsel with your associates, seen and unseen. Draw spiritual energy from Worship. Act with Wisdom. And keep the faith!

Spread the word ❤

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2 thoughts on “Targeting Outreach”

  1. Thanks Richard, you are an inspiration. Really enjoyed your article on the requisite of first hand religion a few years ago. Keep up the good work and keep us from falling into a lazy religion of authority.

  2. Well, your experiences speak volumes, Richard. So many of us older students of the UB have had many positive, and some negative outreach happenings, in our lives.
    Enthusiasm about what you’ve found in the Book, as answers to your profound questions, may come across to others as some slight fanaticism. Or, you may be so convinced that you have “found the answer” that you deter real seekers, who might otherwise be willing participants in study and reading.
    Outreach is truly an art-form, gently placing a pearl of great price where the hungry soul of another may find an answer, and experience genuine spiritual uplift.
    Meanwhile, there is the process of placing the UB where it can be obtained by individuals. Or, additionally, providing access to ways in which the Book and other pertinent information could be obtained, on line.
    We’re offering soul solace and heart healing to those who are world-weary, who need to break free of the hypnosis of materialism and money.
    Thank you, Richard, for sharing your personal life with us!
    Stephen Zendt

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