Lately I’ve been thinking about where our community exists. We don’t have a single church or a center to call home base, nor do we have a network of readers’ homes that we can visit wherever we might be in town. 
This got me thinking about a few issues that I would like to tackle.
First is that we do not have a church to gather in or visit. I know that the UB does not call for us forming a church in which to praise and pray, but it sure would be amazing to have a center or meeting place besides our living rooms that could be a home base for the community’s Urantia Book readers–a place to which we could invite guests and in which readers could give sermons. Though I very much respect the one on one interaction of an at-home study group, there is definitely something missing. For me it is other ways to express my passion for what I learn when studying the UB. Look at the success of the large churches. They have a watered-down version of Jesus’ truth, and with a little light show and some music they rock the house and attract millions of followers!
Second is that we need a network of readers who are willing to host fellow traveling readers. How much more enticing would it be to a young evangelist if he or she knew there was a home to stay in for a night or two in most cities? A network of loving families to support him or her while traveling for the gospel of the good news? Outreach is going to take a million and one shapes but the support for the disciples must be solid. This website will be announcing a program that you can participate in to help this much-needed network start taking shape. Stay tuned for more!
Third is another issue I would like to bring to light. Last week I was talking with a long-time Urantia Book reader about the culture and attitude of the movement. We discussed how when many of the now-older readers found the Book, they where immediately driven to serve. Many traveled to Chicago in search of a loving dynamic community to join and serve in. But what they found was a group of kind but inactive UB readers who looked down on these inspired souls and their desire to share this Book’s greatness with the world. Most were told that the revelation needed to be spread through slow “one on one” introductions. This attitude still persists even now! And look where the Urantia Book sits on the world stage. It doesn’t.
Meredith Sprunger saw this happening in his community and tried to intervene. And I quote:
“Many people who long to serve and help spread the good news of the fifth epochal revelation are confused by conflicting advice given by leaders in the URANTIA movement. Some are even afraid of violating some “hidden” or “implied” directive of the revelators of The URANTIA Book. It is time that these ambiguities be laid to rest.” Follow the link for more.
Jesus tells us on p. 1729.6
“The religion of the spirit means effort, struggle, conflict, faith, determination, love, loyalty, and progress. The religion of the mind–the theology of authority–requires little or none of these exertions from its formal believers. Tradition is a safe refuge and an easy path for those fearful and halfhearted souls who instinctively shun the spirit struggles and mental uncertainties associated with those faith voyages of daring adventure out upon the high seas of unexplored truth in search for the farther shores of spiritual realities as they may be discovered by the progressive human mind and experienced by the evolving human soul.”
THIS WAS IN 1983 for crying out loud! But let me be clear: the time is here my friends. The beauty and truth in the UB can not be held down anymore by those who are afraid in their own hearts to live its teachings. This generation will hold itself and those who negate the outreach movement accountable.
It says in the UB loud and clear:
195:10.5 ” In winning souls for the Master, it is not the first mile of compulsion, duty, or convention that will transform man and his world, but rather the second mile of free service and liberty-loving devotion that betokens the Jesusonian reaching forth to grasp his brother in love and sweep him on under spiritual guidance toward the higher and divine goal of mortal existence.”
Is slow growth going the second mile? I would say surely it is not. The second mile is living a dynamic spiritual life. Being up front and proud of your relationship with God and all that it brings to your experience of existence.
This is not about making anyone or any group of people wrong; let us make that clear. This conversation is about actually LIVING THE TEACHINGS OF THE URANTIA BOOK! We must forgive ourselves for falling into the patterns that are inherent to the nature of being human.
To let religion take over your life is to exercise faith on a level we rarely see in our culture. And when we do see such a dynamic individual we have no idea how that person achieved it. So what our goal is as young readers is to form a community of purpose-driven evangelists who are always in training as to ways to live the teachings of the Urantia Book. “The religion of the mind–the theology of authority–requires little or none of these exertions from its formal believers”…and not only that, it’s not very inspiring. 
This generation is dedicated to bringing a world full of lost and hungry souls to the gates of heaven.
Thank you for listening. With love and respect.
20 thoughts on “Where is the Urantia Community??”
Right on Teuvo. Your words resonate with me so strongly. You are totally in tune with what is going on the planet right now. I’m with you all the way…
Cristina
Cristina thank you so very much. Your support means a lot.
I feel that its important I bring up the topics that are on my mind. Being here in San Diego has given a great advantage over most to plant the seeds of truth. Its always summer so I can do outreach year round!
What I know for a fact is that there are thousands of young people looking for the truth which we hold. When they discover it I want to have the tools necessary to harness their energy and plug them into our community.
I understand your frustration, but would ask you step back and try to adopt a generational perspective. Believe in the truth. If just one person taught two the truth, and the next generation those two each taught two, in 35 generations it would add up to about 35 billion. This sort of growth is critical if the movement is to avoid the pitfalls of becoming yet another in a long line of religious institutions which have facilitated the death and oppression of billions in their name. knowing god, really knowing god, should not be a tool our rulers can use to control us.
I am rigt with you. you have he zeal of your Father. and good to see the youth feeling the same way.. the old gaurd just held the bow string longer farther back so your shot of evangelism will go further..
stay true to your word and study and learn through training like you suggest to always hold sacred teh personality trust and self image of a majestic personality to those truth seekers the angels send your way..
learn good listening skills and questioning techniques that leave the person feeling enriched and supported
we will support your agondonter , angels of progress , adjuster team anytime.
In His love and light
patrick
Keep remembering to live the teachings….don’t be discouraged by slow growth…just keep making efforts, live with sincerity and know that as you desire to do God’s will…so it is done. In the words of Bobby Mcferrin “don’t worry be happy” and in the words of our Master “be of good cheer” I love your passion…. make sure to temper it with the fruits of the spirit.
I agree that it is time to form a Urantia community that matches the reality of our world. I offer this suggestion: go to couochsurfing.com and register as a CS-er. then start a group of Urantia Book followers. That way CS.com manages the site and it goes worldwide immediately.
I’m going to do that thank you for your suggestion. : )
Well spoken Teuvo,
This message needs to be spread throughout the brotherhood world wide. The time has come to face the challenges of high gear and the second mile. I will repost on my board as well.
“That which the world needs most to know is: Men are the sons of God,
and through faith they can actually realize, and daily experience, this ennobling truth.”
While it will ever remain true that the true brotherhood is invisible, it is also true that those who work the harvest of this day and generation should be as visible to the world today as the noble men and women of the last epochal revelation of truth were to their day and generation. The details of their lives revealed in todays revelation, was to challenge those serving this new revelation of God to mankind.
(Sorry, I was behind on my soadmin emails and only just got to this) I wholeheartedly agree with you, Teuvo. I have often felt that the study group is lacking in devotional expression and it would be nice to have a location where readers could share their enthusiasm, experiences and knowledge. Many readers do seem afraid in formalizing the UB into something like a church, but people are going to be concerned about just about anything that is new that’s proposed. I aligned myself more wit the Fellowship than the Foundation because I prefer their more aggressive approach to outreach (I just HAPPENED to hear about the UB from a friend of my mom’s (a professioal astrologer!)when I was already 36 years old (though it is of course possible that this was just the right time for me). I do commend the earler generation of UB custodians for keeping the book intact: now it’ time for those of us who are able to spread the UB far and wide and it will be a team effort between the older and younger. Go for it!
PS. I visited San Diego about ten years agi and was very impressed by that beautiful city.
Chris Fallows
UBSGNY
NYC
Hi Teuvo!
I’m all with you. Instead of calling it a church or a center; we could call it a temple. When our planet approaches light and life, we’ll have a morontia temple. We’ll have a temple then and why we shouldn’t call it a temple now. Our community consists of loose study groups which do not offer an inspire place to learn. The slow growth will remain if we don’t make correction. I would love to go to a Urantia Temple to learn and worship the Father. It seemed everybody afraids of our community becoming one of the organized religion. IMO, I think it is an inevitable. We’ll become an organized religion. However, I hope we’ll become an organized religion which would unite other religions and lead us forward to become one religion during the light and life of our planet.
Love
Savuth
Hi Teuvo,
I just found your article and I couldn’t agree more!! I introduced a young man two years ago to the Urantia Book and trained him from the time we met to “Get the Books Out” and last weekend he went to a Fellowship gathering for Jesus Birthday on Saturday and another done by Foundation people on Sunday and at the Fellowship gathering were 25 people who were all in their 60s to 80s and had been meeting for years. The same at the other gathering. He met no one his age! When he told them that we had gotten out over two hundred and fifty books into libraries, doctor’s offices, waiting rooms at hospitals, and that he was conversing with orisoners and supplying them books, they’re mouths dropped open! (I wasn’t able to attend) They couldn’t believe someone so young was inspired to get out the books like that.
In fact, the other group wanted to make him a Membership chair in their organization. He said, that’s nice as long as it doesn’t take away from my work of getting these books out. Cause you see he’s kinda thinking of himself as on a mission. He knows that in a 100 years there will be 20 billion people at the rate we are going. that’s when the water wars and the resource wars the like will all be happening. And all there is is 750,000 copies of this book out in the reach of anybody who may be turning for answers! So I’ve impressed upon this stable and energetic young man to help carry the torch by just getting the books out. placing free books wherever he can in hospital waiting rooms, at church libraries, coffee houses and leave one laying on a table, doctor’s office waiting areas… Heck even at Auto-Repair shops where you sit and veg while waiting for your car. If any one else wants to donate for his cause, write to Shane Whittington at drysing00@gmail.com Keep up the great service outreach, because it’s the “Way of the Master”
Aaron,
Thank you for your comment. Isn’t it amazing to see people so committed to “Sharing the good news”. My generation desires to do little else. We see great importance in fostering our individual spiritual needs but at the heart of who we are we are disciples of our brother Jesus of Nazareth.
It is understandable that generations before us took a somewhat different approach and more focused on the study of the book and not so much the implementation of the teachings. Times have changed though and we are rolling fast into the future of as the book says “positive missionary evangelism”.
I have been in contact with Shane and we are going to help him and anyone else who puts their hands up to serve with such passion. Please keep your eyes out for other hungry young minds and get your generation prepared to work hand in hand as we strive to bring this community back to life by fearlessly pursuing the implementation of the UB teachings in our daily lives.
Stay in touch!
Teuvo Orjala
Hello Teuvo and all. God put this attitude on my heart for a Catholicism movement after I graduated High School; by His grace it didn’t work out. I now know that is because my evangelism was–is meant for the UB. Right now I am reading the bible and the UB as often as possible, working on my prayer life, and saving up money. I would love to take an active part in your vision. We are not meant to do anything like this alone, “One of the most important lessons to be learned during your mortal career is teamwork.” UB(312.1) 28:5.14
I need more fellowship with UBers before this can happen. I need more training to become that fountain of service-love and inspiration the “Key Revelation” calls us to be. I know that your article is on the right track. Look at how Jesus sent out his disciples!
Perhaps you have not read this article https://urantianow.com/what-is-the-purpose/ There is a great quote in there, “99:4.6 During the psychologically unsettled times of the twentieth century, amid the economic upheavals, the moral crosscurrents, and the sociologic rip tides of the cyclonic transitions of a scientific era, thousands upon thousands of men and women have become humanly dislocated; they are anxious, restless, fearful, uncertain, and unsettled; as never before in the world’s history they need the consolation and stabilization of sound religion. In the face of unprecedented scientific achievement and mechanical development there is spiritual stagnation and philosophic chaos.
The world needs the True Gospel of Jesus by his people and the Urantia Book!!!! As I said before, I feel called to work with you and whoever else want to proclaim the liberty of faith to those who may desire it.
I love you in the truth, Devon Fitz
Once you form a church, it is turned into another religion and ruined.
Networks and extra organizations are unnecessary.
People desire a sense of community and this can be formed wherever you are.
You have all you need to be a friend and make friends, gather together,
read Urantia, enjoy prayer, sing together if you wish, enjoy a meal together.
Please don’t be an evangelist, that places you in role to fulfill, and needing
homes to stay in etc. Just be a brother our sister. Every one we meet are
brothers and sisters. Let’s be their friend and earn our own way through honest
work, to invite interested friends to our own house or apartment or public place.
The message of God and Michael is so simple. Subtly our own ego’s, mine especially,
desires recognition, to be seen and valued by others, and to see Urantia step on the
world stage of religion in the spotlight. All completely counter-productive. All we
need to do is simply be a humble friend where we are. You can do anything you want
for good right where you are each day. Without networks, without churches, and without
traveling evangelists.
Eric,
Thank you for your thoughts. I here your desire to live out the teachings in your everyday life.
What I must share with you is the reality that some of us are called to be evangelist just as our brother Jesus so laid the path to follow. When our master says “There is but one law to obey—that is the command to go forth proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. Cease to fear men; be unafraid to preach the good news of eternal life to your fellows who languish in darkness and hunger for the light of truth.” I take this seriously as a self proclaimed messenger of this new gospel.
What I will point out is that I ask no one who is not willing to join me in my efforts. I only share my passion for following Jesus’ message and hope that others may be inspired to join me, and they have!
My mission in life is to create networks of believers that may depend upon each other in there efforts to build the family of God. Please share more with me Eric about your passions and how you may desire to use them to build up the Kingdom of God.
We all have such unique callings and its truly inspiring to hear others stories of finding their purpose in serving God.
Much love my friend. Teuvo
Eric thank you for taking the time to type out your thoughts and feelings about my article. You gave me some good points to think about.
Just so you know I’ve had a very healthy study group here in San Diego for almost three years! It attracts new people often. We have also had local gathering with readers in the area. You can see a post about one here https://urantianow.com/the-possibility/
Sense I came into my faith I have had a strong desire to work for the spiritual kingdom. To grow the family of God on Urantia. My method of doing this I believe is very clearly expressed through Urantia Now and many many post I have published about my adventures.
What I would like to ask you about your concerns about raising money is what the UB says about it. (see below) Though I do spend plenty of my own money to do all the different Urantia related activates I do it is invaluable to have the support of the Urantia Book Fellowship and readers from around the world. We do not always posses the means to accomplish our projects or dreams and if we have the ability to enroll others in supporting us who is to say this should not be? This is even how the papers got printed. The Forum had to raise money to buy the plates. This is the natural way of things as I see it. Let us trust in the community to judge what is worthy of their support or not.
I’d be very interested to hear more about your life my friend. It sounds like it has been full of rewarding challenges and adventures.
Please share more anytime. Your brother. Teuvo
“There is a great difference between wealth which leads to covetousness and selfishness and that which is held and dispensed in the spirit of stewardship by those who have an abundance of this world’s goods, and who so bountifully contribute to the support of those who devote all their energies to the work of the kingdom.” 165:4.5
You appear to have a very good perspective on this..
Eric,
Yes actually I’m going there this weekend of their “Earth Harmony Festival”.
I’m good friends with Gabriel’s son Amadon and his sisters.
There was a post about a year ago called “What media can do” and a very intense lengthy discussion ensued in the comments if you want to get a feeling for the attitude towards Avalon Gardens about a year ago.
You might notice though if you go to a simple post from last week about the same topic (the festival) there are not comments. Just a thought.
Please let me know if you have any other questions my friend.
Hello,
I would first like to say that I have read the Urantia Papers and find them to be Amazing. In fact, the papers have charged my personal love and seeking of our Lord Almighty. I truly hold the writings to be, not only of truth; but the best kind of truth… The unyielding truth.
With that said.
I’m more than sure that having started this community that you have read the papers in their entirety. I could only hope that you have read them to completion numerous times. Made study of their teachings; not only of Human triumph, but of Human follies as well.
I believe your intentions of starting a “church” are of good intent. However, I don’t believe the “movement” (as you call it) is ready, nor will it be ready, for such a step for quite some time. At least not in our life time in this material world.
Think back to some of these papers of the Human journey. Think on the follies brought fourth by those who attempted to show an unready world the wonders of God. Even in the case of Jesus; the foundations of his teachings had been put in motion for thousands of years prior to his arrival here on Urantia. Yet even when He came to us, we shunned him and his teachings at large, while smaller (relatively smaller anyway)groups followed. Even after his death and resurrection he was still doubted. His followers persecuted and killed for hundreds of years after. Until, finally, the religion took hold… and even then distorted from the truth of his teachings.
I guess my point is: The World is not ready for a Church of Urantia. Its peoples are too set in there ways, doctrines, and dogmas. The best course of action is to keep doing what we are doing. And what we are doing, believe it or not, is building a priesthood. And only when a true teacher rises from among us, will we be ready for that nest step of establishing a church. If even doing such a thing is necessary at all. Which it may wholly be not.
So I leave you with this: Be Patient. Be faithful. And Be content in the knowledge that has been bestowed upon you by Our Lord God. Study its teachings and learn to better serve the Lord Almighty in this life and the next. These are the things we should be focusing on at present.
With Glad Heart,
L. Trivisone
Hello Teuvo, While I share your passion with the Urantia Papers and agree in principle with you I need to share my thoughts on this blog. I personally feel that our materialistic age is not quite ripe for the establishment of a church. Revelatory information must first find the open minded spiritual seekers and allow them to assimilate the teachings before they attempt to share this information. Jesus’ apostles never fully grasped His teachings and look where this led. I believe we are doing what was initially expected by the presenters by sharing slowly. Each believer can seek out several candidates ripe for this knowledge and slowly over time repeating this practice will exponentially spread the word. Take heed of the impatience of Adam and Eve. They labored over 100 years with little or no progress and gave in to impatience which led to their default. We have been given a precious gift, let’s handle it as such. I am a true believer and an avid proponent of the Urantia Papers but I feel that moving too quickly to organize an actual church is not what the presenters had in mind. An established church can also present some negatives. Keep in mind that Jesus never attempted to create a church. That was His follower’s ideas. Jesus left no writings or material relics for a reason. He understood human nature and perceived what they would do with anything He left behind. We could however be simply talking semantics by speaking of a church. Jesus taught that worship was best served in the quiet and beauty of nature but did concede that aesthetically pleasing buildings could serve the purpose. Unfortunately mankind would quickly rush to fill these buildings with precious gold and silver and items of ceremonial worship. Look at all current churches today. Secondly religions/churches can also produce some foul byproducts such as separatism and fanaticism. Simplicity is the key to spiritual growth not ceremonies and adornments. So on a church I feel there is no need at this time or maybe ever. Jesus taught that religion is a personal experience/relationship between the individual and GOD. I do however feel strongly on your idea of a network of believer homes to accommodate traveling Urantia missionaries. That is definitely in accord with Jesus’ ideas. When He traveled on his teaching tours many of His sojourns were housed by friends or families of believers. This is something I feel is not only useful but necessary and I commend you on this idea. Keep up the good work. You are the kind of light this world needs. My generation reads and studies and shares. Yours will be the first to actively go out 2 x 2 to spread the good news. Beware though of over aggressiveness. Even though Jesus was far from aggressive in His teaching He did arouse the ire of the established Jewish religious leaders who quickly found a way to silence Him. I am aware that many Christians view our Papers as evil and trickery by a false deceiver. It is very difficult to open the eyes and hearts of those that have been taught their faith rather than acquiring it on their own. What we are taught is usually what we believe. You are an open minded thinker as am I. We will get this job done but I still feel slowly and steadily, let the will of God be done, and I do not expect in my lifetime but each of us must do our parts. If we don’t we are dooming mankind.