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A Way of Life in the Family of God: A Course in Spiritual Formation

       A series of 10 weekly online classes 

Sundays, from September 27 to November 29, 2020

   10:00 am-12:00 noon Pacific time USA

   11:00 am MDT / 12:00 noon CDT / 1:00 pm EDT /  7:00 pm CEST (The Netherlands)



    Register Now for the Fall 2020 Course

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    These study/discussion classes will meet for two hours every week for 10 weeks in a Zoom online video conference room.  

    No other class work is required.

      Important Note:  If the momentum of the discussion is strong, we will continue the class for an extra 30 minutes for those who wish to continue.


        About this Class

        We will work toward incorporating a way of living moment-to-moment in the Family of God, into our everyday experience.


        Description

        The 10-week “Course in Spiritual Formation”  introduces participants to a new and higher way of living.  The purpose of the Course is to help us mobilize our faith — allowing the Spirit to more fully transform us — so that we can truly begin to live in spiritual family relationship, with God as our heavenly Parent and all human beings as our spiritual sisters and brothers.

        Said Jesus, “Forget not — it is your personal faith in the exceedingly great and precious promises of God that ensures your becoming partakers of the divine nature. Thus by your faith and the spirit’s transformation, you become in reality the temples of God, and his spirit actually dwells within you.” 143:2.4

        Spiritual Formation is a process wherein we clarify, organize and integrate the central spiritual truths in our lives (the great gifts, the “exceedingly great and precious promises of God”) so that, by the exercise of “our faith, and the spirit’s transformation,” we can begin increasingly to live out these truths, and eventually embody them and become them. 


        Format

        The Course is organized around the overarching Family of God symbolism that is threaded throughout The Urantia Book.  It is an in-depth exploration of seven essential truths or experiences in spiritual family relationship.

        Students will participate in a series of ten weekly "teaching" study groups, each one approximately 2 hours in length.

        • Week 1 provides an overview and structure of the Course. 
        • Weeks 2-8 focus on seven of the core truths in Jesus' Gospel (described below), each Week providing an in-depth exploration of one of these central truths.  
        • Weeks 9-10 culminate in a look at the power of symbolism, a Course summary, participants’ sharing of their conclusions, and an exploration of how we can each continue to develop a Way of Life in the Family of God going forward. 

        The format for each of the weekly meetings alternates between:

        • Group sharing of carefully selected Urantia Book passages focused on the theme of that week, and
        • Questions and discussion designed to help participants incorporate the core truths shown below into their daily experience — into a way of living moment-to-moment in spiritual family relationship.

        ✦ The Spiritual Parent Child Relationship

        ✦ The Spiritual Sister Brother Relationship

        ✦ The Indwelling Spirit       ✦ The Will of God

        ✦ Love       ✦ Eternal Life       ✦ Faith


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        Please note:

        This is an experiential class focused on spiritual education and personal growth in a small group process.

        The structure is a bit different than other UUI classes. Since the entire course will occur in the live, online, two-hour video conference each week, it is important that participants be able to attend most of the weekly sessions. 

        Those who miss any of the sessions will be able to view a video recording of the Zoom meeting.

          In addition, participants must be able and willing to use the Zoom online video-conferencing application (rather than phone call-in) to participate in this online study group experience. 




          Class Format 

          Time frame:  10 weeks

          Format:  Weekly online meetings using Zoom video conferencing

          Effort:  The group meets 2 hours per week. There is no other class time or work required.

          • Participants are urged, but not required, to attend all the weekly meetings. 
          • A video recording of the Zoom meeting will be available for the benefit of those who miss a session. 

          Level:  All readers of the Urantia Book wanting to enhance their ability to live their lives in the family of God

          Size:  Class is limited to 20 participants. 

          Language:  English

          Participant and Auditor Options:

          Students may enroll in the course as either an Active Participant or as an Auditor.  You will be given this option in the Registration form.

          An Active Participant is someone who intends to engage in most or all of the 10 weekly online classes. In the event they are unable to attend the live class, they agree to watch a video recording of the missed class in order to keep current with the learning process. 

          An Auditor is someone who has opted not to attend the live weekly classes, but who would like to receive the weekly study material. Auditors will receive a private link to the video recordings of each weekly class.

          Group Leader


          Marvin Gawryn

          Marvin Gawryn considers himself incredibly lucky. Fifty years ago, when he was seventeen and barely sentient, at his high school job at one of the first metaphysical book shops in Los Angeles, he stumbled upon The Urantia Book. It has shaped his entire adult life from that day forward.

          He has participated in and led study groups weekly for forty years, and served in numerous leadership roles with Urantia Book Fellowship and other service organizations. His dearest friends are fellow readers. He is the author of “Reaching High: The Psychology of Spiritual Living”, and has presented workshops at many movement conferences. He was especially fortunate to serve as Chair of the Fellowship’s Liaison Committee during efforts to restore cooperative relations with Urantia Foundation and UAI after the turbulence of the 1990’s. He is currently a member of the Standard Reference Text Committee, and of UUI’s Curriculum Committee.

          Marvin is semi-retired after 30 years in practice as a Family Therapist, and currently works as the Executive Director of the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada. He has, over the past thirty years, researched and offered workshops on the socialization of religion material in The Urantia Book, and in 1988 completed a two year Certificate of Theological Studies from the Graduate Theological Union in the history and sociology of religion.

          He is President of the Family of God Fellowship (familyofgodfellowship.org), which is dedicated to helping people live their lives more fully in spiritual family relationship, and to spreading Jesus’ gospel as expressed in The Urantia Book — a thrilling and dynamic Way of Life in the Family of God.

          Most importantly, Marvin and his lovely and wise wife, Francyl, continue to enjoy the remarkable experience of serving as parents to two amazing young women, their husbands, and two beloved grandchildren. “Such a life on such a planet!” 111:7.5


          FAQ

          After I enroll, what happens next?

          1. After enrolling in the class you will receive a confirmation email, including a Course Participation Agreement.  
          2. Several days before the class starts, you will receive an email with login information for the online Zoom meetings and a copy of the study material for the first class meeting. 
          3. A reminder email will be sent to participants the night before the start date of the class.

          Will I get a grade for this class? 

            At this time, no grades are given for completing UUI classes. This class has been designed chiefly for personal and spiritual enrichment.  


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