Urantia Foundation provides a variety of services to readers throughout the world.
Foundation staff members at our worldwide offices, with the assistance of twenty international volunteers who serve as Foundation Representatives in their areas, provide a personal link between the publisher and readers of The Urantia Book. Foundation Trustees believe it is important to maintain this connection with the readership, and they are committed to a global policy in which all of the Foundation's services are available and understandable for people of different languages and cultures.
Education is at the heart of most Reader Service activities. Those who discover the enlarged vision of spirit realities presented in The Urantia Book often contact Urantia Foundation for information and answers to their questions. As The Urantia Book becomes more widely disseminated, more and more such requests are being received. Many people ask to be added to our mailing list and to receive information about the book and our organization.
In 2001, Urantia Foundation responded to over 5,000 requests for information, either electronically or by mail. Requests for referrals to other readers and study groups accounted for about twenty percent of this activity.
Urantia Foundation encourages readers of The Urantia Book to attend or organize study groups in their communities and offers an international referral service to assist in these efforts. Studying and discussing The Urantia Book with others often enhances understanding by presenting diverse perspectives. Each study group is independent and develops its own style of studying the book-one that best suits the needs of its members. Reader Services assists by providing referrals to nearby study groups or individual readers.
Study group hosts must be included on our mailing list in order for Urantia Foundation to refer readers to them. We maintain an electronic database of information provided by readers. Persons listed as a referral are those who have given us permission to give out their name, phone number, and email address to readers who may inquire. Study groups are listed when a reader informs us that they host a regularly meeting study group. Urantia Foundation applies only one criterion in these referrals: Study group hosts who wish to be listed are asked to submit a simple form which states that the group focuses solely on study of The Urantia Book.
Urantia Foundation does not publish lists or otherwise make public the personal data that readers provide. Discretion is exercised, and those who request such information are required to provide their own contact details. Concern for privacy and a commitment to integrity and fairness underscore these policies and balances our desire to promote friendship and study among all readers of The Urantia Book.
Accuracy of information is essential to providing these beneficial services. Database management requires constant update efforts by staff and volunteers. It also requires that readers inform us of changes in their contact details. If you move or change your phone number or email address, especially if you are listed as a referral or study group host, please contact Urantia Foundation with the new information.
To determine if you are already included in our database as a "Referral" or as a "Study Group Host," check the mailing address of this Urantian News to see if there is an "R" or an "SG" in parentheses after your name. If there are no changes to report, bravo! However, if there are changes, please let us know.
If you currently host a study group or would like to change your referral status to become contactable, please complete and return the enclosed form. Updates can be made by mail, email, or telephone to the nearest office listed on the back of the form.
If you wish to take advantage of the Foundation's referral services, please contact us. We are at your service!