HOW TO START A SPIRITIST STUDY GROUP IN YOUR OWN LOCAL COMMUNITY

Read The Spiritist Doctrine below. If you agree to it, and agree to abide by it, then you are ready to start your own Spiritist Study Group where you live.

The Spiritist Doctrine

This is a brief outline of Spiritism published by the International Spiritist Council:

THE SPIRITIST DOCTRINE or SPIRITISM

What it is

It is the set of laws and principles, as revealed by the Superior Spirits, contained in the works of Allan Kardec, which constitute the Spiritist Codification: The Spirits' Book, The Mediums' Book, The Gospel According to Spiritism, Heaven and Hell, and The Genesis.

"Spiritism is a science which deals with the nature, origin and destiny of Spirits, as well as their relationship with the corporeal world."
Allan Kardec (Taken from Qu'est-ce que le Spiritisme? - Préambule)
Translated from the original French

"Spiritism realises what Jesus said of the promised Consoler, by bringing knowledge of those things which allow Man to know where he came from, where he is going and why he is on Earth; so attracting mankind towards the true principles of God's law and offering consolation through faith and hope."
Allan Kardec (Taken from The Gospel According to Spiritism - Chap. 6 - Item 4)
Translated from the original French

What it reveals

It reveals new and more profound concepts with respect to God, the Universe, the Human Being, the Spirits and the Laws which govern life itself.

Furthermore, it reveals what we are; where we have come from; where we are going; what is the objective of our existence; and what is the reason for pain and suffering.

What it comprises

By bringing new concepts about the Human Being and everything that surrounds it, Spiritism touches on all areas of knowledge, human activities and behaviour, thus opening a new era for the regeneration of Humanity.

Spiritism can and should be studied, analyzed, and practiced in all the fundamental aspects of life, such as: scientific, philosophical, religious, ethical, moral, educational, and social.

What it teaches

God is the Supreme Intelligence, first cause of all things. God is eternal, immutable, immaterial, unique, omnipotent, supremely just and good.

The Universe is God's creation. It encompasses all rational and non-rational beings, both animate and inanimate, material and immaterial.

In addition to the corporeal world inhabited by incarnate Spirits, which are human beings, there exists the spiritual world, inhabited by discarnate Spirits.

Within the Universe there are other inhabited worlds, with beings at different degrees of evolution: some equal, others more or less evolved than earthly Man.

All the Laws of Nature are Divine Laws because God is their author. They cover both the physical and moral laws.

A Human Being is a Spirit incarnated in a material body. The perispirit is the semi-material body which unites the Spirit to the physical body.

Spirits are the intelligent beings of creation. They constitute the world of the Spirits, which pre-exists and outlives everything.

Spirits are created simple and ignorant. They evolve intellectually and morally, passing from a lower order to a higher one, until they attain perfection, where they will enjoy unalterable bliss.

Spirits preserve their individuality before, during, and after each incarnation.

Spirits reincarnate as many times as is necessary for their spiritual advancement.

Spirits are always progressing. In their multiple physical existences, they may sometimes become stationary but they never regress. The speed of their intellectual and moral progress depends on the efforts they make to attain perfection.

Spirits belong to different orders according to the degree of perfection they have attained: Pure Spirits, who have attained maximum perfection; Good Spirits, whose predominant desire is towards goodness; and Imperfect Spirits, characterized by their ignorance, their tendency towards evil, and by their inferior passions.

The Spirits' relations with Human Beings are constant and have always existed. The Good Spirits attract us towards goodness, sustain us in life's trials, and help us bear them with courage and resignation. The Imperfect Spirits induce us towards error.

Jesus is the Guide and Model for all Humankind. The Doctrine He taught and exemplified is the purest expression of God's Law.

The morality of Christ, as contained in the Gospels, is the guidence for the secure progress of all Human Beings. Its practice is the solution for all human problems and the objective to be attained by Humankind.

Human Beings are given free-will to act, but they must answer for the consequences of their actions.

Future life reserves for Human Beings penalties and pleasures according to the respect they do or do not show for God's laws.

Prayer is an act of adoration for God. It is found in the natural law and is the result of an innate sentiment in every Human Being, just as the idea of the existence of the Creator is innate.

Prayer makes Human Beings better. Whoever prays with fervour and confidence grows stronger against evil temptations, and God sends the Good Spirits to assist them. This assistance will never be denied when requested with sincerity.

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SPIRITIST PRACTICE

All Spiritist practice is gratuitous, following the orientation of the moral principle found in the Gospel: "Give for free what you receive for free."

Spiritism is practiced with simplicity, without any external forms of worship, within the Christian principle that God should be worshipped in spirit and in truth.

Spiritism has no clergy, nor does it adopt or use at any of its meetings or during its practices the following: altars, images, candles, processions, sacraments, concession of indulgences, religious vestiments, alcoholic or hallucinogenic beverages, incense, tobacco, talismans, amulets, horoscopes, cartomancy, pyramids, crystals, or any other objects, rituals or external forms of worship.

Spiritism does not impose its principles. It invites those interested in knowing it to submit its teachings to the test of reason before accepting them.

Mediumship, which allows the Spirits to communicate with Human Beings, is a faculty which many individuals bring with them at birth, independent of whatever religion or beliefs they may come to adopt.

Spiritist mediumship practice is solely that which is exercised based on the principles of the Spiritist Doctrine and within the Christian moral concepts.

Spiritism respects all religions and doctrines; values all efforts towards the practice of goodness; works towards peace and fellowship between all nations and all peoples, regardless of race, colour, nationality, creed, cultural or social standing. It also recognizes that "the truly good person is one who complies with the laws of justice, love, and charity in their highest degree of purity." (The Gospel According to Spiritism – chapter 17 – item 3)

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"To be born, to die, to be reborn yet again, and
constantly progress, that is the Law."

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"Unshakable faith is only that which can meet reason
face to face in every Human epoch."

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The study of the works of Allan Kardec is fundamental
for the correct knowledge of the Spiritist Doctrine

1. Purchase The Spiritist Codification

You must purchase, or print out, The Spiritist Cofidication. This series of five books is offered by the "Spiritist Association for Books" out of New York City. They have a website:

Spiritist Assocation for Books

The Spirit Cofidication includes:

*The Spirit's Book

*The Medium's Book

*The Gospel According to Spiritism

*The Genesis According to Spiritism

*Heaven and Hell

Once you have all 5 volumes, and you have read them, you are ready to start your own Spiritist Study Group.

Once you have read The Spirit-Cofification you are ready to declare yourself a Spiritist. To do that, you need only sign and date a Letter of Declaration (see below) and mail it to the United States Spiritist Council.

2. Advertisements

Advertise your Spiritist Study Group in your location newspaper, or New Age publication. Your city WILL PROBALBY HAVE a New Age publication; if your city or meto area has a population over 100,000.

To discover what your local New Age publications are, you must only go to your local "New Age" bookstore. Bookstores that have books on Astrology, or "New Age" bookstores.

The reason to advertise in New Age publications, is because "New Agers" already believe in reincarnation; a fundamental doctrine of Spiritism.

We choose New Age bookstores because they are sure to have local New Age newspapers, and that is the best place to advertise your new Spiritist Study Group.

Look in the Yellow Pages under "books" and find where a bookstore mentions "channeling" or "astrology" or "new age books". Call them, or visit them, and ask for the "local New Age newspapers or newsletters". There should be at least a few of them. Choose the one you wish to place your ad. Find out the cost. Place the largest ad you can afford. The ad should read:

Spiritist Study Group now forming. Join us
for fellowship and study of the compilations of Allan
Kardec, the Apostle of Spiritism. All are welcome.
For further info call:(000)000-0000.

Yes, you may get a "few" crank calls, but most callers will be interested and ask, "What is Spiritism?". Great, you have a Seeker! Tell them:

"Spiritism was founded in France in 1869 by Allan Kardec. Various Mediums at that time were claiming that Jesus Christ had a Message for him. The Spirit of Jesus spoke through the Mediums and commissioned Kardec to organize a body of teachings called "Spiritism"; which is about what the purpose of life is, and about what the Spirit-World is like. Would you like to attend one of our study sessions? They last only about an hour."

Read that paragraph over and over again until you memorize it.

You can also place such an ad in your local daily newspaper if your community has no local "New Age" publications.

You can also advertise for free on Craigslist and in Backpage.com under "groups" and "general" in the Community section. You ad should look the same there.

www.craigslist.org
www.backpage.com

Both Craigslist and Backpage.com allow free ads in the "Community" section.

Study Sessions

Your study session should include the following:

1) 15 minutes for everyone to introduce themselves and tell "a 5 minute or less history of yourself". Only "new people" should give such an introduction.

2) You should read from The Spiritist Codification; those passages which you like best, and would like to discuss with the Group. This should last no more than 45 minutes.

3) At the end of 1 hour, you should have a "refreshment break" that includes some light vegitarian meal and soft drinks and tea.

Keep the Study Sessions continuing and pick up more Seekers as you go along until you have more Seekers than your home can hold at one time, then brake the Study Sessions into two separate nights per week, and continue.

Keep a record of the names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of Seekers (those studying Spiritism).

The Study Sessions should be weekly; on a Saturday afternoon or evening, or Sunday evening, or an evening that suits your schedule best.

You are to encourage Seekers to get and read their own copies of The Spirit Codification; beginning with The Spirits' Book.

Once a Seeker has read the all 5 volumes of The Spirit Codification they are ready to declare themselves a "Spiritist".

Keep a record of what Seeker has read what book, and as soon as you know that a Seeker has read The Spirist Codification you may ask them, "Do you believe in Spiritism?". If they say yes, then ask, "Are you ready to declare yourself a Spiritist?" If they say, "Yes" then give them a Letter of Declaration.

The Letter of Declaration is for them to read and sign. Then put that Letter of Declaration in an envelope and mail it to the United States Spiritist Council (address on the letter of declaration itself).

Once your Study Group has at least 5 "declared" Spiritists, then you can, if you wish, form a Spiritist Society in your city or town.

Forming a Spiritist Society

The purpose of forming a Spiritist Society is so that a group of Spiritists may have a resident Medium, and Mediums must be trained by other Mediums, and to get a Medium trained, you must contact the United States Spiritist Council and ask for their assistance. Ask them:

1)"We have ____ declared Spiritists here and we want to form a local Spiritist Society. Can you help us?"

2)"We don't have a Medium. Can you guide us in the training of a Medium?"

The United States Spiritist Council (USSC) has information on how to legally form a non-profit "Spiritist Society" in your locality. They have a "packet" to mail to you before you form such a society. The packet will save your time and trouble, and with the packet you'll probably NOT need to hire an attorney in order to legally form a Spiritist Society in your area.

UNITED STATES SPIRITIST COUNCIL

Your Spiritist Society is not a "church" and so you should not use the name "church". The name of your local Society should be simple, such as:

The Spiritist Society of Seattle

The Spiritist Society of Farmington

The Spiritist Society of Toledo

Once a Spiritist Society has formed, then you can have weekly Sunday meetings for adults and children, and have local officers and one or more medium(s). But the process of having "Study Sessions" should continue to bring in more Seekers. The United States Spiritist Council will help you with all of this.

Here is the LETTER OF DECLARATION. Please print it out and make copies.

If you have any further questions, please email me (Darrick Evenson) at:

darrick_evenson@yahoo.com

HOW TO START A SPIRITIST STUDY GROUP IN YOUR OWN LOCAL COMMUNITY

The Spiritist Doctrine

1. Purchase The Spiritist Codification

2. Advertisements

www.craigslist.org www.backpage.com

Study Sessions

Forming a Spiritist Society

www.craigslist.org
www.backpage.com