Principles

Membership App.

We hold services at the Universal Unity of Spirit Building at 89 North Main Street in Cassadaga directly across the street from the Kwik Fill gas station.

We offer services of praise, healing and celebration on the last Sunday of every month at 4pm. We offer classes and workshops for spirit, mind and body. Ordination, mediumship certification and spiritual healing certification are also part of our education programs. Most of all, we offer support and love to our members.

Our purpose is to provide a spiritual family for our members with no political or monetary distractions. We want to provide church services, educational opportunities and support for our members spiritual growth..We address this process by encompassing Body, Mind and Spirit.

Principles of City of Light Spiritualist Church, Inc.

We are a Spiritualist church and we use these principles as guidelines: 

1.   We all have a God of our own understanding.

 2.   We believe that God is love.

 3.   We believe that God is all there is.

 4.   We affirm the Divine right of individuals to seek the truth within their own hearts.

 5.   We declare ourselves to be free-thinkers acknowledging the unfolding nature of the truth for ourselves and those around us.

 6.   We affirm that life is eternal.

 7.   We believe that spiritual progression is eternal and infinite, therefore the gateway to reformation is never closed to any soul here or hereafter.

 8.   We believe that communication between all planes of existence if a reality.

 9.   We affirm that the innate gifts of healing and mediumship are expressions of God’s love.

 10. We affirm that the ultimate expression of loving God is “to be receptive to God’s unconditional Love and to share that love with everyone, including ourselves, and everything, here in this life now.”

 11. We believe in personal responsibility and that individuals create their own reality of happiness or unhappiness according to Natural Law.

History of the City of Light Spiritualist Church

The City of Light Spiritualist Church was legally formed in September 2005. Patricia Price, Steven Bennett, Ginny Vigrass, Richard Shelley , Kurt Doerflinger and Kathy Doerflinger were the founding members and met in August of 2005 to set up the principles and philosophy of the church. We came together to form a Spiritualist Church that would honor the Free Thinkers of the 1800s that came to the Cassadaga area to establish a platform of liberty and freedom. The church has a free platform and has a membership that is open to all.  The church has its

501 (C ) 3 status from the Federal Government and is therefore tax exempt. We meet at 89 N. Main Street in Cassadaga, NY at the Universal Unity of Spirit building on the last Sunday of every month at 4pm with pot luck fellowship that follows every service. We hope to be a church without emphasis on politics or money and always keep our focus on being a spiritual community and spiritual family for each other.

History of Modern Spiritualism

Modern Spiritualism gives special attention to children, since the movement was started by two perceptive children, Margaret Fox, fifteen years old and her sister Catherine Fox, twelve years old. At their home in Hydesville, Wayne County, New York State on March 31, 1848 the children contacted a deceased peddler though “knockings” or “rappings” from the deceased that signaled answers to questions the children asked. The knocks on the floor, table, chair or other furniture seemed to appear out of no where. Margaret and Catherine snapped their fingers and clapped their hands and the spirit matched the rhythm and number of times with his knocks. He identified himself through the knocks as a peddler that had died in the house in 1843. The parents were called in to experience the knocks and ask questions that were answered by the knocks and then neighbors were also called in to experience the phenomena.

The peddlers demo case and bones were later found in the basement of the house. People who heard this story wanted to know more and to experience communication with the deceased themselves.

Soon after the first knockings, the family moved to Rochester, New York and formed “home circles” to demonstrate spirit communication. By November of 1849, the circles had become so popular that the girls were invited to Corinthian Hall in Rochester to demonstrate spirit communication. The Fox Sisters proved that mediumship, communication with other dimensions,  was not just available to the elite, but was available to all of us. Modern Spiritualism also teaches Natural Law and that communication with the deceased is not extra-ordinary, but ordinary and natural to all who are willing to learn and recognize Natural Law.

The movement soon spread across the continent and across the ocean where Spiritualist churches were formed. Spiritualism is a recognized religion and well established in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom

City of Light Spiritualist Church's Philosophy and Information Class

    1.     When and where did Modern Spiritualism begin?

2.     What is the difference between Modern and Ancient Spiritualism?

3.     What two truths did the Fox sisters bring to Spiritualism as far a mediumship is concerned?

4.     Do you understand all the principles of City of Light Spiritualist Church?

5.     If you were to pick two favorite principles of City of Light Spiritualist Church, what ones would you choose?

6.     Are the principles of City of Light Spiritualist Church unchangeable rules or are they guidelines for members?

7.     Does City of Light Spiritualist Church dictate members’ spiritual path or do members consult their own Higher Guidance for information on their spiritual path?

8.     Is City of Light Spiritualist Church registered by the State of New York in Chautauqua County as a legal church?

9.      Is City of Light Spiritualist Church recognized by the Federal Government of the USA as a 501 c 3 non-for-profit organization that can accept tax-deductible donations?

10. Does City of Light Spiritualist Church accept members who belong to other churches?

11. Is there a limit to how many churches a member of City of Light Spiritualist Church can belong?

12. Does City of Light Spiritualist Church belong to a nation wide organization of Spiritualist or is it an independent Spiritualist Church?

13. Does the Religious Corporation called the Lily Dale Assembly recognize City of Light Spiritualist Church?

14. Can City of Light Spiritualist Church membership be used to join the Religious Corporation called the Lily Dale Assembly?

15. Can City of Light Spiritualist Church membership be used to buy a house and lease land within the Religious Corporation called the Lily Dale Assembly?

16. Where does City of Light Spiritualist Church hold its church services?

17. How often, what time of month and what time of day does City of Light Spiritualist Church have its regular church services?

18.  Where does City of Light Spiritualist Church have its office?

19.  Does City of Light Spiritualist Church offer workshops and classes?

20.  Does City of Light Spiritualist Church have a newsletter and a computer communication group?

21.  Does City of Light Spiritualist Church have an outreach program for animals and pets, including animals and pets in healing services and donations to animal shelters?

22.  Does City of Light Spiritualist Church give a portion of each month’s collection to the local food kitchen?

23.  What is the Spiritualist Children’s’ education program called and why did it take that name?

24.  Who founded the Spiritualist Lyceum?

25. Was Andrew Jackson Davis a Spiritualist all his life?

26. Does City of Light Spiritualist Church encourage its members to study religious and philosophical from all faiths and backgrounds?

27.  Does City of Light Spiritualist Church encourage its members to study holy books and philosophical writings from all traditions?

28.  Does City of Light Spiritualist Church encourage its members to embrace the truth within their own hearts?

29.  Is it one of the goals of City of Light Spiritualist Church to have a membership that acts as a spiritual family to one another?

30.  Is City of Light Spiritualist Church inclusive in its membership?

31.  Does City of Light Spiritualist Church have any secrets?

32. What do you see and feel as the future of City of Light Spiritualist Church in your life?

33. Where did the name "City of Light" come from?

Membership Form for City of Light Spiritualist Church

Name:_________________________________________________

Address:________________________________________________

              ________________________________________________

Birth Month and Day_____________________________________

Occupation_____________________________________________

Phone Number: (        )______________________

E-Mail:_________________________________________________

Dues Paid:______________         Date:   _______________________

Signature of dues collector: __________________________________

Membership Class Completed:___________Date:_________________

Signature of Teacher in charge:_______________________________

Have you read and approved the by-laws? ______________________

We Welcome You to our Membership.

City of Light Spiritualist Church is a spiritual family and we have many opportunities for you to share your blessings with us as a family member. Ask yourself what you choose to do for your growth along your spiritual path and what you choose to do for your church. Circle the areas that you will joyfully choose to serve in:

Phone Calls                                          Mailing Notices                        Event Advertising

Website                                                Press Releases                          Clean up

Beverage Set-up for Pot Luck              Music                                       Workshop Presenter

Tithing / pledging                                Usher                                      Greeter                           

Other_______________________________________________

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