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Church Alive

CHURCH. The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle.
The Church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick. – Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures

Saving a church

A question from the field related to church growth and activity, with answers from experienced Christian Scientists, is posted weekly on the Church Alive site (see members.christianscience.com/church-alive). The Journal selected the following question and answers for our readers.

From the September 2012 issue of The Christian Science Journal


“I would love to know more about how to save a closing Christian Science church or society. There are only a few members left at this church, and it will be sold if something doesn’t happen quickly. I know this is not the only church or society in this position, and I think it is so sad for them to just go away. Does anyone have any suggestions?”

Phil: 

Maybe the question is not how to save a particular church from closing, but to ask, “Should it be saved?” That may seem shocking to some. In most cases we would naturally pray for our church to succeed—for it to fulfill its definition of “elevating the race,” “rousing the dormant understanding,” and “healing” (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 583). But when you have just a few members trying to keep a branch church or society afloat, they can end up spending all their time trying to keep the organizational mechanism going and have no time left to actually fulfill that definition.

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