Dear Members and Friends,
Today the Christian Science Board of Directors voted to admit new members to our worldwide church family. As you may know, admission takes place at a regular business meeting of the Board that is required in the Church Manual.
Applications for the current admission were received in English, French, German, Indonesian, Portuguese, and Spanish, and were sent to us from the following locations: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bermuda, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, England, France, Germany, Guadeloupe, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Spain, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and United States of America.
Once again with the expectation that every member will know that their commitment to Church is felt and appreciated, we are sharing with all the message that is being sent to each new member this admission.
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November 7, 2014
Dear New Member of The Mother Church,
On behalf of members from around the world, welcome to membership in The Mother Church! We’re so glad that you have joined, and we realize how full of promise this moment is for you and for the Church.
Just imagine that you are holding in the palm of your hand every answer to every ill of humanity—from sickness to immorality, from war to poverty. Well, the good news of Christian Science is that we don’t have to imagine what it would be like to have God’s response to every human need. The Comforter, which Jesus said would guide into all truth, is here today (see John 16:13 and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 55), to guide the whole universal family into all truth.
What can we do to share this Comforter to the fullest? In the Preface of Science and Health, Mary Baker Eddy writes: “Since the author's discovery of the might of Truth in the treatment of disease as well as of sin, her system has been fully tested and has not been found wanting; but to reach the heights of Christian Science, man must live in obedience to its divine Principle” (pp. vii-viii). Truly there is no limit to the heights that each member of this Church can reach by bringing healing to others. To do this we must be willing to live humbly in obedience to the moral precepts of Christian Science.
One of the greatest opportunities available to each student of Mrs. Eddy’s writings is Christian Science class instruction with a teacher (CSB) of Christian Science. This class, based on the chapter in Science and Health titled “Recapitulation,” and participation, after class, in that teacher's Association of Pupils, stand as blessed means by which every member can grow in his or her understanding and demonstration of Christian Science.
In a sense, all of the provisions in the Church Manual—from studying the Christian Science Bible Lesson to supporting the Christian Science magazines, to organizing and building a branch church—are designed to help us follow Jesus more closely in living the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. As we do this, we naturally become better healers and experience more peace, harmony, and health. We move forward and help humanity do the same.
Another privilege of being a member is that you may sign the application for a friend to unite with our Church family. To help you be ready to support someone in becoming a member, we’re enclosing the most commonly used application form.
Again, thank you for having taken this step. How much we treasure working with you to bring Christ's salvation to people everywhere.
Sincerely,
Lyle Young
Clerk of The Mother Church
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To obtain copies of the membership application form, please visit http://christianscience.com/member-resources/applications-and-forms.
Applications for membership are welcome at any time. The next admission of new members will take place on June 5, 2015. Completed applications must be received by the Office of the Clerk no later than June 2.
The majority of the personalized letters are mailed to new members on the day of Admission. If you submitted an application for this Admission and have not received your personal welcome letter by the middle of November (United States addresses) or the end of November (overseas addresses), please feel free to contact the Office of the Clerk by email: Clerk@ChristianScience.com, or postal mail: The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Membership Applications P6-10, 210 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02115-3195, USA.
