It was in the early spring of 1899 that the Christian Science movement started in Concord through the healing of one whose relatives were so very grateful for this restoration to health that they were desirous to know more of the power which when scientifically applied to human needs can restore harmonious conditions. So this family began to study the text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, and five members of it met regularly on Sunday afternoons to read the Lesson-Sermon and talk over what they had gained during the week. After a few months three others asked permission to join the little meeting, and from that time the attendance steadily increased, until during the year 1904 it averaged more than twenty, and it was felt that the time had come for a more definite movement toward taking a public stand for Christian Science in the town.
There are yet some who look back with great pleasure to those five years of meeting together under these informal conditions in a private house; in fact it seemed at the time a real sacrifice to organize into a society and establish the meetings formally, where the conditions would necessarily be so different. During the first year the service had consisted simply of the reading of the Lesson-Sermon by two of the number, the singing of a few hymns, and a brief testimony meeting; but after that additions were very gradually made to the service, and always in the direction of the full order prescribed in the Manual of The Mother Church. After the first few months the hour of service was changed to half past seven Sunday evening, and remained thus until the society was formed.
In April, 1902, the little group did its first bit of missionary work as a body by collecting twelve dollars among themselves and sending a box of Christian Science literature to the Massachusetts Reformatory. Again, in April, 1903, six hundred dollars was sent to the building fund of The Mother Church. It was about this time, too, that a notice of the services was inserted in The Christian Science Journal. In the spring of 1904 a committee was appointed to obtain a public hall for the services. It was found that the Masonic hall could be leased, and arrangements were made to that effect.
