All activities of the Church of Christ, Scientist, established by our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, have but one purpose, to awaken the world to the revelation of Christian Science and thus to bring redemption and healing to mankind. The church in which every member is progressing in his understanding and demonstration of Christian Science, and is individually serving in some useful church activity, is a progressive church.
In the parable of the workers in the vineyard Jesus illustrated the fact that all workers—those who may have just joined the church as well as those who have been workers for many years—may receive the same reward from active work in the Father's vineyard. It is important to give the new and perhaps younger members an opportunity to serve, and also for the older workers, many of whom may have served in nearly every field of church activity, to see the importance of continuing to serve in and to support the activities of the church.
Executive boards may well strive to appoint each member to some activity where he may usefully contribute to fulfilling the real purpose of Church. The alert church member sees the importance of placing his service to the church first in his activities. Only thus will each branch of The Mother Church contribute fully to furthering the demonstration of the spiritual idea of Church defined for us by our beloved Leader on page 583 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," as, "The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle," and help to fulfill the mission of the Church of Christ, Scientist, indicated in the concluding paragraph of this definition of "Church," namely, "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."
