Our church and Reading Room are located in downtown Chicago. Every day we have visitors in our Reading Room from other countries. Sometimes they stop by because the modern architecture of our church has caught their attention and they want to see the interior. Regardless of why they come in, we generally give them a piece of Christian Science literature or a copy of Science and Health—something in their language, whenever possible.
We found a way to give copies of Science and Health to interested visitors who may not be ready to purchase the book when first being introduced to it. It's called the "sponsor program." We sent a letter to our church membership suggesting they become gift sponsors of Science and Health by purchasing a copy of the textbook. We keep these paid-for books in our Reading Room. We also keep a record of each member's purchase, whether it is a translation of Science and Health or the book in its original English. Then when we have a visitor who is a sincere seeker for Truth, we can give him or her a sponsor's copy of Science and Health. We record the name of the person who received the book. And we follow up with a postcard to the sponsor who made the purchase—providing a little information about the person to whom we gave the book. The church members appreciate the feedback.
We are grateful to say that last year we sold approximately three hundred copies of Science and Health in this way.
