I KNEW THAT I COULD STUDY AND PRACTICE Christian Science without being a member of a church. So, when members of the branch church I was attending encouraged me to join, I didn't really understand why I should, although I enjoyed the inspiration I was getting from the services. Then the thought came to me, "You may not need church, but Church needs you." This was a revolutionary idea for me. "The Church needs me? You mean, the way that I think about things is valuable and needed? The Church wants my input about what we should be doing?"
Why wouldn't I want to join an organization that helped me along my spiritual journey?
I had a glimpse this might be so by the inclusiveness and loving outreach of members of the church. They would ask me questions about what I thought they should be doing differently with the services and Sunday School, and how to reach out more to newcomers. They really valued my feedback. At first I wondered, "Why are they asking me? They've been doing this for years!"
