The following is an edited transcript of a panel discussion on “Why Church?” that took place during the “Being a force for good” summit of 20- and 30-somethings held at The Mother Church in October 2019. On the one-year anniversary of the summit, we hope you will join us in reflecting on the ever-expanding idea of Church, especially as we all continue to discover new ways to experience church in person, online, and by phone.
Rebecca Salo: We often identify Christian Science as a religion or even a lifestyle. And I think that it really goes beyond both of those. It includes the church and the religion and the lifestyle, but Christian Science, being a Science, explains man’s relationship to God and the laws of our being. I think that’s the coolest part of it—that it’s a Science. We study it. We learn from it. We demonstrate it.
Rachel Richardson: One of the things that has become clearer to me is that my life as a ballet dancer tends to be very self-focused. I spend a lot of my time thinking about myself and improving myself. I’ve consistently looked for ways to give back, and I’ve found that my love for Christian Science has been the most beneficial resource for doing this. I continue to find new ways Christian Science allows me to give back, through participation in the Christian Science movement, Christian Science summer camps, CSO (Christian Science organization at college), and church youth activities—even just conversations with friends about spirituality.
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