Articles

Steve Danzansky , Chief Executive Officer of The Mary Baker Eddy Library for The Betterment of Humanity, began the Library Lighting Celebration by introducing the Mary Baker Eddy Library's Board of Trustees: Virginia Harris, Chairman; Walter D. Jones, Treasurer; Don Wilson, Secretary; Peter Ackerman, and Allen Weinstein.

After returning home from 2002 Annual Meeting & Conference, many people e-mailed with comments on ways they were already putting the vision of the meetings into action. I am so grateful for the Pastoring Workshop.

What a day ! What a journey! None of us are the same as when we arrived. We'll always hold the inspiration and insights of this day in our hearts.

Karyn Mandan and Gary Jones went on to recap the last ten years in the Church's history. They focused on these questions: • What has the Church been doing in recent years? • What has it observed in society? •How has it responded? Let's take a brief look at the growing momentum over the last ten years—at the public's spiritual search and of how this Church and its members have been responding.

Heidi Biever next moderated a panel of four branch church members to explore how they overcame obstacles and began to glimpse the promise of Church in their own communities. They were Rita Robles from Fredericksburg, Virginia; Jim Mathiott of Palo Alto, California; Mónica Esefer Passaglia from Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Kodi Sylvester of Oneida, New York.

Experiencing this revolution in thought, people begin to be healed by reading Science and Health. Also, some come together to read with each other and to talk about what they are learning.

Heidi Biever, a Christian Science practitioner who lives in the Boston area, welcomed conference attendees to the second general session of the afternoon—"The Promise of Mary Baker Eddy's Church in the 21st Century. " She outlined the session, which would cover the following topics concerning the Church of Christ, Scientist: • The Church's roots • Where the Church is today • Where the Church is going Heidi then introduced Karyn Mandan, Manager of Board Research, Development, and Projects, and Gary Jones, Manager of Committees on Publication, who talked informally about the Church's history from the 1870s to 1910.

As people arrived from all around the globe, the Christian Science Plaza filled with thousands of people—reading, talking, milling about as large, happy groups at conferences usually do. It was a symphony of color and movement.

Among the thousands of conference attendees strolling on the Plaza between events, you couldn't miss the groups of young children—with their bright red or navy blue backpacks—walking purposefully to their tour of the Mary Baker Eddy Library or The Christian Science Monitor or The Mother Church—or hunting for clues on their Plaza scavenger hunt. 2002 Annual Meeting & Conference not only had meetings and events for adults, it also provided childcare for children up to five years old, and a three-day schedule of sessions, tours, and activities for children between 6 and 14.

You have come from around the world to put on record your own powerful contribution to the chapter on "Fruitage 2002. " You've come from very different worlds—from being a Buddhist, a minister, college student, Reiki healer, hair stylist, lawyer, business professional, mother, father, performing artist, occupational therapist, doctor.