Branch Church News

Recently the prayerful focus of our Reading Room staff was a passage from Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy: "Universal Love is the divine way in Christian Science" ( p. 266 ).

God's mandate for church growth Our branch church membership has been learning that a church grows through Mind's eternal mandate (see Science and Health 520:23). In the Bible we read, "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes" ( Isa.

The pastor feeds the world In a variety of languages, members and friends have been gathering in branch churches, Sunday Schools, and Reading Rooms in support of The Mother Church 1995 Annual Meeting focus on the pastor, the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. Reports from branch churches and societies have flooded into the Office of the Clerk with new ideas and evidence that a "shaking ourselves from the dust" experience—as one church described it —has taken place in many of those branches around the world.

What follows is a summary of a discussion among members of a branch church committee (they are identified by first initials). The committee was appointed by the church to work in support of a specific spiritual goal: THE GOAL To establish the mental climate that encourages individual growth in the public practice of Christian Science—not just for oneself, but for all members.

Legal dispute over church government On August 11, 1995, the General Counsel of The Mother Church, Gary A Jones, sent a report to church members, describing the key elements of a lawsuit that could have the effect of changing the form of government established by Mary Baker Eddy for her Church. In this proceeding, present and former officers of the Church and of The Christian Science Publishing Society are being sued by two members of the Church who want the court to interpret (and thereby fundamentally change) certain of Mrs.

Moderation—not violence—is profitable Our jointly-maintained Reading Room had been experiencing slow sales of The Christian Science Monitor for many months. A church member who designs our window displays chose to focus one window on the Monitor.

(Annual Meeting—1995) A report of this year 's Annual Meeting of The Mother Church, held on June 5, was printed in the July issue of the Journal. At that time, space did not permit the following Field reports.

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE BOARD OF LECTURESHIP The following members of The Christian Science Board of Lectureship are available to give in-person lectures for the lecture year beginning July 1, 1995. Any lecturer may be invited by any branch church or Christian Science college organization to lecture in any part of the world.

During Sunday School I asked the students in my class what the Sunday School could do to make "church" more enjoyable for them. I asked this because we have heard it said that we are going to lose the "young" people because we are not keeping up with the times—that we are not making church exciting enough to attract them.

Shortly after I accepted an invitation to serve as librarian in my church's Reading Room, my husband asked me if I had bitten off more than I could chew. "No," I replied, "but I've bitten off more than I thought I had.