Christian Science

Christian Science was discovered in 1866 by Mary Baker Eddy. Her discovery is expounded in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. To perpetuate the Science she discovered, in 1877 she established The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts, and a worldwide system of branch churches. The church is "designed to commemorate the word and works of our Master, which should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing" (Church Manual, p. 17).

Mary Baker Eddy

After years of Bible search and study, Eddy discovered the rules of the Christ Science and named her discovery Christian Science.

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures

The complete statement of Christian Science is contained Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Also referred to as the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health explains the Bible. These two books are the sole pastor of the Christian Science church.

The Mother Church

Located in Boston, MA, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, also known as The Mother Church, is headquarters for the Christian Science movement. The authority for The Mother Church and all of its branches is contained in the 138-page Church Manual (by Eddy) and is administered by a five-member Board of Directors.

Branch Churches

Independent, democratically governed branches of The Mother Church are located throughout the world.

Branch churches serve their communities through outreach activities. The most notable are:

• Sunday church services
• Wednesday evening meetings
• Sunday Schools
• Christian Science Reading Rooms

Inquiries

Questions about Christian Science can best be answered at a Reading Room. Inquiries from the press or public officials should be directed to the Committee on Publication for North Carolina:

James Christopher (Chris) Shoaf
P.O. Box 31
Spencer, NC 28159
866.884.0909 (toll free)
compubnc@aol.com

Services

Church services are held Sunday mornings at 10:30 and Wednesday evenings at 7:30.

Sunday Services

All Churches of Christ, Scientist, follow the same order of service which includes selections from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, books which were ordained by Eddy as Pastor of the Church of Christ, Scientist. The services are conducted by two Readers who have been elected from and by the church membership.

Visit spirituality.com to preview the Bible Lesson that will be read for this week's sermon.

The Sunday service at The Mother Church is webcast from 1:00pm Sunday through noon on Monday.

• Sunday School for young people up to age 20 convenes at the same hour.
• A Children's Room is available during the service for children too young for Sunday School.

More information is available at the following links:

• Order of Service
• Bible Lesson Preview
• Pastor
• Christian Science Quarterly
• North Carolina churches and societies
• Directions to church
• Sunday church service of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston
• spirituality.com
• christianscience.com

Wednesday Meetings

Wednesday evenings at 7:30 we hold a less-formal, more congregation-centered service that lasts about an hour. The meeting begins with readings from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures that speak to a current issue or need in the community or world.

Following the reading, the congregation is invited to share experiences of spiritual healing or insight gained from prayer and the study of Christian Science.

• The scriptural readings are unique to each branch church, though the order of service is the same.
• Child care is available in our Children's Room for children too young to attend the service.

More information is available at the following links:

• Order of Service
• North Carolina churches and societies
• Directions to church
• spirituality.com
• christianscience.com

Sunday School

Sunday School meets at the same time as the Sunday church service. Young people up to age twenty receive instruction from teachers who have made Christian Science their way of life.

Sunday School classes provide children with an opportunity to discuss God, prayer, healing, and the relevance of moral and spiritual law to their everyday lives. Specific content includes:

• The Ten Commandments
• The Lord's Prayer and its Spiritual Interpretation by Mary Baker Eddy
• The Sermon on the Mount
• The Weekly Bible Lesson

Reading Room

Monday - Friday: 9:00am - 4:00pm Saturday: 11:00am - 3:00pm

201 Fayetteville St. Raleigh, NC 27601 919.832.8269 fccsraleigh@yahoo.com

The Reading Room is the major interface between Christian Science and the community. Here, Christian Science publications along with a knowledgeable staff are available to help anyone wanting to know more about Christian Science and its founder, Mary Baker Eddy. In addition to selling a variety of print and other media for spiritual growth, the Reading Room is intended as a place for you to come any time you need a quiet place to pray or study.

Featured in the Reading Room is the best-seller, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Eddy. This is one of many Bible aids available for study and purchases. Others include:

• Bibles (numerous translations)
• Concordances
• Bible Dictionaries
• Bible Commentaries

Bible Lesson

The foundation block linking the Bible and Science and Health for daily study is the weekly Bible Lesson. The Lesson is made up of citations from the Bible with correlative passages from Science and Health.

The Bible Lesson is available in a variety of formats:

• The Christian Science Quarterly (Citation Edition) lists the citations for study.
• The Christian Science Quarterly (Study Edition) includes the complete text for each citation.
• e-Bible Lesson is an on-line version for reading, listening to, or watching in streaming video.
• MyBible Lesson is designed for youth because of its graphics and cartoons, but used by adults too for its Bible commentary.
• Broadcast in Raleigh on Raleigh Television Network channel 22 at 1:00pm on Sundays.
• Webcast of The Mother Church Sunday service from 1:00pm Sundays to noon on Mondays.

Pulitzer Prize-Winning International Daily Newspaper

Publications

Available for reading or purchase at the Reading Room are the following publications of the Christian Science Publishing Society:

• Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
• Christian Science Quarterly Weekly Bible Lessons
• The Christian Science Journal
• Christian Science Sentinel
• The Herald of Christian Science
• The Christian Science Monitor

Subscriptions are available through spirituality.com. The Christian Science Monitor can be read and subscribed to at csmonitor.com

More Information

Click on the topics below for information about:

• Directions to the Reading Room & parking
• Other Reading Rooms in North Carolina
• Spanish and 16 other language publications

Young People

Sunday School

Early lessons for students are based on the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, and the Lord's Prayer with its spiritual interpretation.

As students advance self-study and application of the Weekly Bible Lesson are added to the curriculum. Sunday School meets from 10:30 to 11:30 during the Sunday morning service.

my Bible Lesson

A special edition of the Weekly Bible Lesson is published for teens and young adults. This edition enhances study with Bible notes, timelines, word definitions, and translations. To subscribe or preview go to mybiblelesson.com.

Bible Camp

Conducted during the second week of June, Bible camp is geared for children of any denomination three years old through eighth grade. Activities each day include Bible stories, crafts, songs, games, and refreshments. Camp is from 9:00-12:00 daily.

College Organizations

Christian Science Organizations (CSOs) are informal groups of college students (and faculty) who meet to discuss the relevance of spirituality to university life and pray for healing of university and world issues.

Click here for more information and to search by institution and/or state for CSOs around the world.

The Mother Church Youth

TMC Youth is a function of the Clerk's office providing support and information exchange for Sunday School, CSOs, and all youth-oriented activities of The Mother Church. Information is available to Christian Science youths through the TMC Youth website (tmcyouth.com).

Calendar

• Sundays @ 8:30am -- Christian Science Sentinel Radio Edition on WDNC 620 AM (30 minutes). The Sentinel Radio Edition includes insightful interviews and inspiring discussions on how God's laws apply to current events and individual challenges today. To find times and channels for other broadcasts around the world, click here.
• Sundays @ 10:30am -- Sunday Services and Sunday School (1 hour).
• Sundays @ 1:00pm -- Christian Science Weekly Bible Lessons on Raleigh Television Network Channel 22 (30 minutes). To find times and channels for other broadcasts around the world, click here.
• Sundays 1:00pm to noon on Mondays -- The Mother Church Sunday Service webcast (1 hour).
• Wednesdays @ 7:30pm -- Wednesday Service (1 hour).

Resources

• ChristianScience.com -- Many questions answered at ChristianScience.com.
• Spirituality.com -- Discover resources to aid you in your spiritual studies at the Christian Science Publishing Society's official website, spirituality.com.
• Mary Baker Eddy -- Learn more about the founder of Christian Science and author of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures at The Mary Baker Eddy Library (mbelibrary.com).
• Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures -- Purchase or explore the bestseller on spirituality! (spirituality.com)
• The Christian Science Monitor -- Read or subscribe to the world-renowned international daily newspaper (csmonitor.com).
• The Mother Church -- Find out more about The First Church of Christ, Scientist (The Mother Church), headquartered in Boston, MA (tfccs.com).
• Publications & Broadcasts -- Sample or subscribe to one of the many publications available from The Christian Science Publishing Society (tfccs.com).
• TMC Youth -- Investigate or participate in one of the many youth forums at tmcyouth.com.
• Weekly Bible Lesson -- Reap immediate benefits from the daily study of the Weekly Bible Lesson (spirituality.com)!