You can find the general routine or “order of exercises” for all Christian Science Sunday Schools in the Church Manual (1). First, the superintendent calls everyone together to start Sunday School. Then there’s singing and a chance to focus on the week’s Bible Lesson theme as a group. After reading together, there’s a time for silent prayer and then everyone says the Lord’s Prayer out loud.
Class time is spent differently in every class and on every Sunday. Teachers come prepared, but are flexible and adjust to the needs of the students each week. It’s a time for questions, answers, study, learning and practice.
When class time is over, everyone gathers together again for another song and then the Sunday School Superintendent reads the Scientific Statement of Being from Science and Health with key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (2). That’s the end of Sunday School class, but many teachers and students are in touch with one another during the week.
(1) ORDER OF EXERCISES FOR THE SUNDAY SCHOOL OF THE MOTHER CHURCH AND BRANCH CHURCHES(*)
(*) If a collection is taken, it should be taken in the classes before they reassemble.
(Church Manual, Appendix, p.127)
(2) Scientific Statement of Being. There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All–in–all. Spirit is immortal Truth; matter is mortal error. Spirit is the real and eternal; matter is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual. (Science and Health, p.468)
