Whose church is this anyway? Christian Scientists would answer, "Why, this is God's church!" Pure In Heart works to fully realize this simple truth. If this is God's church it must be a pure reflection of Father, Mother Love. This church therefore is good, caring, giving, healing, warm, tender, generous, respectful, comforting, nurturing, honest, genuine, open, active, growing, thriving, vital, flourishing, flexibile, limitless, boundless, harmonious, happy, free, joyful, peaceful, gentle, ageless, tranquil, blessed, graceful, wise, receptive, willing, inspired, discerning, courageous, obedient, disciplined, ordered, balanced, and fearless. Wow! we should be telling everyone about this church! And of course this church refers to any and all Christian Science churches, all working together as one movement, as kindred spirits. This movement has common goals and aspirations, never in competition, but each filling a precious niche in serving and welcomg the community to the Christ truth.

Without changing Mary Baker Eddy's sweet, beautiful and inspired service, (other than introducing a gentle informality), without going outside of the Manual of The Mother Church, the Christian Science Society in Mission Viejo has simply changed the culture of the traditional Christian Science church organizational format to focus the membership on learning and growing in the important work of prayer; placing the material accompaniments of the church building and clerical functions at a level of less import. Embracing the Ten Commandments and the beloved Beatitudes, our membership requirements are as simple as those for The Mother Church in Boston; a sincere love of Christian Science and a willingness to grow and learn of one's spiritual perfect nature as God's precious child. Pure In Heart works hard to be inclusive, opening our hearts to the community and the world.
Pure In Heart sees church “membership” and "church work" as a "prayer" endeavor, rather than a business and organizational enterprise. A prayer perspective; what does that mean? We felt we did not need church to teach us how to run a committee, or how to apply Roberts Rules of Order to a business meeting, or how to get along with our fellow man... we were already pretty good at those things.  We wanted church to foster and show us by example how to be better pray-ers, better metaphysical workers.  If historically, 5% of every church meeting was readings and prayer and 95% organizational duties … perhaps this is backwards.  Could we not have meetings that were 95% prayer and 5% business.  Practicing prayer, we might even become good at it.  Wow, a church that focuses its members on learning to be better pray-ers.  Learning to do the mental work that heals.

The focus of Pure In Heart is prayer. The structure of this church moves much of the bureaucracy and maintenance functions, traditionally found in a Christian Science church environment, into a background role. It is hoped this design will allow the preponderance of "church work" to be specific prayerful activity. This focused prayer approach affords church members and guests the opportunity to reach outside of the church walls and touch the community with immediate active healing prayer. Membership meetings are prayer gatherings, and are run and conducted under the guidance of the "Golden Rule."

There is, of course, a metaphysical element to organizational and managerial endeavors, but when made the focal point of membership and committee meetings, the clerical and maintenance goings-on seem to take front stage. Embracing prayer as our "church work" during meetings, our aim is to open thought to inspired ideas where demonstration can flourish. It is our expectation that this approach will foster "church work" that will support and focus our efforts in learning to be more practiced metaphysical workers, more experienced at turning to effective spiritual prayer and hence better healers. We are all in the "practice" of Christian Science, whether private or public, and it seems wise that our church should play a supportive and wholehearted role as a platform to help members grow the quality of their practice and the effectiveness of their prayer. This active prayer practice in church cannot help but bless us as individuals and as a church family.

The Christian Science Society of Mission Veijo does not have “business” meetings. We do not have a house and grounds committee, a teller committee, an advertising committee or a bylaw committee. These decisions and duties are handled by the Board appointed church manager, treasurer, and clerk trio, or at times through the Board itself. Democracy is served through elected Board members. We do have a few teams to support and plan lectures, run the Sunday School, and promote the Reading Room: all with a focus on prayer.

It is hoped that this structure allows church members the opportunity to spend more time doing specific prayerful work and reaching out to the community. We have a sister church and Sunday School in Nairobi, Kenya that members support in many ways. We have a monthly Bible Story Time, We hold monhtly public prayer meetings on a variety of topics. We hold monthly membership meetings, where we come together to pray about church. Members are asked by the board to be practitioners at times for very specific challenges in the world. We also hold 5 minute virtual prayer moments, where we all stop what we are doing at a specific pre-determined time and pray together ( wherever we are ) on a focused topic. Many times this is in response to a world challenge or event. All these activities are designed to promote learning and practicing pray that heals.

Again, without changing Mrs. Eddy’s healing service, without changing her Manual based requirement for excellence in music and reading, Pure In Heart is a church structure that places all of its focus on prayer and meetings that reach out to the world. All the business of running a church organization is handled by the church manager, clerk, and treasurer. Even the elected Board members focus 90% of their time and effort on prayer for the church and its activities. The Board dabbles in as little "managerial business" as possible. Pure In Heart strives to promote an atmosphere where the thrust of all church work is in learning and growing our spiritual prayer muscles and again, placing the material accompaniments of the church building and organizational functions at a level of little importance.

In Mrs. Eddy’s definition of church, found in the glossary of Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures, she very clearly gives us two descriptions.  The first description presents the absolute truth of church in its spiritual purity.  “Church. The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle.”  She describes church as a construction and organization of qualities and right ideas that rely on and move forward as God impels.  The true church to Mary Baker Eddy has little to do with a physical building or organization, its essence is completely spiritual in nature.

The second part of her definition of church describes the human institution and its aim of elevating mankind to a more active spiritual view and purpose.  It reads, “The Church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick.”  This description and its adjectives invoke very strongly the idea of growth, both individual and collective.  It demands proof of its worth, requires a lifting and stirring of consciousness, compels thought to move from matter to Spirit, necessitates the demonstration of the nothingness of evil and commands and expects healing! 

These are lofty goals for a human institution. The requirements of demanding proof, of lifting and stirring thought, of compelling a move from matter to spirit, of demonstrating the nothingness of evil, and the commanding of healing works, should be a Christian Science church's primary focus and mission. Pure In Heart recognizes that in order to achieve these lofty goals, it is paramount that a church environment facilitate growth in thought upward to these soaring aspirations. Pure In Heart also recognizes that new ideas and novel approaches, changes in thought, are many times the catalyst that bring the inspiration to stir and move conciousness to a higher understanding and healing. This movement of thought is key to promoting growth and progress. As thought is lifted and stirred and compelled to move from matter to Spirit, the result is healing.

If this approach sounds like something you might like to embrace, you are always welcome to join us at a prayer meeting or one of our weekly church services. .