Contact Details
Address
14 Altyre Road, Croydon, CR0 5LA
Phone
020 8681 3457
christianscience.croydon@gmail.com
The Christian Science Church in Croydon
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Croydon is a branch of The Mother Church in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Sunday Service 11.00 am
This service is conducted by two church members elected to the offices of First and Second Readers. They read the Lesson Sermon for the week that is published in the Christian Science ‘Bible Lessons’ Quarterly.
This Lesson is made up of selections from the textbooks of Christian Science, the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy who ordained these two books as our Pastor. The Lord’s Prayer, hymns, a solo and organ music form part of every service.
Sunday School 11.00 am
Children and teenagers are invited to learn from the Bible along with their teachers. They discover how to apply Jesus’ teachings in their daily lives.
Wednesday Testimony Meetings 7.30 pm
These take place every week and include readings from the Bible and Science and Health, hymns and prayer. A valued part of the meeting is the opportunity for the congregation to express gratitude to God for help and healing through the practical application of Christian Science.
The Reading Room
This study room and adjoining sales room are open every Tuesday from 11.30-2.30.
The Reading Room is open to the public for asking questions about Christian Science, for prayer, and for reading the weekly Bible Lessons and all the varied Christian Science publications listed below.
Periodicals
The Christian Science Sentinel – a weekly magazine
The Christian Science Journal – a monthly magazine
Both contain articles and testimonies of healing.
The Christian Science Monitor – the weekly print edition of the daily online independent international news organization.
Books
The Bible and the textbook of Christian Science, biographies of Mary Baker Eddy and Bible books for children.
All these items are also on sale.
What is Christian Science?
Christian Science illustrates how the divine laws of God have an influence for good in human lives, and that they are available for everyone. It reveals that God, infinite Love, is indeed ever present, all powerful, and the only Principle and Life of man and the universe; and this can be realised in individual experience here and now.
Who was Mary Baker Eddy?
Mary Baker Eddy discovered the science that lay behind Jesus’ demonstrations of the divine power to heal in 1866. She named this discovery ‘Christian’ because it is founded on Jesus’ teachings and ‘Science’ because she found it to be provable.
She established the Christian Science church in Boston, Mass. USA; wrote her textbook ‘Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures’; settled the order of church services that are followed to this day; founded the Christian Science periodicals and a daily newspaper, ‘The Christian Science Monitor’.
Above all she was a remarkable teacher and healer, acknowledging God as the only healing power. As a nineteenth century New England woman this was an outstanding achievement.
Christian Scientists
Christian Scientists endeavour to follow the example of Christ Jesus and obey his commandments. They regard him as the ‘Way-shower.’ They seek to understand God as divine Life, Truth, Love, Principle, Mind, Soul, Spirit, and ‘man’ (that is all of us – men, women and children) just as perfect as the Father-Mother God is perfect.
Growth in this understanding is individual. Each one studies the Bible and Christian Science textbook, turns to God in prayer, and is encouraged by hearing or reading about the experiences of others, and by making use of many resources (see below).
Resources
Christian Science Lectures
To listen online or attend in person check christianscience.com, or the diary of the Joint Online Christian Science Reading Room UK. These lectures are for the public and answer many questions about Christian Science. The lecturers are members of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship and are experienced practising Christian Scientists so they can relate many instances of God’s protecting and healing power.
Christian Science Practitioners
These people are also experienced practising Christian Scientists and available to pray with anyone – not just Christian Scientists. They are devoted to supporting those who do not want medical treatment or to rely on material resources to solve their problems, but wish to turn wholeheartedly to divine Love. They work full time so need to charge for their services.
To find a Christian Science Practitioner near you use the Journal Directory on christianscience.com. This lists all the Christian Science Practitioners worldwide.
Brief History of First Church of Christ, Scientist, Croydon
The church in Croydon was first recognised by The Mother Church as the Christian Science Society, Croydon, in July of 1911. At that time it was renting the gymnasium hall in High Street, Croydon for its services. By the autumn new larger premises were found at 96, High Street. A Sunday School was started, a Reading Room opened and the first public lecture given in the Public Halls.
In November 1913 the Society was recognised as First Church of Christ, Scientist, Croydon, and in 1919 a congregational church building in Dingwall Road was purchased by the members. Funds for the purchase and for adapting the building were raised and all indebtedness removed. This enabled the dedication service to be held on 7th November 1920.
Steady growth followed in and 1923 a number of members left to form Christian Science Society Sutton.
By 1930 the building was inadequate to meet the growing needs of the church, and the structure, first erected in 1865, needed attention. In 1936 it was demolished and reconstruction began following the designs of the architect Paul Phipps, father of Joyce Grenfell. The first services in the new building were held just one year later in June 1937 and a dedication service, once reconstruction costs had been met, was held on 28th June 1942.
Soon after this a large number of members left to form Christian Science Society, Purley.
By the 1980s the Dingwall Road building was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. It was sold to a property developer who was proposing to build offices on a vacant site in Altyre Road. The sites were exchanged with the difference in values providing the church with funds to acquire an adjacent plot of land owned by the local Council and build a new church. The last service in Dingwall Road was held on 10th January 1987.
Services were then held in Shirley High School until a temporary building could be erected on the Altyre Road and Hazeldene Road site. This was used while the building of the new church proceeded. Services were held in the new building in May 1989 and a dedication service held on 16th June 1991.
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