Welcome to First Church of Christ, Scientist Ridgefield, Connecticut USA!
About Our Church
In 1902, a small group of people who were interested in spiritual healing came together in Ridgefield and began holding informal meetings. After holding services in several locations including "Old Hundred", the building currently occupied by the Aldrich Museum, the congregation built this edifice in 1965 designed by the renowned architect Nelson Breed.
Our church's aim is to help people know God in a way that is spiritually practical -- solving problems and bringing healing to their lives.
We are located at 260 Main Street in Ridgefield, Connecticut, only two blocks from the town center, and adjacent to the Aldrich Museum. All are welcome at our Sunday and Wednesday evening services.Our church is a branch of The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts, also known as The Mother Church.
Sunday Service
Our Sunday service is held at 10:30 AM and lasts one hour. The services include
congregational singing, a vocal solo, organ or piano music, silent and collective prayer, the audible praying of the Lord's Prayer, Scriptural reading, and a collection.
Two Readers elected from our membership conduct the Sunday services. One reads passages from the Bible. The other reads passages from the Christian Science textbook, which interpret and explain the Bible passages. This textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures was written by Mary Baker Eddy, the
discoverer and founder of Christian Science.
In order to move away from personal preaching, Mrs. Eddy ordained these two books to be
the pastor of the Church. There is no ordained clergy. Every Sunday, in Christian Science
churches throughout the world, the service is based on the Lesson-Sermon for that week. You may read the Lesson-Sermon for this week online by clicking here.
The Lesson-Sermon is outlined in the Christian Science Quarterly, a periodical
which may be obtained from a Christian Science Reading Room,
or ordered
by mail, phone, or through the Internet.
You may listen to the audio of a Sunday Service from the Mother Church by clicking here.
Wednesday Evening Service
The Wednesday evening service is held at 8:00 PM. This service (and also the
Thanksgiving Day service) includes hymns, silent prayer, readings from the Bible and Science and Health, and testimonies from the congregation. The service is
sometimes called a Wednesday Testimony Meeting, because there is a time during which
individuals may share their experiences, testimonies of healing and remarks on Christian
Science. There is no collection, and all are invited to attend.
Thanksgiving Day Service
In addition to our regular services, on Thanksgiving day we hold a special service at 10:30 AM.
The service consists of music, silent prayer and The Lord's Prayer, and the reading of the Thanksgiving Day Proclamations of the President of the United States. The service includes a scriptural selection, short readings from the King James Version of the Bible and from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. There are also testimonies and a benediction. No collection is taken and all are welcome to attend.
Sunday School
Our Sunday School meets at 10:30 AM. Young people up to the age of twenty are welcome
to attend. Students concerned about identity, relationships, peer pressure, and worry
about the future find answers to what life is all about. They study the Bible, and the
Lesson-Sermon. They also study the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer and
the Sermon on the Mount. Their study and class discussions give them the tools they need
to meet the many challenges faced by young people today.
A Sunday School service begins with readings from the Bible and Science and Health. There are some hymns with piano accompaniment, the Lord's prayer, and a brief time for silent prayer. The rest of the hour is spent with teachers in classes by age group. These teachers bring the wealth of their own life experience and dedication to youth to the teaching process.
Child Care
Child care for the very young is provided free of charge, under the care and supervision of an experienced adult.
Infants and children who are too young to attend Sunday School are lovingly cared for, and may be brought 10 minutes before the start of either the Wednesday or Sunday services.
Public Reading Room
You are welcome to visit our public Reading Room. It is located on the lower level of our church, and it is open for a short period after our regular Sunday and Wednesday services. It is also open 10AM - 1PM on Saturdays from March - June and September - December. By appointment (203-438-4780), we can also arrange for it to be open at a time convenient for you.
In our Reading Room, you may read, borrow or purchase literature on Christian Science. Bibles, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, periodicals, concordances, and other study reference tools may be found here.
A computer is also available with Concord, a computerized concordance to the King James Version of the Bible and the published writings of Mary Baker Eddy. Visitors may use it to quickly find or print any desired information from the Bible, or the writings of Mary Baker Eddy.
We also have tapes & CDs on healing, relationships, employment, ageless living and parenting. For children, we have
"Jesus’ Healings" - All three volumes of the new books which include all the accounts of Jesus’ healings in the Gospels. We also have the "Sing & Shine" cassette and many soft and hardcover books for children.
All are welcome to visit our Reading Room. We look forward to seeing you!
Christian Science Publications
Christian Science Publications (which are available in the Reading Room, or by mail)
include the following: (Click on the pictures for more information.)
This is a book for thinkers. Whatever your occupation, education, race, or religion, you may have many reasons for reading this book. Perhaps you are exploring the power of prayer. Maybe you are seeking health and well-being. Or perhaps you are questioning the deeper purpose of your existence. Regardless of the reason, you will be rewarded with answers that will enrich your life. To begin to think and live from a spiritual standpoint is to change and improve everything -- health, ethics, relationships.
TheChristian Science Monitor is an international daily newspaper that was founded in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy. The Monitor has earned many top awards including the Pulitzer Prize for national and international reporting.
The Christian Science Sentinel, which is issued weekly. It contains weekly articles, editorials, and firsthand accounts of healing which show in practical terms how Christian Science can bring healing to any situation.
The Christian Science Journal, which arrives monthly. It contains a directory of the approximately 2,400 Christian Science branch churches in over 60 countries around the world. The Journal also has listings of Reading Rooms; organizations on college campuses, Christian Science practitioners, teachers, and nurses; and Committees on Publication.
The Herald of Christian Science is published in 13 languages, giving readers around the world practical examples of the availability and utility of the laws of God. Along with articles and testimonies of healing, each issue includes a directory of Christian Science churches, practitioner, and other listings applicable to each language. The Herald is also produced as a Radio program in five languages with interviews and reports of healings.
The Christian Science Quarterly, contain weekly Bible Lessons on subjects such as "Soul and Body," "Reality," "God the Preserver of Man," "Love," and more. The Lessons provide readers with daily inspiration and insight and are also the basis for Sunday services in Churches of Christ, Scientist, worldwide.
Additional Information and Resources
Listen to a taped message of how people have been healed of sickness and other problems through Christian Science. Dial the Prayer Heals phone number at (212) 472-HEAL. This number is sponsored by the tri-state Christian Science churches. The message changes daily.
Spirituality.com - A very informative web site with information on Spirituality, Wellness, Self / Identity, Relationships, Career / Workplace, Financial Security, Current Events and much more.
Christian Science Sentinel Online - This publication contains articles on healings that illustrate the efficacy of Christian Science. You may read the most recent article online. Also, you may search for more articles by typing "Healings" in the search box.
Free lectures on Christian Science - A listing of free lectures on Christian Science worldwide. You can also click this link to listen to excerpts from recent lectures on-line, and twice a month on weekends you can hear a 30 minute recorded lecture.
Map and Directions - Click on this link to see a map and obtain directions to our Church, the Reading Room, and the town of Ridgefield.
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Listen to a taped message of how people have been healed of sickness and other problems through Christian Science. Dial the Prayer Heals phone number at (212) 472-HEAL. This number is sponsored by the tri-state Christian Science churches. The message changes daily.
You may contact us by e-mail at this address: