Questions to ponder – Thinking about the Church Alive planning process

What do we have to offer the world that it actually wants?

How are we delivering on this opportunity?

Are we willing to actually commit to any tangible or measurable goals as a group?

Why are we organizing together? What does it accomplish? Who does it benefit?

Where do we hope to be as a group in 2 years? 5 years? 10 years? 20? 100?

What are the real demands of Christian Science?

What kind of people do we want to be perceived as? Innovative? Loving? Life-changing?

Is there value in organizing outside of the Boston / Mother Church / Publishing Society – centric view? Can Boston realistically evolve as an organization to join together Christian Scientists in a global team? Is that its job? If not, does that suggest another organization or group with that as its goal? Is that a good goal to have? If so, what would it take to bring that kind of change, innovation and leadership to Boston? Does that already actually exist?

Are we willing to measure our results? I.E. track successful prayer and efforts, and also unsuccessful prayer and efforts? How “scientific” are we willing to be? What experiments would we like to conduct? What is our basic hypothesis, and are we willing to actually test it (rather than assuming that we already have all the answers)?

Are we willing to put it all on the line?

Are we willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish our goals?

Are we willing to go toe-to-toe with other religions and see how we really compare?

What can we learn from others?

What kind of spiritual ecosystem are we going to actively nurture?

If NASA can send a robot science lab to Mars, what are we willing to sign up for?

What’s the hardest and most worthwhile thing we can imagine tackling as a group, and are we willing to commit to that?

What are the best ways to share ideas in this day and age?

When can we retire the archaic concept of a Reading Room? Think “Eight-Track” or “Wax Cylinder Recording” or “Buggy Whip”… The energy directed toward this idea could be redirected into FAR more effective activities. Same for Lectures.

Is there ever a time when the Manual will be revised or replaced? Mrs. Eddy revised it herself 89 times. Is this the guide for this human organization forever? If she were alive today, would we be operating like we are as a group?

If we were to think of ourselves as modern-day disciples of Jesus, what would he have us be doing in the world? What examples of his, what words of his can guide our actions?

Are we willing to tackle the issue of Mary Baker Eddy worship? Same for her books & publications? Has this become a false god for people?

Can we examine the relationship between the church and the business? If we leave aside for a moment how Mrs. Eddy envisioned the relationship between the two, what makes sense for today? If it’s all about the business, can we get better at creating products the world wants? If it’s all about church, can we take the business out of the equation and make it a more pure organization?

Can we envision a model of Give Everything Away For Free, Ask for Contributions / Donations? Do we have the courage to try this?