Christian Science Society at
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Berkeley
Services every Sunday at 11:00 am
or join us remotely via Conference Call
dial-in information:
(610) 313-5107
Access code: 939517 #
Wednesday Testimony Meetings
2nd Wednesday of every month via ZOOM
at 5:30 pm on Zoom
If you would like to join us
please email us with your request
and we will email you a ZOOM link to the meeting
Sunday School & Children’s Room
Please contact us in advance to arrange for Sunday School or childcare
(510) 845-7199
Christian Science Reading Room
Located in the church foyer and open to the public
Hours
Sundays 10:30 am to 12:15 pm
Architectural Building Tours
1st Sunday of each month 12:15 pm
No reservations are required
Open to the public
Private tours are available by special arrangement
Suggested donation: $10/person
Please email us
An American Masterpiece - Bernard Maybeck’s First Church of Christ, Scientist
A short documentary video with commentary by master architects, historians and critics
Coming Events at Maybeck’s Masterpiece
We host instrumental and vocal music performances
To view the season event schedule and purchase tickets online
Friends of First Church, Berkeley Online Tours + Events
Our Building is Available
For music performances, lectures and weddings
For information about renting our building for an event
Please email us
About Christian Science Society, Berkeley
We are one of the many worldwide branches of The Mother Church—the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts, founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879.
We are an organization of committed students of Christian Science who take the inspired word of the Bible and Mary Baker Eddy’s book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures as our practical guide to daily life.
Through our study and prayer we strive to face all the challenges of the human experience through the power of God, Spirit—divine Life, Truth, and Love. Spiritual growth, transformation and healing are the basis of all our activities.
Order of Sunday Service
Everyone is welcome to attend services, if you will be joining us at Sunday Service for the first time, this is what is included in our services:
Organ Prelude begins at 10:50 am
Sunday Service begins at 11:00 am
The Sunday Service opens with a Hymn from the Christian Science Hymnal
A short Scriptural Selection from the Bible followed by Silent Prayer, and an invitation to all to join in the audible repetition of the Lord’s Prayer interspersed with its spiritual interpretation as written by Mary Baker Eddy.
The congregation is then invited to sing another Hymn which is followed by Announcements from the desk and then a Solo.
The Sermon is a comprised of selections from the King James version of the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. Each sermon, also referred to as the Bible Lesson, is composed in advance by a committee appointed by The Mother Church in Boston. Students of Christian Science study these lesson-sermons throughout the week prior to listening to it read aloud in branch churches and societies throughout the world each Sunday.
Upon completion of the sermon there is a Collection taken during an organ interlude, followed by a closing Hymn, readings, and then an Organ Postlude.
History
First Church of Christ, Scientist. Berkeley was incorporated in 1905. Its members had been meeting since 1897 in nearby private homes and halls and were eager to have a church home of their own. By mid-year 1905 they had purchased a 100’ x 150’ lot on the corner of Dwight Way and Bowditch Street and in 1909, the Plans Committee first met with Bernard Maybeck who ultimately took on the project.
The committee presented Maybeck with a list of qualities they wanted to see in their building. In addition to the practical needs such as an Auditorium, Sunday School, Board Room and telephone room, and a discussion of the general feel of the structure. The committee prepared the list of qualities that they wanted to see expressed in their church including unity, harmony, beauty, adaptability, reverence, sincerity, honesty, simplicity, good taste, welcome, comfort, quietness and peace, joy, and home-like-ness.
“The church should be a perfect concept of mental architectural skill, manifesting unity, harmony, beauty, light and peace; a structure denoting progress in all lines and strictly individual in character, designed to meet our preset needs and to be in keeping with the artistic surrounding.”
A building permit was obtained at the end of September 1910 and construction began soon after. The first service was held in August 1911 with attendees seated on rental chairs as it would be seven months before the pews were installed.
The Sunday School addition was completed in January 1929 by Maybeck in association with Henry Gutterson, who was himself a member of the church, and also designed Arden Wood, a Christian Science Nursing Facility in San Francisco which opened its doors in 1930.
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Berkeley was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974.
Location
2619 Dwight Way @ Bowditch
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 845-7199
