Rogers, Arkansas

In October, 1949, the members of First Church of Christ, Scientist, Rogers, Arkansas, a town of five thousand, voted to relocate their Christian Science Reading Room in downtown quarters. The Reading Room was then in a small room in the church edifice. The executive board appointed a committee to find a ground-floor location as soon as possible. Knowing that "divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 494), the committee set to work. While at times it seemed impossible to find a location, we knew that the right place would be available, for in Proverbs we read (3:5, 6): "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

In a short time a large building, not then in use, was sold, and the new owner started to remodel and modernize it. When we applied for space for our Reading Room, the owner said that he would be happy to have us as tenants and offered us our choice of the offices, which would be on the second floor.

We were grateful for this cooperation but not completely satisfied, as we had wanted a ground-floor location with a display window. However, we knew that it was a step in the right direction to take the Reading Room out of the church edifice and locate it downtown where it would be more accessible and inviting to the general public.

On March 31, 1950, we moved into our new quarters and immediately increased the hours for the Reading Room from two hours on two days a week to four hours daily, with the exception of Sundays and holidays. The members lovingly offered their services, and during the first year all served without remuneration. The second year the board voted to pay the librarian a salary, and this practice has been continued.

From the very first day in our downtown location the sale of books and subscriptions increased amazingly. We started to keep a complete stock on hand, whereas formerly we had just been filling orders. We also had all of the back issues of the periodicals bound. Our Reading Room now has the bound volumes back to 1926, as well as a few volumes of earlier years, which were given to us.

The abundant fruitage resulting from our new location made us more certain than ever that the best location for our Reading Room was one on the street level. We continued to be grateful for the second-floor quarters and were always on the alert for ground-floor space.

In 1954 we learned that another building was to be remodeled into offices, and we at once applied for two of the rooms. Again we were given first choice, this time of rooms on the ground floor in an air-conditioned building. The space we chose was remodeled and decorated to meet our requirements. We now have a wonderful display window, and it is an inspiration to see strangers stop to read the literature displayed. No doubt this is often their first contact with Science and Health.

On December 1, 1954, we moved into the quarters we now occupy. Sales again increased. During the first six months of 1955 the number of those using our Reading Room increased 100 per cent over the same period in 1954. Many express their interest in and gratitude for our lovely rooms and for the opportunities to learn about Christian Science which these rooms afford.

We feel that these successive steps which unfolded in our experience are indeed proof of Mrs. Eddy's statement on page 454 of Science and Health, "Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way."

Santa Rosa, California

During the past year the members of our church made the demonstration of relocating their Reading Room in ground-floor quarters. The records and reports give ample proof that this was a real step of progress in increasing the usefulness of our Reading Room. Sales of the Bible and of Science and Health more than doubled in the first six months. More periodicals were sold, and we increased our standing order for The Christian Science Journal and Christian Science Quarterly. The many experiences we have with newcomers to Christian Science help us to understand more clearly the essence and potency of the purpose of our Reading Rooms.