What The Christian Science Monitor Means to Me September 1, 2014 Issue

A new way to serve my church

Marci Martin

Years ago when I lived in the San Diego area in California, one of my favorite pastimes was walking on the beach. During one of these walks I prayed to be able to serve my Christian Science branch church in a new, different way. Soon afterward I learned that an advertising representative for The Christian Science Monitor was needed to sell ad space in each issue, and I readily volunteered.

I had never been a salesperson before, so this was quite a new and challenging experience for me. When I left the house to visit local businesses, I prayed about where to go in my large territory, asking God to guide me and show me how to proceed.

Many times I would find myself turning into a parking space in front of a business, and I would go inside and talk with the business owner about the Monitor. Most of my contacts had never heard of the Monitor, so my approach was to introduce the paper through its name. The word Christian states the Monitor’s standpoint: It reaches out to humanity, manifesting a spirit of goodwill to its readers and helping to uplift their thinking so they can approach challenges with understanding and compassion.