Let us all be sentinels

A sentinel’s purpose is simple and powerful: to hold guard over a community. The Sentinel helps us all be spiritually awake to build a more effective watch for today’s world. Mary Baker Eddy started the Christian Science Sentinel with this sentiment in mind—to “hold guard over Truth, Life and Love.”

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And don't miss out on notifications about the latest content or special messages from the editors addressing pressing world events.

Why did we refresh the Sentinel’s look in 2020?

We’re all needed as spiritually-impelled sentinels in today’s world. Not only do we keep a prayerful watch, but we also stay abreast of the times to ensure that we are best prepared to prayerfully respond to individual and global challenges. Sentinel editors and team members explore this concept below.

“...today’s Sentinel readers have a greater need than ever for prompt publication of timely spiritual inspiration and healing proofs. Internet technology and mobile devices provide the means to literally reach around the world. So it’s clear that the time has come to use the web to share Sentinel content more widely.”

Ethel A. Baker, Editor, A wider reach

“The Sentinel needs to be where people are searching for spiritual answers, and that includes a strong presence online and in social media as well as in print. Contemporary design in digital and in print is also part of being abreast of the times because it uses a visual language that speaks to people today.”

Susan Stark, Managing Editor, Keeping abreast of the times

Hear more from our team:

A new Sentinel for you and all

Abraham McLaughlin

Experiencing the new Sentinel

Marla Sammuli

An expanded Sentinel experience

Jenny Sawyer

Coming together as a community on watch

Larissa Snorek

Rediscovering short but oh-so-sweet testimonies

Tony Lobl

One Sentinel, multiple formats

Every issue of the Sentinel is published in print, digital, and audio. Across all three, the Sentinel is now clearer and easier to read with “Quick Response” (QR) codes that move you between print and online content.

Wondering how to use a QR code?

Scan with your smartphone’s camera to access the Sentinel.

Jumpstart your prayer watch

The Sentinel’s web-first, rapid-response content is posted online shortly after pressing world events occur, so your prayerful response can start sooner. Be the first to learn when this timely content is available in our email newsletter, and quickly and easily share this content online with your friends and family.

Listen with ease: countless audio options

Stream, download, or share...

  • Over 350+ Sentinel podcasts
  • Entire Sentinel issues (without having to press play between articles)
  • Individual articles and testimonies

Customize your watch

Designed for easy reading and a clearer focus on content, the digital Sentinel allows for printing, downloading, adjusting font size, and bookmarking.

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Bookmark your favorite articles
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Start Exploring Today

Visit the online Sentinel to access the most recent issues, along with podcasts and web-first articles.

Subscribe to the print Sentinel and find the latest issue with uplifting articles and reports of healing in your mailbox every week.

Access all Christian Science Sentinel issues from 1898—today in our archive on JSH-Online. You’ll also find current and past articles and podcasts from The Christian Science Journal and The Herald of Christian Science, searchable biographies about Mary Baker Eddy, collections on specific topics, and more.

The Sentinel still reminds us of the need to watch. And it still alerts us to the primary thing: proving in our own lives the power of Christ.

—The Sentinel Editors, 1987

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What is the Christian Science Sentinel?

  • The Christian Science Sentinel is a weekly publication founded by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science. She gave the Sentinel its purpose—to "hold guard over Truth, Life, and Love," and its motto, in Jesus’ words: “What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch” (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 353 and Mark 13:37).
  • The Sentinel has been continuously published since 1898.
  • The Sentinel continues to watch over current issues and thought trends, showing how the healing power of Truth, Life, and Love activates, uplifts, and transforms people’s lives.
  • The Sentinel content is available online and in print via monthly and yearly subscriptions.

What is the difference between the print and digital formats of the Sentinel?

  • The print edition of the Sentinel includes concise editorials and testimonies of healing starting on the cover page to get directly to the heart of how Christian Science transforms thoughts and lives. Inside, the layout is clear, simple, and easy to read, and includes Quick Response (QR) codes to access special online content. You’ll also find articles for teens or kids and the Bible Lens, along with periodically featured columns, such as Glimpses of Truth, Healing Snapshots, and Signs of the Times.
  • The digital edition of the Sentinel gives timely responses to humanity’s current needs with online articles and podcasts—to support your prayerful response more immediately. You will also receive email notifications that let you know when new content is available. You can easily find the current week’s issue and scan the contents for what you want to listen to or read on any digital device. The user-friendly digital interface makes sharing something you saw in print easier than ever before. You can also find and read timely TeenConnect articles and the Bible Lens. And you can listen to Sentinel Watch, featured web-first articles, and the latest accounts of spiritual healing, or play an entire Sentinel issue continuously—anytime, anywhere.
  • If you subscribe to the weekly Sentinel print edition, it will be mailed to your home. Individual copies can be purchased from your local Christian Science Reading Room. You can sign up for a 30-day free trial to access JSH-Online.

What are the key features of the Sentinel?

  • Editorials and testimonies of healing in the print edition are concise—starting on the front page—and quickly get to the heart of how Christian Science transforms thoughts and lives.
  • Content is timely, with online features that address current world issues.
  • The Sentinel digital can be read on any device: computer, smartphone, tablet, eReader.
  • The Sentinel digital reading experience is enhanced for printing, downloading, and adjusting font size.
  • Email notifications let you know when new content is posted online.
  • You can listen to articles and podcasts or entire Sentinel issues.
  • “Quick Response” (QR) codes in the print edition allow you to easily access online extras and share them with others.
  • Text is clear and easy to read, and layout is spacious and clean to create a comfortable reading experience, both online and in print.

What are the ways I can access Sentinel content?

Sentinel content is available in text and audio online, and through a weekly printed magazine. The digital edition is optimized for use on mobile devices, computers, eReaders, and tablets. If you subscribe to the weekly Sentinel print edition, it will be mailed to your home. Individual copies can be purchased from your local Christian Science Reading Room.

What’s a QR code and how do I use it?

A QR code stands for “Quick Response” and is a square-shaped bar code read by a smartphone. You’ll find QR codes in the print edition of the Sentinel that will direct you to additional articles and content online. Watch this short video to learn more about how to use QR codes.

  1. Use the camera app on your smartphone to scan the QR code. You do not need to actually take a picture of the code, just aim your camera at it.
  2. A web-browser link will pop-up on your smartphone. Tap the link to be directed to the online Sentinel content.