(Photo above: Central Oregon Collective | Photo Courtesy of First Church of Christ, Scientist)
After nearly a century of being peacefully sheltered beneath two of Bend’s oldest Ponderosa pines along NW First Street, the First Church of Christ, Scientist has uprooted and taken up residence on the far east side of town. As of February 19, the church began conducting its services at Central Oregon Collective, a modern mixed-use building located on 27th Street, just south of Highway 20 and Schlotzky’s deli.
Until a permanent church home can be secured, the new location will provide a warm and inviting space for the church’s services and Sunday School with ample parking outside. Church services continue to be held Sunday mornings from 10-11am and include hymns, prayer and a sermon based on the weekly Bible Lesson from the church’s Pastor: the Bible and Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures by the church’s founder, Mary Baker Eddy.
Sunday School for infants through teens meets at the same time and provides a foundational knowledge of the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount, as well as an understanding of how God is available to help and heal in any situation according to Bob Benedict of the Christian Science Church.
Wednesday evening meetings are also being held at Central Oregon Collective each week from 7:30-8:30pm. They feature hymns, readings from the Bible and Science & Health on a topic of current interest, and testimonies of healing from the congregation. Everyone is welcome to attend, but child care is not available at this time without prior arrangement.
In addition to vacating the church property on NW First Street, the church’s Christian Science Reading Room moved out of the building right next door. While the church searches for a new Reading Room location where community members can study and pray, they will continue to offer Christian Science literature and periodicals, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Christian Science Monitor, after each service at the Central Oregon Collective.
fccsbend@gmail.com
www.christiansciencechurchbend.org
