Upcoming Lecture:
“Meaningful Change for ourselves and the world”
a FREE talk to be given by Mark McCurties, CS, on
Sunday, October 22, 2023
2:00 p.m.
Eighth Church of Christ, Scientist
6221 Alexander Drive
(corner of Skinker and Wydown)
We live in a world where millions of people are striving to make change for the better. So, in a world seeking positive change, how do we make sure that such change actually happens? Speaker Mark McCurties says, “We all have a natural desire to improve ourselves and the world around us. In my own life I’ve found that letting God, divine Love, guide and direct my efforts brings permanent and meaningful results.”
“The desire to change ourselves, to improve our character, our relationships, our life prospects can also go beyond just the boundary of our own lives and the four walls of our home. Many men and women around the world have a sincere yearning to improve the collective experience of humanity,” says McCurties. “In this lecture, I will explain how God’s loving and saving power is the greatest agent for change, and that through a right understanding of God, His power can be seen and felt right here and now, bringing health and peace to the world.”
The ideas in this lecture are based on the teachings of Jesus as recorded in the Bible, and as discussed in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy.
About the Lecturer
Ever since he was a little boy, Mark had a deep love for the Bible. When he read about men and women in the Bible overcoming hatred, famine, war, physical disease, and other hardships, their triumphs inspired him. It didn’t matter what the odds were, or what conditions they faced, individuals in the Bible seemed to flourish in adversity based on one common theme: their deep love for God.
Growing up in a Christian Science household, there was another book that Mark loved to read daily: Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures written by Mary Baker Eddy. The very purpose of her book is to help unlock and reveal the deeper divine meaning and inspiration of the Bible. Together the Bible and Science and Health point to the practical healing and saving power of God and its present availability for all mankind. Mark knew that someday he wanted to share that healing message with the world.
As he grew into adulthood, experiences in the field of education as a summer camp director, outdoor educator, athletics coach, and resident counselor all helped to develop his understanding and practice of Christian Science. While working with young people, Mark had multiple opportunities to witness God’s healing power. These examples proved to him that the healing power of the Christ is just as alive and relevant today as for the men and women of the Bible. In 2010, with a desire to focus solely on healing through prayer, Mark entered the full-time public practice of Christian Science.
Mark McCurties is a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship. He travels from his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Past Lectures:
“Be Set Free:
Freedom is yours when you know where to look for it”
a FREE talk to be given by Nicole Virgil, CS, on
Sunday, October 23, 2022
2:00 p.m.
Eighth Church of Christ, Scientist
6221 Alexander Drive
(corner of Skinker and Wydown)
A life of freedom! Don’t we all want to overcome the significant obstacles that might prevent us from
achieving this goal? In this talk, we will learn that the barriers to reaching a life of freedom, from
physical, emotional and circumstantial restrictions, can be overcome by knowing how and where to
access our God-given liberty.
To live a life of liberty, we must find and understand the nature and substance of liberty, which is
spiritual, purposeful, unburdened, and available to all. But we have to know where to look, to the
source of liberty – God, good itself, all-inclusive.
We will examine liberty from a Biblical perspective; and see how real people today find their freedom
from all kinds of restrictions they believe are beyond their control, so that they may Be Set Free.
Please join us for a concert piano prelude starting at 1:40 p.m.
Doors open for seating at 1:15 p.m.
Childcare Provided
About the Lecturer
Nicole Virgil, CS is in fulltime healing practice as a Christian Science practitioner and lectures as a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship.
Her introduction:
My father was a free-lance church organist, and my parents attended services at almost every different Christian church around New England. Mom was constantly wanting to understand how to practice Christian healing just as Jesus did, and when she started attending Christian Science church services, she found what she was looking for. As a result, I had a wonderful upbringing in Christian Science, which cultivated within me a deep desire for an intimate relationship with God.
Growing up, I studied Christian Science with my mom and music with my dad, and found that both studies were helpful to each other. Christian Science healed performance anxiety, while learning music honed the skills I needed for spiritual practice — skills such as intuition, listening, patience and diligence. Throughout my life, Christian Science and music have always overlapped: After studying opera at music school, I took my one-woman opera review program (That Can’t Be Opera!) on the road, educating audiences about opera by singing Mozart, Puccini, and Menotti. Christian Science guided me through this entrepreneurial endeavor, just as it led me to start soloing in churches as a teenager (which is something I still love to do!) — and I eventually married, started a family with my husband, and entered the public practice of Christian Science so that I can share the deep and precious truths of the Bible’s healing messages for our daily lives.
Today I enjoy raising children, gardening, soloing in church, and witnessing the healing effect of Christian Science in all things.
Past Lectures:
“A Spiritual Revolution: The Quest to Experience God”
a FREE talk to be given by Giulia Nesi Tetreau, CSB, on
Sunday, September 19, 2021
2:00 p.m.
Eighth Church of Christ, Scientist
6221 Alexander Drive
(corner of Skinker and Wydown)
Do you wonder how to lead a safe and secure life with the threat of pandemic and economic upheaval? An understanding of God as divine Love, present right now, can make a tangible difference in overcoming these issues and finding a way forward.
Please join us for a concert piano prelude starting at 1:40 p.m.
Doors open for seating at 1:15 p.m.
Childcare Provided
About the Lecturer
Christian Science practitioner, teacher, and lecturer, Giulia Nesi Tetreau, offers a spiritual perspective on how anyone can experience divine Love as an effective force for good, gaining newfound hope for a better life. She will share tangible examples from her healing practice. Giulia has spent her entire career in the healthcare field, formerly as a psychotherapist and now as a practitioner of Christian Science healing.
Past Lectures:
“The How and Why and Wonder of Spiritual Healing”
was given by Beth Packer, CS,
and presented online, and made available for a limited time, on
Sunday, September 27, 2020
7:00 p.m.
This lecture is no longer available for viewing.
This lecture explores the phenomena of spiritual healing as recorded throughout the Bible—healing that for centuries had allowed people to live their lives with dominion and not be victims to their circumstances. And it shows by present-day examples, that such healing is not something of the past, but is a present possibility—an accessible transforming power for good in our lives today.
It’s shown how a knowledge of our inseparable relationship to God brings practical healing solutions. Also, how practical, effective prayer can help us all experience divine power and protection in our lives. Included are multiple examples of the practicality of spiritual healing, including protection from an attack, healing of a medically diagnosed ‘incurable’ illness and effects of a severe accident.
About the Lecturer
In her capacity as a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship, Beth has been invited to lecture around the world, talking with audiences in such diverse situations as the hallowed halls of London to the inmates in provincial prisons in Africa and Asia. All receive the same message of divine love and healing.
But it is through her practice of Christian Science healing that the words and ideas she shares in her talks are proven true. Beth says, “that if an idea is true, it is universal, impersonal and provable. Spiritual healing as recorded in the Bible is as available today as it was then. And the understanding Christian Science brings to us all, makes that healing accessible to everyone, everywhere, always to bring help and healing to our daily life.”
As a young child, growing up in a Christian Science family, she saw healing as a normal part of life. “Mum used to heal the cats and dogs and kids, whoever needed help, so we never thought of Christian healing as an unusual phenomena. It was just a sign that God loved us. From those early experiences came a deep wish that one day, I, too, would be able to help those around me know that love we had felt as children.”
After becoming an award-winning artist and mother of two girls, she and her own family moved overseas to live in the Middle East for a while, returning home to Australia to start a successful retail business and also become involved in many community welfare projects. Finally in 2005, she was accepted into the worldwide Journal of Christian Science practitioners, entering the full-time healing practice. “It was those years of putting into practice the truths that I’d grown up with, of healing through prayer the difficulties that can arise in family and public life, that really prepared me to be able to be of real use to those around me. And now also being able to share the precious message of healing through lecturing, is a humbling, heartening, joyous privilege, as well as such an amazing adventure.
“Humility that ‘Overcomes the World’”
was given by Mark McCurties, CS on
Sunday, September 8, 2019
2:00 p.m.
Eighth Church of Christ, Scientist
6221 Alexander Drive
(corner of Skinker and Wydown)
All are welcome.
McCurties says, “One of the central themes of Christ Jesus’ ministry was to teach and show that the power of God’s love can help us to overcome the various injustices that we face in the world. In fact, Jesus fully proved the power of God’s might. He healed all kinds of disease, transformed the worst types of behavior, he stopped violent acts from occurring, and he forgave his enemies in order to save them, proving hatred to be powerless in the face of divine Love. Ultimately, Jesus showed that the power of God’s love doesn’t just help us to cope with the ills of the world; it helps us to conquer them.
“Yet, for all the remarkable healing work that Jesus did, he never once took the credit. Instead he always gave the glory and honor to God, our Father in heaven. So sincere was Jesus in his expression of humility that he even said, “I can of my own self do nothing” (John 5:30). In other words, Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who overcame all the ugliness that the world could throw at him, said (in essence), the good that I do isn’t personal to me; it’s the Father working through me.
“Mary Baker Eddy, the woman who founded the Christian Science church, perceived the powerful impact that Jesus’ humility had on his healing and saving mission. She wrote, “Great charity and humility is necessary in this work of healing. The loving patience of Jesus, we must strive to emulate.” (Miscellaneous Writings 7:7-9)
“In this lecture, we will discuss how learning to follow the example of Christ Jesus, particularly his profound display of humility, can empower each one of us to heal and to overcome the hard problems that we face. We will discuss what true humility is, how it links us to God, and by extension, how it connects us with God’s healing and saving laws. There is great need for healing in the world today, and Christ-like humility can help us to meet that demand.”
About the Lecturer
McCurties has had a life-long love of the Bible and its inspiring message of individual triumph over adversity. After graduating from college he spent a number of years in the field of education where he worked as a camp director, experiential educator, resident counselor, and athletics coach. While working with young people, he had many opportunities to witness the healing power of God, and these inspiring experiences eventually led him into the full-time public practice of Christian Science.
Mark McCurties is a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship. He travels from his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“The Science of Christianity”
was a free one-hour public lecture given by Mary Alice Rose
Sunday, November 4, 2018
2:00 p.m.
Eighth Church of Christ, Scientist
6221 Alexander Drive
(corner of Skinker and Wydown)
All are welcome.
Explore the spiritual law ‘God is love’ from the book of First John in the Bible, and hear examples that illustrate that law in action.
Learn how a former physical scientist sees parallels between the study of physical science and the study of Christian Science.
About the Lecturer
Rose’s interest in science and technology led to a 20-year career in different areas of applied physical science. Her work ranged from a meteorologist for the National Severe Storms Laboratory to a manager developing the ground system for the Hubble Space Telescope. In 2002, Rose made the transition from manager, engineer, and earth scientist to the full-time ministry as a Christian Science practitioner. She is now an authorized teacher of this Science and a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship. Rose travels from her home in Brookeville, Maryland.
All are welcome as we explore the spiritual law ‘God is love’ from the book of First John in the Bible and hear examples that illustrate that law in action.
Learn how a former physical scientist sees parallels between the study of physical science and the study of Christian Science.