Church Manual guidelines for Sunday School

Article XX

SUNDAY SCHOOL

The Sunday School — Section 1

Pupils may be received in the Sunday School classes of any Church of Christ, Scientist, up to the age of twenty years, and by transfer from another Church of Christ, Scientist, up to that age, but no pupil shall remain in the Sunday School of any Church of Christ, Scientist, after reaching the age of twenty. None except the officers, teachers, and pupils should attend the Sunday School exercises.

Teaching the Children — Section 2

The Sabbath School children shall be taught the Scriptures, and they shall be instructed according to their understanding or ability to grasp the simpler meanings of the divine Principle that they are taught.

Subject for Lessons — Section 3

The first lessons of the children should be the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3–17), the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9–13), and its Spiritual Interpretation by Mary Baker Eddy, Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3–12). The next lessons consist of such questions and answers as are adapted to a juvenile class, and may be found in the Christian Science Quarterly Lessons, read in Church services. The instruction given by the children’s teachers must not deviate from the absolute Christian Science contained in their textbook.

---

Order of Exercises for the Sunday School of The Mother Church and Branch Churches1

1. Call to order by the Superintendent.
2. Hymn.
3. Subject of the lesson announced; Golden Text repeated by the children; Responsive Reading.
4. Silent prayer, followed by the audible repetition of the Lord’s Prayer in unison.
5. Instruction in classes, in accordance with Sections 2 and 3 of Article XX of the Manual of The Mother Church.
6. Entire school reassembles.
7. Hymn.
8. The Scientific Statement of Being read by the Superintendent.
9. School dismissed.

1If a collection is taken, it should be taken in the classes before they reassemble.