Volunteer With A Local Committee
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
– Matthew 18:20
/ Local Committees
A unique way to support Christian Scientists in your area.
Because God is benevolent, man is benevolent — and Christian Scientists yearn to put this into practice. If you’re feeling led to help your fellow Christian Scientists (beyond branch church work), you might consider joining a Local Committee.
The Principle Foundation offers financial assistance to Christian Scientists who are working prayerfully to meet unexpected short-term needs. We do this work from our national office and through a nationwide network of volunteer Local Committees. These small groups of volunteers take requests from fellow Christian Scientists in their area, and — through prayer and spiritual discernment — authorize financial support when appropriate. We’ve often been told that being a volunteer on a local committee leads to deep learning about benevolence and the operation of the divine economy.
More information on Local Committees
Below are topics to explore if you want to consider joining a Local Committee.
GRATITUDE POSTS
Why I love being on a Local Committee
LC work has taught me that benevolence must involve growing spiritually, and with Christly love that uplifts and inspires both the giver and receiver.
This work has taught me how to look at our requesters more spiritually — not with pity, but with expectancy of lifting up our fellow man. In the story of Noah and the Ark, the ark was kept up, up, up, as the waters were flooding more. When we seem to be flooded with troubles, we’re actually being lifted above life’s challenges.
Being a local committee member has taught me that the need is never money, although money may help get a person through a rough spot while they figure out that the need isn’t money.
What I most love about volunteering for TPF is the opportunity to help fellow Christian Scientists on their path to understanding the true source of supply.
My experience on a LC has led to my spiritual growth by affording me opportunities to apply the healing truth to impositions that have come to my thought. All are reciprocally blessed by engaging in this work.
What I love about being on a local committee is being able to provide fellow Christian Scientists with practical assistance.
The force of our metaphysical work is felt by more than just the requester. We’ve seen neighborhoods stepping in to help the requester where the needs were many and overwhelming, with every need met; where committee members were hours away by car, but the benevolence was there where needed.
Being on a Local Committee supports the requester to find their already available abundance. In fact, the requester is validating their worth by asking for help.
Serving on a local committee puts one onto the fast lane of spiritual growth filled with gratitude. It is patterned as that of the “pattern of the mount” — principled, inspiring, healing, and blessed!
We see each requester as desiring to work out their need from a spiritual perspective, always acknowledging the ever-present goodness and provision of divine Love. Committee members listen to discern the real need and prayerfully address the claim in their own thought.
What I love about the work is that it’s the “practice” even though we might not officially be listed in the Journal; we are “in the practice” and we experience the results.
I come away from each committee meeting bursting with a renewed desire to pray for my fellow man, and to be more aware of the needs in my church and community.
This is the highest paying job I’ve ever had, even though I don’t make any money! Whenever we get a case I think, “Good, I get to see where this applies to my own experience right now.”
Benevolence is always present, and wise, and good, but many times it turns out to be expressed quite differently from what one may originally expected it to be.
What I love about working with a Local Committee is sharing powerful statements of Truth and Love as we prayerfully work through each case.
I’m learning what benevolence means by applying this Manual By-Law to the work: “God requires wisdom, economy, and brotherly love to characterize all the proceedings of the members of [our local committee’s grant team]!
