Annual Meeting Weekend 2024

Annual Meeting Weekend 2024

Annual Meeting 2024

We had a wonderful time at our church’s Annual Meeting at its headquarters at the Mother Church in Boston. We went early to take our daughter to the summit for young adults, where they stayed in local dorms. We stayed with friends out in Swampscott and drove in each day.

Saturday evening there was a dinner out on the lawn under the tent followed by a hymn sing and then an ice cream social. Sunday morning there was church followed by an inspiration meeting in the afternoon, and then Annual Meeting itself was Monday afternoon.

We had great conversations with new and old friends alike. It was great to see everyone, and the attendance was large this year.  After Annual Meeting, we went out to dinner with some of our daughter’s friends.

Here are some of the inspirational take-ways:

  • Every branch needs fully all four manual based activities, like a chair needs all four legs to be stable and useful. How many functioning “legs” does your church have?
  • Church is the Christ demonstrated.
  • We are praying in church to support each other collectively and exclusively. We have all the hours of the rest of the week to pray for ourselves and the world.
  • Our prayers themselves are structured by Truth and Love (God).
  • Reflect the healing message of the Christ in your daily walk and conversation.
  • “Share thy joy and spend it freely.”
  • How would Jesus do your role at church?
  • “my healings are quicker when I pray with joy.”
  • rejoice and be grateful for your true spiritual identity
  • Anti-joy voices are voices of the anti-Christ.
  • The way expands as you walk in it.
  • It takes all of us to make this living church come alive.
  • We will not find the comforter by looking back to what was. It will always be new and always be now.
  • Are we counting mortals or acknowledging the infinite? There is nothing missing. As we cherish the infinite we become alive.
  • We are not almost done – we are just getting started. We are the early workers.
  • Let God be magnified by us being together!

Just having a silent prayer with so many people was profound, let alone being part of that many voices saying the Lord’s Prayer together. Wow.

I am so grateful for this church and its mission to bless all mankind with the embrace of Truth, Life, and Love! I am grateful to be a part of it and working shoulder to shoulder with these wonderful people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I work to amplify good wherever I find it. I love color, texture, beauty, great ideas, nature, metaphor, deliciousness, genuine spirituality, and exploring new territory. I encourage authenticity, nurture creativity, champion sustainability, promote peace, and hope to foster a new renaissance where we all are free to be our most fulfilled, multifaceted, and terrific selves. Read more here.

8 Comments

  1. Liz 4 months ago

    Wonderful recap and photos, Polly. Thank you. I followed the Annual Meeting by Zoom on Monday, and spent Monday and this morning listening to the Inspirational Meeting and Hymn Sing. Surely, would have been wonderful to be there physically. Maybe next year! I’m curious who you know in Swampscott! I lived in Swampscott from Aug 2006-Aug 2010 and was a member of the Lynn-Swampscott CS Church. I loved living there and have many friends still. The kids and I are gathering in MA June 22 for a trek to Vermont where they are spreading their dad’s ashes. I’ll go a few days early and stay with my friend in Lynn for a few days. I’m feeling so inspired to carry on with joy in “living” church more fully!

  2. Teresa 4 months ago

    Beautiful photography! Thank you for capturing the weekend.

  3. Dilys 4 months ago

    Gorgeous photographs! Glad you had such an uplifting experience. I listened online and enjoyed it immensely. It’s wonderful to be part of this church family x

  4. Sue 4 months ago

    Thank you so much for your re-cap. I attended virtually with a CS friend. That was a new experience for both of us. I have never been in-person because I live on the west coast. The Mother Church did a great job.

  5. Jenny Grace Morris 4 months ago

    Love your take aways. Very uplifting. I’m so glad they are making it easier for people to attend. Great pictures.
    Thanks for all your BLOG POSTS

  6. Cheryl Patterson-Zaic 4 months ago

    Fabulous photos! Makes me want to go for a visit.

  7. Isabel 4 months ago

    Where in Boston is that beautiful church?

    • Author
      Polly Castor 4 months ago

      250 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02115

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