Over the past 50 years, thousands of travelers from around the world have visited the Christian Science Reading Room at the San Francisco International Airport. They come with questions and are greeted with great love by our dedicated staff. Not only Christian Scientists, but hungering hearts from every continent and every religious background stop by to learn something of the Christ, Truth. Many leave with a copy of Science and Health, a helpful Sentinel or Journal, the Christian Science Monitor and always words of encouragement.

IN THE BEGINNING

This landmark Reading Room has a very inspiring history. Our Fall Fruitage Report for 2006 tells how it all started in 1955, when a soldier asked the CS Monitor table attendant for the location of the nearest reading room. When he learned how far away it was, he commented "You should have a reading room in this airport." Many months and a thousand details later, the Reading Room opened its doors in January 1956. As the Airport expanded, our location has changed several times. Challenges have been met with much devotion to this holy purpose.

UNITY

Eleven Christian Science churches around the Bay Area serve constantly as “Participating Churches,” but support, both financial and metaphysical, pours in from many churches and individuals. Our dedicated librarians and volunteers are on duty 365 days a year, from 8:00 am until 10:00 pm. An executive committee directs the business aspects and acts as liaison with the Participating Churches and the Christian Science field.

PROOF OF ITS UTILITY

Our countless visitors include passengers, their well-wishers, airline and airport staff, transportation drivers, and others, many of whom have never before heard of Christian Science. Their continual visits demonstrate that, as a haven of hope and faith, the church is offering "proof of its utility" and is "rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick." S&H p.583 by Mary Baker Eddy

A LIGHT ON A CANDLESTICK

We are visible and beautiful! Our new contemporary-designed reading room has walls of glass, showing our interior decor of beige and black. The location in the main lobby of Terminal 1, near the Delta Airline departure concourse fulfills Mrs. Eddy’s Manual provision that a reading room be “well located.” As the only airport Reading Room in the world at this time, we begin our second half-century with gratitude for this extraordinary opportunity to share the Gospel.

YOU ARE WELCOME

Would you like to serve? If you have a desire to “feed the hungry,” come be a volunteer attendant in this bright corner of the world. BART train stops at our door, parking is free and easy and the librarians will give you an orientation. If you’re just passing through or waiting for a flight to arrive, come by for a quiet time of prayer or even to say hello. We will welcome you.

##### 5/19/07