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Internship with The Mother Church Reading Room & Plaza Activities

Two public-facing departments of The Mother Church offer an internship that combines the spiritually enriching and practical aspects of both. This internship offers daily opportunities to interact with the public on topics related to Christian Science and its founder, Mary Baker Eddy, The Mother Church and its activities, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, The Christian Science Monitor and other publications in many languages.

This internship would be a good fit for someone who:

  • Likes to talk with people 

  • Is interested in both public speaking and quiet one-on-one sharing 

  • Wants to become familiar with the many products published by The Christian Science Publishing Society, the activities of The Mother Church, and events that take place on the Christian Science Plaza

  • Would like to learn more about interfaith dialogue, the history of Christian Science, language studies, architectural history, religion/theology, and hospitality.

Essential duties and responsibilities:

Under the direction of the Assistant Manager of Operations and Development at The Mother Church Reading Room and the Assistant Manager of Hospitality in Plaza Activities, this intern works part-time in both areas:

The Mother Church Reading Room in the heart of Boston’s bustling Back Bay affords daily opportunities to answer questions about Christian Science and to help visitors find whatever resource best meets their needs. Working as part of a dedicated team, the intern offers a warm welcome to each visitor, including neighbors, local college students, church members, and tourists. The Reading Room team ensures that every visitor’s needs are met with spiritual discernment, care, and professionalism. Each day the Reading Room staff host an event for in-person and online attendees, including reading the Bible Lesson aloud, discussing Christian Science Monitor articles, and listening together to podcasts. (See https://www.christianscience.com/tmcrrnow for the full list of events.) The intern helps set up and host these daily events, develops customer service skills, develops a deep knowledge of the products for sale, communicates respectfully with people of many backgrounds and belief systems, graciously speaks to visitors in a Christian manner, and contributes to an uplifting environment of healing and spiritual discovery. As with all Reading Room roles, this assignment requires prayerful alertness and contributes to an atmosphere of healing. In considering this internship, the applicant should first read and consider seriously Article XXI, Sections 1 through 3 of the Church Manual by Mary Baker Eddy.

The Plaza Activities department offers visitors from around the world a thought-changing experience that inspires hope through tours, programs, exhibits, and web content. The Christian Science Plaza is a treasured destination for Church members, neighbors, college students, and visiting tourists, and Plaza Activities welcomes all to the new “How Do You See the World?” experience. This includes a short video about the life of Mary Baker Eddy, information on Christian Science, and testimonies of healing in many languages, as well as a sound and light program in the Mapparium and exhibits featuring stories from The Christian Science Monitor about mankind’s progress. Plaza Activities also offers tours of The Mother Church and participates in many Church-related events. This role gives 20-minute tours of the Mapparium, greets incoming visitors, and meets and guides groups in the How Do You See the World? experience. This role also may serve in a variety of capacities, including supporting administrative duties in a timely manner, assisting in the coordination of public events, tracking department projects from start to finish, taking on research and other special projects, providing technical assistance and troubleshooting, and other duties as needed.

Desired qualifications:

  • An attitude of respect and appreciation for our visitors, management, and staff.

  • Loves to meet people from all over the world and of all faiths and backgrounds.

  • Enjoys being in front of an audience and one-on-one interactions, and is also comfortable with periods of quiet prayer and contemplation, in between these interactions.

  • Desires to share Christian Science effectively and with humility.

  • Is eager to learn more about Mary Baker Eddy’s life and the history of her Church.

  • Has solid time-management skills, flexibility, and experience prioritizing.

  • Independently completes assigned tasks, is self-motivated yet proactively requests help when needed, and enjoys working as part of a team.

  • Recognizes that the work at The Mother Church is above all a spiritual assignment, and in addition to that is a professional opportunity. Therefore qualities of compassion and patience are practiced right along with the professionalism and discipline one normally brings to a workplace. 

  • Appreciates the flexibility and good humor it takes to handle unanticipated schedule changes.

  • Takes direction well and is comfortable receiving public speaking assessments.

  • Listens to visitors with patience, particularly if there seems to be a language barrier.

  • Is comfortable with long periods of walking and standing, broken up by periods of desk time.

  • Proficiency or a strong interest in more than one language is considered an asset, but is not required.

Ideally, the candidate is an engaged member of The Mother Church, a branch church, and/or a College Organization of Christian Scientists. 

Christian Science Class Instruction is very helpful, but is not a requirement.

How to apply

Fill out the online application and attach your resume and cover letter. Or, email them to us at tmcyouthintern@christianscience.com. Applications will be considered on a first come, first serve basis starting October 30, 2023. The hard deadline for applying is April 10.

Program Dates: May 20 - August 2, 2024

Compensation: Interns receive a $400/week living stipend, as well as housing near The Mother Church. They will also receive a $900 grant upon completion of the internship. These payments are taxable benefits.

Questions: If you have questions about this program, please contact The Mother Church at tmcyouthintern@christianscience.com.