by Nathan Bowan
Director of Crystal Lake Camps

by Pamela S. McKnight, C.S.
 
On my first day as a brand new camp Christian Science practitioner I saw the seasoned Christian Science nurse handing a plastic waterproof bag full of bandages, gauze and assorted wraps to a camp counselor. She said, "Here is the 'Second Aid Kit' for the craft room." It was the first time I had ever heard what was certainly a "First Aid Kit" to any other person, being called a "Second Aid Kit!" It was a revealing moment. From that one little phrase I could see that for all the wonderful practical help the Christian Science nurse was going to provide at camp, she (and the camp staff) clearly felt that true "First Aid" was turning to God at the moment of need. The Christian Science nurses I have worked with at camp since that first day have all expressed a pure understanding of the power and presence of God as the true healing agent.
           
At a Christian Science camp there can be as many as 150 campers and counselors on campus at once, all engaged in a variety of active outdoor and indoor activities. From the littlest first time camper who has a "boo boo," to injuries of a seemingly more serious nature to the older campers, the camp Christian Science nurse has to be prepared to handle a wide variety of situations. And it has been a privilege to watch them at work.
 
Many people think that the Christian Science nurse tends to the physical aspect of the problem, and the prayer part is turned over to the Christian Science practitioner.
 
But here's how it really plays out! A camper comes to the office a little frightened and usually in some degree of pain. With a loving hug and a smile, the Christian Science nurse expresses a tender truth that immediately begins to lessen the fear. As she washes and bandages the camper, her calm and joyful attitude has already taken the "sting" out of whatever has occurred. By the time the camper is handed over to the Christian Science practitioner for metaphysical support, the healing is well underway. The Christian Science nurse's practical reflection of the tender Father/Mother love is a mighty healing power.
 
Among the claims that I have seen met with the Christian Science nurse's help are: poison ivy, pink eye, sprained ankles, a severely over-extended elbow, a camper being hit by lightning, and an almost infinite variety of cuts, bruises, blisters, bug bites, and scrapes.
 
There are times when the Christian Science nurse and the Christian Science practitioner have to work together over a more extended period of time. These instances have been wonderful times of working together with God to demonstrate practical healing Christian Science. That same first summer, a counselor had an accident off campus. She took a nasty spill on a water board, and all indications were that she had seriously damaged her knee. She requested to be brought back to camp to the Christian Science nurse/office for help. The Christian Science nurse wrapped the young woman's leg extensively and I began vigorous prayerful treatment, declaring the impossibility of accidents, and man's exemption from danger of any kind. In any so-called serious incident the parents are called, and the camper or counselor is taken home until the healing is complete. In this instance the parents couldn't arrive at camp until two days later. For the next 48 hours the Christian Science nurse and I worked together around the clock to keep her physically comfortable. This involved helping her use the bathroom, as well as frequent re-wrapping of her leg. Although initially in obvious pain, this precious counselor wanted to rely completely on Christian Science for treatment. Often as the Christian Science nurse was working on wrapping the leg, the young woman and I would be declaring out loud a Bible verse or citation from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. It felt like a very holy time. When her parents arrived it was evident to both the Christian Science nurse and me that remarkable progress had taken place. This proved to be the case. Much to the wonder of the friends who witnessed her accident, this counselor was able to return to camp three weeks later, completely healed.
 
A camp setting provides a unique opportunity for a Christian Science nurse and Christian Science practitioner to work together as a team. It has been my honor and privilege to work with these Christian Science nurses. I have learned much from them all.

by Sue Pierce and Glen Johnson
Directors of Camp Kohahna and Camp Leelanau
 
Camp Leelanau for Boys and Camp Kohahna for Girls are located in Northern Michigan and are surrounded by 70,000 acres of beaches, forest and sand dunes within Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. Eagle's Nest is the name of the cabin where the camp Christian Science nurse and camp Christian Science practitioner live during camp sessions. Each has their own private room. This cabin sits on the bluff and overlooks Lake Michigan and North and South Manitou islands and the view is breathtaking. These camps provide quality programs for young people from 6-17 who attend Christian Science Sunday schools. Through many varied activities campers have daily opportunities to learn about their unlimited potential, based on their relationship to God. Campers are encouraged and guided to try new activities.
 
Here are a few thoughts campers shared about what they learned at camp:
 
 
Our camp Christian Science nurses are a significant and vital part of camp! We would like to lovingly thank them for all their guidance, support and love. We appreciate their flexibility, joyfulness and sense of adventure. 

Here are some thoughts from our camp Christian Science nurses

• "I love the simplicity and beauty of Gods demonstrations. Christian Science empowers our children to be healers!"
• "It is fun to get to know the campers and watch them grow each summer as they apply Christian Science in their daily activities."
• "I can't get enough of seeing all the good in action at camp."
• "It was significant for me to realize that the role of the Christian Science nurse at camp is to fulfill camp's requirement to have a skilled care provider available. Therefore, my real job as camp Christian Science nurse was my daily metaphysical work supporting campers in their joy-filled activities at camp." 

We have much appreciation for our Christian Science nurses!

CSNCN Board Member Bonnie Mitchinson recently spoke with Tim McCutcheon, a Christian Science nurse, advertising in The Christian Science Journal, from Richardson, Texas, who shared his experiences and insights about working at the Cedars Camps for Christian Scientists.
 
Bonnie: Why were you led to be a Christian Science nurse for a camp?
Tim: I was asked by a director of a camp to be a camp Christian Science nurse. I grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, and had been a Board member for a Christian Science camp in that area. My wife and I had both grown up attending that camp and were even married there. In my case, I was a part-time camp Christian Science nurse at Cedars Camps and worked the rest of the time doing maintenance for the camp.
 
Bonnie: What do you feel are the spiritual qualities most needed by a Christian Science nurse working at a camp?
Tim: Love of children and cherishing their innocence. Don't be tempted to think that a child is not a seasoned Christian Scientist. Even though they may not have studied deep metaphysics, they still respond to prayer. Just giving a "cup of cold water in Christ's name," as Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, works wonders with children.
 
Bonnie: Do you have a favorite Bible verse you use when working with children at camp?
Tim: Yes, the Golden Rule. In Matthew chapter seven, verse 12, the Bible tells us, "...all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them". This is very important to remember in respecting the child's choice of care, whether they choose Christian Science care or not.
 
Bonnie: Is there a healing that took place at camp you would like to share with our readers?
Tim: There are several, but one that really stands out to me was that of a teenage boy who was water-skiing when he got cut above his eyebrow and down his face. I was so grateful that I had recently received Christian Science Nurses' training to meet the human need for bandaging with the use of Steri Strips and proper wound cleansing. This boy also needed crutches and I was able to help him with them. Of course the boy's parents and Christian Science practitioner were called right away and prayer was started. This camper wanted to get back in the water as soon as possible, so I made the wound covering waterproof and he was able to return to the water the next day. I kept in touch with his parents and Christian Science practitioner until there was a complete healing.
 
Bonnie: What was the greatest joy in serving as a Christian Science nurse at a camp?
Tim: Watching healing take place was incredibly fulfilling. Children have an expectation of quick healing. Their childlike thought easily lets go of any history of a problem. They don't want the problem to limit their fun camp activities. They're just having too much fun at camp to hang on to a problem! This was a wonderful lesson for me to learn about healing from children.

After running the articles in our last Vision Now! regarding the impact the Church Manual Bylaw for the Christian Science nurse made on various Christian Science nurses' ministry, we received the following letter to the editor. It gave us a perspective on Christian Science nursing outside of the United States and made us realize how blessed we are for the freedoms we have in the United States in regard to Christian Science nursing. Also, how blessed Christian Science nurses are in the United Kingdom that those in managerial positions are thinking and praying about the Christian Science nursing ministry!
 

October 28, 2008
 
I read with interest the various articles on the Church Manual Bylaw for the Christian Science Nurse. I am not a Christian Science nurse, but am married to one and have been associated with Christian Science nursing for almost 30 years.
 
As Administrator of a Christian Science Nursing Facility with the only accredited Training School outside of the USA, when The Mother Church withdrew from the "regulation" of Christian Science nurse's training, I too pondered the Church Manual Bylaw at some length at that time in order to be clear in my own mind whether to close our training school or keep it open.
 
At that time I remembered an article from The Christian Science Journal of April 1964 written by Ralph Wagers entitled "Absolute and Relative". What stood out to me was part of the opening sentence: "That which is absolute or divine is perfect, free from imperfection or fault, free from mixtures, free from limitation, restriction, or qualification. God, Spirit alone is absolute or divine." Further on he wrote: "That which is relative or human is comparative....Human consciousness is relative..." I then had another look at the "Scientific Translation of Mortal Mind" on pages 116 and 117 of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. In the Third Degree all "evil beliefs" have disappeared, in other words the Third Degree is absolute!
 
I then went back to the Bylaw for the Christian Science nurse and saw that the words "knowledge", "understands", "wisdom", "care", were Second Degree concepts, in other words relative in this context. I removed the four adjectives and one adverb and printed it out.
 
 
Mrs. Eddy could so easily have written it this way but she did not. She qualified these concepts which I saw as justification that we should maintain our training programme. This also accords with what Mrs. Eddy wrote to Mrs. Beecher Longyear in 1905:
 
 
My conviction was further confirmed a couple of days later when I was sitting in church and looked at the citation on the wall from Science and Health that, "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need". The word "human need" jumped out at me. There are no divine needs and Mrs. Eddy did not say that, "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every need"!
 
Demonstrable knowledge of Christian Science practice does dictate the human activity outlined in the rest of the Bylaw just as divinity embraces humanity in all other departments of our human experience. The divine and human coincide at different points for every individual, don't they? It meets us where we are and isn't the provision of the Christian Science nurse to meet the patient where s/he is and lift them up with his/her "demonstrable knowledge of Christian Science practice" directing in practical ways the coincidence of the human with the divine?
 
It turned out that had we not kept our training school we would not have been able to keep the Christian Science facilities open in the UK unless Christian Science nurses underwent some medically recognized training when the Care Standards legislation came into force five years ago.
 
Best wishes and thanks for all you are doing!
 
Sincerely,
 
Bruce M. Morgan
Company Secretary/Administrator
Hawthorne Trust Limited, Charton Manor, Gorse Hill,
Farningham, Kent DA4 0JT U.K.

 

The purpose of the Christian Science Nursing Communication Network, Inc. is to encourage and support the healing ministry of Christian Science nursing by providing forums for perpetuating and strengthening communication among Christian Science nurses.

 

Are you over 55
and longing for better balance in your life?
The Winifred Stuart Mankowski Homes
Seeks to reward the incomparable service that Practitioners and Nurses
have contributed to humanity and the Christian Science Movement.
This park-like, active community with semi-detached cottages offers
independent living in an atmosphere of comfort, quiet and spiritual growth.
We're located in Southern California in the foothills of the
San Gabriel Mountains near cultural and educational activities.

Qualifications include
Christian Science Journal-listing of 10 years or longer
A desire to retire or semi-retire from nursing
The ability to live independently and in harmony with others
A desire to remain active in church membership
A monthly income from all assets of under $3,500 / month

Residents enjoy rental rates of under $200 / month that include utilities,
monthly cleaning, maintenance, gardening, and van service.

Even if you're not ready to retire, we invite you to visit us and
learn first-hand what Mankowski Homes has to offer.

Please call us at 800-962-6298
or e-mail us at Manager@MankowskiHomes.com
For more information, see our website at MankowskiHomes.com