Here at 55 E. Wacker Drive we worship two times a week, maintain a Christian Science Reading Room that is open every weekday, meet as a congregation for fellowship & plan our activities, and host community-related meetings. We are a diverse group comprised of men and women who live downtown as well as those who commute from the suburbs.
Framework of Our Faith Tradition
If you were to worship here on Sunday morning and Wednesday evenings you would find many elements that are similar in other Christian churches – hymns, prayers, readings from the Bible, and a warm sense of 
fellowship. One unique feature is the absence of a preacher conducting the services. Instead, two lay readers conduct the Sunday worship – reading a sermon comprised of passages from the Bible and a book by the Church’s founder, Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. All the Churches of Christ, Scientist throughout the world read this same Sunday sermon.
As a lay church, the congregation is governed democratically. We elect readers to conduct the Sunday and Wednesday worship. A volunteer executive board performs church business as directed by the membership. Everyone is welcome to join our church that has been a student of the Bible and the writings of Mary Baker Eddy for six months and is endeavoring to practice the faith’s core beliefs.
Community Service
In addition to our Sunday Worship, Sunday School and Wednesday Testimony Meeting, our community service is focused on spiritual education. We maintain a Christian Science 
Reading Room open to the public each weekday and staffed by volunteers. In the Reading Room, there are a variety of scriptural and inspirational resources available for sale and onsite use. Supporting this educational resource are complementary activities and events. We also join with other Chicago area Christian Science churches in providing inspirational podcasts online at csmetrochicago.org and via a telephone line (630-929-5635).
Beyond the Reading Room and event activities, members of our congregation are engaged in conducting weekly religious services at Cook County Jail and corresponding with inmates in Illinois prisons. Members also devote time to pray with and for others, including world & local community needs, as well as volunteering in professional & civic organizations.
As part of a denomination that spans around the globe, our church publishes the Pulitzer Prize winning international newspaper and news website, The Christian Science Monitor. This news organization is devoted not only to exposing the ills of mankind, but also to highlighting the solutions being implemented. We see the improvement of civilization as a primary way that Christ is working “To injure no man, but to bless all mankind” as the newspaper’s motto commits us. Complimentary copies of the Monitor, together with other inspirational magazines, are distributed around the city in various locations where people seeking answers to their problems might find them.
Comments From Community Members
“I was initially drawn to the beautiful oasis of peace in the center of downtown provided by Harry Weese’s church architecture at Seventeenth Church. But it is the loving sense of church family, shared by members and visitors alike, that has nurtured and sustained my spiritual growth, inspiration and love for God.” — Laura Fisher, Architect
”The first time that I set foot in Seventeenth Church, I felt as if I was being welcomed back after a long time away from home. Although I was not previously acquainted with the people whose church I was visiting, I was astonished by the palpable sense of Love that seemed to resonate throughout the church and its members. It was clear that this was a special place, and I decided to formally join the church not long after that initial visit. I am grateful for my Seventeenth Church family and am blessed to be able to share my appreciation for this church with visitors and passersby throughout the city.” —Shamus Jarvis, School Counselor
“Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist is a family of individuals who share a desire to see and feel God at the center of their lives. As a member, it’s been a joy and a privilege to witness my and others’ spiritual growth. I cherish this church as a spiritual resource embracing the city of Chicago.” — John Gustafson, Print and Media Buyer
“Entering into Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist promises a time for quiet reflection. It also holds out the chance of meeting others who start with God in meeting the challenges of the day. In the heart of downtown, where things that speak to the spirit are not always readily visible, even passing by a church can restore my perspective and remind me of what is important.” — Karen Butler, Attorney
“The spiritual growth coming as a result of church membership has been of great help to me as a business owner. Church membership is a way of life for me that I use daily and in every phase of my experience. As a longtime Reading Room librarian, the peripheral view from the lobby of the church provides a magnificent window to the needs of the community.” — Janet Barnes, Business owner