“What kids need — and adults need to know — to combat the youth mental health crisis,” is an illuminating article published in the Los Angeles Times, June 17, 2025, on the mental crisis youth in America are facing today.
Among other points made, the authors, Naomi Riley and Sally Satel, point out the value of religion to the development of well-adjusted children.
The article states, “As scholar Michelle Shain notes, religion is “a powerful predictor of mental health for millennial teens.” An extensive longitudinal study revealed that two-thirds of the teens who attended religious services weekly reported that they rarely or never felt depressed. By contrast, only half of the teens who never attended religious services said the same. “Teens who said they felt very close to God,” Shain says, “also reported feeling depressed less often than teens who felt distant from God or who didn’t believe in God at all.”
This is not a surprise, for mental health is directly related to spiritual mindedness. And a Sunday school that serves its purpose well, will educate children to have sound moral and spiritual values that help them feel close to God, that in turn, brings them peace of mind, a balanced outlook on life, and the ability to cope with problems with dominion and authority.
If you’d like to see your children have the best advantages life has to offer, consider getting them to a Sunday school that gives them the spiritual grounding they need to thrive. The benefits they gain will bless them for decades. And they will bless you too!
Thank you, Evan! My mother took my sister and me to the Christian Science Sunday school and it has been a solid basis for us, throughout our lives. I took my children too.
Thanks, Evan. Mortal mind would try to convince us that we are helpless when we witness mentally ill or drug induced individuals on the street. We know that’s not the case. As society struggles to come up with any potential human solution and often runs into a dead end, we need to know that the allness of God, Love, will lead to all healing.
Yes !
Immerse children in the plans of God rather than abandon them to be subject to the plots of satan.
The Bible andMary Baker Eddy have this to say in support of Sunday School:
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
(Proverbs 22:6)
Children should be taught the Truth-cure, Christian Science, among their first lessons, and kept from discussing or entertaining theories or thoughts about sickness. To prevent the experience of error and its sufferings, keep out of the minds of your children either sinful or diseased thoughts. The latter should be excluded on the same principle as the former. This makes Christian Science early available.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 237:15–23)
In Isaiah 54:13, it is promised: “…all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” God’s word has already been established Mental health for our children.
Thank you Evan for encouraging attendance at a Sunday School and explaining why obedience to the 10 Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount for keeping us feeling close to God.
Thank you Evan!! We can see how thirsty these children are for something. . .I’ve noticed the great success of The Chosen over the years especially with the young people who never heard the Bible stories, or Jesus and his disciples etc. Even the little ones are captivated by the stories. It’s as if they know it’s part of their heritage too. Again a beautiful reminder to invite and encourage the children to “Come & see” Sunday School.
Thank you Evan!! We can see how thirsty these children are for something. . .I’ve noticed the great success of The Chosen over the years especially with the young people who never heard the Bible stories, or Jesus and his disciples etc. Even the little ones are captivated by the stories. It’s as if they know it’s part of their heritage too. Again a beautiful reminder to invite and encourage the children to “Come & see” Sunday School.
Sunday school saved my life, in fact I wrote an article for the Sentinel on that topic. I did not attend regularly, but my Sunday School teachers prayed for me if that I am sure.
I don’t have the link but searching jshonline, author Katherine (M.I.) Ellis, title Sunday School Saved Me, should find the article.
I understood little of Science and Health at 12 yrs of age when I first started, but the gold-leaf words high on the S.S wall, GOD IS LOVE, were loud and clear and drew me in! I will be forever grateful for the efforts of all who supported and support Sunday Schools the world over.
Thank you very much Katherine. I found the link to the article from CS Sentinel April 24, 2017
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2017/4/119-17/sunday-school-saved-me
This link will probably not open completely, so it would be great if someone can provide a shareable link that can be read by non-subscribers.
Thank you Katherine for this wonderful article. Your experiences should prove helpful for any young person looking for help.
Rose, your link worked for me, but this one should work for anyone
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/2ml4wbm3oyu?s=copylink
Katherine,
What a great article! How helpful and encouraging. God was right there protecting and guiding you.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Recently I asked two of my Sunday School students
(now in their mid 20’s, having graduated Sunday School after 16-18 years therein, but who no longer choose to attend a CS church), if they are glad, or sorry, they spent their formative years in SS. They replied with sincerity that they are very glad they did, and will probably return to church attendance “some day.” They are now living good, productive, moral lives, and attribute much of this to what they learned (from various SS teachers) to their Sunday School experience.
I will be forever grateful for having attended a Christian Science Sunday school throughout my childhood. It gave me a strong sense of God’s love and I had many healings as a child through my own prayers. I always knew that the greatest gift I could give my own children was Christian Science and they both attended the CS Sunday school as well. I remember being a rebellious teen and not always wanting to attend Sunday school but it was a rule in my house that we attend Sunday school. I am so grateful for that structure which is exactly what I needed at the time and I made the same rule for my own kids . If they had friends overnight we often brought them to SS as well. One of my daughters is now a church member and brings her kids to Sunday school. My other daughter isn’t practicing CS but attends church and lectures on occasion and will call prayerful support at times. They both know CS heals and and God is a very present help in trouble.,
Thank you for bringing this topic to light, Evan. It seems everywhere there are
thought models of materiality. Advertisements, tv personalities, news pundits,
influencers – all holding in front of young people And adults of how they Should
be or think, according to whatever item or idea – companies, groups or individuals
are trying to sell or promote – all making matter the idol of choice on how to
make one look like the happy, mortally “perfect” person in the commercials
or influencing thought. Take this drug to look thinner, use this product to be
pretty or handsome – all imposters to being oneself – an already Perfect child
of God. No wonder young people (and adults) seem to be challenged with false
senses of who they Really are and mental health seems to be an issue.
Christian Science teaches that our True self and mental health is Already perfect
without all of the side effects and small print that goes along with the idolatry
of gods made from matter that tries to be so pervasive and persuasive to get
us to believe in the mortal as being needy of all the materiality that mortal/little
minds can throw at us to try to make us something that we are not. We are
Already and always and in all ways Perfect in the image and likeness of God.
This is such an important concept that hopefully will be embraced by the larger society in addressing mental health issues among young people.
We were first introduced to CS when my daughter was about 5 or 6 years old. I took hold of it to the degree that I understood it at the time and taught my daughter what I learned. Over the years it was a great help in so many ways. The spiritual approach to life has always been a central focus. She is grown now and I am so thankful that she has this foundation of knowing God is powerful and present and all good, and that she freely turns to God in prayer and to CS practitioners when needed. She sometimes attends testimony meetings and mentioned to me that she reads a few pages of Science & Health every night. So grateful.
Thank you Rose, I’m catching the good brought to your daughter from today’s contribution. I’m offering to you that I was born 5th of 6 children, when I attended NURSERY from 3 months until I graduated from Sunday School at 18. Sticking with church from learning valuable healings/directions/lessons along with abundance of guidance , including piloting lessons. Thank you for what you’ve shared with your children, I’m in awe..
Kids are never too young to benefit from Sunday School. I taught a two year old, that some in church thought would just be played with and hopefully kept quiet. He seemed to be very destructive and wild. We worked on gentleness and kindness using plastic animals for Noah’s ark. He wasn’t there regularly, but after a few months the father told me that when he went to Sunday School, the parents could tell the difference—the whole week went much better.
SO true! (unless the children are being taught that some evil entity awaits them when they die or if they don’t do their homework! I have had adults tell me they were taught this and it terrified them, though most churches no longer teach the children this and certainly not Christian Science Sunday Schools. I was a very nervous and shy child, so travelling to school on public transport was quite a trial for me; however I still clearly remember my mother reminding me as I got on the bus, ” Remember darling, you are God’s perfect child and your Father Mother God is with you all the time even when Daddy and I aren’t with you. All the way to school, Father Mother God never leaves you” …I really clung onto that so many times, even though nothing untoward ever happened, I was just terribly worried about travelling on public transport.
Love the colorful artwork and depiction of universal children of God, all getting
along in heavenly Love abiding above. A rainbow of harmony and peace
encircling all.