About
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to awaken the joy, oneness, and spiritual magnificence within every person by offering uplifting teachings, heartfelt community, and practical spiritual tools for everyday living. We honor each individual as a divine expression, celebrate new beginnings, and support a life of abundance, acceptance, and inspired growth.
Together, we create a welcoming spiritual home devoted to conscious living, compassionate connection, and a world that works for everyone.
CORE VALUES
We are JOY FANs — living from Joy, Oneness, Financial Abundance, Acceptance, and New Beginnings.
JOY
Joy is the natural language of the soul — a bright, shimmering current that rises from within when we remember who we truly are. It dances in gratitude, sings in possibility, and wraps every moment in unexpected light. Joy is not the result of life going perfectly — it is the radiance that guides us through it all.
ONENESS
Oneness is the quiet knowing that we are woven from the same eternal Source. It is the truth that there is no “them,” only us — a shared breath, a shared journey, a shared divine spark glowing in countless forms. In Oneness, separation dissolves and love becomes the only real language we speak.
FINANCIAL ABUNDANCE
Abundance flows from the infinite well of possibility that lives within and around us. It is not about wealth alone, but about living in the awareness that the Universe is generous, supportive, and always expanding through us. Financial abundance is spiritual circulation — a reminder that giving, receiving, and thriving are sacred acts of trust.
ACCEPTANCE
The gentle breath of the Spirit within us and acceptance opens the heart and softens the edges of life. It reminds us that every person is a story unfolding, every path is sacred, and every moment is a chance to begin again. In acceptance, we see with compassion, listen with grace, and honor the divine in ourselves and in one another.
NEW BEGINNINGS
Every sunrise whispers the invitation to start anew. New Beginnings are the sacred yes that calls us forward into healing, growth, and becoming the next, braver, more luminous version of ourselves. They remind us that nothing is fixed, and everything is possible. Life renews itself through us, again, again and again.
Leadership Council
Our Leadership Council is dedicated to supporting the spiritual growth, well-being, and joyful connection of our community. With open hearts and a shared commitment to the Science of Mind teaching, they help guide our center with wisdom, clarity, and love. Each member brings unique gifts, deep compassion, and a passion for creating a spiritual home where all are welcome and uplifted.
Spiritual Director
Rev. Dr. Peggy Price
Rev. Susan Shahani
Minister
Betty Battenberg, RScP
Practioner Emeritus
Candace Witt, RScP
Practioner
Carma Ritter
President
Virginia Hiramatsu
Vice President
Helen Baldwin
Treasurer
Donnee Prestia
Secretary
Gaddy Gadebusch
Member-at-Large
Jack Housden
Member-at-Large
Robert Fields
Musical Director
There is a song at the center of my being that everyone hears, a joy that everyone feels, a strength that is imparted to all.
— Ernest Holmes
History
Our Spiritual Roots
Centers for Spiritual Living has its roots in the early 1900s, when Ernest Holmes began sharing a simple but profound idea: that spiritual principles, combined with the creative power of the mind, can transform our lives from the inside out. His teachings, later compiled in the iconic text – The Science of Mind, became the foundation for a new spiritual movement focused on oneness, love, healing, and the presence of Spirit in all things.
As interest in this teaching grew, communities formed and the Church of Religious Science emerged, providing a spiritual home for people drawn to practical, inclusive, heart-centered spirituality. Over time, the movement organized into two main branches: United Church of Religious Science and Religious Science International. Though separate in structure, both carried the same core message of spiritual principle and inner transformation.
In 2011, after many years of shared history, these two branches chose to reunite. The merger became a living symbol of one of our deepest teachings: that there is only One Life, and we are all expressions of it. Following this reunion, the unified organization embraced a new name—Centers for Spiritual Living—reflecting its global network of spiritual communities dedicated to awakening humanity to its spiritual magnificence.
Today, Centers for Spiritual Living includes communities around the world, each expressing this teaching in its own unique way. Our center here in Laguna Woods is part of that evolving story—a local, loving expression of a worldwide movement devoted to conscious living, spiritual growth, and creating a world that works for everyone.
Our Local History
Our community first came to life in 1975 as The First Church of Religious Science in Leisure World. When the community later became Laguna Woods Village, the church continued under its original name, serving as a spiritual home for residents seeking inspiration, connection, and a practical path of spiritual growth.
For many years the congregation was guided by a variety of temporary ministers. Then, in 2002, the Leadership Council invited Rev. Dr. Linda McNamar—a compassionate and dedicated minister from Huntington Beach—to step into leadership. She served faithfully as Senior Minister for more than two decades, offering wisdom, comfort, and spiritual insight until her transition in 2025.
Around 2005, the church embraced a new name in alignment with the global movement and became The Center for Spiritual Living.
Today, we continue to build on this rich legacy—honoring our past while expanding into a new era of spiritual growth, community connection, and inspired living here in Laguna Woods.