Center For Positive Living: About Us
Our Spiritual Leaders
Co-Pastors Renee Leboa & Christy Snow began their job as Spiritual Leaders of the Center For Positive Living on January 16, 2005. They brought to the position of ministry 5 years of experience in sharing their mission of assisting people in realizing their divine nature and the power within us all to co-create our experience with Spirit. They were guest speakers and/or guest musicians at over 300 churches from 2000 to 2005 and from that experience have brought to the Center an energetic and sensible model for our Spiritual Community, based on the synthesis of knowledge they gained; which delivered thriving growth to CPL within their first year of ministry.
Renee & Christy do not minister through message alone as they have each also experienced great success as professional singer/songwriters and musicians, with a collection of 8 CDs between them and international distribution of their music. The have ministered to people across the globe via retreats, workshops, concerts, speaking engagements, radio and conferences.
Their purpose is to “Live” not just teach the Science of Mind philosophy and they do this from the mystical approach of the Sufi, the questioning mind of the scientist, and the open mind that remembers that God is bigger than any religion that tries to explain it. They believe we are here to be the living example of Spirit in action.
In addition to musical backgrounds and clarity for teaching the principles of the Science of Mind, they brought other types of experience to the role of ministry as well. Renee was one of the founding members of the Foothill Church of Religious Science in Sierra Madre, CA. In her four years of service there she helped to grow the music program and the youth program, which included teaching and creating curriculum. Christy was the music director at the Center For Positive Living from 2000 to 2003 and in addition to her background in music and speaking, she also has a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and has been a marketing consultant for 8 years.
In reflecting on our Co-Pastor’s first week back in January 2005, we remember that just one week into their new assignment they transformed the look and feel of the Center. The sanctuary, the bookstore, and Junior Church, were immediately given a clean, fresh interesting look, symbolic of the change that is always a part of our lives and conducive to a fresh approach to learning, fellowship and worship. The atmosphere was instantly alive with excitement, with many interesting new classes and events of healing, learning and music. With Christy & Renee' we have also been joined by some of the New Thought Movement’s most sought after guest musicians and guest speakers. We have been blessed with endless opportunities to grow spiritually and connect with community. In our reflections of Renee' & Christy's ability to hit the ground running; implementing dynamic events, classes and leadership structure, it is no surprise that our attendance jumped from 30 to 35 members on Sunday to over 130. We gratefully acknowledge the passion, love, music and clear teaching of the Science of Mind that Renee & Christy have infused into our Center, that continues to grow as a place that nourishes one’s inner yearning for oneness with the Goodness that is God - a place of practical spirituality where healing, inspiration and positive change is a daily experience.
We at the Center For Positive Living invite you to join our Co-Pastors and our loving and welcoming congregation. Whoever you are and wherever you are on your Spiritual journey…You ARE welcome here!
Our Practitioners
**See Photos on the "Meet Us" page and find phone numbers on the contact page...We ask that you please do not call after 9:00pm**
Our licensed Practitioners are prayer specialist and have completed a minimum of three years of Science of Mind classes and a practicum. Practitioners have proven to themselves, their pastors and to Religious Science International that they can successfully use spiritual mind treatment (affirmative prayer) for themselves and for others.
Spiritual Mind Treatment is our form of Affirmative Prayer and you will often hear us refer to it as simply "Treatment". It is affirming what we choose to claim for our life with a knowing that it is done unto us as we believe!
Our Practitioners Include:
Co-Pastors ~ Revs. Christy & Renee'
Rev. Ned Green
Rev. Marcia Todd-Thompson
Rev. Pat Drea
William Stine
Dr. Samara Mohassan El Bey
Betty Cunning
~~~~~~~When to use a Practitioner~~~~~~~
You may feel that you are too close to a situation; or a condition may seem overwhelming. Because the Practitioner is not involved with the situation that you want to improve and because they are trained to see the higher idea for you, he or she can therefore focus entirely on the solution from a spiritual perspective. The Practitioner can bring a new awareness that unfolds to improve the situation. The solution to every problem is just beyond the appearance awaiting our recognition of Spiritual Perfection.
The practitioners here at the Center For Positive Living are available every Sunday and by phone to treat with you. Sundays we offer this as our gift to you and the practitioner of the day is also the practitioner on call the week after. By individual appointment practitioners generally receive a love offering of $35 (other than Sundays).
Everyone lives in a spiritual universe of unlimited intelligence and creativity. It expresses Itself in form all around us and expresses Itself as each one of us. As co-creators with Spirit, we determine our experience by our consciousness, including our subconscious beliefs. Improvements in our lives can be achieved by transforming our minds, change your thinking and you will change your life! Each licensed Practitioner is trained to effectively realize Spiritual Truth for you with compassion, non-judgment and in strict confidentiality.
Our Congregation
Our congregation is filled with loving, open and accepting people that truly live the teaching of the Science of Mind. We recognize and honor the divine in all and honor all walks of life. We live the Namaste greeting "The Divine in me recognizes and honors the Divine in you." Our community consists of people from all spiritual, social, personal, ethnic and lifestyle backgrounds. We have an inviting Junior Church and welcome children of all ages. Sundays after church is our time of coffee, food and fellowship so plan to stay and visit after service. Make sure you pick up a calendar before you leave so you can be informed of all the wonderful opportunities at the Center!
Our Youth
Our youth are an integral part of our community and bring much joy, love and laughter into our Center!
We have Jr. Church every Sunday at 11am. Our youth curriculum focuses on assisting youth from age 5 through 18 in looking at life more positively, accepting themselves and others and knowing that they can have a personal relationship with God.
Our Founder
Our Founder, Dr. Ernest Holmes
From time to time, we are blessed to know people of apparent genius, people whose insight, understanding, and love are influential in changing the thinking of whole generations, and whose impact will be felt for years to come. Dr. Ernest Holmes was such a person. He began teaching in 1916 and founded the movement we know today as Religious Science in 1927. The philosophy of Religious Science is found in a textbook written by Dr. Holmes called, The Science of Mind. It was first published in 1926 and revised in 1938.
Raised in New England in the 1800s, Holmes did not finish high school, although religion played an important role in his childhood, he held no affinity for organized religion. His enthusiasm for knowledge and truth came from books. Over time he was able to piece together the profound knowledge of many of the world's greatest spiritual leaders and thinkers throughout history. He studied science, philosophy, and religion, seeking out the greatest minds in each of these various fields. Throughout this investigation, his desire was to synthesize what he learned, to "put it all together" into one practical, usable philosophy that would lead to greater happiness, success, and prosperity in daily life. He achieved this goal.
Dr. Holmes made no claim that he personally discovered any great truth, but through his dedicated approach to metaphysical studies (going beyond the physical), he added his insights about God to the opinions of the great wisdom of the ages. In particular, he contributed the powerful technique he called "spiritual mind treatment," a major cornerstone of Religious Science teachings today.
Those who know Dr. Holmes said he had the ability to look through any appearance to the truth behind it. He knew an imperfect person was in truth, God-spirit. "This," he said, "is judging righteously, and not according to appearance." He could see God in all things, while soaring to metaphysical heights in his captivating speeches or in silent meditation, and the next moment be in everyday life; laughing and telling a good story. These qualities of humanness and balance made him a highly admired and respected man.
Dr. Holmes realized that neither he nor anyone else would ever have the final answers to timeless questions. "Man will never encompass the Infinite," he said, "for to do so would make him God, which is an impossibility."
Dr. Holmes' public lecture career started around 1915. He spoke regularly at the Metaphysical Library in Los Angeles where his audiences quickly outgrew the facility. He and his brother, Fenwicke, engaged classrooms and offices in the well-known Brack Shops and conducted Sunday Services at the nearby Strand Theatre. Their work continued to grow, and Ernest wrote his first books, "Creative Mind" and "Creative Mind and Success."
In 1926 his book "Science of Mind" was published and the Institute of Religious Science was established. By 1930, Dr. Holmes was speaking to overflow audiences on Sunday mornings at the Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. He had a live radio program on CBS. Soon thereafter the first branch of Religious Science opened in Hollywood under the leadership of Dr. Robert Bitzer. This was the start of a worldwide movement which has made the teaching and practice of Science of Mind universally known.
The following Declaration of Principles was written in the 1930s by Dr. Ernest Holmes, the founder of Religious Science and the Science of Mind philosophy.
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We believe in God, the Living Spirit Almighty; One indestructible, absolute, and self-existent Cause.
This One manifests Itself in and through all creation but is not absorbed by Its creation.
The manifest universe is the body of God, it is the logical and necessary outcome of the infinite self-knowingness of God.
We believe in the incarnation of the Spirit in everyone and that all people are incarnations of the One Spirit.
We believe in the eternality, the immortality and the continuity of the individual soul, forever and ever expanding.
We believe that heaven is within us and that we experience this Kingdom to the degree that we become conscious of it.
We believe the ultimate goal of life to be a complete emancipation from all discord of every nature, and that this goal is sure to be attained by all.
We believe in the unity of all life, and that the highest God and the innermost God is one God.
We believe that God is personal to all who feel this indwelling Presence.
We believe in the direct revelation of Truth through the intuitive and spiritual nature of the individual, and that any person may become a revealer of Truth who lives in close contact with the indwelling God.
We believe that the Universal Spirit, which is God, operates through a Universal Mind, which is the Law of God and that we are surrounded by the Creative Mind which receives the direct impress of our thoughts and acts upon it.
We believe in the healing of the sick through the Power of this Mind. We believe in the control of conditions through the Power of this Mind.
We believe in the eternal Goodness, the eternal Loving-kindness, and the eternal Givingness of Life to all.
We believe in our own soul, our own spirit, and our own destiny, for we understand that the life of all is God.
Affirmative Prayer ~ Spiritual Mind Treatment
What is Treatment?
Simply, treatment is Affirmative Prayer. We call it treatment because we are treating our consciousness to a higher idea. We believe we live in a universe that is entirely spiritual. The physical world all about us is some part of this spiritual universe expressed as form. The same Infinite Process that creates the universe on a cosmic scale also operates in each one of us on an individual level. Through our use of mind, consciously and subconsciously, we determine the character, quality and direction of our experience. This experience is formed out of an Infinite Spiritual Substance that is perfect and harmonious. Our experience does not always seem perfect and harmonious because we randomly and unintentionally use this incredible mind energy to create some unpleasant circumstances, individually and as the entire human race. However these circumstances can be changed.
Consciously choosing to change the way we look at life and our circustances is the most powerful thing we can do to improve the quality of our lives! Turn your attention away from circumstance and toward Infinite Divine Power. Become aware of your unity with Infinite Divine Life, Love, Joy, Peace, Creativity, Intelligence and Abundance. This unity with Perfection already exists, it is really returning your consciousness to its natural spiritual state. Know with calm confidence that the specific good you seek is now unfolding from Divine Reality through the Law of Mind into experience. Thankfully release the treatment, allowing Spiritual Law to work. This sets into action a new cause in consciousness and therefore a new circumstance.
Spiritual mind treatment is an art and science that can be learned and taught. It transforms lives for the better. The good life is right here to be claimed, embodied and lived. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The most commonly used method of treatment is a 5 Step Method that reminds one of the truth of their being:
1) God is (all there is)
2) I AM (one with the infinite)
3) I Claim (I accept my good)
4) Thank you God (with gratitude in advance)
5) I release (allowing Spirit to do the work)
In more detail that is:
Recognition (God is)
Move your mind to complete consciousness of the omnipresence of God.
God is all there is. There is a perfect, absolute, creative intelligence operating now and always everywhere. All that can be seen or heard or felt is filled with the power and presence of Spirit.
Unification (I am)
Bring yourself into conscious recognition of the presence and power of God in you. If God is all there is, all you are must be an expression of God. Declare the presence of God working in, as and through your life.
Because God is in all things, God is in me right now. Everything about me is harmonized in Spirit as I am the way God lives, moves and has Its being. I am one with God. My thoughts and words direct the power of God.
Realization (I have)
State your desire in the first person, present tense and declare that you now have the thing for which you are treating: perfect health, fulfilling relationships, prosperity, creativity, wisdom, joy, etc.
And I know I have a wonderful and joyous life. My body expresses God Health. My relationships express the God Love. I share in God's abundance. All I need is given, and all I need to know is revealed in perfect Divine right order.
Gratitude (Thank You God)
Add depth to your treatment with the involvement of your emotions. Become emotionally involved with the outcome, fueling it with your desire. Declare and feel the gratitude you know will accompany your perfect demonstration, thus aligning you with it.
Knowing the gift of God is already given, I open my heart to receive, and I am filled with a deep and abiding sense of gratitude for, and appreciation of, the incredible organizing power of Spirit.
Release (Let go)
Let go of the treatment to allow Spirit to do its perfect work. Release attachment to the outcome lest it become worry and undo the effects of the treatment.
I now release this treatment and allow it to be the truth of my life.
And so it is.
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A Treatment For Peace:
In this moment I know that there is only one. One power, one presence, one infinite source of all life. Knowing that this power and presence I call God is everywhere present, I now recognize that God is moving through me and expressing as me. I know that all that I am is part of the all-ness of God. From this place of complete connection and oneness with God I claim for myself the peace that passeth all understanding. I claim a peace of mind, a peace of heart that surpasses any worry of money, any worry of health, any worry of relationship or work challenges. I claim and know that the peace of God is my peace now. I feel it, I breath it in and I allow it to wash over me with a calm sense of knowing that all is God, all is good, all is well. Thank you sweet Spirit for this knowing that my life is blessed, that the breath I breathe is the breath of God. Thank you for this peace that I now allow as my experience. I release this word knowing that my word has power, knowing that as I have spoken, I have allowed this to be so in my life. I release this word and know that it is so.
And so it is!