Our History
History of the Center for Spiritual Living Grand Junction
The teachings of Science of Mind and Spirit have been rooted in the Grand Valley of Colorado for nearly 50 years.
The late Carl and Betty Wahlberg discovered the Science of Mind and Spirit teachings and resonated with the “change your thinking, change your life” philosophy. “I stayed in this philosophy — it’s allowed me to live life at a higher frequency,” Carl said. The Wahlbergs and others formed a community and met in homes to study the teachings.
Eventually the Two Rivers Center for Spiritual Living was founded. From 2005 into 2013, the Center met in the Community Room at Lakeside in Grand Junction. Rev. Patty Rumpza became the first full-time minister in 2012. Rapid growth caused us to look for a larger facility. In 2013, we found a home of our own in the heart of beautiful downtown Grand Junction just one block from Main Street. Rev. Patty conducted the first Sunday service in the new location on June 30, 2013.
Since then we have changed our name to Center for Spiritual Living Grand Junction and have expanded to provide inspiring and practical spiritual and personal growth education through classes and workshops. Our Sunday services are complemented with activities nearly every day and night. With Rev. Patty’s guidance, CSL Grand Junction has formed a vision to expand this teaching philosophy to affect the greater Grand Valley, impacting and transforming lives with the tools of Science of Mind and Spirit. We now reach all ages from young adults up through our Not Going Quietly group for those who are 60+ years young.
CSL Grand Junction is deeply committed to community service
CSL Grand Junction engages in in a multitude of projects throughout the year.
One notable initiative involves monthly dinners served at the local homeless shelter, where we’ve also distributed Christmas gifts such as thermals to adults who have sought refuge there. Adopting a street, we diligently undertake clean-up efforts several times annually. Active participants in various community events and interfaith community organizing, we eagerly anticipate new ways to contribute to and uplift our community.
Our commitment extends beyond service projects to enriching cultural experiences. We host captivating performances by special guests and musicians hailing from all corners of the country. Notable figures, including the Spiritual Leader for Centers for Spiritual Living, Rev. Dr. Kenn Gordon, as well as Rev. Michael Gott, Eddie Watkins Jr., and Karen Drucker, have graced CSL Grand Junction with their presence. Exciting plans are in motion to feature more events with diverse speakers, musicians, and emerging authors and artists.
Experiencing a remarkable growth rate of 33% per year, CSL Grand Junction is on a trajectory for even greater expansion. To meet the needs of our burgeoning community, we welcomed our first Assistant Minister, Rev. Anna Scott, in 2016. Excitingly, we are on the brink of moving into a larger space that will better serve our community and open up new possibilities for us.
