We are based on the teachings of Ernest Holmes, a mystic and visionary who sought the core similarities in all the world’s religions and spiritual traditions. We teach what is known as New Thought principles – ideas that empower us to create lives we love and support others in doing the same.

Our History

Center for Spiritual Living Olympia started in 2002 as a study group meeting in the home of Denise and Gary Merz.  Members of the group included: Christine Cole, Robin Lester, Barbara Taylor, Leigh Shambo, Ann Aubuchon (who is still affiliated with CSLO), JR Rogers, Sandy Lane, Cathy and Chuck Pfeil.  The group met weekly until December 2003.

In June of 2004, Rev. Sue Oliver, a CSL Seattle ministerial student at the time, contacted Denise Merz to talk about visioning for a new Religious Science Church in Olympia.  They decided to name the church Center for Spiritual Awakening.

The visioning group met every Tuesday for visioning, inviting others in the community who were interested in attending. The group set an opening day on September 19, 2004, for the first service. Early Sunday services were held at the Ramada Inn on Capital Way in Olympia.  By August 2005, the newly formed Center held its first services in Nova School, where they met until 2020.

The Nova School was home to us for 15 years.  Not only did we rent their sanctuary space and several classrooms for several hours every Sun appropriate to our use, but we were aware that being in a space that was not our own kept us from opening our wings to that being in a space that was not our own kept us from really opening our wings to really fly.

Ministers during this time:

  • Rev. Sue Oliver, 2004-2006
  • Rev. Deborah Gay and Rev. Michael Auch (Interim), 2008-2010
  • Rev. Libby O’Day, 2010-2014
  • Rev. Robert Brzezinsky, 2015
  • Rev. Michael Auch (Interim), 2016-2017
  • Rev. David Robinson, March, 2017-current

We continued services at Nova School until March 2020, when the COVID lockdowns began.  Services were held on Zoom from March 2020 until September 2022.

In the late spring of 2021, a vigilant friend of our Center notified the leadership of a small church that had just been listed for sale just north of Olympia city limits. This property was immediately judged as just what we were looking for, and a small group of Center members formed an LLC, and purchased the building, wherein they designed and managed the (fairly extensive) remodel so that it could be our New Home. In September 2022, we moved in and held our first in-person service on September 18.

Click here to see and read the progress of turning a building into our new home.