Authentically inspired
Deeply Connected
At Universal Joy Centre, we are more than a spiritual community—we are a space for transformation, connection, and shared growth. We honour diverse paths while offering tools and teachings that resonate in today’s world, rooted in the timeless principle of
Ancient Wisdom Ever New
Community
Connection
Growth
Rooted in Truth
Alive with Purpose
Shining in Joy
Our vision is to create a welcoming, inclusive space where everyone can explore life’s big questions, deepen their understanding, and uncover their path to joy.
Through meditation, inspiring gatherings, and meaningful life ceremonies, we empower you to discover your authentic self and build a life filled with connection, purpose, and joy.
Guided by our core values of Connection, Community, and Growth, Universal Joy Centre is a place to belong, connect, and thrive.
We invite you to join us on this journey of self-discovery and transformation. Whether you’re seeking personal growth, spiritual clarity, or a supportive community, Universal Joy Centre offers a space where you can flourish.
Your path of joy starts here
Our Vision
Awakening Joy. Inspiring Lives. Transforming the World.
Our Mission
Our mission is to teach practical spiritual principles
that uplift, inspire, support conscious living,
to create a meaningful life in a space
where everyone feels seen and empowered.
Meet Barbara Jean
Founder and Spiritual Director
Barbara Jean’s journey began with a life-changing spiritual epiphany that opened the door to a new way of living. After facing profound life challenges—including five marriages, domestic abuse, sexual assault, poverty, and physical disability—she chose to transform those experiences into resilience, wisdom, and joy.
Her favorite saying, “It is what it is,” reflects her belief that while we cannot always change life’s circumstances, we can always choose how we respond. Barbara Jean has learned to meet life as it comes, discovering growth, meaning, and purpose in every experience.
As the Founder and Spiritual Director of Universal JOY Centre, Barbara Jean is devoted to helping others reconnect with joy, deepen spiritual awareness, and build meaningful lives rooted in love and possibility. She is an Ordained Minister with both Centers for Spiritual Living and Unity Worldwide Ministries.
Barbara Jean is also the host of The JOY Show and And Now the Good News, both airing on the New Thought Media Network, where she shares conversations and insights that uplift, inspire, and remind people of their own inner brilliance.
Through her personal story of healing and transformation, Barbara Jean encourages others to step into their own power and create meaningful change. Whether through speaking, coaching, ministry, or community service, supporting others in awakening to their joy is both her calling and her greatest delight.
Science of Mind
Science of Mind (also referred to as Religious Science) is the core teachings of Universal Joy Centre. Science of Mind is a philosophy that integrates spiritual truths with science and physics.
Simply put, Science of Mind teaches the unity of all life.
Meet The Team
Rev Barbara Jean Schreiner-Trudel
Spiritual Director
Cathy Whithead
Chair
Karen Jean (Sandipa) Foster
Trustee
Perry DeCosta
Trustee
Dr. Nick Miceli
Practitioner
Tessa Fries
Treasurer
Bran Barron
Background Music Composer
Our Beginnings
Founded by Ernest Holmes, Religious Science—also known as Science of Mind—is a spiritual philosophy rooted in New Thought principles. Holmes envisioned it not as a religion, but as a teaching institution to explore practical spirituality. Influenced by thinkers like Phineas Quimby, Emma Curtis Hopkins, Thomas Troward, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, Holmes synthesized their ideas into a framework that emphasizes personal empowerment, spiritual growth, and the unity of all life.
In 1926, Holmes published The Science of Mind and later established the Institute for Religious Science. His teachings draw from a variety of sources, including the Bible, Jesus, and Buddha, yet remain non-dogmatic and inclusive.
Central to our is the belief in an omnipresent, universal Intelligence—often called Spirit or God—that operates through the Law of Cause and Effect. This divine power is accessible to all through conscious alignment and intentional thought. A key practice is Spiritual Mind Treatment (also known as Affirmative Prayer), a structured method for directing thought to manifest desired outcomes in alignment with Universal Law.
Science of Mind emphasizes personal responsibility, the creative power of thought, and living joyfully and purposefully by understanding one’s divine nature. It continues to evolve as a spiritual movement that bridges science, philosophy, and universal truth.