I was at a stewardship training program where the instructor said, "The bottom line is...people give to what they believe in." We all nodded our heads. That makes sense.

If I pull out my checkbook or flip through my calendar, I can see that most of my time and resources go to the things that I believe in: Chestnut Ridge, education, the work of my local church, exercise, and music. Then, a fair bit goes to things that I'm less passionate about - cleaning the house, the unavoidable trip to the store, hauling the trash around - but even those tasks are necessary, even though they are not necessarily what gets me out of bed in the morning.

As an educator, I think a lot about what motivates people and what cultivates our affection. It's true that we give our time and our resources to what we believe in. I would add though, that it also works the other way: people believe in what they give to. This means that we have tremendous opportunity to shape our affection for a particular place or community simply by giving something of our self to it.

The bottom line is...people give to what they believe in. We all nodded our heads. That makes sense.

I recently spent a week at Holden Village, a Lutheran retreat in Washington state. While I was there, I marveled at how the guests at the center cared for the buildings, the grounds, and each other. No one hesitated to pitch in to wash dishes, take out the trash, or sweep off a porch. The open invitation to "volunteer" found fertile ground in the hearts and minds of the guests, many who come year after year to volunteer for a week or two at a time.

Wouldn't it be something if volunteerism were to take hold at Chestnut Ridge? What if every after school and summer camp family volunteered just a few hours at The Community Farm? Or, if a retreat group helped finish the garden shed? What if a school group volunteered to plant a flower bed? What if we could create a way of life at Chestnut Ridge where we longed to serve as much as to be served? Wouldn't this get us one step closer to what Jesus meant when he said we were to establish the kingdom of God on earth?

I invite you to consider a commitment to volunteering at Chestnut Ridge. There are so many ways to get plugged in - offer to bring a snack to share, come read a book, plant a new bush, help out in the garden, tear out the old bathrooms in Falcon then help install new ones, plan with us for the next open house - the possibilities are endless. Really. And think what might happen if our children volunteer service alongside their parents. Stewardship would no longer be an abstract concept. Volunteering cultivates our souls to be generous in spirit. It creates an image in us that mirrors the kind of generosity God shows to us...undeserved, unmerited, identifiable only as grace.

So, consider volunteering. Your partnership in this place will help form and shape us all as people in whom the generous love of God dwells. Here's to growing and serving with you!

If you'd like to be kept in the loop about volunteer opportunities, give us a call, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or subscribe to the CR Volunteer email listserve.