Volunteer Community at the Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa

I recently discovered the rare Tiburon Mariposa Lily, found only on Ring Mountain in Tiburon, CA. It reminded me that some things really are worth searching for.   That's how I feel about CSLSR.   When I joined the Board of Trustees in March, I was encouraged to get out and meet our congregants. What a gift! I've joined the Senior Meetings, taken Tamarya”s Zen Writing class, attended Wednesday gatherings, and participated in Nurturing Our Community. Everywhere I've gone, I've found people who are committed to learning, growing, and creating meaningful connections.   And what I’ve learned as to what goes on “behind the scene”…!!! I am continually amazed and inspired by the dedication of our Board members, staff, volunteers, and yes—even Rev. Edward!   If you see me in the Social Hall, please come say hello. I'd love to continue discovering more of the wonderful people who make this community such a rare find. Patty Byrne 

The Board of Trustees holds a role that rarely draws attention, and it deserves recognition all the same. Nine trustees, together with our senior minister, carry the responsibility of holding the present and future of this Center in trust. They meet monthly, review policy, weigh decisions with care, and safeguard the community many of us call home. Board service asks for time, discernment, and a willingness to think beyond any single Sunday toward the long arc of this community's life. Our trustees bring exactly that. Their meetings are open to the public, a choice that reflects transparency and trust in the membership they serve. Thank you to every trustee who has given hours of thought and care to the direction of this Center. This community moves forward because of the stewardship they offer. Recruitment Begins This Month This month opens the recruitment phase for the Board of Trustees. Three seats will come open in 2027, and the search for the members who will fill them starts ...

It looks like magic. A service begins, the picture is sharp, the sound is clear, and somehow the whole experience reaches people far beyond this room. It is not magic. It is a group of dedicated volunteers making it happen behind the screen, week after week.   Livestream volunteers arrive before the service starts and stay through the final word. They run the cameras, mix the audio, watch the chat for questions or technical issues, and make split-second decisions so the broadcast never breaks stride. Every smooth transition and every clear word heard by someone watching from home is the result of their attention. This work happens in real time, with no opportunity for a second take. That kind of focus, sustained service after service, deserves real recognition. Because of them, this community reaches people who cannot walk through our doors on a Sunday morning: those who are ill, traveling, caregiving, or simply too far away to attend in person. Thank you to every volunteer who has...

 Are you a prospective leader in this community?  Contact info@cslsr.org for more details about serving on the Board of Trustees. 

 A well run organization rests on a solid set of eyes watching the finances, and this community is fortunate to have exactly that in our Stewards. Every month, this small team of volunteers sits down with the books and reviews them line by line, almost like a mini internal audit performed with care and consistency. This is not glamorous work. No one applauds a reconciled ledger from the stage on Sunday morning. Yet this diligence protects something essential: the trust this community places in how its resources are managed. Every dollar given in good faith deserves exactly this kind of attention. Our Stewards bring skill, patience, and a genuine sense of responsibility to this task. Month after month, they show up and do the unglamorous work of verification, so that trustees, staff, and members alike can have confidence in the financial health of this Center. Thank you to every volunteer who serves as a Steward. This kind of care, given consistently and without fanfare, is a real g...

  Project Sleep Warm has been serving Santa Rosa for over twenty-five years, and the volunteers who show up on the third Saturday of every month deserve a real thank you. They gather here at the Center, needles and fabric in hand, to create comfortable blankets for people in our community who need them. Twenty-five years of steady, monthly commitment says something about the people who give it. No sewing experience is required to join them, only a willingness to sit down and work alongside others toward something warm and useful. That simplicity is part of what makes this ministry so quietly powerful. Each blanket carries the care of the hands that made it. Someone sleeping warmer tonight because of a Saturday morning spent at the Center is a direct, tangible expression of this community's values. Gratitude belongs here, freely and fully. Thank you to Brenda Kobrin, who has guided this ministry, and to every volunteer who has given a Saturday morning to Project Sleep Warm. Twenty-f...

  The Ernest Holmes Lending Library holds a special corner of our community, tucked upstairs above the coffee serving area of the Social Hall. It is open every Sunday from 10 am to 12:30 pm, and it runs entirely on the dedication of volunteers, guided by head librarian Matthew Duran. Anyone who has borrowed a class textbook, browsed a shelf of audio recordings, or found an unexpected book on a subject close to their heart has felt the care that goes into this space. Volunteers check materials in and out, keep the collection organized, welcome new patrons through the application process, and receive the donated books, audio, and video recordings that keep the library growing. This work asks for patience and a love of books, and our library volunteers bring both in full measure. Their steady presence, week after week, gives this community a place to learn, borrow, and return, one book at a time. Thank you to every volunteer who has given time to the Ernest Holmes Lending Library. The...

  There is always a good time to say thank you to the volunteers who make our facility look and feel spiritual, welcoming, and beautiful. Today feels like a good day to do exactly that. Walk through our grounds and you will see their work everywhere. The gardens are tended with care. The sanctuary is prepared before every service. Small repairs are noticed and handled long before most of us would think to ask. This kind of attention takes time, patience, and a genuine love for this community. Our facility volunteers give their skills and their Saturdays, their early mornings, and sometimes their evenings, so that everyone who walks through our doors feels the warmth of a space held with intention. Sacred space does not happen by accident. It is built and maintained, week after week, by people who care enough to show up. This community holds appreciation for every volunteer who has planted, painted, repaired, cleaned, or cared for our building and grounds. Their work shapes the firs...

Stepping Stones Books and Gifts has served our community since our doors first opened, and none of it happens without the people who show up week after week to make it work. The chimes, the candles, the shelves of Ernest Holmes titles, the corner of children's books, the original art from local artists: all of it is tended by volunteer hands. Our volunteers open the store on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Wednesday evenings. They greet visitors, restock shelves, track inventory, and offer a warm word to anyone browsing for a gift or a book that might speak to where they are in their journey. Alicia Carroll coordinates much of this behind the scenes, and she is often the first call when something needs attention outside open hours. Gratitude feels like the right word for what this community owes them. A bookstore run by volunteers carries a different kind of energy than one run for profit. Every purchase supports our spiritual community directly, and every hour a volunteer gives comes from ...

We have mentioned before that we are intending to gradually scale back on bookstore duties and eventually step down completely.  We are actively seeking people to help in the following areas: advertising, computer skills (Excel, Word), social media, graphic art (creative signage), special events, deep cleaning and the BIG ONE...retail management and retail buying skills.  Passing the baton Yes, we wish to pass on the management of the store to new volunteers, preferably a manager and assistant manager (or perhaps a management team).  In this store's management, the most important and time-consuming tasks are ordering product, input of product and managing the product.  We would train and continue to advise (if necessary) to ensure a smooth transition of leadership in the two basic areas of gift items and books. For a while, we wish to retain the decorating portion of managing the store. Managing the store is a HUGE responsibility, but the rewards are ten...

While hardly feeling like a “veteran” member of CSLSR’s Board of Trustees, having begun my tenure a scant four months ago, I am happy to reflect on my observation of what it is like to be a trustee, what good work is being done and what I enjoy.  Here are some of my beginning observations. Initially there was a definite increase in being recognized, coupled with congratulatory smiles of appreciation from congregants, former classmates and acquaintances that I have garnered over my 30 years of participation at the Center.  No more invisibility, the gold name tag gives me away! I felt momentary pause and wonder regarding what I had signed on to do, when I was approached with occasional good-natured comments of “ What were you thinking ?” and are you “Ready to get to work?” Comments that I jokingly received from some who had the inside track on how things work. I wasn’t sure whether it was time to roll up my sleeves or to flee! Rich an...

When I felt called to apply for the Board of Trustees at the Center for Spiritual Living Santa Rosa, I trusted that Spirit was guiding me toward something meaningful. More than two years later, I am deeply grateful for that guidance and for the opportunity to serve this extraordinary community.  Serving as a trustee has given me a renewed sense of purpose as I help protect the Center's financial well-being and participate in planning for its continued health and vitality for generations to come.  Every Sunday, I make it a point to meet someone new, and through this journey I have discovered greater joy, confidence in my abilities, and a deep sense of peace. Serving on the Board has enriched my life far beyond what I ever imagined  Maxine Wilkinson   Our Board of Trustees is made up of members who have chosen to deepen their commitment to our spiritual community through service, leadership, and shared stewardship. Throughout the coming months, we'll be introducing...

CSLSR is my Spiritual home and The Bookstore within it is my haven and refuge with my teammates and our supportive and inspiring Bookstore Managers Alicia Carroll and Sue Sandholm. All together, we offer a safe and adventurous portal where congregants can browse and muse about a gift for a friend, child or parent, and especially to mourn or honor themselves in their spiritual journey of milestones and triumphs. People come to The Bookstore feeling opened and inspired by the message and music and feel called to find a book or CD to deepen their learning. One of my greatest joys is to hear a personal story of one of our patrons and fellow seekers, who trust me to hear them in confidence. As people explore the inspiring books, inspirational statues, greeting cards, scarves, clothes, scent, candles, incense, chime hearts and touchstones, mobiles, wall hangings, earrings, necklaces, handmade hats and body warmers they chat and laugh and ask opinions. They are especially thrilled and tickle...

As a Trustee on the board at CSLSR for 1 1/2 years, it has really opened my eyes to what’s going on “behind the scenes” that makes each Sunday service run like a well-oiled machine! The dedicate staff and enthusiastic volunteers help to keep the events, classes and other fun stuff relevant and timely. By the way, in all my years of attending and joining Unity, Unitarian and Science of Mind centers, I have never witnessed so many people wanting to volunteer their time and talents in the service of the Center for Spiritual Living. The leadership skills of the Senior and Assistant Ministers, plus the numerous Reverends, who step up when called upon to lead, is the key to bringing everyone together for a single purpose of helping to make a world that works for everyone. It’s not just attending services and contributing monetarily, but being an active part of the surrounding community with outreach programs and involvement in local happenings. To be trusted with the success of this be...

As a Spiritual Being and student of Science of Mind, I have taken on new roles and identities as I grow spiritually and change. I never imagined myself as President of the Board of Trustees - but here I am! When I became a Trustee in 2024, I had already been a member at the Center for17 years, and a Practitioner for 11 years. I was in service to the Center, and an avid student and teacher’s assistant. However, none of that has been like the unique experience I have had, and continue to have, as a Trustee. Being a Trustee is like being at the grass roots of what is going on behind the scenes at the Center. It is a front row seat into the inner workings behind everything that is happening that seems to run so seamlessly and smoothly to the congregants. As a Trustee, I consider it an honor to read the financial reports, the logistics reports, and the other various reports from those working at the Center - both staff and volunteers. There is so much going on! During the Board meeting...

Our Board of Trustees is made up of members who have chosen to deepen their commitment to our spiritual community through service, leadership, and shared stewardship. Throughout the coming months, we'll be introducing you to some of the people who serve in this important role, offering a glimpse into what inspires them and what Board service has meant in their lives. This month, trustee Mary Munat  reflects on the unexpected joys of serving. Her story offers a look behind the scenes and reminds us that helping shape a spiritual community can be as enriching as participating in it. If Mary's reflections awaken an interest in serving on the Board yourself, we'd be delighted to begin a conversation. Board members are selected from official members with a history of participation, service, and spiritual study. To learn more, contact info@cslsr.org . "I am in my third year on the Board of Trustees and the writer in me has especially enjoyed the opportunity to work on docum...

Now on Sunday Mornings! Are you feeling the conditions of our world calling you to show up consistently in daily life with the deepest connection to Spirit within? Join others in our spiritual community as we share the supportive silence of meditation together, expanding our experience of our spiritual nature always present and guiding, and deepening our connection to one another within our spiritual community and beyond. Facilitated by volunteers from our community, we will be convening every Sunday starting July 19 at 9:30 AM in the upstairs meditation room. A typical session will start with a pray-in of a Spiritual Mind Treatment, a welcoming circle, short reading or poem offered as an option for contemplation, 30 min of silent meditation, optional sharing with loving witnesses, and closing within 1 hour (so you can easily attend the 11AM service). Facilitators from the CSLSR community with rotate each week to help create and hold a loving space with you. Please join us and experie...

Meet the Livestream Team volunteers who make our Sunday Celebration Service available online to people near and far.  Thank you team!