When Children Are Suffering
Be the Church Known for Caring
Guidance and resources to help churches care for foster, adoptive, and vulnerable children and families.
2026 All In Foster Care Summit: Build the Way Together
Join West Virginia’s premier gathering of churches, leaders, and communities working to strengthen foster care across our state.
The All In Foster Care Summit equips you with practical next steps, clear roles, and meaningful partnerships so you can move from concern to coordinated action that supports vulnerable children and families.
Not everyone will open their home to children in foster care, but everyone can do something. You and your church can do something meaningful to help struggling children and families in your community.
Local churches and their people care and believe they should help, reflecting God’s love and compassion for the vulnerable; however, many hesitate to get involved due to uncertainty about what to do, where to start, and how to provide meaningful and sustainable support for these children and their families.
Chestnut Mountain Village provides guidance and tools that make it easy for you and your church to effectively care for vulnerable children and families in your community.
Start Discovering Your Something Today.
Chestnut Mountain Village (‘The Village’), a ministry of Chestnut Mountain Ranch, guides and equips churches to care for vulnerable children and families using a proven, step-by-step method. The Village believes that there should be clear, manageable, and proven ways for your church to effectively care for kids and families in your communities.
“Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.” –James 1:27
WHEN CHILDREN ARE SUFFERING:
West Virginia has the highest number of children in the foster care system per capita. For every 1,000 babies born in West Virginia, 24.6 are removed due to maltreatment. This is more than three times the national average of seven per 1,000.
Over 60% of children in foster care are removed due to neglect. In West Virginia, it is estimated that 85% of child cases involve drug use. Over 60% of children in foster care will experience seven or more school changes.
Advocates consistently report that there is an insufficient number of foster families to care for these children. 80% of families who foster stop fostering within two years. Without support and care, the future for these children can be bleak.
THE VILLAGE PLAN BENEFITS:
Organized for Action
Organized, volunteer-led opportunities to support foster care and adoption in your community.
Hope for Children
Children and families are served and experience the love of Christ through the local church and community partners
Growing in Christ
A proven, step-by-step framework for spiritual and discipleship growth.
Join the Movement
Guiding and equipping churches to care for vulnerable children and families using a proven, step-by-step method.
VILLAGE NEWS & UPDATES
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REGISTER NOW: 2026 All In Foster Care Summit
This Summit is more than another date on the calendar. Instead, it serves as a focused gathering that encourages clear action. At Chestnut Ridge Church in Morgantown, pastors and church teams will connect with child welfare professionals, foster alumni, foster, adoptive, and kinship families, and community leaders. Through that connection, participants will strengthen collaboration across […]
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I Came to Serve. I Found Healing.
Contributed by Teresa, a FAM Volunteer. I signed up as a volunteer for the Family Advocacy Ministry (FAM) at my church almost two years ago because I was looking for something to help me heal from the loss of my son. I started by providing a meal for one foster family, and then another, and […]
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Pie, People, and a Taste of The Kingdom
Article by Melissa Cargill, Village Community Coordinator. About 30 years ago, before our wedding, my husband and I were gifted a beautiful ceramic pie plate and a recipe book titled “Pies and Tarts”. I remember thinking, “What a lovely gift! If only I were the kind of person who baked pies!” I enjoyed pie, but […]
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The Match Is Met. The Mission Moves Forward.
A Challenge to Multiply Impact In November 2025, we invited others to join the Be The Village Match Challenge. Through this effort, every gift was matched dollar for dollar, up to two hundred thousand dollars. The goal was clear. We aimed to double the impact, strengthen the work, and expand the reach. Now, we are […]
Village Resource Center
Visit our Resource Center for articles, posts, and videos to help guide you through supporting children and families who are active in foster, adoption, and kinship care.
About Us
Chestnut Mountain Village (‘The Village’), a ministry of Chestnut Mountain Ranch, is dedicated to creating Christ-centered communities to provide hope and homes for vulnerable kids and families. To do this, the Village guides and equips church partners to care for vulnerable children and families by providing a proven, step-by-step ministry model …