Your source of information for all things RISE!
Summer 2024
Summer Worship
(Thru August 18)
SUNDAY MORNINGS AT EXACTLY 10ISH AM
WESTOVER PARK
SHELTER #1
305 SOUTH DOGWOOD DRIVE
HARRISONBURG, VA 22801
Our summer worship space features ample shelter to protect from the elements, plenty of nearby parking, accessible (paved) walkways leading directly to the pavilion, picnic tables/benches, lots of green and open space, and adjoining bathrooms. Feel free to bring a lawn chair or blanket if preferred!
Our worship gatherings also generally feature:
Coffee and/or other beverages with light refreshments
Theological Reflection offered by staff, community members, or panels
Table discussions following theological reflection
Livestreaming all or portions of our worship on Facebook live
Summer Events
School’s out, but RISE is not!
Disc Golf and Donuts
Sundays, June 2 & July 7
Westover Disc Golf Course
Join us immediately following worship for a round of Disc Golf hosted by the amazing Seth Owens! Seth will provide discs and education for those who need it. Stay for as long as you'd like! If you only have time for a few baskets, THAT'S OK! We would love to hang out with you and spend some time chatting and playing together. And just for fun, think about bringing your favorite round foods to worship :-) (You also might want to bring a water bottle!)
Three Opportunites to take a walk on the RISE side!
We believe that being in and amidst nature helps us to better connect with our creator, and wanted to provide a few opportunities for folks to get connected in this way throughout the summer! We will have 3 different expressions of "Walks with RISE" throughout the summer months and encourage you to join us!
Thursday, June 13th - Guided Labyrinth Walk
Meet at 5:30pm in the small parking lot at the main entrance to the JMU EJC Arboretum. Led by Adam King.
Saturday, July 13 - BIG SUMMER HIKE
Meet at 10am at the Elizabeth Street parking deck in Harrisonburg (for those who want to carpool) then head up to Skyline drive! We will be Hiking Rose River Falls - a 4 mile loop moderate trail at Milepost 49.4. Lead by Alexis.
Sunday, August 11 - Hillandale Park Loop
Following worship at Westover, we will head over to Hillandale Park to walk the the 1.4 mile loop. Great for Kids! Lead by Alexis.
RISE Game Nights (& Days) are Back!
Grab your favorite game(s) and let’s play!
Sunday, June 23 - Following worship at Westover Park at Shelter #1
Friday, July 26 - 6 pm, Home of the Zepps
Bring a snack to share, drinks will be provided. DM us if you need the address or directions!
Thursday, August 15 - 6 pm, Brother’s Brewery. Bring your own food/snacks to share (or not!); drinks available for purchase :-)
Summer “Sittings”
6-8 pm Every Wednesday Night
Turner Pavilion* (or Pale Fire Brewery)
June 26 - September 11
You know how some people have “standing” appointments or office hours? Well, since we always need to do things just a little bit differently, we took that idea and decided to try having some “sitting” hours this summer.
Join Alexis and/or Chris this summer at the Harrisonburg Summer Concerts on Wednesday nights throughout the summer. Whether you have some burning theological questions or you just want to hang out and enjoy some music with friends, we’ll be there and happy to chat!
Information on the full concert series can be found HERE.
*There are a few Wednesdays that do NOT have a concert scheduled.
On those Wednesdays (July 3, July 24, and August 28) The Sitting will be at Pale Fire Brewery.
Picnic in the Park
Sunday, August 4
Immediately following worship
Join us for an end of Summer celebration! We will have a cookout immediately after worship at our pavilion. RISE leaders will provide Burgers and Hotdogs, and we encourage everyone to bring your favorite picnic side to share! After we eat, feel free to stick around and hang out with us, enjoy some outdoor games, maybe a round of disc golf…who knows what kind of fun we might have :-)
Staffing Updates
With the end our beloved Amanda Miller Garber’s ministry with RISE in April, we are navigating brand new territory as we enter a new era without our fearless founding pastor. We are still figuring some things out, but we wanted to give you an update on where things are headed with our continuing staff, and how things are shifting to meet the needs of this new season:
Alexis Owens
RISE Campus Minister
Alexis has moved into a full-time ministry role with RISE this year, and is now officially assigned by the United Methodist Church to serve in clergy capacity as Lay Supply with RISE. As such, she functions as our UMC Pastor. Her primary responsibilities now include:
All things campus/student oriented
All things outreach
Organization & operations
Caring ministries
Contact Alexis at riseharrisonburg@gmail.com
Chris Zepp
RISE Minister of Worship
Chris will be continuing in a half-time capacity on staff, but with a bit more focused roles. His responsibilities now include:
Worship planning & coordination
Being a “Theologian in Residence” for the RISE community
Spiritual Formation
Caring Ministries
Contact Chris at worship@riseharrisonburg.com
RISE NEEDS YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Your generosity makes everything we do possible!!
One of our core values is, "God gives to us, so we give back." We're called to give as a joy-filled response to what we've been given. Your financial gifts make a tremendous difference in the lives of God's beloved in Harrisonburg and beyond. Whether it's helping to make sure children in our community have enough to eat, helping to respond to the mental health crisis in our community, or providing much needed backing for the operating costs of our spaces and staff — your gift is a part of God's dream and we are grateful for everyone who partners with us on this journey!
Make a one-time donation or set up recurring gifts today!
At RISE,
we care about what’s going on in your life!
When life is good, we want to celebrate together. And when it isn’t - well, we want to be there for you then too. So keep us posted on what it is going on in your life. And when you have need for care or prayer, be sure to let us know how we can lift you up.
Requests for care and/or prayer can always be sent via e-mail to cares@riseharrisonburg.org, texted to 833-803-0868, or submitted online via our RISE Cares form.
To receive updates on (non-confidential) care needs, prayer requests, and community concerns and celebrations, text “RISEcares” to 833-803-0868 or e-mail cares@riseharrisonburg.com.
If you are fairly new to the community and would like to connect more deeply with RISE, you can begin by completing this short form to let us know about you, your interest, and your gifts:
You might also consider signing up for texting services:
(We promise not to spam or share your number!)
Text “RISE” to 833-803-0868 to join the primary list and receive weekly community updates and alerts
Text “RISEcares” to receive prayer requests, care needs, and community concerns and celebrations
And of course, please continue to check social media (Facebook & Instagram) and our website for all the updates and current information!