Your source of information for all things RISE!
June 2025
Alexis is FINALLY being licensed
as a UMC local pastor this month!!!
The official ordination ceremony will be held at the Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church at the Berguland Center in Roanoke VA on Saturday June 14, 2025 at 11:00 am. Any and all are welcome to attend! There will also be a link to the livestream available to watch virtually, we will share that link once it goes live. You can see the full agenda for the VA Annual Conference here: https://doc.vaumc.org/AC2025/AgendaMar25.pdf
We hope you will join us for worship this summer!
Unless otherwise noted,
worship begins at exactly 10ish am
John Wesley UMC Fellowship Hall (Downstairs) or Outside
445 Sterling St, Hburg
FIRST SUNDAYS
Brunch Church
June 1 and July 6, 2025
Same bat time.
Same bat channel.
Just more food:-)
Bring some of your favorite brunch food to share if you are able!
Michael Stern
Sunday, July 6
Michael Stern is a composer, folksinger, and inspirational speaker from Washington (state). You might recognize his name as the composer of many of our worship songs, and we are thrilled that he is choosing to visit with us this Sunday while he is touring in our area! Mike will be leading us in songs, stories, and reflection during our regular Sunday morning worship service (and of course be joining us for our Brunch Church!)
Picnic and CookOut
Sunday, August 3
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, Hot Dogs, and Veggie Alternatives, 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 as long as you are able - enjoy some outdoor games, maybe a round of tag…who knows what kind of fun we might have :-)
Summer Fun Stuff
THE Sitting
6-8 pm Wednesday Nights
May 21 - June 18 @ Brother’s Craft Brewing
June 25 - September 10 @ Pale Fire Brewing
(Enjoy the Hburg Summer Concert Series
while hanging out with us!)
It’s back! Some people have “standing” office hours, but we do things just a little bit differently here at RISE, so we have “sitting” hours during the summer season! Join Alexis and/or Chris on Wednesday nights throughout the summer - whether you have some burning theological questions or you just want to hang out with friends, we’ll be there and happy to chat!
Banned Book Club
4 pm Sunday Afternoons in June
Join us for a short summer series on banned books. The group will meet at the home of Beth Sellers on Sunday afternoons at 4:00 for the month of June (June 1-29). (DM us for address).
Please sign up using the link below by June 1. We will start with a short text that you will not have to purchase, and at the first meeting we will choose one or two additional books (depending on length) to read for the remainder of the month.
Movie Night
Friday, June 27
6 pm
Nicklas Home
Bring a friend, drinks and snacks for yourself or to share, and join us for a family-friendly movie night at Sarah’s house! The movie is still TBD, but popcorn, kid snacks, water, and milk will be provided. Also note that pets and kids will be present and that the location is not fully accessible, but would probably be navigable with a ramp that we can provide with advance notice.
DM us for address, directions, or more info.
Scripture DEep Dive
4 pm Sunday Afternoons in July
Join Sandra and others for a deeper dive and discussion on the scriptures and reflection questions from our Sunday morning services. Creative options to help guide us in our reflections will also be offered for anyone who thinks “artistically”. The group will meet at Sandra’s home on Sunday afternoons at 4:00 for the month of July (July 6-27). (DM us for address). Feel free to bring snacks, and do note that Sandra has an indoor cat and the location is not fully accessible but probably navigable with a ramp.
Please sign up using the link below by July 1 if you are interested in participating!
Campfire Party
Friday, July 18
6 pm
Garcia’s Home
Bring a friend, some things to roast, and join us for a night of fun hanging around a campfire in Allison and Miguel’s backyard!
DM us or contact Chris Zepp (worship@riseharrisonburg.com) for address, directions, or more info.
More summer Fun Stuff to come!!
Game nights / days, more movie watch parties, hikes & walks, and more
And we are always open to more ideas, especially if you are willing to host / lead! Contact Alexis or Chris to get started with planning!
Community Opportunities
Community Food Drive
June 2-11
Burgess Avenue Walmart
Many families in our community are facing the difficult reality of food insecurity. To help address this need, The Arc of Harrisonburg and Rockingham is organizing a Community Food Drive throughout the first two weeks of June, made possible by the MLK Day of Service Grant. More can be learned about this food drive at https://thearcofhr.org/food-drive/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/1RGUU9mxis/
RISE Merch Shop
The RISE Merch Shop is open for business! Order all of your favorite RISE gear shipped directly to your home. Profits from each sale go directly back to RISE operations.
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!