Your source of information for all things RISE!
December 2024
RISE and JWUMC are joining forces this Advent Season!
During the month of December, we will be taking part of some new traditions, and also share some of our own traditions with the JWUMC community! Both of our communities will worship upstairs together these weeks and make some new friends!
We hope to offer a KidZone option downstairs for those who are interested, but we need 2 adult volunteers weekly to make this a safe viable option! Please reach out if you are willing to be a part of the rotation. If we have many folks willing no one has to fill every week!
We hope you will join us this December!
Unless otherwise noted, worship at 10 am
John Wesley UMC Sanctuary (Upstairs)
445 Sterling St, Hburg
Special December Worship Events
December 1
Hanging of the Greens Service
Cookies, Coffee, Cocoa, and Carols
Since December 1st will be our first week with our new friends from JWUMC we thought it might be fun to have some time to share cookies, coffee, cocoa, and carols. And maybe some stories! So after the Hanging of the Greens service upstairs, we’ll head downstairs for some fellowship and fun!
We invite you to bring a plate of some of your favorite cookies to share!
December 15
Christmas Dinner with JWUMC
We have been invited by JWUMC to join them in one of their special holiday traditions - a Christmas Dinner following worship on December 15! More details will be forthcoming, but plan now to join us for this festive occasion!
December 24
RISE Christmas Eve Service
Kemper Knoll Farm, 2 pm
We will gather in Darlene Kemper’s barn at 2 pm (ish) for a relatively brief worship experience and Christmas Eve fun! Some seating will be available, but you’re welcome to bring a chair, too. Though we will be in the barn, please dress to stay warm, bring blankets, etc! And feel free to invite all of your friends and loved ones!
Feel free to DM or text/e-mail us with any questions about any of our holidays plans!
Advent / Christmas Giving Opportunity
December Events and Opportunities
Advent study
7-8 pm Thursday Nights
12/5, 12, & 19
Meeting at the Douglass Home
(DM us or reach out for the address!)
We will be journeying through Simpson’s book Fully Human. Fully Divine. as a group. There is a SMALL amount of reading to be done throughout the week, but if you skip some that is ok too! This is an awesome read for anyone looking to stay rooted and grounded throughout this crazy holiday season and beyond.
We encourage everyone to take a peek at this read even if you cannot commit to attending the group function! On Thursday’s we will debrief on the weekly readings and dive a little deeper on how it is impacting us in our daily lives, what we are learning, and generally support one another throughout the season.
You can buy the book at Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3AL5URd or at any seller of your choice.
*If you cannot commit to paying for the book right now but would like to participate please DM us or reach out to Alexis and we can make sure you get the book.
Sheridan’s Senior Research Project
12/3/24 on campus at jmu
Our RISE Intern, Sheridan Horne, has been hard at work on her senior capstone research project for her degree all semester, and on Tuesday, December 3, she will be presenting her research findings with her group! We are all invited to attend and hear about the exciting project she has been working on and to support her in her studies. If you are interested in attending, please DM or text/e-mail us so we can get a group together and or get you more info about parking, etc.
Deck the cookies with rise
December 5th 12-1pm
Finals are just around the weekend, the holiday spirit is in the air, and we would like to bid our JMU friends a Merry Christmas! We will be setting up a cookie decoration station on campus to spread a little joy on what is often a very stressful week on campus.
If you are interested in helping us bake the blank sugar cookies please reach out to Sheridan or Alexis! DM us or contact Sheridan or Alexis (riseharrisonburg@gmail.com) for more info and/or directions.
Valley Treble Voices
December 8, 4 pm
Massanutten Presbyterian Church
Enjoy a concert of beautiful holiday music! Laura Douglass and Amanda Zepp are members of the ensemble. A free-will offering will be received.
RISE Merch Shop is LIVE
and Ready for your Holiday Shopping!!!
The RISE Merch Shop is open and ready for business! Order all of your favorite RISE gear shipped directly to your home in the time for the holidays! RISE items make great gifts for friends family and yourself. Profits from each sale go directly back to RISE operations.
RISE Staff Holiday Schedules
We wanted to let you know that both Alexis and Chris are planning to be traveling to visit with family for the holidays December 26 through January 4. We encourage everyone who is still in town to attend worship with JWUMC on December 29. And while we will be out of town, we WILL still be available and responsive to texts and phone calls (e-mails will be answered when we return), so don’t hesitate to reach out if you have needs during that time. We also have lined up emergency coverage if there would be immediate need for spiritual care.
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!