Need the latest phone number for a someone in our church family? Looking for an up-to-date email address? Want to mail a birthday, anniversary, or get-well card? Wondering who is currently on the ministry team? Then grab a copy of our church directory!

It’s been a long time coming, but our new church directory is finally complete. We have transitioned to a new record-keeping system, which has taken a great deal of extra work but will increase accuracy down the road and make future updates much faster and easier.

Printed copies of the 2012 directory will be available starting March 20th. These will primarily be distributed at the church building, but contact the church office if you would like a copy mailed to you.

PDF and spreadsheet versions are also available for download. In order to keep your personal information secure, downloading the directory requires you to be a registered and authenticated user on this site.  read more »

Check out this month's edition of Intersections from the Richmond Church of the Brethren.

Matt’s Musings: Making Active Connections

We’ve talked a lot about hospitality and welcome over the last couple years. We’ve made great strides in being a welcoming congregation, including our week-to-week practices of showing warmth and care for visitors and adopting an identity-building statement of inclusion. Read full newsletter

Insurrection Book Discussion: To believe is human. To doubt, divine

Come and engage with the incendiary, inflammatory work of Peter Rollins' newest book, Insurrection, over the next few weeks. Rollins encourages readers to submit our spiritual practices, religious rituals, and dogmatic affirmations to the flames of fearless interrogation. By doing so, we might begin to see that Christianity is in the business of transforming our world rather than offering a way of interpreting or escaping it.  Read full newsletter

Open Arms Banquet and Silent Auction:Run for the Roses

Make plans now to attend the 2nd Annual Open Arms Fundraiser Dinner and Silent Auction on Saturday, May 5 from 5:00–-8:00 pm in the Lingle Auditorium of Reid Hospital. This fun-filled evening is Kentucky Derby-themed, featuring a delicious southern-style dinner with appetizers, main dish and dessert. Read full newsletter

Outreach Emphasis: New Community Project

The New Community Project is a faith-based nonprofit organization with the modest goal of changing the world! People are struggling, the earth is a mess, God's not amused, and we all know something's not right here. Its mission is to provide experiences that change us, resources that challenge us, and a community that gives us hope. Read full newsletter

To believe is human. To doubt, Divine.

This isn't just an opportunity to come and ask open-ended questions about God and how we live our lives - it's an invitation to participate in insurrection. 

Come and engage with the incendiary, inflammatory work of Peter Rollins' newest book, Insurrection, over the next few weeks. 

Rollins encourages readers to submit our spiritual practices, religious rituals, and dogmatic affirmations to the flames of fearless interrogation. By doing so, we might begin to see that Christianity is in the business of transforming our world rather than offering a way of interpreting or escaping it. 

We'll start Tuesday April 17th at 5pm at Smiley's Pub with an introduction to the book and its major themes. After that we'll spend one week each with the book's 8 short chapters, aided by brief video introductions from the author himself. 

The book is available in multiple formats from Amazon and from other sellers. Amazon also has the introduction available to read for free online. 

Drop-ins are welcome, even if you can't come every week. 

If Tuesdays at 5 doesn't work for you a group will also be meeting at 9:15am in our church's fellowship hall on Sunday mornings, starting April 22nd.

The insurrection begins with you ... 

Check out this month's edition of Intersections from the Richmond Church of the Brethren.

Matt’s Musings: Believing, Experiencing, Being Transformed

Of all the stories of Jesus’ life, teaching, death, and resurrection, the miracles are often one of the most difficult to relate to and understand. They stand apart from our everyday experiences of how the world works. They seem to fly against logic and common sense. They’re beyond understanding, beyond explanation, beyond belief. Read full newsletter

Church Leadership Retreat Follow-ups

Our church leadership retreat on March 24th yielded several exciting new plans, particularly regarding how we care for, incorporate, and encourage children in our church’s ministry: We will immediately begin a search for a paid childcare worker for Sunday mornings. Finding volunteers for childcare has been a long-time struggle, and good childcare is an important part of extending hospitality Read full newsletter

Holy Week Gatherings

Holy week, leading up to Easter, is always one of the most deeply meaningful times to gather as a community for worship, reflection, and fellowship. Start making plans now to join in this year’s events including Read full newsletter

The Purpose of Easter Vigil: What, How and Why?

What is an Easter Vigil, and why are we having one? For centuries Christians have prepared themselves in special ways to experience the resurrection celebration of Easter morning more fully. (Also includes detailed schedule of the vigil) Read full newsletter

Open Arms Annual Silent Auction and Dinner

Including the menu Read full newsletter

Special Forum: How do Glow-in-the-dark Pajamas work?

With an explanation from Ron Itnyre Read full newsletter

What is an Easter Vigil, and why are we having one? For centuries Christians have prepared themselves in special ways to experience the resurrection celebration of Easter morning more fully. Though our vigil probably won’t have a lot in common with those that took place in the middle ages, its purpose remains the same - to help us experience Easter with our whole bodies, minds, and souls. 

Holy week, leading up to Easter, is always one of the most deeply meaningful times to gather as a community for worship, reflection, and fellowship. Start making plans now to join in this year’s events:

Love Feast - Thursday, April 5, 6pm
We will journey with Jesus and his disciples, remembering and reliving their questions through the embodied practices of feetwashing, eating together, and sharing the bread and cup of communion.  

Tenebrae - Friday, April 6, 8:30pm
Gathering in the shadow of the cross, this will be a time of contemplation and prayer as we re-tell the story of the crucifixion. 

Easter Vigil - Friday, April 6, 9:30pm
Come experience Easter in a whole new way. Our first-ever Easter Vigil will feature a variety of worship, fellowship, service, and prayerful reflection. Preliminary plans include a campfire on the lawn, a movie, a service project at Cope Environmental Center, and the debut of Pr@xis, our new labyrinth and prayer space. The vigil will conclude Sunday morning with our sunrise gathering. Stay for the whole weekend or come-and-go as you like - more details here.

Sunrise at the Pond - Sunday, April 8, 7:15am
At dawn on Easter morning we will gather for worship with our neighbors from the West Richmond Friends Meeting at the Nicholson’s Pond (1240 SW 15th St.). A walking group will leave from our church building at 6:45. 

Easter Breakfast - Sunday, April 8, 9am
Bring your appetite, bring a friend, and bring some food to share (if you can) to our annual Easter breakfast pot-luck. This is always a great time to share in fellowship as we celebrate the Risen Son!