TFC Archive

May 19, 2021 (Wednesday Nights)

Each year, one of our Thoughtful Faith Community evenings entails expressing our thanks to all who teach in Sunday school at our church. We recognize and thank them, as well as offer special thanks to one or more individuals who are celebrated as Educator of the Year.

This year, Kitty Davis and Bill Thurston have been selected as our Educators of the Year!

Photos

April 15, 2021 & April 22, 2021 (Special Programs)

April 15: Dr. Paul Richardson

Dr. Paul Richardson, noted hymnnologist and retired music faculty of Samford University, will discuss hymns of Easter and the Easter season.

Dr. Paul Richardson served as Professor and Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies in the School of Music of Samford University in Birmingham, AL, where he taught voice and church music. A past-president of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, he served on the editorial committee for THE WORSHIPING CHURCH and wrote for its Worship Leader’s Edition. He also contributed to Handbook to THE BAPTIST HYMNAL and THE NEW CENTURY HYMNAL Companion. Together with Harry Eskew and David Music, he is joint author of SINGING BAPTISTS: Studies in Baptist Hymnody in America.

April 22: Dr. Michael Hawn

Four Views of the Cross: A Gallery of Sight and Sound

• View 1: Christus Victor—Christ Tramples the Cross
  • Hymn: *The Day of Resurrection, John of Damascus (8th Cent.), tr. John Mason Neale (1862): G2G 233
• View 2: Christus Portantes—Christ Carrying the Cross
  • Hymn: *Take Up Your Cross, the Savior Said, Charles Everest (1833): G2G 718
• View 3: Crucifixus—Christ Crucified on the Cross
  • Hymns:
    • *When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Isaac Watts (1707): G2G 223/224
    • *Rejected and Despised by Men, Mary Louise Bringle (2000): G2G 222
    • O God, You Hang Upon the Cross, Shirley Erena Murray (2008)
    • Mary, Woman Weeping, Delores Dufner (2019)
• View 4: Cruci Vacans—the Empty Cross
  • Hymns:
    • *Christ Is Alive, Brian Wren (1968/1993): G2G 246
    • Camina Pueblo de Dios/Go Forth, O People of God, Cesáreo Gabaráin (1979), tr. George Lockwood (1989).

April 14-28, 2021 (Wednesday Nights)

Rabbi Hal Shevitz of Congregation Or Atid, Rev. Dr. Theodore Brown of Quioccasin Baptist Church, and our Pastor, Rev. Dr. Daniel Glaze will walk through different aspects of our faiths and discuss what is unique and what is similar with our experiences.

• April 14—A walk through Passover and Easter. What is unique and what is similar with our experiences?
• April 21—A walk through what makes a Jew and what makes a Christian. What is unique and what is similar with our experiences?
• April 28—A walk through what it means to be a neighbor. What is unique and what is similar with our experiences?

April 14, 2021

April 21, 2021

April 28, 2021

April 7, 2021 (Wednesday Nights)

April is the month when things outside are coming alive again after a winter rest and it is when Earth Day comes around each year. As those who love and steward creation, God’s beautiful and amazing gift to us, we are happy to discover ways we can be more helpful, simple things we can do for God’s creation in our own backyards, decks, and patios.

March 24, 2021 (Wednesday Nights)

What have we been able to do during this time of Pandemic? What are our hopes for in-person opportunities later in the year? Gather online through Zoom to hear from Tim Merritt, Chair of the Board of Missions, along with others who are keeping us serving and giving in various ways.

February 10, 2021 (Wednesday Nights)

Keith Hare is the President and CEO of Virginia Health Care Association. Hear from someone on the inside of the healthcare community about current issues related to COVID-19. He will share from his experiences over this year as he has faced the challenges of the pandemic.

January 27, 2021 (Wednesday Nights)

A few of our college students will be sharing with us about their experiences on their own. After introductions, they will answer several questions related to their experiences managing life on their own, as well as questions about the world as they see it. They will offer thoughts on how RRCB shaped them or could better shape our students.

Come support them as they share. Come with openness to hear them right where they are in life. This doesn’t happen very often, which makes it a really special offering. In sharing their time and insights, they provide us with a truly special opportunity.

Participants: Colin Bailey, Spencer Macturk, Joey Mistretta, Emma Phelps, Beth Rooney, Meg Rooney, Lindsey Stevens, and Jessica Thorne

January 6, 2021 (Wednesday Nights)

A special presentation will be offered by Dr. George Spagna, Chair of the Physics Department at Randolph-Macon College and Director of the Keebler Observatory. “What Star is This? An astronomer’s thoughts on the star of Bethlehem” is a timely presentation, as we enjoyed a rare planetary alignment in December and our first Wednesday program falls exactly on Epiphany. We will share in a Zoom meeting at 7:00 p.m. on the 6th, to hear his interesting exploration about the star observed and followed by the Magi.

Dr. Spagna lives in Ashland with his wife, Sylvia, where they raised 2 daughters, Amy and Kimberley, who are both grown. They have one grandson, 19 month-old Evan. Having taught at Randolph-Macon for almost 35 years, he is looking forward to retiring at the end of this academic year. The Spagnas are part of the Episcopal Church of St. James the Less in Ashland, VA.

Presentation Notes:

• What Star is This by Dr. George Spagna Presentation
• What Star is This Notes by Dr. George Spagna
• Faith and Science Reading List by Dr. George Spagna

November 4, 11, & 18, 2020 (Wednesday Nights)

Everything we do is spiritual. When we ask, “How is your spiritual life?” it creates a false dichotomy—like one part of our lives is spiritual and the rest is not. But how we value and treat people, the created world, possessions, and our time is all reflected by and informing our relationship with Christ. How does Jesus relate to people, the earth, and things as he walked though life? What does God consider as rich and healthy worship?

Dr. Sam Adams, a seminary professor at Union Presbyterian Seminary here in Richmond, will bring his biblical scholarship and engaging communication skills to bear on the conversation about justice in our lives. He will help us ask hard questions, examine our relationships, and determine ways we might become better integrated as whole persons who live out of and fueled by our relationship with God through Christ.

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October 21, 2020 (Wednesday Nights)

Rev. Jones, former Moderator of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, now serves as the Associate Coordinator of Strategic Operations & Outreach at CBF. She is an experienced pastor and denominational leader. She and our Pastor will have a conversation about building bridges with the African American church as a witness to racial healing and justice in our communities.

October 7 & 14, 2020 (Wednesday Nights)

If there is one place prejudice of any kind should not exist, it is within the church of Christ. Yet over the centuries, the church has been in the thick of of supporting and perpetuating discrimination and exploitation. The only way to make our journey forward in a healthy, whole way is to grapple with the role the church has played and still plays in this ongoing problem.

Dr. Carter, who is currently the Executive Director/Treasurer for the Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia (WMUV), works to inspire, equip, and help mobilize others though various ministries, many of which care for the needs of the vulnerable, outcast, unlearned, and marginalized. She will lead us from her study and experiences as we dive into a deep conversation about prejudice in the church in the past and present.

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September 16 & 23, 2020 (Wednesday Nights)

There is heightened awareness and talk about racial injustice these days. Not that it’s new, it’s just getting a dose of needed attention. To be sure, there are many kinds of injustice, as people are discriminated against or exploited all across the world for varying reasons. What does scripture say about it? Does God care about it? If God does care, why does it persist? Join us as we explore this conversation with Dr. Mark Biddle.

Many of you are familiar with Dr. Biddle, as he has taught among us before. As an Old Testament scholar, seminary professor, journal editor, minister, parent, and musician, he brings much to the dialogue and learning process.

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May 27, 2020 (Wednesday Nights)

We give thanks for those who teach and mentor us in life and most especially in the Christian faith. Every year we have a specific opportunity to share our gratitude for our regular Bible study teachers at a Wednesday Thoughtful Faith Community event. We also choose one individual who has made ongoing, significant contributions to Christian education at RRCB. Our recipient of this recognition for the 2020 year is Dr. Ed Pruden, long-time teacher and friend.

Thank you to all who contributed to the making of the video and who drove in the parade on Sunday. A special word of thanks to those who couldn’t participate in person but who have lifted up prayers and sent personal notes.

We hope you enjoy the different format for this special celebration. Join the Board of Christian Education and Spiritual Formation in thanking those who lead us so faithfully.

April 22, 2020 (Wednesday Nights)

On this 50th anniversary of Earth Day observances, we give thanks for the blessings we receive from God’s beautiful creation, and consider ways we can express our appreciation and love to the Creator by how we care for our home.

Individuals in our church family have offered readings and artwork to lead us in a special presentation tonight. As you enjoy, may you give thanks and praise, while being reminded to live with your eyes open to the gifts all around you every day. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” Psalm 24:1

Therefore, let us be good stewards of all that is entrusted to us.

April 15, 2020 (Wednesday Nights) | David Breckenridge & Anna Perry Miller

Rev. Dr. David Breckenridge and Rev. Anna Miller join together to offer tools for navigating these days. Sheltering at home has turned our world’s upside down and, whether we register it or not, change produces stress. Some may find themselves depressed while others are bored. Every person is going to navigate the situation differently. What can we pay attention to in order to cope well and remain healthy, or how might we work towards greater health? We hope you will listen and be encouraged.

Resources:

• April Explorer
• Psalms Bible Study with Rev. Dr. Bert Browning

March 4-April 1, 2020 (Wednesday Nights) | Roy Terry, Andrew Terry, Jane Terry, Bill Thurston, Anna Miller

“The Grace of ‘Les Mis’” is a study in which we will be challenged during lent in several significant areas of our spiritual walk. Over five Wednesday nights, we will journey through a series written by Matt Rawle and facilitated by Roy and Jane Terry, their son Andrew Terry, and Bill Thurston. Each session will focus on the theme of grace as conveyed by each of the principle characters from Les Misérables. Thinking about both the grace of God and the grace, given and received, between persons (us!) may expand our vision of the grace-filled life that we should experience in following Christ.

Week 1 audio is not available.

Week 2:

Week 3:

Week 4:

Week 5:

Due to copyright, we cannot post the accompanying DVD segment with video session on our website. If you did not receive the email from the church with a link to the full video with the DVD segment, please email info@riverroad.church to receive the link. That video is only available until April 8, 2020.

January 29-February 19, 2020 (Wednesday Nights) | Rev. Dr. Bert Browning

We will take a four-week tour of the Psalms under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Bert Browning.

Week 1 audio is not available.

Week 2:

Week 3:

Week 4 audio is not available.

January 22, 2020 (Wednesday Night)

January 15, 2020 (Wednesday Night) | Dr. Ed Pruden

Be challenged and inspired by the faith and peaceful presence of MLK, Jr.

December 4, 2019 (Wednesday Night) | Rev. Dr. David Breckenridge

In this session, we will explore how people are likely to be feeling loss most keenly during the holidays; ways that such individuals can survive the season; and, most importantly, how we might walk with such individuals during the holidays as instruments of God’s peace and care.

PowerPoint Presentation