Worship Archive

March 7, 2018 (Wednesday Night) | Tony Cosby

Tony Cosby, well-known actor and portrayer of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will present Dr. King’s historic “I Have A Dream” speech and will read excerpts from Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” April 4 will be the 60th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King.

February 28, 2018 (Wednesday Night) | Dan Bagby

Ninety-one Americans die daily of a drug overdose (33,300 in 2015). The number of addictions and deaths is now considered an epidemic in this country by the Food & Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control. The increased statistics in the last four years are in the 40-year-old population, though senior adults and teens have been major populations with the disease, too. How do we help?

February 25, 2018 (Sunday Morning)

Bible Verses: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Mark 8:27-38 | Kim Crowley

God changes the names of both Abraham and Sarah in a moment of blessing. Jesus calls Peter ‘Satan’ in a moment of rebuke. What does our name as Christian and follower of Jesus say about us? Are we living up to our name?

This Sunday we celebrate Martha Stearns Marshall Month of Preaching. Since 2007, the month of February has been recognized by Baptist Women in Ministry and partner churches as a time to invite women in ministry to preach. This annual event encourages our church and others to publicly voice our support of women in ministry, and celebrate the call and gifts of women.

February 21, 2018 (Wednesday Night) | Hal Schevitz

The Jewish holiday of Purim is celebrated by levity and laughter, wearing costumes, and the consumption of triangle-shaped fruit-filled cookies and adult beverages, all while reading the comedic and ironic Book of Esther about how the Jews were saved from extermination in ancient Persia. While these practices are tempered by the traditions of giving gifts to friends and the poor, the holiday is best observed through frivolity and joy, leaving the seriousness of the world behind for one day of complete revelry. Join Rabbi Hal Schevitz from Congregation Or Atid as we explore the Book of Esther and the holiday of Purim for a fun and lively discussion (for mature-audiences only). As the Jewish saying goes, “They tried to kill us. We won. Let’s eat!”

February 4, 2018 (Sunday Morning)

Bible Verses: Malachi 3:1-4; Isaiah 60:1; Luke 2:22-40

Sermon by Linda Bridges, President of Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (BTSR)

This Sunday we celebrate Martha Stearns Marshall Month of Preaching. Since 2007, the month of February has been recognized by Baptist Women in Ministry and partner churches as a time to invite women in ministry to preach. This annual event encourages our church and others to publicly voice our support of women in ministry, and celebrate the call and gifts of women.

January 31, 2018 (Wednesday Night) | Lynn Caldwell

Winter Bible Study: “So what? Luke 18”

Lynne Caldwell is a native of Black Mountain, North Carolina, an Elder in the Western North Carolina Conference since 1992, and has been “on-loan” to the Virginia Conference since 2008 where she serves as Pastor of Brookland United Methodist Church, Richmond.

Since 1988 and her first appointment in WNCC, Lynne has served as an associate, pastor of a two-point charge,  pastor of single-point charges, Senior Pastor, and District Superintendent. She held multiple positions of leadership in WNCC including Co-coordinator of District Leadership Trainings, Co-chair of Annual Conference Worship, Chair of Conference Board of Discipleship, member of both district committees and the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, and member of Women in Ministry leadership teams for district, conference and jurisdictional gatherings.

While working on D.Min. project, Lynne was introduced to Appreciative Inquiry and asset –based ministry, and completed a six-week on-line course with David Cooperrider, the developer of the Appreciative Inquiry process. She seeks to practice those principles in ministries as pastor of a smaller membership church, and as teacher/learner with students who also serve as pastors of congregations of varied sizes and contexts. Lynne and her husband, Neill, live in Richmond, VA.

January 24, 2018 (Wednesday Night) | Denise Janssen

Winter Bible Study: “What’s Unresolved? Numbers 11”

Denise Janssen is a Christian educator, author, and scholar. Her research focuses on faith transitions in life, particularly the transition from adolescence into young adulthood, using ethnographic research as a primary tool of inquiry. She also designs, writes, and consults in the area of curriculum development and best practices in faith formation in communities of faith. Her 25+ years in youth ministry and pastoral ministry equip her well as a scholar-practitioner with a passion for student learning.

Her books include: Fostering Faith: Teaching and Learning in the Christian Church (Valley Forge: Judson, 2014), Reclaimed: Faith in an Emerging Generation (Valley Forge: Judson, 2015), and Educating for Redemptive Community: Essays in Honor of Jack Seymour and Margaret Ann Crain (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2015). She is also the author of numerous articles and curriculum resources.

An ordained minister in the American Baptist Churches, USA (ABC-USA), Janssen maintains a commitment to the local church and denominational life. In 2015, the denomination recognized her efforts with the Luther Wesley Smith Education Award for faithful leadership in educational ministries at the college/seminary level. She currently serves as a staff pastor at Laurel Park United Methodist Church.

Janssen also serves as executive director of the independent ecumenical non-profit, The Resource Center, a 15,000-volume collection of books, video, curriculum, art, and artifacts for local congregations which is housed in Kingsley Hall.

January 10, 2018 (Wednesday Night) |

Bruce Miller, one of the founders of the Acts of Faith Festival, the nation’s largest faith-inspired theatre festival, will offer a preview of the 2018 season. It includes 17 plays all around RVA, with performances from January through March.

Since 2005 the festival has brought people of all faiths together in a safe space to talk about their beliefs, with theatre serving as the device to spur conversation. The festival is ecumenical and inclusive, sponsored by congregations from a variety of religious traditions, as are members of the audience.

January 3, 2018 (Wednesday Night)

Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of God in Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the magi who visited the infant Jesus. We will celebrate the arrival of the magi with an Epiphany-themed program to learn more about this celebration.

Click here to view Daniel Glaze’s presentation.

November 29, 2017 (Wednesday Night)

Jessica and Joshua Hearne are members of an intentional, Christian community in Danville, Virginia, called Grace and Main Fellowship, that is committed to hospitality, shared resources, prayer, nonviolent activism, and grassroots community development. Jessica and Joshua are very glad to visit with River Road Church, Baptist, on behalf of the community and to share about their work alongside folks experiencing things like homelessness, hunger, poverty, addiction, housing insecurity, and other injustices. They’ll share some stories and guide a discussion around how to cultivate meaningful change in ways that preserve dignity and agency. Jessica is CBF Field Personnel, supported by the Offering Global Mission, while Joshua is supported by an organization he founded in 2012 to support their shared, mutual work.