This Chapel Gathering in the Seminary is led by pastor Amanda Garber, along with EMS students associated with RISE, a new faith community in the Harrisonburg area.   Abundant Life for all is the theme for the University’s Spring Spiritual Life Week, and Amanda is the featured guest speaker.

Amanda Miller Garber was born and raised in the beautiful Roanoke Valley of Virginia. She holds degrees from the University of Virginia, James Madison University, and Duke Divinity School. She currently serves as the pastor of RISE, a new faith community launched in September, 2010.  Amanda has been married to Jack, a Cardiology Physician Assistant and an all-around-great-guy, for almost 17 years. They have two children, Abigail, age 7 and Robert, age 4. Amanda loves to laugh, drink lots of coffee, ask questions (especially about faith), and start new things. She is passionate about following Jesus and planting churches that are innovative, creative and alive. She also likes to play in the dirt and gets super excited when her plants actually bloom. She enjoys occasionally sleeping past 7 am and spends a disproportionate amount of her time and energy attempting to train the family puppy, Stewart.