Consider just how real abundant life can be for us with pastor Amanda Garber who was on campus for Spiritual Life Week.

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 in the Harrisonburg area that 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.