Rise Events partners with Canberra Region Presbytery

Rise Events has partnered with the Canberra Region Presbytery to refurbish the St Aidan’s Uniting Church in Narrabundah into an all-purpose space for the community to gather.

Lauren Harkness is the founder of Rise Events, a business that aims to give busy Christian women a space to meet to rejuvenate and reflect.

“The call of God to be present in the world, to follow our deepest passions to where they meet the world’s deepest needs, has Rise meeting women in business where they are, gathering together women who want to do business differently,” Ms Harkness said.

With the support of the Presbytery, Ms Harkness has been participating in the Uniting Mission and Education, Mission Shaped Ministry cohort – which seeks to encourage fresh expressions of church. Rise received a grant through to refurbish St Aidan’s Uniting Church in Narrabundah, turning it into an all-purpose space for the community to gather.

“Women are asking Rise, ‘The church has felt alien and alienating to me, but I want to talk about God, could we do that?’” Ms Harkness said.

Rise facilitates At the Table – a gathering over food for the purpose of deep conversation. Rise also facilitates Sunday Selah, a space in which partipants can breathe, be still, and open their beings to God.

“As Jesus did, we at Rise meet women where they are, and respond with God’s love, hospitality, and story,” Ms Harkness said.

“This opens us to nurturing what naturally grows, rather than limiting us to a shape of church that is familiar and known.”

“Tony Robbins, a leading coach and philanthropist,  encourages people in business during this present Winter of pandemic and other crises, to offer love, connection, community, hope, and thus find you will succeed. Success in ministry looks different to success in business – and Rise is living in both spheres, inviting our Christian spirituality to shape a different way of living to that of the world, and to shape a different way of doing business that is mutually encouraging more than competitive, that understands that for each of us to flourish means we all flourish.”

“This is what excites us as Rise Events and Sanctuary. That we are living from our hearts, our integrity, our commitment to God’s Way of Love, and it is meeting others in their stories with connection, community, and hope that sees each of us, all of us, flourishing.”

Rev Andrew Smith is the Presbytery Minister (Congregation Futures) for Canberra Region Presbytery. Rev. Smith said he was looking forward to continuing the relationship with Rise and the Canberra Region Presbytery.

For more information, visit Rise Events’ website, or their Facebook page.