Please join us for this year’s first Community Supper and Rise Above It Kickoff!

This Friday, September 5th, is our first Community Supper of the year. It is for all ages and will be from 5:00 till 7:00 pm. (That’s earlier than previous Community Suppers.) There will be lots of time for visiting, and an informal, interactive sort of “pep rally” for the Rise Above It program.

You can come to the Community Supper regardless of whether you’ll do Rise Above It. And you can do the program without attending the supper.

Bring your family; bring a picnic; enjoying hanging out in the new Heilman Hall; and learn about and register for Rise Above It.

Food

Supper – Bring Your Own

For supper, bring your own food from home or get takeout from a local restaurant. We will NOT be offering boxed meals at this event.

We Will Provide Some Basics

The church will provide coffee, tea, water, and dry goods.

Potluck Dessert

If you’re able to, please bring a dessert to share (it doesn’t have to be homemade). The church will provide some cookies and things.

Schedule for the Evening

5:00 pm – Doors open

5:30 pm – Welcome, blessing, eating supper

6:00 pm – Kid-friendly, Interactive Presentation on the Ten Commandments

6:20 pm – Freeze Pops for Kids Outside While Adults Hear About Rise Above It logistics

6:30 pm – Time to Register for Rise Above It and/or just hang out

7:00 pm – End of the evening

Childcare & Playing Outside

The church is not providing childcare for this event. Your kids are your responsibility for the whole evening.

Children of all ages are allowed in Heilman Hall, Heilman Hall lobby, the patio outside Heilman Hall, and on some of the playgrounds outside BACS. We would rather children not play on the playground closest to Tomlinson Rd. because of how far it is from Heilman Hall. Nobody is allowed to be in the gyms during this event.

Please bring frisbees, basketballs, footballs, wiffle balls, etc. for your kids to play with. They may only be played with outside.

We will have a few staff members outside during the freeze pops and Rise Above It logistics time in hopes that more of the adults will be able to stay inside for that portion of the event.

RISE ABOVE IT FAQ

What is Rise Above It?

Rise Above It is a book, a seminar and, most importantly, a way of life. It was created by Ray and Star Silverman as a course in 1989 and published as a book in 2000. Over the past twenty years, Rise Above It has been taught in a variety of settings (college campuses, prisons, religious centers, and homes) across America and in several countries around the world. This course combines spiritual principles with the latest research in the field of marriage education—all within the faith-based framework of the Ten Commandments.

How Will the Program Be Structured?

This year’s program will be run differently from previous Rise Above It programs.

– There will be 2-hour seminars, once a month, from September 2025 through June 2026.

– These seminars will be on the 2nd Wednesday of the month in Heilman Hall with Ray & Star.

– There will be a total of 10 sessions.

What Will Happen at the Seminars?

– Class begins promptly at 7:00 pm
– Welcome and warm-up exercises
– Brief review of the commandment followed by Group Sharing
– Break (10 minutes)
– Class resumes after the break.
– Introduction of the next commandment
– Exercises and group work
– Class ends promptly at 9:00 pm

How Will Groups Work?

During the seminars, people will share with each other at tables. Some people will do this with a pre-established group of people; others will do this with whomever they happen to sit near at a given seminar. You can let us know on the registration form whether you already have a group, would like to join a consistent group, or would share with different people each time you attend a seminar.

You will also have the option to meet with your group members midway through the month for discussion, inspiration, and community building.

Costs

What does it cost to register for Rise Above It?

– $125 for an individual
– $200 for a couple
– $50 for seniors
– Free for students (including college students)
– Free for anyone who signs up to be a facilitator

If you can’t afford that cost, we still want you to attend the program, and we are happy for you to pay what you can, when you can.

What do I get for the cost of registration?

– 10 seminars (20 hours of first-class instruction and facilitation) led by Ray and Star Silverman
– Some snacks and surprises throughout the year
– Access to video recordings of the seminars (in case you miss one of them)

Are books included in the registration cost?
No, because many people already have a book. You can buy a book for the discounted price of $10 at the event on Sept. 5th or Sept. 10th.

What if I want to donate more?
We’re so glad you asked. 🙂 There is a spot on the registration form where you can donate to support the program, if you have the financial ability to do so. As you would expect, putting on a program like this comes with many costs, and donations help to offset those costs.

What if I can’t commit yet to the whole year?

It’s tricky to sign up for a whole year when you don’t know what your year will hold. Please still register so that we can be prepared for you with a name tag, materials, and a chair for you.

If you miss any sessions, you’ll be able to watch the videos and we think that you’ll be so enriched that you’ll want to make it to as many as you can in person.

It is also just fine for you to start the program later in the year. It will be a bummer to have missed some of the sessions, but you can join in whenever it fits into your life.

Can my children come to the seminars? Will you provide childcare?

Your children are invited if they are in 9th grade or older.

We are not providing childcare, but we are happy to contribute $25 each month toward babysitting costs; please let us know if you would like help with that.

Will the seminars be live streamed?

The seminars will not be live streamed, but they will be recorded.

A rough cut version of the recordings will be made available to people registered for the program, within about a week of when the seminar happens. These recordings will only include the presentation sections from Ray and Star; they will not include things like people’s personal testimony. You’ll need to come in person to experience those.

How do I register? How do I pay?

You can fill out the online registration form or you can fill out a paper registration form at the Community Supper.

You can pay with credit card or a check made payable to “Bryn Athyn Church”.

Register for Rise Above It

What if I have other questions?

Come to the Community Supper and we’ll answer all your questions in person. You can also read more on the Rise Above It page on our website, or email or call Nina – nina.dewees@brynathynchurch.org or 215-544-1413.