Epiphany Lutheran Church is an ELCA congregation in historic Mount Vernon in Fairfax County, Virginia.
We are a welcoming and affirming Christian community that lives with a daring confidence in God’s gracious love for all people.
Come Worship with Us
In Person or Online
Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
UPDATED NOVEMBER 15, 2024
This Sunday’s Services
This Sunday, November 17, 2024, is the Twenty-Sixth Sunday After Pentecost. Our Sunday service will be at the usual time of 9:30 a.m.
On-site: Come join us in the sanctuary for the full service.
On-line: The service will also be livestreamed on our YouTube channel and also through our usual Epiphany Zoom connection. To join us on Zoom, just click on this link or follow the instructions below.
The readings are Daniel 12:1-3; Psalm 16; Hebrews 10:11-25; and Mark 13:1-8.
For those joining the service online, you can download a PDF copy of the bulletin (including music, readings, and prayers) by clicking here.
We will have a time of fellowship following the service, both in person and on Zoom. The Congregation Council will meet at 10:45 a.m.
Calendar of Events
Sun Nov. 17 - Congregational Council, 10:45 a.m.
Wed Nov. 20 - Bible Reading Group, 10:00 a.m. (on Zoom)
EWS Thanksgiving Food Drive
EWS has been collecting canned goods (canned fruit, vegetables, soup/no glass jars) or cash donations that we will turn into gift cards from Walmart and Target this past week. ELC members are invited to participate - you can bring anything you wish to donate to EWS during the week or to the service this Sunday.
ELCA Alternative Christmas Gift Programs
“ELCA Good Gifts” - make a donation to support ELCA worldwide ministries, including ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran Disaster Response, and more, for yourself or in honor of friends or loved ones. Receive a card that tells your loved one how their gift will be used to help people in need. Gifts are used directly through our ELCA partner congregations around the world, keeping administrative costs low. For more information, click here.
“Gifts of Hope” is a similar program operated locally by the Metro DC Synod. You can make a donation to a program vetted and approved by the synod in honor of a loved one and send them a card to let them know of the gift you made in their honor. For more information, click here. We also have some printed materials and cards that will be available after the service.
ELCA Metro DC Synod News
On September 12, our synod Bishop, Leila Ortiz, announced that she does not wish to be elected to another term as bishop (see her letter by clicking here). The Bishop Election and Transition Team created a survey to determine the current interests of the synod in electing the next bishop of the Metro D.C. Synod. The information gathered will help guide conference meetings, questions for candidate sessions, and potential candidates to discern their gifts in relation to the work ahead. No names or contact information are being requested. Please complete the survey as soon as possible and no later than Friday, December 20. To access the survey, click here.
Calendar of Commemorations
The ELCA remembers saints and reformers of many Christian traditions on specific days throughout the year. Upcoming commemorations include:
Elizabeth of Hungary, renewer of society, died 1231 (Sun Nov. 17)
Born in Hungary, Elizabeth was betrothed to the son of the Landgrave of Thuringia, and at age four was taken to be raised with him at the Wartburg Castle. Ten years later they were married. She was very generous to the poor, and after her husband's death she lived in cruel hardship until her own death at age twenty-four.
Clement, Bishop of Rome, died around 100 (Sat Nov. 23)
Clement was the third bishop of Rome. He is best remembered for a letter he wrote to the congregation in Corinth, still struggling with the same problems that led to Paul's letters to them. As did Paul, he focused on the need for love among Christians.
Miguel Agustín Pro, martyr, died 1927 (Sat Nov. 23)
Pro grew up in a time when the Mexican revolutionaries accused the church of siding with the wealthy. He became a Jesuit priest, and worked on behalf of the poor and homeless. Falsely accused of throwing a bomb at a government official, he was executed, but not before crying out "Long live Christ the King!"
Connection Details
You can join our services or other events on Zoom from anywhere in the world you may be. If you’ve never used Zoom before, you may need to download some software first (it’s free and only takes a minute).
To join, click on this link: https://zoom.us/j/2886238502?pwd=RU9ZZjk1TTdKREd5YmpBN1A2dWlsZz09
or open the Zoom app and use meeting number 288 623 8502 and password 971936;
or (for audio only) call (646) 558-8656 or (301) 715-8592 – When asked for the meeting ID, press 288 623 8502 and then the # key. When asked for the password, press 971 936 and then the # key.
In addition, the service is available on our YouTube channel. If you cannot participate live at 9:30 a.m., the videos will remain available so you can participate at whatever time you can.
United Community
United Community’s “Choice Food Pantry” is located at 7511 Fordson Road and continues to be open Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the food pantry, connecting with other available services (including rental and utilities assistance), or for how to volunteer with United Community, visit their web site here.
Food distribution also takes place at the Sacramento Neighborhood Center at 8792 Sacramento Drive #E (same shopping plaza as the former UC thrift store) at 12:00 noon on Fridays.
Connecting With Us
If anyone is sick or in the hospital or otherwise in need, we are ready to help out and to support one another. Please let us know! The easiest way to reach Pastor David quickly is by sending an e-mail to pastor@epiphanylutheran.org.
Financial Support for Epiphany
If you are not able to join us in-person for worship and are able to continue to support Epiphany, we regularly monitor mail deliveries and so you can continue to send checks by mail. In addition, there is a “Donate” button on the web site www.epiphanylutheran.org (just scroll all the way down to the bottom) and you can make a contribution electronically using Paypal or a debit or credit card. We do pay a small service charge for online contributions, but this may be the most convenient option for many.