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.

UPDATED APRIL 2, 2026

Services for the Three Days of Easter

Tonight, April 2, 2026, is our service of the Lord’s Supper for Maundy Thursday. The service will begin at 7:00 p.m. For those joining online, you can find a PDF of the bulletin containing the music, readings, and prayers for the service by clicking here.

On Good Friday, April 3, 2026, we will have services at 12:00 noon and again at 7:00 p.m. For those joining online, you can find a PDF of the bulletin containing the music, readings, and prayers for the service by clicking here.

Finally, next Sunday, April 5, 2026, is Easter Sunday. Our service will be at the usual time of 9:30 a.m. For those joining online, you can find a PDF of the bulletin containing the music, readings, and prayers for the service by clicking here.

On-site: Join us in the sanctuary for all of these services.

On-line: Join us live for all of these services (except the 7:00 p.m. Good Friday service) through our usual Epiphany Zoom connection. In addition, all services will be available on our YouTube channel both live and as a recording afterwards.

On Sunday, we will have a potlock breakfast time of fellowship immediately after the service, downstairs in the Fellowship Hall. Bring a dish to share if you are able - and don’t worry about it if you are not, come join us anyway!

Calendar of Events
Mon Apr. 6 - Fort Belvoir discussion group, 10:00 a.m. (12th St. Starbucks on post)
Tue Apr. 7 - Office/sanctuary drop-in hours, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Wed Apr. 8 - Bible Reading Group, 10:00 a.m. in person or on Zoom
Wed Apr. 8 - VIC meeting, 11:30 a.m., Aldersgate UMC
Wed Apr. 8 - Evening Faith discussion group, 6:30 p.m. (Beacon Center Panera Bread)

Tue Apr. 21 - Couples Workshop begins, 6:30 p.m.
Sat May 23 - Memorial service for Bonnie Jourdan, 1 p.m.
Mon July 13 - Vacation Bible School through July 17, 12-3 p.m.
Sat Sept. 12 - Epiphany 65th Anniversary Celebration, 11 a.m.

In Memoriam

Past Epiphany member Mary Korbel passed away on Tuesday morning, March 31, in Fredericksburg, at the age of 91. Services will take place in Minnesota next week. Please keep her daughter Kimberly and her family in your prayers. Mary’s obituary can be found by clicking here.

Vacation Bible School - Registration Is Open!

We’ll be holding Vacation Bible School again next summer the week of July 13-17, in partnership with Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in Burke. Registration is now open - please use this link. We also have flyers that will be available in church on Sunday - please distribute widely! Lots of parents are already making summer plans and we’d like everyone to know they are welcome at VBS!

All kids old enough to be out of diapers up through rising 6th graders are invited to participate. VBS runs from 12 noon to 3 p.m. each day Monday through Friday. There’s a recommended donation of $10/child or $20/family, but we don’t want finances to prevent anyone from taking part.

Epiphany 65th Anniversary Celebration

It was 65 years ago this month that the first services were held at the newly formed congregation of Epiphany Lutheran Church of Mount Vernon.  Since we didn’t missed out on a “proper” celebration of our 60th anniversary during the pandemic, we’ve decided to go all out for our 65th!  Please keep open the date of Saturday, September 12 for a very special celebration of our congregation, its history, and its call to continue to serve God and our community.  More details to come!

EWS Update

School resumes after spring break on Tuesday, April 6.

Discussion Groups

Our Fort Belvoir discussion group will continue on Monday, April 6. We meet alternate Mondays at the Starbucks on post (5976 12th Street) at 10:00 a.m. Our Wednesday evening faith discussion group will meet next on Wednesday, April 8. We meet alternate Wednesdays, usually at the Panera Bread at Beacon Center (6670 Richmond Highway) at 6:30 p.m.

These discussion groups are being held in “public” places to make it easier for people who aren’t connected with Epiphany to drop in and participate. If you know people who would like to learn more about our congregation, ask questions, or simply share in an open discussion about faith from a nonjudgmental perspective, please share the invitation to these groups widely!

Bible Reading Group

Our weekly Bible Reading Group meets at 10 a.m. on Zoom for an hour each week; everyone is welcome to participate. Use our regular Epiphany Zoom connection. Alternatively, please feel free to meet in the office and we’ll connect via Zoom with those who will be participating online.

Ventures in Community

Epiphany participates in Ventures in Community (VIC), which brings together faith communities and nonprofit organizations helping those in need in the community along the Richmond Highway corridor. Our next monthly meeting is this Wednesday, April 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Aldersgate UMC, 1301 Collingwood Road, Alexandria VA 22308 (use Door 7 in the parking lot off Collingwood Road).

Continuing our theme of honing the practical skills useful for faith-based advocacy, we'll be focusing on how to testify at public hearings on behalf of community issues. Mary Paden will give an update on an issue VIC has been advocating around for years now -- the new Kennedy Shelter at Beacon Hill -- which is up for a final Board of Supervisors hearing on April 14. She will help VIC members develop testimony for this hearing and, using this example, will show how these techniques can be used for advocacy on any issue.

Everyone in the community is welcome to participate in this session. A light lunch will be provided.

Drop-In Office Hours

The church office is open every Tuesday from 2-6 p.m. You can just drop by to check in, chat with Pastor David, or take some quiet time in the sanctuary.

Pastor David is also available at other times during the week … feel free to contact him by e-mail pastor@epiphanylutheran.org to set up a time.

ELCA and Synod News

In his Easter video message, Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry says that even though we consider ourselves to be an Easter church, we must remember that we are also a Lenten church, living in uncertainty, waiting and hoping for renewal. Curry reminds us that in the midst of that uncertainty comes God’s promise of reassurance and hope. Death does not have the final word.

“Yes, we are Easter people,” he said. “Even when the ground below us is shaking, we will not grow weary. We know that Jesus is our foundation. Christ is risen, and that truth strengthens us. It gives us courage to live, to hope, and to proclaim joy. Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!”

His video message can be viewed by clicking here.

In addition, our Metro DC Synod Bishop Phil Hirsch has an Easter video message, quoting the poet who wrote “Our world is both burning and blooming.” He went on, “We both see cherry blossoms and hear of heavy bombs, all on the same day,” holding both of these together in the knowledge that God’s love and resurrection life ultimately win out in the end. His video message can be found by clicking here.

Calendar of Commemorations

The ELCA remembers saints and reformers of many Christian traditions on specific days throughout the year. Upcoming commemorations include:

Albrecht Dürer, died 1528; Matthias Grünewald, died 1529; Lucas Cranach, died 1553; artists (Mon Apr. 6)

These great artists revealed through their work the mystery of salvation and the wonder of creation. Dürer's work reflected the apocalyptic spirit of his time. Though he remained a Roman Catholic, he was sympathetic to Martin Luther's reforming work. Grünewald's paintings are known for their dramatic forms, vivid colors, and depiction of light. Cranach's work includes many fine religious examples and several portraits of Martin Luther. Cranach was also widely known for his woodcuts.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, theologian, died 1945 (Thu Apr. 9)

Bonhoeffer was a German theologian who wrote profoundly, yet in an accessible manner. In the Second World War, he became a leader of the Confessing Church in Germany that resisted the Nazi movement. Linked to a plot to kill Hitler, he was hanged shortly before the end of the war.

Mikael Agricola, Bishop of Turku, died 1557 (Fri Apr. 10)

Consecrated bishop of Turku, Finland, without the approval of the pope, Agricola began a reform along Lutheran lines. In only three years, he translated the New Testament and worship texts into Finnish, in the process establishing the rules of Finnish writing that are still used today.

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. UC serves local residents in need during its open hours of Monday 1-4 and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10-12. Food is also distributed from 4-5 on the first Monday of each month at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School, 4015 Fielding Street. 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.

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.

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