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 OCTOBER 24, 2025
This Sunday, October 26, 2025, is Reformation Sunday and the Twentieth 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 Jeremiah 14:7-9, 19-22; Psalm 84:1-7; Romans 3:19-28; and Luke 18:9-14. The Romans reading is appointed every year for Reformation Sunday; the other readings are the regular consecutive Sunday lectionary readings but are nevertheless very appropriate for Reformation Sunday.
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.
Calendar of Events
Sun Oct. 26 - Reformation Sunday
Sun Oct. 26 - Sunday School, 10:45 a.m.
Tue Oct. 28 - Office and sanctuary drop-in hours, 2:00-6:00 p.m.
Wed Oct. 29 - Bible Reading Group, 10:00 a.m. on Zoom
Wed Oct. 29 - Reading Group, 6:30 p.m., Panera Bread (Beacon Center)
Thu Oct. 30 - Book Reading Group, 2:00 p.m., church office or Zoom
Fri Oct. 31 - EWS Halloween Parade, 9:15 a.m.
Sun Nov. 2 - All Saints Sunday
Mon Nov. 3 - Reading Group, 10:00 a.m. on Fort Belvoir
Sun Nov. 9 - Installation of Bishop Hirsch, 3:00 p.m., Washington DC (see below)
Sun Nov. 16 - Congregation Council, 10:45 a.m.
Special Services Next Two Sundays
Next Sunday, October 26, is Reformation Sunday. On the final Sunday of October, we celebrate our heritage as Lutheran Christians around the traditional starting date of the Reformation - Luther’s posting of the “95 Theses” on October 31, 1517. The color of the day is red!
On the following Sunday, November 2, we will mark All Saints Day. We will celebrate our unity with all the saints of every time and place, and especially those in our own circles who have died and whose physical presence we miss. If you cannot join us in person for the service but would like to name particular persons to be remembered specifically in this service, please let Pastor David know.
Hypothermia Shelter - Save the Dates!
Epiphany — along with many other congregations in our area — supports our regional hypothermia shelter each winter hosted by Rising Hope United Methodist Church. This supplemental shelter provides meals and a warm place to sleep for people experiencing homelessness along Richmond Highway.
Epiphany is scheduled to provide and serve the meals on four dates this winter: Wednesdays December 3 and 17, and Tuesdays February 3 and 17. We’ll need volunteers to take on some or all of these tasks: donate food to be prepared, cook at home, bring it to Rising Hope around 6:30 p.m., serve dinner and clean up from 7-9 p.m., and stay and visit with guests until lights-out at 11 p.m.
More information, sign-up opportunities, and an opportunity for a Zoom information and training session provided by Rising Hope, will be forthcoming soon.
Reading and Discussion Groups
Our evening faith discussion group will meet next on Wednesday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m. at the Panera Bread in the Beacon Center, 6670 Richmond Highway. The discussion article can be found by clicking here.
Our book reading group will meet next on Thursday, October 30, at 2:00 p.m. We’ll discuss Axioms 4 and 5 in Sternke & Tebbe, Having the Mind of Christ: Eight Axioms to Cultivate a Robust Faith, pages 68-102.
The next session of our Fort Belvoir faith discussion group will be on Monday, November 3, at 10:00 a.m. at the Starbucks at 5976 12th Street on Fort Belvoir. Our discussion article can be found by clicking here.
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.
EWS Update
EWS will host a book fair this week Wednesday-Friday October 29-31, and we’ll celebrate National Candy Corn Day on Thursday, October 30. And, best of all, our annual Halloween Parade will take place at 9:15 a.m. on Friday, October 31. Come see all of our students and staff in their Halloween costumes!
Metro DC Synod News
Our new synod bishop, Rev. Philip Hirsch, will be installed at bishop of the Metro DC Synod on Sunday, November 9, at 3:00 p.m. at the National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Ave. N.W., Washington, DC. Everyone is welcome. If you plan to attend in person, an RSVP is encouraged (click here to RSVP); in addition, a livestream will be available (click here to watch).
Calendar of Commemorations
The ELCA remembers saints and reformers of many Christian traditions on specific days throughout the year. Upcoming commemorations include:
Philipp Nicolai, died 1608; Johann Heermann, died 1647; Paul Gerhardt, died 1676; hymnwriters (Sun Oct. 26)
These great hymnwriters all worked in seventeenth-century Germany in times of war and plague. Nicolai, a pastor, lost 1,300 parishioners to plague, 170 in one week. He wrote "O Morning Star, how fair and bright" and "Wake, awake, for night is flying." Heermann's hymns, including "Ah, holy Jesus," often express the emotions of faith. Gerhardt, perhaps the greatest Lutheran hymnwriter, was a pastor in Berlin.
Simon and Jude, Apostles (Tue Oct. 28)
We know little about these apostles. Simon is listed as "the zealot" or Cananean in New Testament lists. Jude, also called Thaddeus, asked Jesus at the last supper why he had revealed himself to the disciples but not to the world.
Reformation Day (Fri Oct. 31)
By the end of the seventeenth century, many Lutheran churches celebrated a festival commemorating Martin Luther's posting of the Ninety-five Theses, a summary of abuses in the church of his time. At the heart of the reform movement was the gospel, the good news that it is by grace through faith that we are justified and set free.
All Saints Day (Sat Nov. 1)
The custom of commemorating all of the saints of the church on a single day goes back at least to the third century. All Saints Day celebrates the baptized people of God, living and dead, who make up the body of Christ. On this day or the following Sunday, many congregations will remember the faithful who have died during the past year.
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 65 households daily during its open hours of Monday 10-1, Tuesday 12-3, Wednesday 2-5, and Thursday 12-3. 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.