Per the Governor’s orders, we are fasting from public worship through 10 June.
Meanwhile, we will keep worshiping, praying, and connecting online. See the
COVID-19 page
on our website for the latest details
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Please join us for our
e-service
on Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m.
A Zoom or Facebook account is not required to view the service.
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High School Youth Group is at 1:00 p.m.
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Middle School Youth Group at 6:30 p.m.
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Children Formation Lessons will go out Sunday at 9:55 a.m. From 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., children will have the opportunity to Zoom together in age groups. For more information please
click here
.
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"I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches
hidden in secret places, so that you may know that it is I,
the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name." Isaiah 45:3
There are moments that feel like bleak darkness in this time of pandemic. If I spend too much time reading the news, gloom threatens. When I hear of friends or cousins who have contracted COVID-19, murkiness increases. When I talk with health care professionals and see the stress on their faces or hear it in their voices, clouds gather. Circumstances nearly every day take me to the valley of shadows.
In that valley, in those times when shadows loom, God gives us the treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret places. This time of sheltering at home can offer us a training ground for learning to see those treasures.
After six weeks at home, some of us are going a bit stir crazy. Some of us are longing for stimulation beyond the four walls of our houses. If your house is anything like mine, though, it is full of treasures. Some of them are literally in darkness, hidden away in closets and basements and attics. Some are hidden in plain view because, even though they are right there, we just don't notice them anymore. We can train ourselves to see God's treasures in darkness by seeing the treasures right before our eyes in our own homes.
A way to do it is to choose one item in your home before each meal. It might be something you haven't seen in a while, even if it's always visible. Or you might go to one of those dark corners and take out something that has been hidden away for some time. During the meal, tell the story of how it came to be in your home, of the people and places you remember when you see it, and of why you've kept it all these years. The real treasures are often not the things themselves, but the relationships and experiences that they help us recall.
By training our eyes and hearts and minds to notice the treasures in our homes, maybe we can begin to see the deeper wonders that God provides even in the shadows, even in the darkness. Because God is at work in the darkness showing us light, leading us to hope, and blessing us with unexpected wonders.
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If you’d like an opportunity for further reflection on this past week’s scripture readings,
the Rev. Dr. Mary Brennan Thorpe's,
homily from the 3rd Sunday of Easter is available
here
.
Rev. Dr. Mary Brennan Thorpe serves as the
Canon to the Ordinary.
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Presiding Bishop Announces Weekly Meditations Amid COVID-19 Crisis
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Presiding Bishop Curry, in response to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, invites you to join him each week to take a moment to cultivate a ‘habit of grace.’ New meditations will be posted
here
on Mondays through May.
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While churches and other places of worship across the country are encouraging congregants to social distance, there are many ways to continue to place faith at the center of our lives.
Here
are some ways to enhance your spiritual journey at home as suggested by the Washington National Cathedral.
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Worship Opportunities to Go Deeper
Our regular corporate worship opportunities have been suspended until further notice. But there are still lots of ways you can worship God in all kinds of different places. Here are some suggestions of resources that might help.
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St. Phoebe's Virtual Chapel i
s a great resource to explore with musical resources, sermons and reflections, and digital opportunities to pray the Daily Office.
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This Sunday, livestream the worship service from the National Cathedral at 11:15 am -
more info here.
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VIRTUAL CENTERING PRAYER SUPPORT GROUP
TUESDAYS AT 6:00 P.M.
LOG INTO ZOOM AT 6:00 P.M. AND SIT IN THE SILENCE OF GOD'S PRESENCE -
more info here.
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CARES Act Charitable Giving Incentives
We recognize the challenges faced by many in our congregation as we work through this period of economic uncertainty and are grateful for your continued support.
Additionally, we wanted to update you on charitable giving as part of the recent government stimulus package. The CARES Act, signed into law on March 27, 2020, includes several provisions that address charitable giving for this year:
- New charitable deduction for taxpayers who do not itemize. Beginning in 2020, individuals can deduct $300 in charitable contributions from their gross income even if they do not itemize their deductions. Donations must be made in cash to a charity. Gifts of appreciated securities, and gifts to a donor advised fund or supporting organization, do not qualify.
- No cap on charitable deductions for taxpayers who do itemize. Donors who itemize their deductions can usually deduct cash contributions up to 60% of their adjusted gross income. For 2020, that cap is lifted, and donors contributing cash to charity may deduct up to 100% of their income. Again, this is only for gifts of cash, and only for gifts made directly to charity (not to donor-advised funds or supporting organizations).
We suggest that you discuss this and any tax-related matter with your tax professional.
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We ask that during this time you please continue to make an effort to contribute to the Church as you normally would. Although we are not having in-person services, the work of our parish, staff, and clergy continues.
Fulfilling our mission and our vision to be an enduring beacon of faith, hope, and love is crucial during these days
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There are 3 easy ways to give to the church:
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We are still checking the mail and depositing checks!
Please mail your check to:
115 E. Fairfax Street
Falls Church, VA 22046
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Donate safely and securely through our
website
.
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Looking to join a small group for fellowship and connection?
Click here
to complete an interest survey and e-mail
Casie Disantis
with questions.
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THURSDAY MORNING FELLOWSHIP GROUP VIA ZOOM!
The Men’s Monthly Bible Study has morphed into a weekly fellowship group gathering via Zoom on Thursday mornings at 8:30 am. This group is open to all, men and women, we are gender inclusive! Go to
Realm
for more information or contact Cleve Johnson. Hope you’ll join the group!
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Have you joined Realm yet?
If not, now is the time! During this time of social and physical distancing, it’s so important to stay connected to each other. The Falls Church Episcopal is using
Realm
as the main tool for clergy, staff, and YOU to stay connected. You can also use Realm to easily set up e-giving, safely and securely. If you haven’t yet set up your profile and would like to, please email Casie Disantis,
[email protected]
.
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PASTORAL CARE EMERGENCY NUMBER: 703-585-4410
Leave a message and the priest on call will respond to pastoral emergencies
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Parish Prayer List: Prayers & Transitions
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Please use the Prayer List below in your prayers for each other and the world. Praying for each other and the needs of the world is a powerful way to love our neighbors as ourselves!
CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK’S PRAYER LIST.
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D’O Dillard Called to Serve as Parish Administrator
Interim Rector Andy Anderson is pleased to announce that he has called D’Oniece Shaw Dillard (D’O) to serve as our Parish Administrator beginning May 1. This position has been vacant since September and is a crucial spoke in the wheel of our staff’s efficient functioning. The Vestry’s Personnel Committee affirmed the call after joining Andy and a small group of the staff in the interview process. For the month of May, D’O will be part-time as she gets familiar with our people, processes, programs and ministries. The staff has filled the gap over the last eight months and we owe them all our heartfelt gratitude, especially Casie Disantis who stepped in to manage our
realm
membership platform among the many other things she does for God’s mission here.
D’O (pronounced D-O with a long “O”) joins TFCE after 10 years as the Church Administrator at the First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, DC. In that capacity she had oversight of Human Resources, Communications, Budgets, Board Support, and Building Use. Her administrative experience also includes three years at Washington National Cathedral, most of it at the Cathedral College.
A New York City native, D’O earned a BA in History from Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY and an MA in Communication (with a minor in non-profit management) from Trinity University Washington (formerly known as Trinity College). She also completed the four-year Education for Ministry (EFM) course of study through Sewanee. Her interests include travel, theater, baseball, jigsaw and word puzzles, and music (jazz, r&b, classical, and opera). She has been in one book club or another since 1992.
D’O lives in the District. She currently serves as Senior Warden at the Church of the Epiphany in downtown D.C. where she’s been a member for more than 30 years. She is also the Head Teller for the Diocese of Washington’s Annual Convention.
D’O writes, “I am thrilled to join the TFCE family. I look forward to working with Andy, Associate Rector Kelly, the lay staff, and volunteers, and getting to know the members, neighborhood, and diocese. I see my role as one of a servant leader, and I take seriously the exhortation in Micah 6 to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God.”
Andy says, “Along with an energetic, hospitable, caring personality, D’O brings a depth and breadth of experience in parish administration and marketing to us. Her long-time experience and leadership in the Episcopal Church is an extraordinary gift to us bringing a wider and insightful perspective to our life together. She begins part-time in May and will transition to full-time in June. Please join me in welcoming D’O to our parish family at The Falls Church Episcopal. And please join me in thanking the staff and Kelly for their work to fill in the gaps and do some heavy lifting during our time without a parish administrator.
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During these difficult times, it's uplifting to hear stories about parishioners taking action to improve the lives of people in this community, this nation, and the world. Every week, we'd like to highlight these stories in a new section entitled "Stories of Hope."
Click here
to visit the Stories of Hope web page and please e-mail
Andy
,
Kelly
,
or
Casie
with stories that you'd like to share with the congregation.
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Story of Hope: Virginia Tech Face Masks to Help Local Food Banks!
Patty Heenan has started making masks out of Virginia Tech fabric to raise funds for local food banks. The masks are 100% double cotton with a coffee filter in between the layers for extra filtering. Patty is asking for any donation that a person would like to give.
More here...
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Story of Hope: The Jester Family is leading the charge to help hungry families in need!
Jeremy and Allison Jester, members of The Falls Church Episcopal, are helping the Timberlane Elementary School PTA raise funds to purchase grocery store gift cards to distribute to families in need while schools are closed
.
More here...
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Story of Hope: Feathery Houseguests During Covid-19!
Who knew that Danielle Rampton and her family were accepting houseguests during this time of shelter-inplace? Well, this mama bird didn’t exactly reserve a room but made herself and her eggs right at home! Danielle and her family noticed birds hanging out in the overhang and then to their surprise noticed a nest being built within two days! Within three days there was 1 egg and a few days later there were 3…and now they are up to 5 eggs!
More here...
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Take the Search Committee Survey!
We hope that you are well, staying safe, and taking care of yourselves these days. We have crafted a survey, which we hope you and your family members will complete. It should take about 20 minutes (unless you know you like to spend more time), and each family member can submit their own responses. Please stay well, and stay connected. Follow this link to the survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TFCErectorsearch
.
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Yoga on Zoom.
Parishioner and trained yoga instructor Louise
Liebeskind
is offering free yoga sessions over Zoom each
Saturday at 4:00 pm
.
It could be your first attempt or you could be a long time yogi…just join us as we pray with our bodies. To join her,
click this link
Saturday just before 4:00 pm.
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Are you looking for ways to help or donate during COVID 19?
Please check out our new resource pages on the website. See our
Outreach Opportunities page
for information about how to support organizations that partner with The Falls Church Episcopal. AND check out our new
Community
Opportunities page
for information from members of the congregation about how to help and support people locally. If you would like to add something to the Community page please email
Casie Disantis
.
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Make Sandwiches for Unsheltered Homeless People
New Hope Housing is opening up a drop-in program for unsheltered homeless people, adding to the numbers of individuals being fed each day. They need bag lunches for this program, and
this flyer
provides information on how individual families can prepare sandwiches and/or full bag lunches at home, then drop them off to be handed out at the shelter. Please consider participating in this effort and spreading the word
.
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How To Help Those In Financial Need
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Many are concerned about the financially insecure in our area - children who depend on meals at schools, wage workers whose hours are being cut, among others. Our ministry partner, Northern Virginia Family Services, has put out a
call for donations
that can be made through their website. Alternatively, necessary items like food, diapers, and cleaning supplies can be purchased on their
Amazon Wish List
and shipped directly to their offices.
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