Highlights of this issue include:
- Newcomers' Welcome on Zoom Thursday, August 6th
- In-Person Outdoor Evening Prayer begins Tuesday, August 11th
- TFCE Open for Silent Prayer Thursdays & Saturdays
- St. Michael's Arlington offering EfM Class this Fall
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Tenth Sunday after Pentecost |
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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.
If you are missing a sense of community while participating in our online worship, we invite you to try out the Facebook Watch Party for our Sunday Services. The Watch Party can be found on our Facebook Page on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. (though folks begin gathering and chatting around 9:50 a.m.). There you can watch the service with others in real time, greet each other and exchange the Peace, and know that though we are in different places, the Body of Christ continues to gather as The Falls Church Episcopal.
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During the summer season, we will continue to gather for an informal digital coffee hour. We'll have gathering time as a large group, and then split up into smaller groups for conversations on where we saw God this past week, and how we are cultivating practices of sabbath rest and renewal during these strange times. Join us on Zoom at 11am.
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Sunday, August 9 - Saturday, August 15
Sunday, August 9:
Monday, August 10:
Tuesday, August 11:
Wednesday, August 12:
Thursday, August 13:
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7:30 am – Morning Prayer (www.facebook.com/thefallschurch)
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8:30 am – Thursday Morning Fellowship (email Cleve for more information)
- 11:00 am – 1:00 pm – Main Sanctuary open for quiet prayer
Friday, August 14:
- 5:00 pm – Silent Witness for Racial Injustice, on Broad Street outside TFCE
Saturday, August 15:
- 9:00 – 11:00 am – Historic Church open for quiet prayer
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The youth forum activity is on hiatus this week.
Our Youth Groups meet again on Sunday, August 16th.
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We are taking a break from Children's Formation Lessons for the summer to have time to pray, plan and begin implementing programming for the Fall. |
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Taking Steps Toward Regathering
Dear Falls Church Family: It is hard to believe that Tippy’s and my grandson Jack just turned one-year old! We are amazed watching him grow from a baby into a toddler. We love cheering him on and playing a supporting part of his development. And like many parents and grandparents, we have been watching his move towards walking. A few months ago, he was pulling up and hanging on to furniture, moving around upright. And so, at about 11 months old we started encouraging him to take one or two “baby” steps…arms held out by one of us while he pulled up on one of his parents’ arms. Released, he would surge forward one step, maybe two, and then promptly and carefully sit down, and then start to crawl as fast as lightening across the room! We wondered anxiously when he would start walking. Closer to his one-year birthday, he started taking 2-3 steps, then 4! Always, though, with much encouraging and cheering on as he let go of one parent’s hands and leaned forward and made it the short distance to the other outstretched arms. It took our support and encouragement and patience.
But, the week after his birthday, he suddenly began taking six or seven steps on his own. He’s not walking around the house untethered yet (actually with a bit of relief) but he has gradually started walking. And as time goes by at his own pace of development, he will stop crawling and fully walk.
And so, my friends, we are taking gradual, perhaps we might call them “baby” steps toward our regathering as the church and in the church. The Pandemic makes it incumbent upon us to be careful, slow, and prudent. I am grateful for the Re-Gathering Task Forces and their prudence and wisdom in guiding us, releasing us to go a step or two forward. And so, we have opened our sacred spaces for personal prayer twice a week. If there is a desire, we could extend that to three times a week. MORE
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TFCE Naves Open for Private Prayer Thursdays & Saturdays
The Historic Church is open for silent prayer each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Main Sanctuary is open on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. We ask everyone to maintain six feet distance, wear a mask, and use hand sanitizer when entering and leaving the sanctuary. Please click here for rules and expectations. Questions? |
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Flowers on the Altar: An Episcopal Tradition Worshiping in the Beauty of Holiness
In the Episcopal Church, we seek to worship “in the beauty of holiness,” through our senses by perceiving beauty in many forms, especially with flowers from creation placed on the altar. This also provides a way for parishioners to participate in our worship ministries by arranging flowers and by offering dedications, usually in memory of or in honor of someone. Now that we are recording more and more of our services in the church, flowers have been placed on the altar. Recently, the flowers were given to the Glory of God and in honor of parishioner Jim Councilor who has served tirelessly in our building and grounds ministry and for the past seven months has led this ministry as our Interim Building and Grounds Supervisor. And we have offered the flowers to God’s glory and in loving memory of parishioners, family and friends who have died of COVID-19. Look for information in later E-News editions on how you can get involved!
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TFCE Shares Stories of Hope |
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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. Click here to visit the Stories of Hope web page. E-mail Andy, Kelly, or Casie with stories that you'd like to share.
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In-Person Evening Prayer on Tuesday |
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Tuesday Outdoor Evening Prayer beginning August 11 at 6 p.m. In lieu of Centering Prayer, join Father Andy+ on the South Lawn of the Historic Church for in-person Evening Prayer. Please read here for important information regarding the service.
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St. Michael’s Arlington opens Fall EfM Class to TFCE
Education for Ministry (EfM) is a premier lay theological education class offered through The University of the South at Sewanee. This four-year class provides a solid understanding and grounding in scripture, history, and the theology of the church through small group learning. If there is interest, we could also begin an evening EfM class here at The Falls Church Episcopal for those who can’t take the morning class at St. Michael’s. Please e-mail Casie Disantis if you are interested in a Falls Church evening EfM class! For information about EfM and registration for the St. Michael’s class, click here
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New to The Falls Church Episcopal? We are hosting a quick Welcome to The Falls Church Episcopal Zoom call today, Thursday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m. During this call you can meet Andy and Kelly, ask questions about TFCE, and get to know us better. We will have a more formal class in the fall to welcome newcomers, but for now we hope you can pop in and say “hello”.To attend, click here. To ask questions or learn more, email Casie Disantis at [email protected]. If you're new, click here to connect with us! |
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LGBTQ+ Virtual Retreat on Saturday, August 22 The Diocese is hosting its first-ever LGBTQ+ Diocesan Retreat. The keynote speaker will be the Rev. Elizabeth Edman, Episcopal priest and author of Queer Virtue: What LGBTQ People Know About Life and Love and How It Can Revitalize Christianity and will focus on an introduction to Queer Theology. The program of prayer, conversation, and reflection will run from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm, with a time for virtual lunch and sharing until about 2:00 pm. It's a chance to gather and share your whole self with God and the Church without pretenses, start new friendships with people across our Diocese, deepen existing relationships, be at peace in the presence of God and your fellow siblings. Register here. Questions? Contact [email protected].
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Thursday Morning Fellowship 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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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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Are you doing any online shopping these days? If you’re buying more things from Amazon, please consider adding The Falls Church Episcopal to your AmazonSmile account. With every purchase you make, the church earns a small percentage. Simply click here to add us to your account!
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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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Text “TFCE” and the amount to 73256.
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Silent Witness Against Racial Injustice
Friday, August 14th,
5-6 p.m.
Members and friends of The Falls Church Episcopal are invited to join Falls Church Presbyterian
Church for the next Silent Witness protest. Participants are asked to wear masks and maintain social distancing. The protests are held every other Friday,rain or shine.
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Our ministry partners at FCS have seen a significant increase in their requests for grocery drop-offs at people’s homes. They are looking for drivers to pick-up groceries from their food bank and no-contact drop them off at people’s doors. If you are interested, please email [email protected]
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Make sandwiches for those in need
Make sandwiches or bag lunches for drop-off at the Bailey's Crossroads
Shelter or New Hope Housing's Eleanor Kennedy Shelter near Fort Belvoir. Please see the attached flyer and contact Sami Smyth at 703-799-2293 x11 or [email protected] for more information.
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The Little Free Food Pantry
On Fairfax Street near the church’s Thrift Shop is a small “take some food, leave some food” pantry (like the “little libraries” where people can take or leave a book). We are definitely seeing people use that pantry to supplement their groceries, and you can drop off non-perishable food items there at any time.
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Our regular corporate worship opportunities have been suspended until further notice. But there are still lots of ways you can worship or reflect on God. Here are some suggestions of resources that might help. |
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Weekly meditations by our Bishops. This week's mediation is by Bishop Susan: The Color Wheel
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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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Here are some ways to enhance your spiritual journey at home as suggested by the Washington National Cathedral.
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