Highlights of this issue include:
- Drive-Through Live Nativity Tonight at 6 p.m.
- Final Adult Formation Session December 20: Sacred Art and Advent
- A Service of Lessons and Carols Sunday, December 20
- A Word from Andy+
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The Fourth Sunday of Advent
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Please join us for our digital, live-streamed worship service of Spiritual Communion on YouTube, Sunday at 9:00 a.m.
If you cannot join us for the live streaming at 9:00, you may watch the service on your own schedule. If you are not watching live, fast forward through the first five minutes to the start of the service.
To get notifications of our services and other posts to our YouTube channel, go to our page and click the red Subscribe button.
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Coffee Hour with Adult Formation beginning at 10:00 a.m.
During Advent, Sarah Liberatore is helping us examine a few works from religious subjects leading up to this season - the Annunciation, Visitation, and the Nativity. We will learn when and why these subjects first appeared, and what the art tells us about the culture of the time. This Sunday the third and final session will focus on the Nativity, including works by Duccio, Christus, Botticelli, Murillo and Tanner, among others. Shown, The Holy Family, Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1909-1910.Click here to join Coffee Hour/Formation.
Sarah Liberatore teaches art history full-time at NVCC, Alexandria campus; she has given previous lectures at The Falls Church on Angels in Art, and Early Christian Art. Prior to teaching at NVCC, she was an adjunct at GMU, and MCC, Rockville. Sarah also spent many years as a regional rep for Christie's Fine Art Auctioneers (DC office), and was a decorative arts appraiser at Sloan's Auctioneers, Rockville, MD.
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A Service of Lessons and Carols Sunday at 5:00 p.m.
Don't miss our annual service of seven lessons and festive carols, led by our youth choir, combined adult choirs, as well as small ensembles, featuring music by
J. S. Bach, G. P. Telemann, Martin How, Malcom Archer, and more!
Access this recorded service on our YouTube channel; we will send a direct link
to the service when it's available.
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Sunday, December 20 - Saturday, December 26
Sunday, December 20:
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9:00 am – Live-streamed Service of the Word and Spiritual Communion (www.thefallschurch.org/e-services)
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9:45 a.m. – Children's Formation (contact Lauren for more information)
- 10:00 a.m. – Coffee Hour with Adult Formation (click here to join)
- 1:00 p.m. – High School Zoom (Email John for link)
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2:00 p.m. – Middle School Zoom (Email John for link)
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5:00 p.m. – Lessons and Carols (view service here)
Monday, December 21:
Tuesday, December 22:
Thursday, December 24: Christmas Eve
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7:30 a.m. – Morning Prayer (www.facebook.com/thefallschurch)
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5:00 p.m. – In-person Christmas Eve service
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6:00 p.m. – In-person Christmas Eve service
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6:00 p.m. – Festal Christmas Eve Worship Service (recorded in the Historic Church, click here to view)
- 7:00 p.m. – In-person Christmas Eve service
Friday, December 25: Christmas Day
- 11:00 a.m. – In-person Christmas service
- 3:00 p.m. – TFCE Family Christmas Fellowship Zoom (join here)
Saturday, December 26:
- 10:00 a.m. – Foyer Group led by Christine Cordes (join here)
- 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. – Historic Church open for quiet prayer
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T his week's Youth Forum activity is available here
Youth Groups are once again meeting via Zoom. If you would like to make sure your youth are registered for youth groups, or to get the link for this Sunday's meetings (high school at 1:00 p.m.; middle school at 2:00 p.m.) please contact John Wunderlich at jwunderlich@thefallschurch.org
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Children's Formation Classes This Sunday Continue To Explore The Mystery of Christmas!
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Advent Preparations for Christmas
In this holy Advent season of waiting, hoping, and expecting, we prepare for Christmas, our celebration of Christ’s Advent 2000 years ago even as we look for his coming again. The Feast of the Nativity looms just one week ahead. I realize most preparations for however we will observe Christmas in this unusual and challenging year are perhaps in full gear. So, with one week to go, can we pause and think about just what are we hoping for? For what do we wait? And how are we preparing for these deep things upon our hearts and minds?
Before we embrace the beautiful story of the babe lying in a manger; the tales of those high and low, shepherds and kings, seeking this child whose birth is heralded with great joy, may we consider “the why” of it all. The hope, expectations, and preparations for our lives and especially for this world in this season, find their meaning in Advent’s main message: God’s reign, God’s kingdom, is coming into this world. The One who created the sun and the moon and the other stars and in whom we live and move and have our being has always wanted the creation to reflect the holy purposes of what we call the Kingdom of God. MORE
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TFCE Christmas Ornaments Available
Be sure to get the perfect addition to your Christmas tree as well as buy the perfect gift for friends or family! There are a limited number of these beautiful brass Christmas ornaments celebrating The Falls Church Episcopal’s 250th Anniversary available for a suggested donation of $5.00 each. If you wish to reserve an ornament, email Barb Mantegani or Nancy Councilor to make arrangements for pick up. All proceeds benefit Outreach programs at TFCE.
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TFCE Nave Open for Private Prayer Saturdays
The Historic Church is open for silent prayer each Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We ask everyone to 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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Parish Prayer List: Prayers & Transitions
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Please use the Prayer List 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! THIS WEEK’S PRAYER LIST
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Invite - Welcome - Connect at The Falls Church Episcopal:
Newcomers' Class Starts Sunday, January 10th
Are you new to The Falls Church Episcopal and interested in learning more? We invite you to join us on Sunday, January 10, 17 and 24 for our winter Newcomers' Class. You'll meet with our clergy, vestry members and staff to learn more about the history of the Episcopal church, the history of TFCE, and how to get connected to a group or ministry. For more information or to register, contact Parish Administrator D'O Dillard
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Silent Witness Against Racial Injustice, Saturday, December 19 Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Members and friends of The Falls Church Episcopal are invited to join Falls Church Presbyterian Church for the next Silent Witness protest on Broad Street. Participants are asked to wear masks and maintain social distancing. Protests are held on alternate Saturdays, rain or shine.
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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 Ft. Belvoir.. Please see the attached flyer and contact Sami Smyth at 703-799-2293 x11 or ssmyth@newhopehousing.org 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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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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Are you shopping more online these days? If you’re buying more items 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
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Weekly meditations by our Bishops. This week's mediation is by Bishop Jennifer: Rejoice
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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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