Third Sunday after the Epiphany

What does it mean to be a member of The Falls Church?

As we approach our annual meeting (January 29, 11:00 a.m.) we are required to examine our membership rolls and identify those who are “communicants in good standing” who can cast their vote at the annual meeting.

Membership of The Falls Church falls into multiple categories:

Member - All persons who have received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, whether in The Episcopal Church or in another Christian church, and whose baptisms have been duly recorded in the Register of the Parish.

Adult Member - Any baptized or confirmed member who is aged 16 and above.

Confirmed Member - Any Baptized Member who has received the laying on of hands by a bishop of The Episcopal Church in Confirmation is to be considered both baptized and confirmed. Any member who is both baptized and has made a mature adult commitment to the Christian faith in another tradition and been Received into The Episcopal Church, is to be considered as both baptized and confirmed.

Communicant Members—All members who have received Holy Communion in the Church at least three times during the preceding year are to be considered Communicant Members.

Communicant Members in Good Standing - All A) adult members; who B) are Communicant Members and who, for the previous year, have been faithful in corporate worship unless for good cause prevented; and C) have been faithful in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God are to be considered Communicants in good standing. Only Communicant Members in Good Standing are allowed to vote at the annual meeting.

In the summer of 2022, I embarked on the challenge of reconciling our paper membership forms with our digital records on Realm, as well as asking members to update their details with a Realm update form. Many members engaged in this process, and I am very thankful, but there are still many gaps. Thanks to some wonderful volunteers, we are half-way there with our full review of ALL membership forms since the return to the property in 2012.

Accurate membership records are crucial for a parish and our life together. They determine who can vote at the annual meeting, who can stand for vestry, who may serve as lay eucharist ministers, the size of our delegation to diocesan annual convention, only to name a few.

So let this be your reminder to either fill out a Realm update form if you are a member, or if you have never filled out a paper membership form for The Falls Church, to please fill one out to ensure your membership is accurately recorded.

If you are new to The Falls Church, THIS SUNDAY our new three-part workshop ‘Under the Fig Tree’ begins, designed to help newcomers make their place at The Falls Church. Further details on this can be found further down this newsletter.

Ellie Bangay

Director of Communication and Digital Ministries

Vestry Nominees

Nominations for the upcoming vestry elections at our annual meeting on January 29 have been announced. The four candidates are Heather Ashby, Matthew Harrington, Kofi McCleary, and Dave Scharre. You can view the bios of the nominees here.

Can you spare 10 minutes at noon on a Tuesday to help us count our weekly offering?

In the interests of transparency we are returning to our pre-COVID practice of asking a member of the church to join a member of staff in counting out weekly offering(s). This takes just 10 minutes and everything you need to know will be taught there and then. If you are able to support in this simple way please sign up for one of the Tuesdays on the SignUpGenius. Any questions please email Ellie.

Coffee Hour Contributions

The Coffee Hour team is in need of food donations to supplement the weekly offerings. Please consider bringing a sweet or savory item to church with you on Sunday morning to be served. Dishes can be dropped off in the kitchen prior to the service. Please, no nuts.

If you plan to bring something to share, please email Dave Schranck.

Women's History Walk

Notice anything new on campus? These 20 signs of the Falls Church Women’s History Walk were installed for The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to honor the legacy of woman of Falls Church, mostly women of color, who have made significant contributions to the history of the area. We encourage you to walk the churchyard to learn more about these important women.

Are you considering whether The Falls Church is the right place for you to make a spiritual home? Are you curious about what it means to make your place here, or in any spiritual home? Would you like to learn more about what The Falls Church has to offer and what you might bring into this community?

If your answer to any of these questions is “Yes!” (or even a qualified “maybe”), we invite you to join the first session of a three-part workshop that will help introduce newcomers to one another, to this spiritual community, and to the Episcopal church. We’ll journey together and learn from each other in a safe and inclusive dialogue designed to foster spiritual exploration and identify practical ways to become more involved.

The workshop will be facilitated by Fr. Burl and parishioner Kim McCleary. The first session begins on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023, from 4:00-5:30 p.m. Part 1 focuses on establishing relationships and will be an important foundation for the other two sessions. We ask that anyone considering participating in the workshop series attend this first session. If you are interested but can’t attend on Jan. 22, please mark your calendars for the next series that begins on April 16.

Please register to attend by emailing Ellie. Need more information to determine whether this workshop is a good fit for you? Please email Fr. Burl or Kim McCleary.

Winter Series Dates:

Part 1: Sunday January 22, 4:00-5:30 p.m.*

Part 2: Sunday February 5, 3:00-5:30 p.m. (may include a tour of the National Cathedral)

Part 3: Sunday February 26, 4:00-5:30 p.m.

Spring Series Dates:

Part 1: Sunday April 16 from 4:00-5:30 p.m.*

Part 2: Sunday April 30 from 3:00-5:30 p.m. (may include a tour of the National Cathedral)

Part 3: Sunday May 7 from 4:00-5:30 p.m.

*Participation in part 1 is required to attend parts 2 and/or 3.

We have two exciting opportunities to join the staff of The Falls Church that we'd love you to share with your networks to ensure we get the best person for the job.

We are hiring a Director of The Day School and a Parish Administrator. You can find out more about the roles on the 'Job Openings' page of our website here.

On Sunday, January 15, Children's Formation Classes are diving back into lessons. Check out what they are learning below! Nursery and Children's Chapel will be available at both services.

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

Click here to email Father Matthew and add someone to the prayer list.

If you have questions about Realm or eGiving, please contact Claire Hardie