Highlights of this issue include:
- Two exciting opportunities to contribute to the Pentecost service ...in Ways to Worship
- An update from the Rector Search Committee ... in the Parish News and Updates section
- A meditation from Bishop Goff on how her dog points her to God ...in the Worship and Reflection section
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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.
Adult Forum: Sunday from 11:00 a.m.- 11:45 a.m. on
Zoom
– This Sunday we continue our
4-part
Adult Forum on the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John shows us a side of Jesus like no other. In this class we will learn about John was, whom he was writing to, what his main themes are, and how he should be read.
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Middle School Youth Group at 6:30 p.m.
High School Youth Group at 1:00 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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A Word From Interim Rector Andy and Senior Warden Erin
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Our Diocesan Bishops have collaborated with the Bishops of Maryland and Washington, D.C. to put together phased guidelines for coming back together for in-person worship and other church gatherings.
These guidelines
include scientifically and theologically sound rationales for why and how we will re-open and include public health milestones that will inform our timelines for re-opening. Over the past two weeks the clergy, executive committee of the vestry, and staff have begun discussing this topic and are putting together a task force to develop our own plans within the guidelines offered by the Bishops. The Diocese will be offering further directions and assistance, and the plan and timeline that we will devise will be reviewed by Bishop Goff and her leadership team for advice and approval. We travel this road together and with the wisdom of healthcare officials and science and our call to love God and Neighbor, we will get there. Please support our leadership’s discernment and planning with your prayers for these times.
http://www.thediocese.net/Customer-Content/www/CMS/files/MWVA_Statement_6_0.pdf
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Looking for Parishioners with Foreign Language Skills
Pentecost this year is on May 31st and the staff are already looking at ways to celebrate this great feast day in our online worship. We are looking for volunteers who would be willing to record a short piece of scripture in a different language for our Pentecost service video. If you speak another language and comfortable with the footage going on YouTube and Facebook, please send an email to
Terri Katon
with the language you speak, and she'll email you back with further instructions.
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Post a Pentecost Celebration Video!
We are working on ways to involve the congregation in our virtual Pentecost worship service! "How?" you might ask. WE NEED YOU! We are asking everyone to send us videos, and pictures of how their family celebrates. You can do a dance, throw some confetti, smile as big as you can, really whatever celebration looks like to you, we want you to capture it on film. We will compile all your clips/pictures into our special Pentecost service video!
Please send all pictures and videos by May 19th!
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Phone Tree Update.
In early April, 42 volunteers called all of our more than 475 households to check-in, see if parishioners had any needs, and offer weekly calls. It’s been about a month, and we want to checking-in with everyone again and see how you’re doing, so keep an ear out for those calls. Thanks to all of the volunteer callers who will be reaching out in the next few weeks!
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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,
cdisantis@thefallschurch.org
.
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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 some online shopping these days?
If you’re finding yourself 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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An Update From the Rector Search Committee.
We are grateful to report that we have been moving forward at an accelerating pace. As you may know, the first phase of the search process is devoted to information gathering and we hope to share some of those in the coming weeks. The primary vehicle for gathering information to date has been the survey, so if you have not already participated, and you would like to do so, you can find the survey here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TFCErectorsearch
.
The survey addresses many of the issues in our parish life and is intended both to help us learn more about who we are, and to help us discern what we want in a new Rector. There is another set of questions, though, that are best answered in conversation. To hold those conversations, we would like to meet in small groups. Each group will discuss a variety of questions. In better times, these would have been a series of face-to-face meetings. Instead, we will use Zoom. Here is a link to the
signup genius
.
Read more here...
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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!
Read all about the kindness, random acts of charity, and giving spirit that Ben Kong experienced at Grace Episcopal Church Food Pantry in Alexandria.
Read more here...
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Treasurer’s Report.
Click here
for the Treasurer’s Report for the first quarter of 2020. In this report, Tom discusses the Church’s financial performance and provides an update on the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
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Virtual Centering Prayer Support Group.
Log into Zoom at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays to sit in the silence of God's presence.
More info here.
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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 p.m.
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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Sometimes My Dog Points Me Towards God, a meditation for the fifth week of Easter by Bishop Susan Goff.
There are three things that our sweet Chihuahua, Georgia, delights in doing above all else: eating, sleeping and going for a walk. I suppose that makes her pretty much like every other dog, although Tom and I think she's quite remarkable. She is, in fact, one apt teacher.
Read more here...
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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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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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Here
are some ways to enhance your spiritual journey at home as suggested by the Washington National Cathedral.
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