Epiphany Lutheran Church is an ELCA congregation in historic Mount Vernon in Fairfax County, Virginia.
We are a welcoming and affirming Christian community that lives with a daring confidence in God’s gracious love for all people.
Come Worship with Us
In Person or Online
Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
UPDATED JANUARY 9, 2026
Many of us have been disturbed by this week’s events in Minneapolis and elsewhere. The Rev. Angela Denker, an ELCA pastor in Minneapolis, has published a reflection on these events that is worth your taking the time to read - you can find it by clicking here.
This Sunday’s Service
This Sunday, January 11, 2026, is the Sunday of the Lord’s Baptism. Our Sunday service will be at the usual time of 9:30 a.m.
On-site: Come join us in the sanctuary for the full service.
On-line: The service will also be livestreamed on our YouTube channel and also through our usual Epiphany Zoom connection. To join us on Zoom, just click on this link or follow the instructions below.
The readings will be Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; and Matthew 3:13-17.
For those joining the service online, you can download a PDF copy of the bulletin (including music, readings, and prayers) by clicking here.
We will have a time of fellowship following the service, both in person and on Zoom. Sunday School will begin at 10:45 a.m., as will the monthly meeting of the Congregation Council.
Calendar of Events
Sun Jan. 11 - Sunday service, Baptism of the Lord, 9:30 a.m.
Sun Jan. 11 - Congregation Council meeting, 10:45 a.m.
Sun Jan. 11 - Sunday School, 10:45 a.m.
Mon Jan. 12 - Fort Belvoir Discussion Group resumes, 10:00 a.m. at 12th St. Starbucks
Tue Jan. 13 - Office/sanctuary drop-in hours, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wed Jan. 14 - Bible Reading Group, 10:00 a.m. on Zoom.
Mon Jan. 19 - Martin Luther King Day holiday (EWS is closed)
Wed Jan. 21 - Evening Faith Discussion Group, 6:30 p.m. at Panera Bread
Sun Jan. 25 - Annual Congregational Meeting, 10:30 a.m.
Tue Feb. 3 - Epiphany night to serve at Hypothermia Shelter.
Tue Feb. 17 - Epiphany night to serve at Hypothermia Shelter.
Wed Feb. 18 - Ash Wednesday, service of the Word with ashes 9:15 a.m.
EWS Update
EWS will be observing National Bagel Day on Thursday, Jan. 15.
Congregation Meeting and Council
Our annual congregational meeting will take place immediately following the service on Sunday, January 29, 2026. As part of this meeting, we will be electing new members of our Congregation Council and members to serve as voting members of the Metro DC Synod Assembly, which will meet on Saturday, June 6, 2026 in Gaithersburg. All members are invited to prayerfully consider serving in one or both of these roles.
The Metro DC Synod will be hosting a Congregation Council Training session on Saturday, February 7 for newly elected and returning congregational council members. Topics include church leadership best practices, constitution & bylaw processes, and questions/answers. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is hosted by Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 5114 Twinbrook Rd, Fairfax, VA 22032. There is no charge. For more information or to register, please click here.
In addition, the Synod’s Stewardship and Mission Support Team will host a Zoom meeting for pastors, council presidents, treasurers, and others interested in cultivating the financial resources of the church. The meeting will be on Tuesday, January 27 from 7-8 p.m. and repeated on Wednesday, January 28 from 1-2 p.m. To receive the Zoom link, e-mail the team at this link.
Bible Reading Group
Our weekly Bible Reading Group meets at 10 a.m. on Zoom for an hour each week; everyone is welcome to participate. Use our regular Epiphany Zoom connection.
Discussion Groups
Our Fort Belvoir discussion group will resume a week from Monday, January 12. We meet alternate Mondays at the Starbucks on post (5976 12th Street) at 10:00 a.m. We were originally planning to discuss the “What’s a Lutheran?” blog post series from our church web site (click here to find), but we’ll start by talking about the article by Pastor Angela Denker referenced at the top of this newsletter.
Our Wednesday evening faith discussion group will continue on Wednesday, January 21. We meet alternate Wednesdays at the Panera Bread at Beacon Center (6670 Richmond Highway) at 6:30 p.m. This week, we will start to discuss a book by Ched Myers et al., Say to This Mountain - a contemporary interpretation of Mark’s gospel from a social movement perspective. All are welcome to join us (we can provide copies of the book for those interested, but come even if you haven’t read any of it).
These discussion groups are being held in “public” places to make it easier for people who aren’t connected with Epiphany to drop in and participate. If you know people who would like to learn more about our congregation, ask questions, or simply share in an open discussion about faith from a nonjudgmental perspective, please share the invitation to these groups widely!
Drop-In Office Hours
The church office is open every Tuesday from 2-6 p.m. You can just drop by to check in, chat with Pastor David, or take some quiet time in the sanctuary.
Pastor David is also available at other times during the week … feel free to contact him by e-mail pastor@epiphanylutheran.org to set up a time.
Synod and Churchwide News
Our ELC presiding bishop, Rev. Yehiel Curry, has made a public statement on recent events in Venezuela, particularly in the light of this Sunday’s celebration of the Lord’s Baptism. You can read it by clicking here.
Our synod bishop, Rev. Philip Hirsch, spent the first 90 days of his term holding one-on-one meetings with all pastors and other ministry leaders in the synod. He has summarized what he learned in these meetings in a written document; you can read the summary of his takeaways by clicking here, and the full version of his report by clicking here.
Bishop Hirsch is also very interested in working with the synod and all of our congregations to implement the Barna Fuller report, Strategic Recommendations for the ELCA (Feb. 2025), not least because he oversaw the churchwide survey that was done to generate that report in his previous role in ELCA’s national leadership. If you didn’t get a chance to look at it when it came out previously, you can read it by clicking here.
Calendar of Commemorations
The ELCA remembers saints and reformers of many Christian traditions on specific days throughout the year. Upcoming commemorations include:
Martin Luther King Jr., renewer of society, martyr, died 1968 (Thu Jan. 15)
An American prophet of justice among races and nations, King was an eloquent preacher, a leader of the nonviolent resistance to race-segregated society, and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Born on this date, he was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
Antony of Egypt, renewer of the church, died around 356 (Sat Jan. 17)
One of the earliest of the Egyptian desert fathers, Antony gave away his sizeable inheritance and became a hermit. Later he became leader of a group of monks who devoted themselves to prayer, worship, and labor.
Pachomius, renewer of the church, died 346 (Sat Jan. 17)
Born in Egypt, Pachomius became a Christian while a soldier. He became a hermit (a solitary monk) and organized others into a religious community. His rule for monasteries influenced later ones in both the Eastern and Western churches.
Connection Details
You can join our services or other events on Zoom from anywhere in the world you may be. If you’ve never used Zoom before, you may need to download some software first (it’s free and only takes a minute).
To join, click on this link: https://zoom.us/j/2886238502?pwd=RU9ZZjk1TTdKREd5YmpBN1A2dWlsZz09
or open the Zoom app and use meeting number 288 623 8502 and password 971936;
or (for audio only) call (646) 558-8656 or (301) 715-8592 – When asked for the meeting ID, press 288 623 8502 and then the # key. When asked for the password, press 971 936 and then the # key.
In addition, the service is available on our YouTube channel. If you cannot participate live at 9:30 a.m., the videos will remain available so you can participate at whatever time you can.
United Community
United Community’s “Choice Food Pantry” is located at 7511 Fordson Road. UC serves local residents in need during its open hours of Monday 1-4 and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10-12. Food is also distributed from 4-5 on the first Monday of each month at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School, 4015 Fielding Street. For more information about the food pantry, connecting with other available services (including rental and utilities assistance), or for how to volunteer with United Community, visit their web site here.
Connecting With Us
If anyone is sick or in the hospital or otherwise in need, we are ready to help out and to support one another. Please let us know! The easiest way to reach Pastor David quickly is by sending an e-mail to pastor@epiphanylutheran.org.
Financial Support for Epiphany
If you are not able to join us in-person for worship and are able to continue to support Epiphany, we regularly monitor mail deliveries and so you can continue to send checks by mail. In addition, there is a “Donate” button on the web site www.epiphanylutheran.org (just scroll all the way down to the bottom) and you can make a contribution electronically using Paypal or a debit or credit card. We do pay a small service charge for online contributions, but this may be the most convenient option for many.