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 MARCH 6, 2026
This Sunday’s Service
This Sunday, March 8, 2026, is the Third Sunday in Lent. Our Sunday service will be at the usual time of 9:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (don’t forget to change your clocks one hour ahead on Saturday night!).
On-site: Join us in the sanctuary at 9:30 a.m.
On-line: Join us live at 9:30 through our usual Epiphany Zoom connection. In addition, the service will be available on our YouTube channel both live at 9:30 a.m. and as a recording afterwards.
The readings will be Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-11; and John 4:5-42.
For those joining the service online, you can download a PDF of the Sunday bulletin containing the music, readings, and prayers for the service by clicking here.
We will have a time of fellowship immediately after the service, both in person and on Zoom.
Calendar of Events
Sun Mar. 8 - Synod Event: Estate Planning and Fraud Prevention for Seniors, 3:00 p.m. at Peace Lutheran Church in Alexandria (see below)
Mon Mar. 9 - Fort Belvoir discussion group, 10:00 a.m., Starbucks, 5976 12th St.
Tue Mar. 10 - Office/sanctuary drop-in hours, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Wed Mar. 11 - Bible Reading Group, 10:00 a.m. on Zoom
Wed Mar. 11 - Evening Faith discussion group, Panera Bread, 6670 Richmond Hwy.
Sun Mar. 15 - Congregation Council, 10:45 a.m.
Sat Mar. 21 - Rise Against Hunger at Nativity Lutheran Church in Fort Hunt (see below)
Sun Mar. 22 - Sunday School, 10:45 a.m.
Sun Mar. 22 - Handbell choir rehearsal, 10:45 a.m.
Sun Mar. 29 - Palm/Passion Sunday, regular service at 9:30 a.m.
Thu Apr. 2 - Maundy Thursday, service at 7:00 p.m.
Fri Apr. 3 - Good Friday, service at 12 noon
Sun Apr. 5 Easter Sunday, regular service at 9:30 a.m.
Vacation Bible School - Registration Is Open!
We’ll be holding Vacation Bible School again next summer the week of July 13-17, in partnership with Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in Burke. Registration is now open - please use this link. We also have flyers that will be available in church on Sunday - please distribute widely! Lots of parents are already making summer plans and we’d like everyone to know they are welcome at VBS!
All kids old enough to be out of diapers up through rising 6th graders are invited to participate. VBS runs from 12 noon to 3 p.m. each day Monday through Friday. There’s a recommended donation of $10/child or $20/family, but we don’t want finances to prevent anyone from taking part.
Synod Event: Estate Planning and Fraud Prevention for Seniors
Join us for a special workshop to equip you with practical, faith-based information on wise estate planning and protecting yourself from fraud and scams. This event is especially valuable for those 65+ (or with loved ones over 65), pastors, church administrators, and anyone involved with church finances and stewardship.
The event is sponsored by the Metro DC Synod Stewardship and Mission Support Table and will be held on Sunday, March 8, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at Peace Lutheran Church, 6362 Lincolnia Rd., Alexandria, VA 22312. Childcare and assistive listening will be available.
Rise Against Hunger at Nativity Lutheran
Our neighbors at Nativity Lutheran Church (1300 Collingwood Road) will be hosting another Rise Against Hunger food-packing event on Saturday, March 21. Volunteers are needed for setup (8:30-10:00 a.m.), packing (10 a.m.-12 noon), and cleanup (12-12:30 p.m.). Students looking for volunteer hours are welcome to participate, but elementary-school-aged children should come with adult volunteers, given the need for coordination. The effort will involve preparing and packing around 10,000 meals in the course of the morning.
Nativity is inviting anyone who wishes to volunteer on the day of the event, to contribute donations to help pay for the food, or both, to participate in this event. To register and/or donate, you can click here.
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. This week we’ll have a hybrid meeting; those who wish can join us in person after our Ash Wednesday service or can gather as usual on Zoom.
Discussion Groups
Our Fort Belvoir discussion group will continue on Monday, March 9. We meet alternate Mondays at the Starbucks on post (5976 12th Street) at 10:00 a.m. We’ll be discussing a recent sermon by the Eastern Orthodox philosopher and New Testament translator David Bentley Hart on the topic of the Final Judgment and Matthew 25 (the parable of the sheep and the goats) as applied current situation. You can find it by clicking here.
Our Wednesday evening faith discussion group will continue on Wednesday, March 11. We meet alternate Wednesdays, usually at the Panera Bread at Beacon Center (6670 Richmond Highway) at 6:30 p.m. We are discussing the 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.
ELCA and Synod News
The presiding bishop of the ELCA, Rev. Yehiel Curry, addressed a letter to the entire church on March 4 concerning the war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. He writes, “In our Lenten journey, we are reminded of our dependence on God, and we are sustained by hope in the future peace God has promised. As war involving the United States, Israel and Iran intensifies and spreads, we lament how far off that promise seems.” You can read his full letter by clicking here.
Katharyn Wheeler, who has served as administrative assistant to the Bishop in the Metro DC Synod for the last 11 years and has been the point of contact for the Synod office for many of our members during this time, will be concluding her service to the Synod on March 15. She will be taking a position in the ELCA churchwide Office of the Secretary in Chicago, and will be ordained as a Minister of Word and Service on Saturday, April 25, at 11 a.m., at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Woodbridge.
Calendar of Commemorations
The ELCA remembers saints and reformers of many Christian traditions on specific days throughout the year. Upcoming commemorations include:
Perpetua and Felicity and companions, martyrs at Carthage, died 202 (Sat Mar. 7)
Vibia Perpetua, a noblewoman, and Felicity, an enslaved woman, were catechumens at Carthage, northern Africa. They, with four other catechumens, had defied the Roman emperor who had forbidden conversions to Christianity, and were put to death in the amphitheater.
Harriet Tubman, died 1913; Sojourner Truth, died 1883; renewers of society (Tue Mar. 10)
Harriet Tubman, born into slavery, helped about 300 others to escape slavery until the institution was abolished. Sojourner Truth, whose birth name was Isabella, was freed after slavery was abolished, and discerned a call to be a preacher. Taking the name Sojourner Truth, she set out on an evangelistic journey, where people found her testimony to be deeply moving.
Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, died 604 (Thu Mar. 12)
Born into wealth and power, Gregory was for a time the chief administrator of the city of Rome. Giving this up for a life in the church, he was elected pope in 590. He influenced public worship through the establishment of a lectionary and prayers to correlate with the readings. Gregorian chant is named in his honor.
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.