Dear Friends:

 As you know, our beloved Gwynn Crichton has been with us for her first year of internship as a seminarian in preparation for her role as a priest in the church. As one of her official assignments, Gwynn is required to submit a paper stating her observations of her field site. Below is an outstanding depiction of Epiphany from the lens of someone with a first experience in the life of Epiphany. Take time to read Gwynn’s report below and give thanks to our great God! May we shout Alleluia!

Epiphany Episcopal Church Field Education Site Study 

The mission statement for my field education site is: “Epiphany Episcopal Church is building a Christ-centered community, growing in God’s grace, welcoming all in love, and providing for God’s world.” The church motto is an even more indicative of Epiphany’s ethos and identity: “God Loves You, No Exceptions!” Epiphany, located in Oak Hill, Virginia, was one of the churches seized by the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) in the mid-2000s in the wake of Bp. Gene Robinson’s ordination in 2003. During this time, many long-time parishioners who opposed Epiphany’s majority decision to break away, ended up leaving and going to other churches. However, a faithful group of about 12-15 individuals continued to worship together in a rented school cafeteria between 2007 and 2012. When the Fairfax County Circuit Court ruled in 2011 ACNA return seized church properties to the Diocese of Virginia (a decision upheld by the Virginia Supreme Court in April 2013), these exiled parishioners finally returned to their home parish in May of 2012. Bishop Shannon Johnston branded the recovered churches “Dayspring” churches to convey that it was a “new day in Virginia” for the Episcopal Church. Since the early days after the return from exile, Epiphany has experienced extraordinary growth and revitalization over the last seven years. The ASA has grown from about 20 people to approximately 140 people today. This is largely due under the transformational leadership of a strong and engaged vestry, a dedicated and hard-working staff, and the effort of many devoted lay leaders in the parish. It truly is a church of the Resurrection in every way. 

Epiphany is composed of predominately white, middle class professionals with young children who live close to the church in the Herndon/Reston/Fairfax/Chantilly boroughs. Many of the people work for the federal government, and in contract positions for the government, as well as the county and in the private industry. Half of Epiphany’s population consists largely of children and youth!

Epiphany supports its stated mission in terms of its total budget by supporting the following four robust and thriving ministry teams: (1) Worship; (2) Children, Youth & Family (Christian Education); (3) Parish Life (Adult Education, Christian Support, Newcomers Ministry, Stewardship, etc.); and (4) Community Outreach. The church’s total annual budget approved by the vestry for 2019 is $430,917.88. The church is intentionally and prayerfully investing in each of the four components of the mission the following percentage of its budget: building a Christ-centered community (Worship), 46%; growing in God’s grace (Children, Youth & Family), 19%; providing for God’s world (Community Outreach), 19%; and, welcoming all in love (Parish Life), 16%. Based on my experience, this is a very healthy and sound allocation of revenue that reflects the mission of The Episcopal Church at large as well as the local mission of Epiphany. 

In terms of finances, Epiphany’s most significant area for growth is to increase the total number of households that make an annual pledge as well as the amount of the average pledge. For the 2019 annual giving campaign, 56 families or 41% of member households made an annual pledge, totaling $202, 880, covering 47% of the budgeted expenses for 2019. Pledging remains challenging for this parish since the majority of households are families with young children. The goal of course is for 100% of the parish to make an annual pledge even if it is very modest. The vestry is leading the way on this as 100% of the twelve-member vestry pledged for 2018. The conspicuous shortfall in revenue is made up through rental income paid largely by the church’s tenant New Hope Baptist Church, as well as others. Having said this, Epiphany has made tremendous strides in becoming financially self-sufficient over the last seven years.

Epiphany is living fully into its mission of serving as the church on the corner for the neighborhood and beyond. The community outreach programs include packing lunches for 200 Fairfax school children monthly through Food4Thought. Jointly hosting a weekly food pantry that supports 100 households in need. Cooking, preparing and delivering 100 homebound people on the streets of Fairfax through the monthly Hot Meals program. Serving as the host for the Hypothermia Shelter each week during Christmas that provides meals, a warm place to sleep, and entertainment for up 75 people nightly. In addition, the church has worked hard to reach out to forge a strong and loving relationship with our Muslim neighbors through a series of ongoing interfaith discussions and fellowship opportunities, most recently during Lent. 

In terms of Christian formation and education for children, youth, and adults. The church has set the gold standard for formation of children and youth in my opinion-which is especially remarkable given how young they are as a parish. An exceptional Director of Children, Youth & Family Ministries, Dana Hale, has built an impressive team to implement a multi-tiered program of Godly Play for preschool-second graders, third through fifth graders, a special sixth grade formation program, and a youth group for sixth through ninth graders. There are currently 42 families with children that regularly attend Epiphany with 11 babies/toddlers, 51 children in preschool through fifth grade, and 14 youth (sixth grade and up), totaling 76 children. Astonishingly, this represents almost half of the ASA! Moreover, adult formation opportunities abound, including a monthly parents’ support group, liturgically seasonal-themed table talks after Sunday services, monthly women’s Bible study, regular offering of Episcopal 101 classes, an interfaith dialogue with our Muslim neighbors, etc.

Epiphany also lives its mission in terms of how it uses the 40,000 square foot building and grounds. We call ourselves the “church on the corner” as daily over 40,000 cars pass by the highly visible church building that sits on major intersection along the Fairfax Parkway. There is a major effort to leverage this visibility with excellent social media communications and big banners that promote services, ministries and fellowship and send the message that Epiphany is a welcoming, inviting community of hospitality through the exceptional communication efforts of Epiphany’s Minister of Communications, Nadia Baker. As well, Epiphany runs Epiphany Episcopal Preschool that currently serves close to 60 children with the motto: “Children are the heart of our program.” In addition to the preschool, the building is used by several community groups including a local Boy Scout troop, two dance schools, as well as two churches in addition to Epiphany.  It is estimated that the building serves some 400-500 people per week. Unfortunately, the years spent in exile returned the new parish in 2012 to a facility in neglect. The deferred maintenance and upkeep of the building has been a major challenge. The vestry just launched a small capital campaign entitled “Raise the Roof” to replace the roof on the church school wing of the facility. The Senior Warden, Elaine Perry, wrote the following in a letter to the vestry about this campaign:  We don’t care for our building simply to have a building. We care for our building so this place may be a holy sanctuary of love and mercy for all in search of a relationship with Christ. In so doing, we’re fulfilling our mission, to provide for God’s world to grow in God’s grace. There is a little bit of God’s world right here on this corner. Please, do your part to make God’s world known. I appreciate that the primary concern for Epiphany is making God’s world known, and the building is a means for the end of ministry to carry out the church’s mission to be the Body of Christ in the community. 

It should be evident by what I have written that Epiphany’s lived mission is its stated mission. Epiphany’s view of Christian mission is that of a servant church where the baptized serve as the hands and feet of Christ to each other and the community both within and beyond the church walls. The church is living into Jesus’ commandment to love other people as he loves us through serving the other. These people truly walk out the door each week ready and willing to love and serve the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is an a genuinely welcoming and loving parish that seeks and serves Christ in all persons. Its members are living seriously and fully into their baptismal covenant to seek justice and people for all people and respect the dignity of every human being. The Holy Spirit is alive and well at Epiphany, moving and shaking! 

The three most significant gifts that Epiphany gives to its members and the community are (1) its dynamic and Spirit-filled worship services, (2) its vibrant Children, Youth, and Family Ministry, (3) its community outreach program. The worship at Epiphany is incredibly hospitable and accessible to newcomers and families with young children. People are greeted outside the front door each Sunday, we exchange an affectionate and hearty peace with each other, newcomers are given a personal welcome and great information, and we have an energetic and sociable coffee hour. The full liturgy is printed in the bulletins, the worship is super kid-friendly, and we use a diversity of music and Eucharistic Prayers. The rector’s motto for worship is that whatever we do, we always must “honor God” and that we do very well. There is a strong and abiding sense of community at Epiphany that arises from lively corporate worship. 

With God’s help, I believe Epiphany is positioned to continue in its growth, especially in the area of empowering all to learn and serve as disciples of Christ.   

Gwynn Crichton
Field EducationMay 3, 2019