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The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Hogwarts Vacation Bible School

9:30 a.m. Monday, July 18th “I love this camp!!!” – said by a Ravenclaw
 
This year Hogwarts VBS was faced with budget challenges, which resulted in long hours of meticulous and creative planning. However, the challenges also invited the congregation, Church staff, and the greater Christian community into the soul of Vacation Bible School…and they showed up! 
 
Our Director of Communications and Digital Ministries, Ellie, jumped in headfirst, helping us for weeks elevate our art classes, t-shirts, and so much more. Our Junior Warden, Krista, used her STEM background to take our science classes to a whole new level of messy hands-on fun. Our Head usher, Jennifer, and coffee hour volunteer, Jan, helped us navigate the logistics of snack time and security, ensuring our children got a peaceful break time. Children's ministry vestry liaison, Amy, helped with decorating, setting up, and teaching innovative Bible lessons along with Amanda, and Father Matthew. 
 
17 Youth Prefects: Carter, Leo, Anna, Lilly, Ella, Katy, Declan, Tennley, Maddie, Nathan, April, Kira, Elliott, Oliver, Claire, Zara, and Juliette, came alongside our Year Leaders, Class Professors, and Camp Directors to help in every avenue of camp. VBS Staff: Emma, Hannah, Joshua, Manaal, Magaly, and Lisa came in early and stayed long hours to ensure campers had everything they needed.  
 
Assistant Camp Director, Kate, dedicated countless hours planning, setting up, training staff, and praying for each person who came to work or attend Hogwarts VBS. 
 
The Holy Spirit was also certainly with us. Her clever heart called us into communion together as we learned about Saint Perpetua and Saint Felicity. Two women who also faced seemingly overwhelming obstacles, but through their love for one another, and the love of believers were able to stand as a lasting example of God’s faithfulness and face death with joy. 
The contagious joy and love of Perpetua and Felicity’s stories were reflected in all our campers, volunteers, and staff. As result, our most challenging year quickly transformed into the best year ever! 
 
It is amazing what the community of God can do when they have open hearts and willing hands. The love of God and God’s people was evident in everything. Children who attended were surrounded by it, and as a result, 30 minutes into camp, on the first day, children were proclaiming their love for the camp, God, and most importantly themselves. 
The rest of the week the joyous love continued as we saw campers pray for the staff, encourage each other, open their hearts to God, and recognize the unique part they had in the communion of saints. 
 
All of this was made possible because our community responded to trials with love, and with open hands. When we come together and offer our talents, our time, and our money to God, it is transformative and contagious. Imagine, if we recommitted to doing life together like this. How would that alter our hearts? What would our church look like? Who would be transformed by it? 
 
After all, as said by a Hufflepuff at VBS “we are all the communion of saints, so we get to show the world what that looks like. It should look like love.”

Lauren Breeden
Director of Children's and Family Ministries
The 10:00 a.m. service premieres on YouTube at 9:45 a.m. and remains available afterwards. If you are worshiping virtually, you may follow along with the service bulletin. See the Week-at-a-Glance below for the complete Sunday schedule.

Preaching on Sunday 31st July: The Rev'd. Matthew Dumont-Machowski
A note from the Rector,
 
As announced in church last Sunday, I have acted on the recommendation of the Finance Committee and Vestry to reduce the budget deficit we face at this point in the fiscal year. While we approved a $280,000 deficit in December of last year for 2022’s budget, a deficit that would be offset by the Dayspring Fund, our pledge revenue is well below budget and in order to meet the budget we approved, the parish must make adjustments in expenditures. To that end, the vestry approved three levers in which to reduce spending: diocesan commitment, outreach giving, and personnel expense. I am in conversation with the diocese to adjust our pledge, and the outreach committee is aware of the reduction in their spending ability. In order to lower our spending in personnel, our largest single expenditure as a parish, I have reduced the parish administrator and director of music positions from full-time to half-time effective mid-August, an adjustment that will continue in the 2023 budget year. While difficult, the adjustment will allow us to realize significantly less expenditure in personnel and offer the parish a greater ability to streamline its finances as we look toward our strategic future.
 
In all things, I ask your prayers for the persons involved in these actions and I ask you to consider redoubling your financial commitment to The Falls Church so that we are able to plan accordingly in creating a budget and in living within our means. 
 
Fr. Burl+
This Summer we are running a ‘Realm and membership update’ campaign, with the hopes of collecting information on all current worshippers and members of the parish that is up to date and relevant.

We would love for everyone to fill out THIS FORM for their household, it has room for 2 adults and 3 children, if you have more than 3,
please fill out the child sections of a second form and submit both together, and return it printed and filled in to the office, or digitally filled in (it’s a fillable PDF) to [email protected] ASAP but ultimately by September 1st. We will also have copies to pick up at church if you do not have the ability to print or fill in digitally. Please be sure to complete information on your baptism and confirmation, if applicable. The number of delegates representing TFC at Diocesan Convention is determined by our confirmed member total.

As well as information, we would also love to have an up-to-date photo of all members, including and particularly children, a word from Lauren on why this is important:

Updated children's photos are an important part of our safety protocols at The Falls Church. These photos help us have a current picture of your child(ren). Current photos ensure that if a child were to go missing, our security team would have an accurate description of your child(ren). Thank you.

You can email a photo along with the form, or upload one yourself if you have a Realm log in. We will also be hosting a photo booth one Sunday in September to take photos of those who do not have them or who are unable to upload or provide a digital photo.

I am more than happy to help anyone who needs it, via email, phone call, video call or even a visit to the office, please just let me know.

Thank you in advance for your help,
Ellie and the staff of The Falls Church
Take a Tour of The History Room and Church Yard led by Docent Joe Ewbank
Sunday August 7th, after the 10:00 a.m. service, come to the History Room (next door to the Parlor) after you've had a chance to stop by coffee hour.
Registration is open for our annual parish retreat at Shrine Mont,
October 7-9, 2022.

To register, sign up via Realm, or by downloading and returning this completed form, along with a deposit check for $100.
More details are available here and if you have any questions please reach out to Robin Gardner at [email protected]
Limited financial assistance is available this year, so don't hesitate to contact Father Matthew: [email protected] for details.

If you have not yet registered or are unable to register at this time for whatever reason but intend to come, please let us know with a quick email to [email protected] so we can submit our numbers to Shrine Mont, and you can register when you are able.
Looking to explore your faith in a new and deeper way?

The parish’s Education for Ministry (EfM) study group has openings and would welcome new members when it resumes in the fall. Designed for laity, EfM is a nation-wide program that combines Bible study and other “book learning” with the practice of theological reflection to help participants lead faith-filled lives in their own contexts. The full EfM program is four years but members need only commit to a year at a time. Details about the program and readings are available at the EfM website. The cost for next year is $325 and scholarships are available as needed. The parish group will meet from September to June on Tuesday evenings, primarily on Zoom but with occasional in-person sessions at the church. Group mentor Mary Cushing is available to answer questions; for anyone who has a standing conflict with the parish group, she can also help identify another. Contact Mary for more information.
Ways to Serve
TFC Week-at-a-Glance
For activities July 31 - August 7, click here
Parish Prayer List
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
Ways to Give
Please mail your check to:
115 E. Fairfax Street
Falls Church, VA 22046
Donate safely and securely through our website. 
Text “TFCE” and the amount to 73256. 

If you have questions about Realm or eGiving, please contact
Are you shopping more online these days? If you’re buying more items 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!