Fr. Burl's sermon emphasizes the end of the Church year and the anticipation of the kingdom of God, contrasting it with the worldly “Empire.” It highlights the importance of Scripture, particularly the Beatitudes, in guiding faith and stewardship.
What a great day we had in worship on Sunday! The announcement from Chris and Carla Wilson about the advance commitment event results was unbelievably exciting and encouraging.
Learn more about the vision of STEADFAST, as well as the hopes and dreams our parishioners have shared for the future of The Falls Church.
A step-by-step tutorial on how to fill out your commitment card plus other helpful tips.
The campaign's three pillars are repairs to the roof and boilers, budget balance for financial sustainability, and Kingdom building (RBK). Wilson emphasized the urgency of the roof repairs and the church's financial instability.
As part of our continuing video series, this past Sunday’s feature highlights voices from our congregation sharing what generosity means to them and how it helps strengthen the mission and ministry of The Falls Church.
Fr. Burl discusses a gospel story from Luke 14, where Jesus teaches his disciples about discipleship. He uses the context of a dinner party to illustrate humility and generosity.
Part of our video series, Sunday's release features parishioners sharing what brought the to The Falls Church.
In Luke 6, Jesus turns the world’s values upside down, blessing the poor, the hungry, and the persecuted rather than the powerful or successful. His teaching challenges both first-century Palestine and modern Northern Virginia by revealing that our true reward lies not in what we accumulate, but in what God promises beyond this life. We live in a culture driven by fear and scarcity, by the urge to gather and guard resources, but Jesus calls us to a different way: one of radical trust, generosity, and love. The opposite of love is not hate, but fear. Generosity, therefore, becomes a holy act of resistance that breaks fear’s hold and mirrors God’s abundance. On this All Saints’ Sunday, we remember those who showed us what such generosity looks like and ask for the courage to follow their example, trusting in God’s endless grace and building the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.
Carla Wilson, a long-time parishioner and co-executive director of the Steadfast Campaign, addresses the congregation with a heartfelt message about the church’s two-year unified budget initiative. She introduces the campaign’s core goals: roof and boiler repairs, balancing the budget, and kingdom-building as summarized by the acronym RBK, with a collective fundraising goal of $3 million. Acknowledging current economic hardships, she emphasizes the church's steadfast role as a place of hope and community. Carla shares her personal struggle with sacrificial giving, shaped by childhood financial insecurity, and encourages others to step out in faith. She invites members to engage through campaign booklets, adult forums, and upcoming commitment events, and closes by thanking church leaders for their dedication and vision.
Today’s Gospel contrasts the proud Pharisee with the humble tax collector, inviting us to consider what motivates our giving. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reminds us that Christians are called to live differently—emptying ourselves of fear and self-preservation and instead practicing generosity rooted in God’s abundant love. As we enter our STEADFAST season, we are encouraged to reflect on how we give, and to grow in trust that in God’s kingdom, there is always enough.
Chris Wilson, Co-Executive Director of the Steadfast Initiative, shared an update on our two-year unified budget campaign for 2026–2027. The campaign aims to raise $3 million to repair infrastructure, balance the budget, and strengthen ministries. This week, we’re invited to “commit to make a commitment” through prayer, reflection, and engagement with the Steadfast booklet.
This week, Steadfast Executive Committee members Chris and Carla Wilson share an update and offer an introduction to our campaign.
The Rev’d Burl Salmon, Rector Steadfast Sermon Series 1
