On Waxpool Road in Ashburn, Virginia, a Lutheran congregation has grown into a ministry hub that stretches well beyond Sunday morning. Our Savior's Way Lutheran Church is known in Loudoun County for three things that sit on the same campus: a schedule of three Sunday services that range from hymn-and-liturgy to modern praise, a fully accredited early childhood program called Open Arms Christian Academy, and a golden retriever named Amos - the first comfort dog placed in Virginia. Together they shape a congregation that describes itself as a dynamic, growing church community offering a church home with fellowship activities for everyone.
Worship on Sunday Mornings
Three services give the congregation room to choose how they gather. At 8:00 a.m. the sanctuary fills with traditional worship - hymns and liturgy. At 9:30 a.m. the service alternates: traditional on the first and third Sundays of the month, modern on the second and fourth, with an alternating style on fifth Sundays. At 11:00 a.m. modern worship with a praise band closes the morning. The 9:30 service is also livestreamed on YouTube for those joining from home.
During the 9:30 hour, children ages 4 through 4th grade attend Sunday School, and a middle-school group meets at the same time. High schoolers are invited into adult Bible study. Professional nursery care for infants through three-year-olds is available at every service.
Open Arms Christian Academy
The school housed in the same building is a ministry in its own right. Open Arms Christian Academy opened on September 7, 1999, and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024. It is accredited by the National Lutheran School Accreditation (NLSA) and recognized by the Virginia Council for Private Education, and participates in the Virginia Quality Birth to Five System.
Programs run the full stretch of early childhood. Infant care begins at six weeks. Toddler care, preschool, and pre-kindergarten follow. A private accredited kindergarten fills out the lower school, and an after-school program serves K through 5th graders from Loudoun County Public Schools, including bus pickup from select elementary schools. A summer camp for school-age children runs through the warmer months, with weekly themes, field trips, and pool days.
The curriculum is play-based and Christ-centered. Bible stories, prayers before meals, and weekly chapel worship are part of every program. Specialized teachers lead physical education and chapel each week, and an indoor play space called the Big Room keeps children active when the weather keeps them inside. Three age-specific outdoor playgrounds round out the campus. Daily updates and photos flow to parents through the FAMLY in-classroom app.
Families do not need to be members of the church to enroll. Members of Our Savior's Way receive a tuition discount, along with sibling, LCPS educator, MCCYN, and active military discounts. The center operates from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. year round, closing only for federal holidays and following federal weather decisions on inclement days.
Comfort Dog Amos
Amos is a pure-bred golden retriever and an ordained member of the ministry team. He was the first comfort dog placed in Virginia through the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog program and has logged more than 2,000 hours of training. His team includes a retired police officer and a veteran, which allows him to provide comfort to first responders as well.
His weekly rounds include long-term care facilities, memory care communities, hospice settings, hospitals, schools, and offices around the DC metro area. On Monday mornings he visits Open Arms Christian Academy, where children greet him as he helps start the day. He also makes regular visits to Maple Grove, an assisted living and memory care community, and has traveled to the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C.
Amos's ministry is funded entirely by donations. Visitors and supporters can contribute through the church (with Comfort Dog noted in the memo line) or purchase items from an Amazon wish list. Requests for appearances can be sent to amoscomfortdog@gmail.com.
Children, Youth, and Family Ministry
Children's ministry at Our Savior's Way is built around several layers. OSWkids gathers children during the 9:30 hour, and OSW56 serves the middle-school years. Confirmation is a multi-year program with mentors who walk alongside students and a retreat that brings the group together for fellowship and teaching about Baptism. Junior Worship Assistants give older children a way to serve during services.
High school students have their own ministry, OSWyouth, which includes an annual mission trip. A 2027 high school mission trip is being organized to Imperial, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh, where students will serve elderly homeowners through painting, simple repairs, yard work, and accessibility projects. The congregation's youth also take part in regional gatherings, including the SED High School Gathering at Watermarks Camp in Scottsville, Virginia.
For younger families, a Young Families Bible Study meets during the week, and a New Mothers Care Team walks alongside new parents. Friday Family Dinners bring households together for a shared meal.
Bible Studies and Small Groups
The small-group life at Our Savior's Way is broad. Men's groups include a Monday Men's Group, a Thursday morning in-person Bible study, a Thursday morning online Bible study, and a Men's Breakfast. Women's ministry includes Morning Glories, Midlife Grace, Golden Girls for God, a Tuesday Night Ladies Bible Study, a Creative Women's Bible Study, a Ladies Book Club, and the Women's Ministry Council.
Other groups meet around shared interests and stages of life. Exploring Life in Christ welcomes those investigating the faith. Just a Closer Walk and Sunday Scripture offer ongoing study. Joining Jesus uses Greg Finke's material on everyday discipleship. Rooted, a ten-week experiential discipleship program modeled after Acts 2, runs in cycles - including a Fall '26 cycle - with weekly meetings, daily devotions, and small-group reflection. Open Arms Dads gathers fathers from the school community.
GriefShare provides structured support for those navigating loss, and Stephen Ministry pairs trained lay caregivers with people going through difficult seasons.
Music and Worship Arts
Music supports both ends of the worship spectrum. Kylie Stanford directs traditional music, and Phil Kuhn directs contemporary music. The Exultation Singers choir, the Handbells ensemble, and the Praise Team each carry part of the musical life of the congregation. Communion Assistants, Scripture Readers, Altar Guild members, and Ushers round out the team that serves from the front of the sanctuary, while a Tech Team supports the livestream and audio.
Care, Hospitality, and Serving Teams
A Care Ministry Team, Stephen Ministry, and Prayer Ministry form a layer of pastoral support. Prayer requests can be submitted online. A GriefShare group gathers those who are mourning. The Funeral Support Team helps families plan services, and pastors are available to minister during times of loss.
Hospitality touches everyone who walks through the doors. Greeters, Cafe' Hosts, Welcome Center Hosts, and a Parking Crew help on Sunday mornings. The Nursery Team cares for the youngest children during services. Garden Club members tend the grounds. The OSW Handypeople handle practical projects around the building, and an Event Support Team helps with gatherings beyond the regular schedule.
The Columbarium and Prayer Garden
Surrounding the building is a prayer garden that includes a columbarium - a wall of niches for the cremated remains of loved ones. Each niche is sized for two urns and is engraved with the name and dates of the individual. A large cross stands in the garden in honor of Keith Kistler, and three permanent benches provide quiet seating.
The garden was planted thanks to Corrado and Sharon Dugo, expanded in 2012 in memory of Callie Marie Cornely, and complemented by the columbarium designed by RockWater Farms and built in 2016. Niches can be reserved by contacting the church office, and donations to support future phases are welcome.
What the Church Believes
Our Savior's Way is affiliated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. The congregation teaches that God has offered the free gift of eternal life to all who believe in Jesus Christ - a gift given not because of human deserving but out of love. That love is shown in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, whose death paid the penalty for sin and whose resurrection promises life with God. Worship, study, fellowship, mutual support, and service flow from thankfulness for what God has done.
The church's mission statement gathers that work into a single sentence: At Our Savior's Way, the congregation glorifies God and makes disciples for Jesus by Forming Relationships, Experiencing Jesus Together, and Sharing God's Love. Six values shape the day-to-day: Serving God's People, Sharing God's Love, Building God's People, Growing God's Family, Knowing God's Word, and Returning God's Blessing.
Governance
The Mission and Ministry Servant Leader Group (MMSLG) serves as the governing body of the congregation. It administers all of the congregation's affairs except those reserved for the Voters' Assembly, including calling or removing called workers, major property transactions, and adoption of the annual financial plan. The MMSLG includes a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and at-large members who serve staggered terms, along with the pastor as an ex officio member.
Getting Connected
New visitors are welcome at any service. The 9:30 service is the easiest to slip into for a first visit, since it coincides with the livestream and the Education Hour. Nursery care is available for the youngest children. A Welcome Center near the entrance is staffed before and after services.
For those ready to take a next step, Church Center is the hub for registration. Prayer requests, baptism information, new-member inquiry forms, and small-group sign-ups all run through the church's Church Center portal. Giving is also handled through Church Center, with options including the app, the website, or texting any dollar amount to 84321.
The church office is open during the week at 43115 Waxpool Road, Ashburn, VA 20148, reachable by phone at 703-858-9254 or by email at office@oswlc.org. The school shares the address and can be reached separately at 703-729-9144 or enrollment@openarmsca.org.