A Lutheran Congregation on Idylwood Road
St. Paul's Lutheran Church sits in a quiet stretch of Idylwood Road in Falls Church, Virginia, the second building from the corner where Leesburg Pike (Route 7) meets the side street, not far from Interstate 66 and the West Falls Church Metro. The church shares its block with a Christian preschool, a Sunday School wing, and a congregation that has been worshipping at this address for more than seventy years. From the parking lot behind the building, visitors enter through a covered main entrance into the sanctuary up the hill.
St. Paul's is a member congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and is bound to the historic Lutheran confessional documents. Its mission statement is simple: We share the life-changing Good News of God's love for all people in Jesus Christ. The church describes itself as Bible-based, Christ-centered, sacramental, and confessional. What makes the congregation distinctive is the way it carries that identity in two languages, with both English and Mandarin Chinese spoken in worship, in Bible study, and in pastoral care. The congregation numbers roughly 450 members and is served by a senior Pastor, an Associate and Chinese Pastor, a Kantor (Director of Music), a Youth Director, a Preschool Director, and a Sunday School Administrator.
Worship in Two Languages, Under One Roof
St. Paul's runs an English-language worship program and a Mandarin Chinese worship program on the same campus, with the two congregations sharing facilities but meeting at different hours. The English side holds two Sunday services during the school year (September to early June) at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The Chinese side gathers for Bible study at 10:30 a.m. and Chinese worship at noon. Summer hours shift everything: Saturday evening worship at 5:00 p.m. and a single Sunday morning service at 10:00 a.m. in English, with the Chinese Bible study and Chinese worship continuing at their summer slots.
The 10:30 a.m. English service is live-streamed on the church's YouTube channel each Sunday, and printed service folders are posted for those who wish to follow along at home. The early service tends to be smaller and quieter; the late service, with the Jubilation Choir or instrumental ensembles and a children's sermon at most services, tends to draw more families.
The Shape of a Lutheran Sunday
Worship at St. Paul's is built around the historic liturgy of the Western church, drawn chiefly from the Lutheran Service Book. The order of service moves from an entrance rite through Confession and Absolution, the Kyrie, the hymn of praise (This Is the Feast), a Prayer of the Day, the Liturgy of the Word (with Old Testament reading, psalm, epistle, Alleluia verse, and Gospel), the sermon, a hymn of the day, the Apostles' Creed, prayers of the church, the Service of the Sacrament (offertory, preface, Sanctus, Prayer of Thanksgiving, Words of Our Lord, Lord's Prayer, Pax Domini, Agnus Dei, distribution, post-communion prayer, and Benediction), and a closing hymn with a postlude.
Both English services celebrate Holy Communion. The congregation believes that the meal of Holy Communion is for baptized Christians who have been taught the faith, examined themselves, and share in the confession of faith, and that in this Supper Jesus gives his true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of faith. Visitors who do not commune are welcome to come forward for a blessing.
The pastors describe the style of worship this way: We seek to be a liturgical church in the best sense of that word, following the ancient liturgy, based as it is on numerous Scriptural texts, with the best of contemporary settings. The Lutheran Service Book is the main hymnal, but other resources are used as well. The music is led from the organ console in a traditional setting that uses the building's acoustic strengths. Most of us like to dress up for worship, but we don't make it a rule. A cry room is available for parents with young children who want to follow the service in a quiet space.
The Chinese Ministry of St. Paul's
The Chinese ministry was founded in 2000 to share the Lutheran Christian faith with Chinese-speaking neighbors across the Washington metropolitan area. It functions as a Christ-centered, Spirit-led congregation within the larger parish, with regular worship, Bible study, prayer, fellowship, evangelism, a youth fellowship, a youth computer ministry, English-as-a-Second-Language classes, a citizenship preparation class, and seasonal holiday celebrations.
The Mandarin services follow the same basic rhythm as the English services, with the liturgy in Chinese and the sermon preached by the Associate and Chinese Pastor. The sermon text for the seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost in 2026, preached by Pastor Yang, drew on Isaiah 55:6-9, meditating on the prophet's claim that God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts and God's ways higher than our ways, while God is also near to us who seek Him.
Throughout the year the Chinese congregation observes the major Chinese festivals (Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Festival) with food, music, and games, alongside the German-style Oktoberfest (the parish has many members of German descent) and the church-year celebrations of Christmas and Easter, which are usually bilingual. A Friday evening youth fellowship with a free dinner, singing, and Bible study is offered during the school year, and a Sunday afternoon computer ministry serves both as a volunteer outreach and as a place for school-age children to learn technology.
Sunday School and the Preschool
Children are a visible part of every Sunday at St. Paul's. During the school year, classes meet from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. for ages three through high school. Adult Bible classes meet at the same hour in the undercroft below the sanctuary. The children's program uses Concordia Publishing House's Enduring Faith curriculum, which presents the same weekly Bible lesson to every age through age-appropriate activities.
Each Sunday, the children and their teachers gather in Room 9 for the first fifteen minutes to sing songs and hear an opening message that introduces the lesson. They then move to their individual classrooms for crafts and hands-on activities. The fall curriculum covers Old Testament lessons, and the winter and spring curricula focus on the New Testament. On selected Sundays during the year the children join adults in intergenerational sessions, such as the Advent wreath-making that opens the church year.
For children of St. Paul's members, First Communion classes are offered in the fifth grade, before Confirmation, with parents attending alongside their child. Classes are usually held on Sunday afternoons during Lent and are taught by the pastor.
St. Paul's Preschool is a Christian, play-based weekday ministry that began in 1993. The preschool occupies its own classrooms within the church's Education Building, and its director and teachers hold degrees in Early Childhood Education or a related discipline and meet Virginia's licensing requirements. Children attend a weekly chapel service, learn Bible stories and songs, and take weekly music class, all in the context of an age-appropriate program that emphasizes pre-math, pre-reading, science, social studies, art, and motor-skill development. Parents who want to learn more or to arrange a tour can contact the Preschool office at 703-573-0494.
Youth, Confirmation, and Music for Every Age
The youth ministry is for rising seventh through twelfth graders and is supported by the Youth Director, the Board of Youth, and a circle of volunteers. On Sunday mornings during the school year, teens gather for Bible study from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., working through books of the Bible and connecting Christian character development to daily life. Monthly activities include youth group nights, laser tag, service projects, circuit-wide events, and retreats.
Confirmation in the Lutheran tradition is both an educational ministry and an opportunity to make a public confession of faith in Christ. At St. Paul's, youth Confirmation is a two-year course taught by the pastor, meeting every other Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m. during the school year. The first year focuses on the Bible with reference to the Catechism; the second year focuses on the Catechism with reference to the Bible. The two years culminate in a Confirmation Day celebration on the first Sunday of May, and the confirmation class pictures are displayed on the back wall of the sanctuary.
Music is central to the congregation's life and is one of its most visible gifts. The Music Ministry, led by Kantor Aaron Jansen, offers a place for every musical ability. The Praising Seraphim choir is for children in grades 3-6 and rehearses during Sunday School from 9:45 to 10:00 a.m. The Jubilation Choir is for anyone thirteen and older, rehearsing on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. and singing at communion services throughout the church year. The Pauline Ringers bell choir is for anyone ten and older and rehearses on Sundays from 12:15 to 1:00 p.m. Instrumentalists of all ages are encouraged to take part in solos and ensembles, and the Sunday School students periodically sing as a choir in worship.
Adults: Bible Study, Care, and Small Groups
The adult education program at St. Paul's meets people where they are. An Adult Sunday Bible Class gathers most Sunday mornings during the school year from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. in the church undercroft. An Introductory Class on the Bible and Lutheran doctrine is offered for newcomers and also serves as the congregation's adult Confirmation class; the format is informal and the topic changes from year to year. The Chinese Bible Study meets in Room 9 on Sunday mornings from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. in Mandarin.
The Caring Ministry coordinates the congregation's outreach to members and friends in need, organizing volunteers who provide short-term help to those who are elderly, recovering from illness or injury, hospitalized, isolated, or struggling with life changes. Care Coordinators help connect those who need help with those who have time and gifts to give.
St. Paul's Women's Ministry organizes the spring rummage sale and the Christmas Craft and Bake Sale, supports the Altar Guild, and gathers in monthly small groups. The ministry is affiliated with the Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML), an international association that supports hundreds of mission projects around the world; St. Paul's regularly raises money and sends delegates to LWML gatherings. Women's Ministry workdays run from 9:00 a.m. to noon on the first Saturday of each month, with coffee, conversation, and a project that changes with the season.
For members and friends who want to know one another outside Sunday morning, St. Paul's hosts several small-group options. Groups of 8 are dinner groups that meet at local restaurants or in homes; guests can join a regular table or sign up as a fill-in. The Leisure Group plans social outings about once a month, usually during the day, and welcomes everyone. GriefShare is a thirteen-week support program for people grieving the loss of someone close, using video seminars and facilitated group discussion. Women's Bible Study meets monthly on Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m. for in-depth study of a book of the Bible.
Reaching Out: ESL, Recovery, and Mission Partners
St. Paul's has long hosted English as a Second Language classes, with beginner and intermediate levels meeting at various times during the week. Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, and two Thursday sessions are offered in the Education Building, taught by bilingual volunteers who can also explain difficult concepts in Mandarin. The congregation also helps connect students with conversation partners.
The church building is also home to two 12-step recovery meetings each week: Alcoholics Anonymous meets on Tuesday and Friday mornings at 10:00 a.m., and Overeaters Anonymous meets on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m.
Through the LCMS and on its own, St. Paul's supports a long list of mission partners. These include Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area's Refugee and Immigration Services, the Falls Church Community Service Council, the Fairfax County Hypothermia Prevention Program, Food for the Poor, Lutherans For Life, the LCMS Southeastern District, the Circuit 9 Mission Committee, the joint seminary fund of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran Bible Translators, Lutheran Hour Ministries, the Assist Crisis Pregnancy Center in Annandale, the Crescent Project, a translation project in Taiwan led by Deaconess Sandra Rhein, and the seminary chaplaincy of Pastor Jonathan Naumann in the Dominican Republic. The church also partners with other area Christian churches and community organizations on outreach, social, and worship events.
Stewardship, Tithing, and Getting Involved
St. Paul's teaches that Christian stewardship is the free and joyous activity of God's children in managing all of life and its resources for God's purposes. Holy Scripture commends the tithe - setting aside ten percent of one's earnings to give to God's work - though some give more, some give less, and each family decides in Christian freedom. Each year the congregation engages in a fall stewardship program that culminates in Commitment Sunday, when pledges (estimates) for the coming year are offered. Pledging is encouraged but never mandated. Online giving is available through a secure portal, and envelopes are provided to those who give regularly for tax purposes.
Members who wish to serve the congregation can join one of the church's many boards and committees. The Boards of Elders, Evangelism, Education, Finance, Stewardship, Property Management, Fellowship, and Youth each support a specific dimension of parish life. The Preschool Committee oversees the preschool, the Memorial Garden Committee tends the congregation's memorial garden, and other committees take on work as it arises. The elected officers (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, and Financial Secretary) carry the congregation's constitutional and financial responsibilities, supported by Trustees who represent the congregation in legal matters.
Worship needs include lay readers, the adult choir, worship aides (ushers), the children's choir, greeters, the bell choir, nursery attendants, vocal and instrumental soloists and ensembles, the Altar Guild, and acolytes. Educational needs include Sunday School teachers and assistants, adult Bible class leaders, Vacation Bible School helpers, substitute teachers, and ESL teachers. Service needs include the Caring Ministry, church decorating, the safety ministry, community programs, the prayer chain, office help, furniture moving, IT support, and yard work.
A Plan for the Years Ahead
St. Paul's is in the middle of a major transition. In late 2025 the long-awaited sale of a portion of the church's property received county approval, and the Church Council chartered a Strategic Planning Committee to guide the use of the proceeds. The committee - Pastor Mark Shaltanis and members Chris Frenze, Melissa Hecht, Jim Easterly, Mike Johnshoy, Sara Starck, and Kyle Werntz - began meeting in February 2026 and reported to the Council through the summer. A congregational survey gathered forty-eight responses around the church's stated values, finance, facility, and ministry priorities.
The plan brought to the Council and to the Voters' meeting recommends five immediate steps once the land sale closes: pay off the existing mortgage and place the remaining funds in an LCEF account, tithe ten percent of the sale proceeds to mission, upgrade the sanctuary with a new HVAC system and a new organ, study the possibilities for an overhaul of the Education Building including environmental remediation, a possible third-floor addition, and other improvements, and add a young assistant pastor along with a part-time nursery attendant to expand ministry to young families.
The survey's two highest ministry priorities - reaching young families and increasing general fellowship - have shaped these recommendations. The committee is also recommending increases to the Fellowship and Evangelism budgets to allow for new events and better outreach. The Council has voted to bring the plan to the Voters, and any project whose cost goes more than ten percent over the approved estimate will require further congregational approval.
Staff and Pastoral Leadership
St. Paul's is served by a small, long-tenured staff.
- Rev. Mark Shaltanis, Senior Pastor, is an Iowa native who graduated from Concordia College in Wisconsin and Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He served as an associate pastor in Richmond before becoming pastor of St. Paul's in November 1998. He and his wife, Theresa, live in Dunn Loring and have two children.
- Rev. Chris Xinhong Yang, Associate and Chinese Pastor, grew up in Beijing, China. He worked in software development before attending Concordia Seminary in Fort Wayne. He was called to St. Paul's in 2009, served an overseas mission from 2015 to 2018, and returned to the congregation. He and his wife have two young adult sons.
- Aaron Jansen, Kantor (Director of Music), grew up in Wisconsin and earned a Ph.D. in Human Cancer Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison before completing a Master of Church Music at Shenandoah University in 2015. He has been St. Paul's Director of Music since 2017.
- Tawni Harrell, Youth Director, joined St. Paul's in 2013. She holds a degree in Child Development and has lived in Northern Virginia for more than two decades.
- Linda Berg, Sunday School Administrator, coordinates Sunday School registration and supports teachers and parents.
- Jill Cha, Preschool Director, joined the preschool in 2019. She is a Virginia Tech graduate with a B.A. in Early Childhood Education and has lived in the neighborhood near St. Paul's for many years.
The congregation's office is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The church secretary, Linda Fekete, and the building manager, Richard Irwin, round out the support team, along with Norm Williams.
Visit St. Paul's
St. Paul's is located at 7426 Idylwood Road, Falls Church, Virginia 22043, the second building from the corner of Route 7 and Idylwood Road, near Exit 66 from Interstate 66, the West Falls Church Metro station on the Orange Line, and bus stops on the 28A, 28X, 28T, and 3T routes. Parking is available behind the church and is accessible from either side of the building.
The office phone is (703) 573-0295. The office email is stpaulsoff@aol.com. The Chinese ministry office may also be reached at xinhongy@yahoo.com. The Preschool office is at 703-573-0494. The church livestreams its late Sunday service on its YouTube channel and posts printed service folders for those who wish to follow along at home. Online giving is available through the church's secure portal.
St. Paul's invites newcomers to come as they are, to follow the order of service in the bulletin, to let children be part of worship, to ask a pastor for a visit or a call, and to join any of the many small groups, classes, choirs, and service opportunities that meet at the church during the week.