An Open Door on Maple Avenue
Just off the bustle of Route 123 in Vienna, Virginia, a brick and glass church building at 900 Maple Avenue, East, has been a steady presence since 1966. Emmaus United Church of Christ draws its name from the road to Emmaus in the Gospel of Luke, where two disciples walked with the risen Christ without recognizing him until he broke bread with them. The name is a daily reminder, the congregation says, that the divine presence travels alongside people even when they cannot see it.
The congregation describes itself plainly: a justice-seeking, open and affirming Christian community in Northern Virginia. Its motto, repeated across its communications, is simply "All are truly welcome." That welcome is lived out across a wide spectrum of identity, ability, and background, and it shapes everything from how the greeters meet visitors at the door to how the church spends its offering money.
Sunday Morning at 10:00
Worship is held every Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. in the main Sanctuary and usually lasts about an hour. Greeters meet people at the entrance and an usher hands each guest a printed bulletin; no one is put on the spot during the service, and visitors are not asked to stand or introduce themselves. After the service, everyone is invited to stay for coffee, light refreshments, and a time to meet the pastors and one another.
The shape of a typical service includes singing, special music from the choir, time with children, scripture readings, a sermon, prayers, and the sharing of joys and concerns. Anyone in the pews is welcome to voice a joy or concern during this time, and the Congregational Care Ministry follows up on the concerns that are named. Communion is typically celebrated on the first Sunday of each month as part of an intergenerational service, with grape juice and bread (a gluten-free option is provided). All who wish to share in the meal are invited to do so.
For those who cannot be in the Sanctuary, the service is livestreamed on YouTube through the church's channel, and the video archive stretches back many months so that anyone can revisit a service they missed.
A House of Song
Music is a living, varied part of the Emmaus service. An adult choir, directed by Music Director Allison Shelby, leads the congregation in hymn singing from hymnals kept in the pews. The music ministry also includes a regular house band, periodic chime and children's choir offerings, and visits from community artists who share their gifts during worship.
Shelby supports the service on piano and organ, brings in local singers and musicians (including youth from the congregation), and shapes a program that intentionally spans styles. "Our congregation has diverse musical tastes," the church explains, "and this is reflected in our use of traditional worship, progressive worship, gospel, and other musical styles." A visitor on any given Sunday might hear a classical hymn one week and a gospel setting the next.
Children in the Pews and in the Classroom
Children are expected and welcomed in the Sanctuary. They begin worship with their families, and about fifteen minutes into the service, the pastor invites them forward for a brief children's message. After the message, children in middle school and below are escorted by teachers and parents to the Education Building for Sunday School.
On the first Sunday of every month, the schedule shifts to an intergenerational service, and children stay in the Sanctuary for the entire morning. For the other weeks of the month, Sunday School is offered for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. The curriculum follows the lectionary readings used in worship, so what children hear in the classroom echoes what their parents are hearing in the pews. Each session typically includes a Bible lesson, a craft or activity, and discussion.
Nursery care is available during worship for children younger than pre-kindergarten. Parents can register their child for the nursery online in advance.
Youth Group, OWL, and a Year of Pizza and Service
Middle and high schoolers (grades 7 through 12) have their own ministry at Emmaus, a youth group that pairs fellowship with mission. Members help with church-wide efforts such as Hunger Action Week, take the lead on projects like decorating the Sanctuary Christmas tree, and seek out mission trip work in the wider community. On lighter weeks, the group simply gathers for games and a slice of pizza.
Emmaus also offers the UCC's Our Whole Lives (OWL) program for youth in grades 7 through 9. OWL is a sexuality education curriculum developed by the UCC and the Unitarian Universalist Association; it covers human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture, with a goal of helping young people make informed and responsible decisions in the context of their faith. Sessions run from September through June, meeting twice a month on Sunday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., and youth from outside Emmaus are welcome to enroll.
Adults Learning Together
Faith formation does not stop with confirmation. Emmaus offers a steady stream of adult study opportunities throughout the year, covering topics such as the basics of the Christian faith, contemporary theologians, family life, spiritual practice, and other religious traditions. Classes are open to everyone, members and non-members alike, and the church emphasizes that no one needs to belong to Emmaus to show up. The congregation sees adult study as one more pathway into the spiritual life the church cultivates across all its programs.
Open and Affirming, and WISE
Emmaus publicly identifies as an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ. In 1982, it was the church where Rev. Anne Holmes, the first openly lesbian minister ordained in the UCC, was called. Today, the church declares that "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning people (or those of all sexual orientations and gender identities) are welcome in its full life and ministry," including membership, leadership, and employment.
In January 2026, the congregation adopted a WISE Covenant (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged) for people living with mental health experiences, addiction, or neurodiversity, as well as their families and loved ones. The covenant pledges a safe environment in which people can share their stories, includes people with these experiences in the life and leadership of the church, and commits the congregation to working alongside outside organizations in the same field. The intent, the church says, is to embody the welcome of Jesus and to reduce the stigma that often keeps people from faith communities.
Little Free Pantries and a Neighboring Reach
On a strip of grass in front of the church along Route 123 sit two small wooden structures: a Little Free Food Pantry and a Period Pantry. The signs say "Give What You Can. Take What You Need." The pantries are stocked with non-perishable, non-expired items - canned meals, peanut butter, granola bars, shelf-stable milk, juice boxes, and personal care supplies such as soap, toothbrushes, and feminine hygiene products. The Period Pantry holds pads and tampons, and the larger Food Pantry keeps extra supplies in a bin outside the front door when the boxes are full.
The Little Free Pantry was built and installed in November 2020 by the Emmaus Youth Group, which received a $500 service grant from the Potomac Association to fund the project. Youth members continue to check and stock the pantry each week, but anyone passing by the church can also leave donations or take what they need at any time. The project has drawn steady attention from local social media groups and a regular stream of community donors.
Justice, V.O.I.C.E., and the Wider Web of Outreach
The Little Free Pantry is one piece of a much larger justice ministry at Emmaus. The church is an active participant in V.O.I.C.E. (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement), a non-partisan coalition that brings together religious, racial, economic, and political constituencies across Northern Virginia to work on issues such as transportation, affordable housing, criminal justice reform, and immigration. Members also participate in get-out-the-vote efforts in the region.
Every March, the congregation gathers the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering, the UCC's refugee, relief, and development fund that supports health, education, agricultural, and emergency relief work in 138 countries. In October, they take up Neighbors in Need (NIN), which supports the Council for American Indian Ministry and a range of justice and witness initiatives across the United States. Together with Neighbors in Need, OGHS, and two other UCC offerings, Emmaus is what the denomination calls a "5 for 5" church, meaning it participates in all five of the UCC's special mission offerings.
Locally, the church partners with several organizations. It collects and delivers food each month for the Committee for Helping Others (CHO), an all-volunteer group that provides emergency financial assistance, food, clothing, furniture, meals, and transportation. It supports the Lamb Center, a daytime drop-in shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Fairfax County, with donations of toiletries, snacks, and other supplies. It also supports the Shepherd's Center of Oakton-Vienna, a volunteer organization that helps older adults live independently through transportation, lifelong learning, and other services; several Emmaus members drive seniors to medical appointments through the Center's coordination.
Hunger Action Month is a church-wide focus every fall, with a culminating week of intergenerational service projects. Activities include meal packaging with Rise Against Hunger, the Vienna CROP Hunger Walk in partnership with Church World Service, and an Empty Bowls fundraiser. Each Advent, a First Gifts service gathers the congregation to assemble a cradle for the upcoming pageant and to support a local organization; recent partners have included Second Story (for young mothers), the Committee for Helping Others, and the Lamb Center.
Sharing the Building
Emmaus shares its campus with Meekins Preschool, which uses the Education Building during the week. Outside of preschool hours and Sunday School, the Education Building is available for small groups who need to meet on weeknights or Saturdays - Girl Scout troops, private music lessons, and similar gatherings use its 3,420 square feet of meeting space.
Fellowship Hall, the original Sanctuary built in 1966, has its own parking lot, two bathrooms, and a working kitchen. It is rented out for gatherings, including to church plants that are growing their own congregations.
The current Sanctuary, where Sunday worship takes place, is also used for weddings and funeral services and can be rented to congregations looking for a Sunday space other than the morning.
Staff and Leadership
Rev. Dr. Kristen McBrayer serves as Senior Minister. A lifelong UCC member who grew up in Minnesota, she earned her undergraduate degree at American University, received her Master of Divinity at Lancaster Theological Seminary on a Richard and Helen Brown Scholarship, and completed her Doctorate of Ministry at Chicago Theological Seminary in 2024 with a focus on preaching. Before coming to Emmaus, she was Senior Pastor at Bethel UCC in Arlington and was a member of the UCC's Next Generation Leadership Initiative, which she completed in 2023.
Robert "Bobby" Faison serves as Minister of Faith Formation and Mission. He is also the Executive Minister of the Community Church of Washington, D.C., and Moderator of the Potomac Association of the Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ. He is a Master of Divinity candidate at Wesley Theological Seminary, pursuing ordination in the UCC, and is licensed in the Baptist tradition. His ministry verse, he says, is James 1:22: "Do not merely listen to the word, do what it says."
Allison Shelby, the Director of Music, supports the service on piano and organ, directs the choir, and brings in a rotating roster of local musicians and singers, including youth. She is a graduate of James Madison University in Music Education and owns Music Playhouse, a music school for young children in Vienna, while maintaining an active solo career in Northern Virginia.
A Vision in One Sentence
Emmaus articulates its life in two short statements. Its vision is "United in God's love, we envision a just world for all." Its mission is "As a Christian community of faith, committed to exploring God's purpose for us, we dedicate ourselves to being instruments for Love in the world, welcoming all and seeking justice for all." In a region where faith communities come and go, those two sentences and the sixty years behind them are a steady witness: a church that takes the road to Emmaus seriously, and a neighborhood that knows where to find it.