Visitors are always welcome at Kirkwood!
Frequently asked questions you may also be wondering about:
How do I get there?
When do you meet?
Where should I park?
How will I know where to go?
Where should I sit in the worship service?
Are children welcome in the worship service—and is there a place for kids?
What should I wear?
What is a service like?
What are your communion practices?
What about the collection?
Will I be contacted after visiting?
How would you describe Kirkwood?
How can I get more information?
How do I get there?
Kirkwood is located in a quiet residential neighborhood on the wide, divided-lane Carrleigh Parkway, near the intersection of Old Keene Mill and Rolling Road in Springfield, Virginia. Click here for a map and customized directions.
Kirkwood Presbyterian Church
8336 Carrleigh Parkway
Springfield, VA 22152
703-451-5320
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
From Baltimore
Take 95 South to the 495 Capitol Beltway and follow 495 toward Silver Spring. Follow signs toward Northern Virginia (you will pass the 270 interchange). Once you cross the Cabin John Bridge over the Potomac into Virginia, continue about 10 miles to the Braddock Rd. WEST exit. Continue on Braddock Rd in the left lane and turn left on Burke Lake Road (6th light). Make your next left onto Rolling Rd. Follow Rolling Rd. and turn left at Forrester Blvd (4th light). Follow Forrester Blvd 6 blocks where it ends at Carrleigh Pkwy. Turn right onto Carrleigh Pwky. Kirkwood Presbyterian is located approx. 4 blocks down on the right.
From Richmond
Take 95 North to the Springfield/Franconia (Route 644) exit and follow this west toward Springfield. You will now be on Old Keene Mill Rd. Go for about 4 miles and turn right on Carrleigh Pkwy (there will be a golf course on your left). Kirkwood Presbyterian is located 1 block down Carrleigh on your left.
From the Capital Beltway (I-495)
Take the Braddock Rd. WEST exit. Continue on Braddock Rd in the left lane and turn left on Burke Lake Road (6th light). Make your next left onto Rolling Rd. Follow Rolling Rd. and turn left at Forrester Blvd (4th light). Follow Forrester Blvd 6 blocks where it ends at Carrleigh Pkwy. Turn right onto Carrleigh Pwky. Kirkwood Presbyterian is located approx. 4 blocks down on the right.
From Springfield/Franconia (Metro - Blue Line)
Follow the signs to Fairfax County Parkway (Rt. 7100) north. This will be a left turn after you go under the overpass - so be in the left lane. Follow the Pkwy through 2 lights (about 4 miles) to the Rolling Rd exit. Follow Rolling Rd north (right turn off exit) to the major intersection of Rolling Rd. and Old Keene Mill Rd. (this is the second light you come to and you will see a “7/11” on your right and Wachovia bank on your left). Go through the intersection for one more block to Traford Ln. Turn right onto Traford Ln -WITH CAUTION- as this is a busy intersection with service roads feeding into it as you turn. Kirkwood Presbyterian is located one block down on your left.
When do you meet?
From September through May our worship service is held at 11:00 am.
During summer the service is at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday School runs September - May at 9:45 a.m.
Check the church calendar (under the "Communications" tab on the Home page) for other activities throughout the week.
Where should I park?
You will find ample parking all around the building. Park anywhere you like.
How will I know where to go?
The main entrance to the church is on the Carrleigh Parkway side of the building. Most people enter through the set of six doors into our commons area. When you enter the building a greeter will be on hand to welcome you, invite you to join the others having refreshments around our welcome table and give you directions to restrooms, child care, the sanctuary or wherever you are going.
Where should I sit in the worship service?
Ushers will be on hand to help you find a good seat and give you a bulletin with the order of worship for the day. Hearing Assistance Devices are available for use during our worship services. Just ask an usher or greeter for a receiver.
Are children welcome in the worship service—and is there a place for kids?
Yes! Children are always welcome. Our nursery is available during Sunday School and worship services, staffed by our loving church members. Pagers are available for your peace of mind. If you feel self-conscious about little ones making noise, you may sit in the narthex just outside the sanctuary where glass panels contain the noise but you can hear the service through speakers.
Most worship services include a brief children’s sermon after which children leave to attend age-appropriate Christian education activities.
What should I wear?
There is no dress code. Wear what you find comfortable and appropriate. On any given Sunday you will see as many people in jeans and other casual dress as you will in suits, sports jackets or “church” outfits. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day we encourage more casual dress—but you’ll still see all of the above!
What is a service like?
Our service lasts about an hour and is more traditional—without being stuffy! We sing several hymns from one or two hymn books provided in the pews. The choir or musical groups often perform. We participate in some responsive readings printed in the bulletin. Those who are able are invited to stand for hymns, musical responses and for the benediction. Our services include a brief time for the “passing of the peace” where we greet one another, saying, “May the peace of Christ be with you” and the other responding, “and also with you” or something similar. We do not kneel. Visitors are never asked to introduce themselves or address the congregation. Click here to listen to a sermon.
What are your communion practices?
At our traditional service on Sundays, we offer communion, the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, once a month, usually on the first Sunday of the month. No one is required to participate. All who have been baptized in any church (Presbyterian or not) may participate. We serve grape juice instead of wine. Members remain seated. Trays containing small pieces of bread are first passed down the pews by servers. Our custom is that those participating hold the bread until all have been served and then, as instructed by the pastor, we all partake of the bread at once. Next, trays containing small cups of grape juice are served in the same manner as the bread. Again, we hold the cup until instructed to drink by the pastor. Used cup holders are located in the hymn book holders on the back of the pews.
What about the collection?
Most worship services include a freewill offering. Church members usually make an annual pledge and place their offering weekly or monthly in offering bags passed along the pews. While visitors may contribute something during the offering, there is no expectation that they do so. We have no giving quotas and members are not pressured to give any certain amount. We simply ask that members of the congregation prayerfully consider the level of giving they feel appropriate to support the work of our church.
Will I be contacted after visiting?
Visitors and members alike are encouraged (but never required) to sign the Friendship Folder found on each pew. Visitors have the opportunity to provide whatever contact information they are comfortable with entering. We send visitors an email greeting a day or two after the service and a personal, handwritten note later in the week to see if we can pray for you, answer your questions or be helpful to you in any other way. We try never to intrude or make visitors feel uncomfortable in any way. Our goal is to offer you sincere Christian fellowship, introduce you to our church and other members, include you in our prayers and in our mission of seeking, serving and sharing Christ in the community and the world.
How would you describe Kirkwood?
Perhaps the best description of Kirkwood is that we are a “hometown church in a high pressure world.” We are a medium-sized congregation of about 250 members who are mobile and predominantly middle age. Our members typically work long hours, many in high-level, responsible positions in the military, for defense contractors, government agencies as well as for private companies. We come from all over the country and have widely differing views on most issues. We include married and single members, reflect a mostly traditional family structure, and have a relatively high education level. We are a “relational church,” making friends easily. We enjoy and draw spiritual sustenance from our relaxed, “hometown-church” style potluck dinners and picnics, going out to dinner, concerts and theatre presentations in small groups as well as visiting the countless attractions in the Washington area. Virtually all of us have recently been, or still are, newcomers to the area. We identify with and enjoy welcoming visitors!
How can I get more information?
For general questions about the Christian faith, visitors are invited to take a copy of the free book, The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, which you will find on a table in the commons area. This short book answers many commonly-asked questions about Christianity in a helpful and engaging way. Feel free to note other questions on the Friendship Card during the worship service and place it in the collection bag during the worship service, ask one of our greeters, the pastor or anyone you meet! You may also contact the church office by phone at 703-451-5320 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
We invite you to come worship with us so we can get acquainted and welcome you to Kirkwood—a community of faith and support—in a high-pressure world.