About

Every July 4 at noon for the last three decades, VPIS has hosted a non-denominational, community reading of our Nation’s founding documents inside the pre-revolutionary sanctuary of The Falls Church. Please join us this July 4 as the tradition continues with special readings for the 250th anniversary of Independence. The event is a rare opportunity to join your voice with others and recite aloud the founding words and ideals of our American democracy.

On arrival, each attendee receives a booklet of readings and takes a seat in the pews. Short introductions are provided for context before each selection is read. Should they wish, each participant then takes a turn reading aloud a paragraph from the Declaration of Independence, the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Bill of Rights, or the Reconstruction and Voting Rights Amendments. We also mix in excerpts from historic speeches that celebrate the principles of individual freedom, equality, and democracy. Past readings have included selections from Patrick Henry, Washington, Lincoln, and Douglass, and other readings will be debuted for the 250th anniversary.