Holy Cross Church is about “creating opportunities for everyone to experience God's love”.
We are a church that seeks:
• To be alive and well in the village
• To grow the faith of all.
Established in the 12th Century, our church continues to be a beacon of Christian faith and worship. It’s a place of prayer, praise, sanctuary and refuge. A place to be near God. A place where everyone is welcome.
We hold four Sunday services a month at Holy Cross Church, while also worshipping with churches across the Benefice at other times. See the calendar for more details. During the week, Holy Cross Church is open on Wednesday and Saturday as well as Sunday. Many people use the space in these times as a place for quiet reflection.
Beyond the building we hold small groups exploring the Christian faith in a home setting. We also hold Home Communion for those in the village who need it.
We’ve excellent links with our village school – Ashton Keynes C of E Primary School – and three of our congregation are Foundation Governors. Our ‘Open the Book’ team lead Friday morning worships, sharing dramatised Bible stories with the children. We believe that stories, well told, can spark the imagination and offer life-giving moments. Rev Shirley, our associate vicar, often leads Monday worship and the school worship council. Classes also visit the church for school celebrations, festivals and for learning.
Members of Holy Cross are aware of those in the community and wider who may need our help. We support the Swindon Foodbank, Christian Aid and many other charities. Nearer to home we try to keep close to those we know are house-bound, bereaved or in need.
We’re also mindful about looking after God’s creation and recently we’ve gained the A Rocha Silver Eco Church award. Making sure our 800 year old church and churchyard have an eco-friendly footprint is not easy!
Our church is the only Grade 1 listed building in the village. Looking after it is important for our future generations. Friends of Holy Cross (FoCH) do a fantastic job supporting the fabric of our church through donations, fundraising and physical maintenance.
We know that belonging and believing are important in today’s world. It doesn’t matter who you are, and whether you have faith or none, you are all welcome in our church. Our hope is that you will get to know Jesus or grow to know him better.
Visit the Ashton Keynes website to find out more about our village.