People of Crosscrake Church
Crosscrake Church prides itself on being open and inclusive to all. People who attend a service for the first time have remarked on how welcoming the church and congregation are to them and if you visit, you will be assured of a warm welcome from all.
The Congregation
The average attendance at the main morning service is between 45-50. The majority of the congregation live in the Parish and come from a range of social strata, occupations and age. Although some of the congregation have chosen to come to the area to retire from all over the country, others belong to local families who have lived and worked in the area for several generations. There are a significant number of young families. There are no shops in the Parish and there is one public house. Cars are a necessity not a luxury. With rising house prices the parish has become increasingly affluent, and younger families struggle to find affordable accommodation. There is still a small amount of social housing in the parish and some houses are available for private rental. There are several holiday rental properties and bed and breakfast accommodation.
Ministry Team
Rev. Mat Ineson became Priest-in-charge at Crossrake in October 2019 and was assisted by Rev. Terry Wilcock.
Rev. Mat left Crosscrake in October 2021 and Rev. Terry now leads services at Crosscrake, assisted by Rev. Lucy Foster and ordinand Charlie Day. Neighbouring clergy and ministers from the Helm Group of Churches work well together and appreciate each other’s support and fellowship.
Crosscrake Church Choir
Crosscrake church services contain hymns from the book of old and new hymns and we have a regular choir of around six people each week. We are always looking for additional people to join the choir so if you enjoy singing and fancy joining us either regularly or from time to time, just come along to one of our weekly Sunday services at 10am and you will be made to feel very welcome. If you would like more information on joining the choir, or services at Crosscrake, get in touch with our churchwarden and organist Mike via our contact page.
Church groups
D J ’s (Discovering Jesus) meets once a month at the back of Church during the morning service. The children range from toddlers to teenagers, averaging about 10 children in all. Most of the children are from families who attend church but very occasionally we have had children dropped off and collected. We have lots of fun with games, songs and crafts. The session is always Bible based following Scripture Union material with opportunity for prayer and questions.
Teddy Thomas Tots meets monthly. After prayers, singing, storytelling, games and craft activities, the children have refreshments together. Numbers vary but often there are 6 to 10 children (with Mums, or Grans) up to Nursery class age.
In addition to this, Activity mornings are held at Christmas, Easter, and at the beginning of the summer holiday. These have become increasingly popular with children and are well attended by 40-50 from tots (and babes in arms) to young teens. These are held in church and followed by a ‘bring and share’ lunch or picnic. There is also an outreach initiative to young families in the Parish.
Teenagers from our parish have the opportunity to join up with others from the Helm Group in PUSH (Mentioned later in the Helm Group)
Crosscrake Mothers’ Union
Approximately 13 members meet monthly on Wednesdays from 2-3.30 pm. The afternoon begins with an act of worship because prayer is at the heart of the organisation. Through the year speakers help to widen knowledge of the great variety of work that goes on locally and nationally and overseas by the Mother’s Union members to promote, nurture, and sustain Christian family life.
Men of Crosscrake Church
The men of the congregation regularly meet for dinner at a local hotel. This is a great opportunity for the men of the local area to get together for an informal evening of dinner and drinks. Often, there is a volunteer speaker who brings topics and stories of their life and times. It is a great way for people to get to know one another, chat and make friends in a way that they may not ordinarily get the opportunity to do.
Home Groups
There are two Home groups, which meet regularly to study the Bible. From time to time various courses offered by the Diocese have been held at the vicarage.
Social Events
Friends of Crosscrake Social Committee meets regularly in homes and works hard to plan a varied array of social events through out the year including such activities as: Quiz, Barn Dance, Parish meal, Plant Sale, 4 Lent Lunches, a Christmas Fair etc. Some events are purely social, others to raise money. We have held a cream tea, an annual event in July for several years now.
Harvest Supper
The Harvest Supper and a Punch and Carols evening are held in the local pub. Details of upcoming events can be viewed on our events calendar.
Members of the congregation are involved in many village organisations such as the two Parish Councils, the Wl, Craft group, Sedgwick Ladies and the Badminton and Cricket Clubs and many do voluntary work in the wider community.
Check out our Services Page for full details of services taking place.
Parish Magazine
A Parish magazine is produced monthly and has a circulation of 165 around the Parish. The magazine contains a mixture of church information, community interest features, local advertising and even sometimes a prize draw quiz. If you are interested in receiving a yearly subscription of the magazine or advertising in the magazine, please drop our churchwarden Mike a line by using the contact form here.