“Whoever you are, and wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith, you are welcome here at Holy Cross as you are to receive the blessings of God so freely given, of new and unending life in Christ.”

We say these words every week to welcome everyone to our worship service, to the Lord's table, and to the life of our congregation. These words also form the perfect introduction to the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross in Dunn Loring, Virginia. It is our open, welcoming atmosphere that has helped to build our community of faith into what it is today and that continues to sustain it as we discern to what purpose God is calling us.

The members of Holy Cross have overwhelmingly voiced their opinion that it is this welcoming atmosphere that has drawn them into the life of the congregation and that it is the people of Holy Cross who keep them coming back each week. The sense of openness and inclusiveness is central to our identity and to our desire to be a place where all may seek and serve Christ.

Holy Cross Members

We are on the small end of program-sized churches; we have approximately 500 members and 200 households, including 80 families with children at home. Our average Sunday worship attendance is approximately 175 across three services. We are in the process of adjusting to the realities of being this size, which includes a recent effort to document the various programs and ministries of our congregation, including the people who make them work, and to provide a structure for organizing the various activities in our congregational life. This effort has put into writing (see chart below) something we’ve known to be true for some time: the lay leadership of our congregation is strong. Many of the activities at Holy Cross—including social, spiritual, and service activities—are organized with minimal need for clergy involvement.

The sections listed at right expand on who we are, what we do, where we live, and what we seek in a rector.