401 S. Park Avenue, Sanford, FL 32771
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401 S. Park Avenue, Sanford, FL 32771
We are the historic “first” church in Sanford, founded by members of the Sanford family. For us historic does not mean we are a museum for the past, but rather that God has given to us a significant responsibility for the present and the future of our community. Our first responsibility is the worship of God through his Son, Jesus Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit. We then have a dual responsibility to deeply care for our members and our community. In these responsibilities we live into the two Great Commandments to love God and our neighbor.
Our worship is centered on the celebration of the Eucharist remembering that Christ always feeds his disciples. Our care for our members is found in our pastoral care for one another, our opportunities for education and through the fellowship we enjoy. Our care for the community is seen in our continued commitment to “Grace and Grits” a feeding ministry of which we are a founding partner and our desire to reach out in new ways to our community.
We hope that this website will give to you a taste of who we are. We are a place where everyone is welcomed. We do not all think alike, but we all are committed to God, to one another and to the mission to which God calls us. We invite you to come and join us: discover the joy of worship, feel the power of a loving God, know the satisfaction of working to change the world for Jesus Christ.
“The Church of the Holy Cross” as it was known in 1873 when it was consecrated, is the Mother Church for this area. Land was provided by General Sanford and his wife, Gertrude, solicited most of the donations for the building of this landmark church. The first church building was destroyed by hurricane in 1880. Immediately work began on a second building. It flourished providing worship opportunities and a haven for the community with its theatre and bowling alley. This church building, along with the parish and several buildings in the vicinity burned in 1923. The present building was then built.
While the story of the historical building is important, it is the story of the people that is truly impressive. The congregation has seen much sadness through the years; however, it has always shown perseverance and compassion for others. Our members started Grace ‘n Grits, which became a program to feed the hungry offered by several area churches; they helped develop The Christian Sharing Center that helps those less fortunate with shelter, food, clothing, and jobs; as well as many other community efforts. As we celebrate our history, we look forward to what the possibilities are for the future—the lives we can impact, the history that we will create, the love that we can spread.
We stream our services LIVE on FACEBOOK every Sunday and Wedensday.
We will have celebratory events throughout the year. Click here to see how you can celebrate with us!
We work with other organizations whenever we can
