The Church of the Holy Cross, Avening, Gloucestershire

www.aveningchurch.info

Church in the Community

The Church Fête is held on the first Sunday in June and takes place around the Church and School. It is a traditional fete with a variety of stalls, children’s activities, a prize raffle and cream teas. In addition we have the hugely popular duck races in the Avening stream and a particularly fine Art Exhibition in the Church. The bell tower is opened to visitors and potential bell-ringers.

Queen Matilda’s (Pig Face) Day is celebrated on the Sunday nearest to September 14th, the day the church was inaugurated. The celebration generally takes place every other year, and is an extremely popular event. A villager is chosen as Queen for the day, and we congregate in the church for a thanksgiving service after which a torchlight procession makes its way to the feast carrying the celebrated Boars Head. Many people dress in mediaeval costume and after the service, there is a hog roast feast and entertainment for all! The local pubs are usually in attendance although the days when they provided free hog sandwiches are sadly no more.

Other community and church activities taking place include a series of Lenten Suppers - a time for discussion and reflection. Rev. Celia also runs Discussion Groups from time to time, especially for young people, who would like to discuss the Christian faith in greater depth. A coffee morning each autumn is an opportunity to meet each other socially and raises much needed funds for church maintenance.

We are very involved with the local primary school, which is next door to the church – Rev. Celia is regularly welcomed into the school just as the children and their teachers are welcomed into the church.

Every week there is an opportunity for the children to attend Sunday School, held in the North transept (or Brydges Aisle) during the family service. Also on Palm Sunday every year, a real donkey (admirably played by Rev Celia’s Shetland pony) helps us remember Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem! He also features at Christmas in the Nativity story, carrying Mary and the baby Jesus away from Nazareth to escape the attentions of King Herod.

A Christmas Party is held in the church for younger children, with Father Christmas arriving with his pony and sack full of presents.

The Avening Church of England Education Fund provides Funds to run the Village Youth Club for 7-13 year olds. It also annually invites applications from villagers for funds to help with any special educational need of village youngsters.