Welcome from the Rector

It’s good to welcome you to St Hilary’s website today. People are drawn to our church for many reasons, so we look forward to meeting you and getting to know you better.

On our website you will find information about our aims and some of our key leaders, as well as details of our groups and activities.

Although the present church building dates from 1859, there has been a place of Christian worship on this site for around 1500 years. This sense of history gives us a great perspective: thousands of people have lived, worshipped, been baptised and passed on the good news of Jesus for centuries, and the church is still alive today.

The life of the church is all about relationships. When God brings us into a new friendship with himself through Jesus Christ, he also draws us into new friendship with other believers. In fact, the Bible calls the church “the family of God” and “the body of Christ” – which clearly tells us that in the Christian community we are closely connected together in all sorts of ways, like a human family or like a human body.

You will soon discover that St Hilary’s is far from being the perfect church … I’m not sure that such a things actually exists this side of heaven! But we believe God has invited us on a journey with Jesus, to trust Him, to follow Him, to obey Him, to love Him. And we aim to do this, knowing that God first loved us and that Jesus gave Himself to die on the cross for us. He gives us His peace and His joy and the free gift of eternal life.

Our hope is that you will explore, in ways that are right for you, what it means to be part of such a community of faith and in due course may join us on this journey with Jesus.

May God richly bless you,

Alan