The Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross sits at 11526 162nd Avenue NE in Redmond, Washington, in an area once surrounded by farms and stables that is now heavily influenced by Microsoft, Amazon, and other tech companies. Within that changing landscape, Holy Cross is an Episcopal parish distinguished by a 20-acre Food Bank Farm that has delivered more than two million pounds of fresh produce to area food banks, a long-running weekday preschool, and a deeply liturgical Sunday worship life grounded in the Book of Common Prayer.
From St. Timothy and St. Gregory to Holy Cross
Holy Cross grew out of two small Episcopal mission churches that took root on either side of Lake Washington in the early 1960s. In Redmond, twelve women from St. Thomas in Medina had been meeting weekly with the Rev. Ken Allen for Old Testament study. Wanting the same fellowship closer to home, they began a Bible study in the fall of 1960, then won diocesan approval to organize as the mission of St. Timothy. The first services were held in the chapel of Green's Funeral Home in Redmond on September 9, 1962.
Across the lake, in the Juanita neighborhood north of Kirkland, another group of Episcopalians had been gathering in homes to plan a church. They became the mission of St. Gregory under St. John's, Kirkland, and held their first public worship in September 1965 in the Juanita Community Hall. For several years the two missions, together with St. John's, were linked as the Lake Washington Parish, until 1972, when St. John's stepped back and the missions reported directly to the diocese.
In July 1974, the Diocese of Olympia decided the two missions should merge. The combined congregation chose the name the Church of the Holy Cross and continued to meet for worship for the next seven years in Green's Chapel. A groundbreaking ceremony on the present Redmond site took place on April 23, 1981; the first service in the new building was held on Thanksgiving Day that November. The Rev. Peter D. Snow, who had arrived as interim, was installed as vicar in 1991 and led the parish to full self-supporting status the following spring. An education wing was finished on Palm Sunday 1986, and a doubling of that wing, along with re-landscaped parking, came in the fall of 1996. Between 2015 and 2018, a three-phase "Growing Home" campaign raised more than $775,000 for new flooring, pews, lighting, a sound system, a five-year youth minister (partly funded by the Seattle Service Corps), and a sinking fund for future capital projects.
Sunday Worship
Sunday worship at Holy Cross follows the Episcopal Church's Book of Common Prayer. Two celebrations of the Holy Eucharist are offered each Sunday, both in the contemporary English of Rite II. The earlier 7:45 a.m. service is described as quieter, accompanied by piano and a sermon, and is followed by a shared brunch. The 10:00 a.m. service features the parish choir, a sermon of about fifteen minutes, and a livestream on the parish's YouTube channel.
The full shape of the liturgy includes readings from Scripture, prayers, a sermon, the passing of the peace, and the celebration of the Eucharist. The bulletin walks worshipers through each part of the service, and newcomers are welcome to stand, sit, or kneel as they wish. There is no assigned seating, no dress code (visitors come as they are, though some prefer to dress up), and the entire service typically lasts around seventy minutes. After the 10:00 a.m. service, the parish gathers for coffee hour with conversation, coffee, and snacks.
During the program year, Children's Chapel for ages four through fifth grade gathers after the Gospel reading and returns at the peace so children can take part in the Eucharist with their families. Middle school youth meet in the narthex before the service and rejoin at the peace. Nursery care is available from 9:45 to 11:30 a.m. throughout the year. Over the summer, the formation programs take a break and the whole congregation worships together across generations.
Wednesday Eucharist and Daily Prayer
On Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m., the parish gathers for a quieter, midweek Holy Eucharist in the same Rite II shape. Instead of a sermon, the small congregation shares in Lectio Divina, an ancient practice of meditative reading of Scripture. On the first Wednesday of each month, a potluck lunch follows the service, open to all. A daily rhythm of Morning Prayer is also offered online, streaming live at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday on the parish's Facebook page.
Children, Youth, and Best Beginnings Preschool
Children are a visible and welcomed part of life at Holy Cross, and the parish takes a multigenerational approach to formation. During the school year, the 9:00 a.m. hour is set aside for faith formation: CrossTalk, an adult forum, meets in the parish hall, while the high school youth group gathers in the upstairs youth room. At 10:00 a.m., Children's Chapel for ages four through fifth grade is taught by the parish's priests, and middle schoolers meet in the narthex. Nursery care for infants through three-year-olds is offered every Sunday morning.
The youth ministry is led by Prue Miller and brings middle and high schoolers together for an hour of formation each Sunday along with one combined event a month. All adults who work with children and youth, as well as all parish staff, are background-checked and follow Safe Church practices.
Sharing the same education building is Best Beginnings Preschool, a weekday preschool started in the fall of 1990 by two parishioners and now considered one of the premier preschools in the area. It is run today by Co-Directors Jill Eisner and Stephanie Taketa.
The Food Bank Farm
Out of the many ministries at Holy Cross, the Food Bank Farm has become one of the most recognized. It began in 2011 when the parish's then-rector, the Rev. Jim Eichner, and twelve volunteers broke ground on three acres in the Snoqualmie river valley with a single goal: grow fresh produce for area food banks. In its first year, the farm produced 3,750 pounds of food.
More than a decade later, the farm covers twenty acres and, with the help of thousands of local volunteers, produces more than 300,000 pounds of food in a typical year. To date it has delivered over two million pounds of fresh produce to food banks across the region. The work is now run by Fr. Jim, who continues to serve at Holy Cross as Associate Rector, and a dedicated Facebook page, Veggies for Food Banks, posts upcoming harvest and volunteer events. The farm has drawn outside recognition, including coverage by 425 Magazine, Episcopal News Service, and Food Lifeline. The parish accepts donations to the farm through its online giving (selecting "Food Bank Farm"), through Benevity, and through Microsoft employee matching gifts.
Welcome, Accessibility, and What to Expect
Holy Cross's own statement of welcome is unqualified: everyone. As an Episcopal parish, it teaches that all people are part of God's creation and that those pushed to the margins of society have a particular place in the church's life. The parish celebrates and welcomes same-sex marriages, commits to justice, equity, and inclusion as a community, and acknowledges that, when it falls short, it repents and tries again.
The building is arranged to make a first visit straightforward. The sanctuary and parish hall are wheelchair accessible, with designated accessible parking and a ramp into the church office; there are no stairs or steps at the main entrance. Restrooms include accessible stalls, and a single-stall gender neutral bathroom is available. The sanctuary is equipped with a hearing loop, and ear pieces can be borrowed to amplify the sound system. Visitors are welcome to come as they are and to participate as much or as little as they wish; bulletins are provided, and standing, sitting, or kneeling during the service is all fine. Coffee hour after the 10:00 a.m. service is intentionally low-pressure.
Beliefs and Episcopal Identity
At its heart, Holy Cross teaches that God loves every person and that the church's mission is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. Worship follows the patterns of the Episcopal Church, and the Book of Common Prayer is the source of the liturgies used here. Baptism is offered to people of any age during a regular Sunday service and is celebrated only once in a lifetime; the parish does not charge for it. Confirmation, marriage, and pastoral care follow the wider customs of the Episcopal Church, and the parish is a member of the Diocese of Olympia, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Music, Formation, and Other Ministries
The parish's music ministry is led by Beth Bishop, Minister through Music, whose work is heard especially at the 10:00 a.m. service. CrossTalk, the adult Sunday morning forum, hosts speakers and conversations on faith, current events, and parish life during the 9:00 a.m. formation hour. A parish library, accessible to the congregation, is part of the formation wing, as are the classrooms used by Best Beginnings on weekdays.
Beyond the church walls, Holy Cross hosts Boy Scout Troop 557, sponsors regular community blood drives, and maintains a memorial garden on the campus for the interment of ashes. Online giving options include Tithe.ly, bill pay, EFT, AmazonSmile, and gifts of stock or other non-cash assets.
Clergy and Staff
The Rev. Malcolm McLaurin serves as Rector, having been ordained a curate at Holy Cross in 2021, called as Associate Rector in 2023, and installed as Rector in 2025. The Rev. Jim Eichner, who led the parish as Rector from 2002 to 2024 and who founded the Food Bank Farm, continues as Associate Rector and director of the farm. The Rev. Gabriel Oakes serves as Curate. The Rev. Julianna Caguiat serves as Deacon. Beth Bishop leads music, Prue Miller directs the youth ministry, and Jill Eisner and Stephanie Taketa co-direct Best Beginnings Preschool. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday (Pacific time), and the parish office can be reached at (425) 885-5822 or office@holycrossredmond.org.