HOLY WEEK SERVICE SCHEDULE

Holy Cross Anglican Church

PALM SUNDAY, April 1

9:30 AM    Morning Prayer

10:00 AM  Blessing and distribution of Palms, and the Holy Communion

WEDNESDAY IN HOLY WEEK, April 4

12:10 PM  The Holy Communion

MAUNDY THURSDAY, April 5

6:30 PM    The Holy Communion, Evening Prayer and the Stripping of the Altar

GOOD FRIDAY, April 6

9:00 AM    Morning Prayer, Litany and the Ante-Communion

12:10 PM   Stations of the Cross

6:30 PM     Evening Prayer and the Penitential Office

EASTER SUNDAY, April 8

9:30 AM    Morning Prayer

10:00 AM  The Holy Communion

We are a faithful and friendly church, and we have a place for you!

MERE CHRISTIANITY

Dr. J. I. Packer, like C. S. Lewis before him, is an Anglican theologian and writer who is respected by Christians of every tradition. In an era of theological controversy and division, Packer, like Lewis, identifies Anglicanism as "mere Christianity." He says, "Ideal Anglicanism...is...mere Christianity, the Apostolic religion of the New Testament without addition, subtraction, or distortion... The emphases of Evangelicalism are no more than underlinings of aspects of Anglicanism" (Packer, Anglicanism for Tomorrow).

Sunday, March 25th is Passion Sunday, the beginning of Passion-tide, and our monthly Potluck Luncheon. Morning Prayer is at 9:30 AM, followed by the Holy Communion at 10:00 AM, with the luncheon immediately following worship. Nursery care for children under the age of four is available during our 10:00 AM Service. Everyone is invited to attend. There is always plenty of good food, and visitors need bring nothing but themselves. They are our guests.

We will be celebrating the Holy Communion on Monday, March 26th, at 12:10 PM for the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As always, the Holy Communion will also be celebrated on Wednesday, March 28th, at 12:10 PM.

Holy Cross Anglican Church is a faithful and friendly congregation, and we have a place for you!

FAITHFUL AND FRIENDLY

Holy Cross Anglican Church is a faithful and friendly congregation, and we have a place for you. Last Sunday we had fifty (50) people at the Eucharist, including two Burmese refugee clergymen - Fr. Samuel Nyan Lynn and Deacon Aung Tun. Members of our church family come in all ages from several in their 70s to toddlers and infants.  We are a friendly and welcoming congregation, but we are also passionate about our faith and serious about discipleship.

The following link is for an article called, The Evangelical Fathers and the Liturgy (With particular reference to Holy Communion). I wrote the Introduction and the postscript. It was published today on by David Virtue on Virtueonline. I hope that you find the article  a blessing.

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=15710#.T2O1WRwZeRk

FALSE DOCTRINE

"Do Not Tolerate False Doctrine. If we would hold fast that which is good, we must not tolerate any doctrine that is not the pure doctrine of Christ's Gospel. There is a hatred that is downright charity: that is the hatred of erroneous doctrine. There is an intolerance which is downright praiseworthy: that is the intolerance of false teaching in the pulpit. Who would ever think of tolerating a little poison given to him day by day? If men come among you who do not preach "all the counsel of God," who do not preach of Christ, sin, holiness, of ruin, and redemption, and regeneration, - or do not preach of these things in a Scriptural way, you ought to cease to hear them. You ought to carry out the spirit shown by the Apostle Paul, in Gal.1:8: 'Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached, let him be accursed.'" --- Bishop J.C. Ryle 

EXPLOSIVE ANGLICAN CHURCH PLANTING

The following is some exciting news from Anglican journalist David Virtue (www.virtueonline.org):

The leader of a reviving North American Anglicanism told some 400 Anglican Church planters that, "We have changed the subject in the discussions about Anglicanism in North America. We are reaching North America with the Good News of Jesus Christ by planting 1000 new churches. This is an extraordinary gathering of extraordinary people." Archbishop Robert Duncan said that in January 2012 some 200 new churches had been started with 35 more on the boards. 

This week he welcomed these church planters, bishops, clergy, seminary leaders and lay leaders to the 3rd Annual Anglican 1000 Church Planting Summit on this week at Christ Church in Plano. Fifty percent of those in attendance admitted they had not been to a Church Planting Summit before. These church planters came from nearly every state and Canadian province. You can read stories about this event including an exclusive interview with the Rev. David Roseberry in today's digest. 

These are exciting and heady days for these mostly young Anglican church planters. They are in the vanguard of the revival of Anglicanism in North America. Ironically, as Anglican churches grow, Episcopal churches are aging and closing. The average Episcopal congregation now has less than 70 members and the average age is in the low 60s. Interestingly enough, Christ Church, Plano, where the conference was held is a former TEC parish in the Diocese of Dallas and home to nearly 2,000 Anglicans who meet there each week. The rector, David Roseberry is not imbibing the Episcopal sexual Kool-Aid so his church continues to grow. His own church has planted five parishes in the area. His son runs one - Resurrection -- nearby.

KAREN (BURMESE) ANGLICAN MINISTRY

Around mid-day today I received a phone call from Fr. Samuel Nyan Lynn in Moline, Illinois. Fr. Samuel works with Anglican Burmese refugees for the Anglican Church in North America. This Sunday he will be visiting Holy Cross parish along with a Burmese deacon to assist us in our work with Karen (Burmese) Anglican communities in Omaha and Lincoln.  Fr. Samuel will be traveling to Omaha at least every other month from now on. I hope that my readers will join us this Sunday. We celebrate the Holy Communion at 10:00 AM. Holy Cross parish welcomes you! 

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT

Yesterday was the Second Sunday in Lent and a wonderful day at church. My sermon was on discipleship, and I can say that Holy Cross Anglican Church is a church of serious disciples. Parish leaders take the concept of servant leadership seriously, and parishioners actively participate in the priesthood of the faithful.

We already have many important ministries at Holy Cross, including parish Women's and Men's Groups, our work with the Anglican Relief and Development Fund, support for the Open Door Mission, Pro Life ministry, Prayer Chain, Christian Education classes, Lay Readers and Acolytes, Ushers, Greeters, Internet Outreach and more, but there is even more that we need to be doing to build up the Body of Christ and advance the Work of the Great Commission, - and the faithful of Holy Cross are answering the call!

Just last week a family in the parish purchased The North American Anglican. The North American Anglican is a 200 to 300 page quarterly orthodox Anglican theological journal, and it will now be headquartered right here in Omaha, Nebraska, with a Holy Cross parishioner as editor. I will be serving as theological advisor. I also learned that our new Media Site will soon be going up on the Internet. Holy Cross Media will compliment our parish website and will focus on video and audio, including podcasts. 

In my sermon yesterday I spoke of the need for ministries to college students, the elderly, and more, and after Services parishioners were already beginning to step forward. Our own Fr. Smith, who is a Vietnam veteran, told me of his vision for a ministry to veterans. With the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq winding down, and Omaha being a community with a large military presence and a VA hospital, such a ministry would be important for returning military personnel and their families.  Later in the parish hall two of our college students spoke to me about starting a ministry to college students on the UNL campus. Both of the men are mature Christians who serve with me at the altar of God, and are returning to college for further education. When I left church yesterday afternoon to go home these two men were still talking in the parish hall, formulating their plans. Finally, Sunday evening, our parish Websexton told me of her plans to improve our already popular and informative parish website, and to build and administer effective websites for other Anglican parishes across the country. Before speaking with me she even purchased state of the art website design software.

I am overwhelmed by the response to my sermon, and I know that there are even more ministries that are in the "praying about" or planning stages. Our parish Women's and Men's Groups will be meeting on Wednesday, March 7th, at 6:30 PM. The Women's Group will meet in the parish hall while the Men's Group meets in the sacristy. The meetings will last about an hour. These two organizations are active, effective and vital parish ministries, and I would like to invite all of my readers within driving distance of Omaha to participate. These meetings are open to the members and friends of Holy Cross Anglican Church. I hope to see you there!

WELCOME TO FR. NOVAK'S BLOG

Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

My name is Fr. Victor Novak, and I am new to blogging. In fact, this is my first post. I am the rector of Holy Cross Anglican Church. Holy Cross is a parish of the Reformed Episcopal Church/Anglican Church in North America. We are located in the Ralston suburb of Omaha, Nebraska. Our street address is 7545 Main Street, Ralston, NE 68127. The church phone number is (402) 573-6558.

Holy Cross is a classical Anglican Church. We worship according to the Liturgy of the historic Book of Common Prayer. At Holy Cross parish God is worshipped in a spirit of holiness, the uncompromised Word of God is taught, the Sacraments are administered with reverence, and the great hymns of the Church are sung. Christian Education classes are at 9:00 AM on Sunday morning, followed by Morning Prayer at 9:30 AM, and the Holy Communion at 10:00 AM. Fellowship and refreshments follow Services, with a potluck luncheon on the last Sunday of each month. We also celebrate the Holy Communion every Wednesday at 12:10 PM. For more information you will want to visit our parish website at: www.holycrossomaha.net

In this blog I plan to comment on the life and ministry of Holy Cross Anglican Church and the Reformed Episcopal Church/Anglican Church in North America. I will also be writing about classical Anglican theology, spirituality and liturgics, as well as Anglican history, my vision for the future of my parish and the Anglican Communion, and other topics that I think you will find interesting. 

Holy Cross Anglican Church is a faithful, friendly, vibrant and welcoming congregation. We draw worshippers from across central and eastern Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. Why do people drive so far to attend Holy Cross parish? Because they have found a church worth the drive! If you live within driving distance of Omaha, Nebraska, or ever find yourself passing through town, I hope that you will worship with us. I would also like to invite you to check back on this blog frequently. I believe that you will find the posts a blessing.