THINKING OF VISITING HOLY CROSS?

Visiting a new church for the first time can be a scary thing. You might hear about a church from someone you know, see an ad in the paper or a listing in the phone book, or happen upon a website, and your curiosity says, "Maybe I should visit that church?"

However, all you know is what you have heard, or read in an ad or on a website. You don’t know what the church believes. You don’t know what their Worship Services are like. You don’t know what the people will be like. You don’t know the size of the congregation. There are a lot of uncertainties about visiting a new church.

That is why we offer this webpage. We want to answer some of the questions you may have up front, and to help you realize that Holy Cross is a church you shouldn’t miss.

We want to answer these commonly asked questions for you:

1. 1.What are the people at Holy Cross like?
   

2. 2.What is worship like at Holy Cross?
   

3. 3.How long is your Service?
   

4. 4.Can I come to Communion?
   

5. 5.What is your pastor like?
   

6. 6.Is Holy Cross a large or small church?
   

7. 7.What does the name "Anglican" mean?
   

What are the people at Holy Cross like?

We live in a fast paced world. We run from work to home, to the supermarket, to school activities, to the soccer fields, and on and on. We often don’t have time to make friends, build relationships, and enjoy the company of other people. At Holy Cross, we make time to fellowship with one another. Not only do we spend time talking and laughing before and after Services, but we enjoy fellowship and refreshments every Sunday, monthly potluck luncheons, special events such as our annual summer Church picnic, fall Hayrack Ride and Bonfire, and other fun activities. A common misconception is that churchgoers, especially those of a traditional church, are stuffy and standoffish people who don’t welcome newcomers. Nothing could be farther from the truth at Holy Cross. We want you to experience our fellowship and closeness firsthand. We want you to feel comfortable and welcome, and to be blessed in our Worship even if you aren’t familiar with our Service.

What is Worship like at Holy Cross?

We are a traditional church. What does that mean? It means that we have things like an altar with a Cross and candlesticks, organ music, traditional Christian hymns, and a formal and reverent Service. We also use a Prayer Book that leads us through the Service each week and makes it possible for us to join together in common prayer. We do not use things like drums, guitars, tambourines and overhead projectors during Worship. This may seem "old fashioned" to some people today, but these things are there because they have been used by the Church throughout its history. We may not realize it, but a Prayer Book was used in worship during the Old Covenant, by Jesus Christ while he was on earth 2,000 years ago, and continues to be used by the Christian Church to this day.

We want you to feel comfortable during our Service. Don’t worry if you aren’t familiar with our Prayer Book, the Book of Common Prayer, because we have Visitor’s Guides that will help you to follow the Service effortlessly, and the hymns to be sung are listed in the bulletin. Feel free to participate as much or as little in our Services as you choose. Customarily, we stand to sing and to praise God; kneel to pray; and sit to listen and learn. If you are unfamiliar or curious about our worship, don’t be afraid to ask!

How long is your Service?

Since we have Holy Communion every Sunday at 10:00 AM, the length is pretty much the same. The only thing that varies is the length of the sermon. Our pastor typically preaches for about thirty minutes each week. That makes our Worship Service roughly an hour and a quarter long.

Can I come to Communion?

Holy Cross is a church that invites visiting Christians to receive Holy Communion at the Lord’s Table, provided they have been baptize; believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament; and are spiritually prepared to receive. Young children are welcome to come forward to receive a blessing from the pastor. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. You can speak to our pastor at church, call him at (402) 573-6558, or e-mail him at venovak@hughes.net .

What is your pastor like?

Our pastor is the Rev. Victor E. Novak. He is fifty-three years old, and has been married for twenty-eight years to his wife, Cheri. We address our pastor as "Father" Novak because the church is the family of God and he is the spiritual father and leader of our church family.

Father Novak is a normal guy who enjoys working in the garden, reading, fishing and watching a good game of football. You will enjoy getting to know him!

Is Holy Cross a large or small church?

The best way to answer that question is to say we are a medium-sized and growing church. We became a parish of the Reformed Episcopal Church, a founding jurisdiction of the Anglican Church in North America,  on July 29, 2007. You will find around thirty people at church on an average Sunday. We have members not only in Omaha, but in Blair, Lincoln, Lyons, and Missouri Valley. They drive in from that far because they have found a church worth the drive!

One of the advantages of our church is that like the hit TV show "Cheers", Holy Cross is a place where "everybody knows your name." It is a place where you can make friends, build relationships, and enjoy real fellowship. We are not, and never want to be, a "Mega-church." We think churches with thousands of members don’t allow pastors to know everyone in a personal way, or for members to know one another like they should in a church family.

We’ll be honest and say that if you are looking for anonymity when you come to church, then Holy Cross is not for you. But if you are looking for a friendly and faithful church where "everybody knows your name", then your search for a church home is over.

What does the name "Anglican" mean?

The name Anglican comes from the Latin and means English. This is because our church has its roots in the British Isles – England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Christianity came to Britain in AD 37, just a few years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. History records that the gospel was brought to Britain by St. Joseph of Arimathea, the man who buried Christ after his crucifixion, and the Church that took root there then remains today. Anglicanism came to North America very early, with the first parish being established in 1607, at Jamestown, Virginia. Most of America’s founding fathers were Anglicans, including George Washington. After the American Revolution, when things "English" were not very popular, Anglicans in America began to also call their Church by the name "Episcopal" from the Greek word for bishops in the New Testament, because theirs was a Church led by bishops. We are an historic, Bible-believing Church, and a part of the world-wide Anglican Communion, the third largest body of Christians in the world after Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

Now it’s up to you.

Now that we have answered these questions for you, we hope that the thought of visiting Holy Cross Anglican Church is a little less scary. Honestly, you will feel comfortable and at home the first time you worship with us. While the Service itself might seem new and unfamiliar, the feeling of the presence of the Lord will be unmistakable, and you will be warmly welcomed. We hope to see you Sunday!