Welcome

 

Welcome home to The Church of the Holy Cross  – a Christ-centered Episcopal Community of Faith.

How are we unique? While we celebrate and observe the classical creeds and sacraments of the Christian faith, believe the writings of the Old and New Testaments to be God’s word, are Trinitarian and Christ centered in our teaching and worship, we believe the atoning sacrifice and resurrection of Christ that sets the world free from the powers of sin and death to be a big atonement for all , and not just for the few.  We believe the Good News of God in Christ is Good News for all people all the time, not just for some people some of the time. In other words, we believe in grace, grace that really is grace, a gift from above. So, whoever you are, and just as you are, know you are welcome here.

The people of Holy Cross are Christians. We are a Parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina. We are part of the ancient faith tradition of the Church of England, and that ongoing living tradition of the world-wide Anglican Communion of Churches, the third largest body of Christians in the world. Our community life revolves around the Sunday morning worship of God.  Our liturgy is traditional and yet, lively. It involves participation. It is not a passive experience or entertainment.  It is our offering up to God of all that we are.  We strive to be faithful to what has been handed on to us with the admonition to make all things new. We put flesh onto the ancient old bones of classical Christianity and we do so with joy, dignity, and beauty.

We are all people of all ages, local families and people from all over the world.  We love our Sunday school and educational programs, nursery, hospitality, outreach, fellowship, prayer, good cooking and gathering together for common meals.  We love music and all the colors of the Christian year and a grand procession every Sunday. And we are committed to doing the hard work that makes such an extended family possible. We avoid the temptations of divisiveness that plague so much contemporary Christianity.

Holy Cross has a long, generous and exceptional tradition of community involvement, especially in serving the poor, those whom society shuns, and those who are in need. We are known as “the Church that helps people” because we take very seriously our Lord’s admonition, “As you have done to the least of these … you have done to me.” (Matthew 25:40)
 

Is The Church of the Holy Cross for You?

Whether Holy Cross is what you are looking for or not, it is important that you know that God is for you.  If you are looking for a faith that believes in a grace that really is grace and an atonement that is vast, then you may find this parish appealing. If you are drawn to a community that celebrates beauty, diversity, and the God given gifts of the human mind and human creativity, then you will feel at home here. If you believe the person of Jesus to be the grand mystery to explore and celebrate rather than a problem to solve and define, then an adventure awaits you here. If you long for a people who serve the world by feeding the poor, housing the homeless and clothing the naked rather than holding others in scorn then God may be calling you to be a part in this mission of embracing the world.

We welcome the opportunity to worship with you and grow together in the grace, love and mercy of Our Lord Jesus Christ who is the source of our continuing life together and the heart of this community of faith. Welcome home!

Yours in Christ Jesus,
Allan +
The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin, Rector