791 Valley Crest Drive, Vista, California 92084, United States
Branches of the Cross Anglican Church
Sunday Worship, Wednesday Compline
Sunday Service Time: 10:30 a.m.
During this time of lock down we are meeting via Zoom Webinar (Webinar ID: 852 3535 2144) . Please click the button below to join the Sunday morning service.
We also have an evening Compline service via Zoom, Wednesdays at 8 p.m. - please email for the meeting code: office.BranchesVista@gmail.com
As soon as safety and county health regulations permit, we will resume our long-standing tradition of enjoying a fellowship meal together following the service. We eagerly look forward to sharing that time with you!
About our Church
Branches of the Cross is a sacramental discipleship church that exhibits the gifts of the Holy Spirit through daily prayer for those who are ill in body, mind, or spirit. We conduct worship services in the Anglican tradition, including Sunday Holy Eucharist and other services during the week as may be helpful for growing and ministering to the body of Christ. We present periodic discipleship classes and programs to addresses the spiritual needs of our worshipping community with appropriate pastoral care, and extend Godly love and fellowship to all who attend. We see ourselves, then, as a first century church in the tradition of Acts 2:42-47.
A Discipling Church
Branches of the Cross is committed to creating true disciples of Jesus Christ, who are themselves led to generate true disciples the world over, resulting in a revival of the Christian faith. “Branches of the Cross are plantings of The Father whose fruit is imperishable.” (St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch [paraphrase]).
By proclaiming, manifesting, and teaching the Truth and Good News of the Kingdom of God, Branches of the Cross seeks to:
- Foster a love of God with heart, mind, soul, and strength;
- Lead new converts and nominal Christians to become true disciples of Christ;
- Teach that true Kingdom living and apprenticeship to Jesus are available to us today, here and now;
- Preserve, defend, and proclaim the faith once delivered.
A Healing Church
Branches of the Cross is a healing church. Healing prayer is a central focus of our church life and there are healing prayer services at scheduled times during the week, as well as personal prayer opportunities. In addition, a major ministry of Branches of the Cross is its Christian Healing Center (CHC). The CHC is dedicated to conducting intensive healing ministry through special healing events and healing missions. (See the CHC page for more details.)
An Anglican Church
The term “Anglican” simply means “of England.” It describes our form of worship as similar to the Church of England. Like the Church of England, we are not Roman Catholic, but our liturgy—the way we worship—is similar. Anglican liturgy generally includes the reading of Scripture, a sermon, and the sacrament of Holy Communion, along with praise music and fellowship.
Anglicans are Apostolic, which means that our beliefs and practices are rooted in the faith delivered by Jesus to his apostles and handed down to us through them. The basic beliefs are:
- that Jesus is the only Way, Truth, and Life;
- that Scripture is the inspired word of God and contains all things necessary to salvation;
- that the two sacraments practiced by the Early Church, namely Baptism and Holy Communion, should be honored and continually administered according to apostolic teaching;
- that there are four orders of ministers in the church as mentioned in the Scriptures and practiced by the Early Church, which are the Order of the Laity (all believers in Jesus Christ) and the Orders of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons;
- that the reading of Scripture and the worship should be conducted in the language of the people.
There are about seventy-five million Anglicans world-wide, affiliated in 38 provinces of what is known as the Anglican Communion. Branches of the Cross Anglican Church is part of the province of the Anglican Church of North America.
In short:
Our Vision
A vibrant, loving family of spirit-filled believers who abide in Christ, loving and serving God and neighbor.
Our Mission
Preach the gospel, bear witness, make disciples, and heal them
Our mission is the fourfold mission that Jesus gave His Apostles in Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19-20, and Luke 9:1-2, among other places.
Our Core Values
- Love of God that overflows in obedience, thanksgiving and worship
- Love of neighbor, forgiving, respecting, serving, edifying, and welcoming in Christian fellowship
- Intimacy with God, as candid as Moses, conversing with God in prayer (listening as well as speaking), humbly and attentively learning from God like Paul’s three years in Arabia and Damascus
- Life of holiness: purity, integrity, humility, self–denial, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, transparency, and the four cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance)
- Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
- Christ within: Christ enthroned as Lord in our hearts and souls, allowing Him to live in and through us
- Life in the Spirit, guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to manifest Himself in our ministry
Branches Calendar
Look at Upcoming Events or view the full Branches of the Cross Calendar.
Online Donations
Branches of the Cross Church and the Christian Healing Center operate only by the generous donations of people like you. The ministry of the Christian Healing Center, and the associated meals and lodging, are offered without charge so that no one is denied ministry because they can’t afford the fees. Similarly, individuals and organizations that use our facilities for retreats, meetings, etc., are never charged a fee. We follow Jesus’ admonition to His apostles in Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received; freely give.”
We invite you to partner with us in making this ministry widely available. Since we have no expense for a fundraising organization, your donation goes entirely to support our operation and ministry.