Church Council continues to work to see that in-person worship is safer for everyone. We will adjust our plans as health orders change. 
 
Being vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best protection for the health of yourself and others. We strongly encourage everyone who is eligible to be fully vaccinated.
 
We will continue to livestream worship each Sunday.  
 

• If you are not feeling well and experiencing any Covid-19 related symptoms or if you are not vaccinated, please stay home and participate in worship online.  
• You are encouraged but not required to wear a mask when entering the building and throughout worship.
• Observe social distancing.
• Sanitize or wash hands as needed.
• You are welcome to sing and you are encouraged to wear a mask.
• We will greet one another and share the peace at a distance.
• Holy Communion will be served with bread and individual glasses of wine that are spaced in the trays. You may commune with bread or wine alone if you wish.
• It is not required that people register for worship ahead of time or sign in as you arrive.

Sharing space Sunday mornings
 
At Church of the Cross we are blessed with a beautiful worship space. One of its attributes is great acoustics for live music. Those acoustics also make it challenging for choir members to hear each other during rehearsal when there is background noise. Please try to keep down voices when entering the worship space on Sunday mornings. Many thanks. 

Save the Dates:
Passion Sunday, Holy Week, 
& Easter Sunday

Passion Sunday with String Quartet
April 10, 10 AM PDT, Church of the Cross

Maundy Thursday, April 14, 7 PM PDT

Good Friday, April 15, 11 AM PDT,
Church of the Cross

Easter Vigil, April 16, 7:30 PM  PDT, 
Church of the Cross
Joint worship with St. Luke’s.
In person only. No livestream.

Easter Sunrise Worship, April 17, 7:30 AM,
Mt. Tolmie (gather at the top).
In person only. No livestream.

Easter Breakfast, April 17, 8:30 AM to 9:15 AM, Church of the Cross
Hosted by Church Council

Easter Sunday Worship, April 17, 10 AM PDT, Church of the Cross
With Special Music

Livestream available for all above worship events except for Easter Vigil and Easter Sunrise.

You are invited to bring a lily to decorate the worship space for Easter. Bring with you to the Easter Vigil or Easter Sunday.

Easter Sunday Breakfast

Church Council will be serving a hot breakfast on Easter Sunday, April 17th between 8:30 and 9:15 AM. To ensure there is enough food please add your name to the sign up sheet or phone the church office to let us know you will attend. Coffee and tea will be available by 8:15 AM for those returning from the Sunrise service.

Coats & Blankets for Our Place for April 10
 
As is our custom, we will be collecting coats and blankets for the good folk at Our Place on Palm Sunday – April 10. You are invited to bring new or gently used coats, warm clothing items, blankets and sleeping bags to worship, and lay them at the Table before service, where they will be blessed and taken to Our Place for distribution to those most needing something warm and cozy during these chilly spring nights.
 
If you have items to donate and are unable or uncomfortable dropping by the church, contact Sherry Coughlin by April 7 to make arrangements for a pickup by one of our Social Justice Committee members.
 
On behalf of the Our Place family and the Social Justice Committee, thank you!

Coffee Hosting

Meeting and greeting our fellow worshippers is an important part of our Sunday morning church time together. We offer juice, tea or coffee with a little something to munch.  All are invited to meet and greet one another.

We would like to ask you to please help us out by participating in setting up, bringing some cookies or whatever you like, and then cleaning up afterwards. Milk, coffee and tea will be supplied, so you don’t need to worry about that. The setting up can be in the Narthex by the railing, or in the main upstairs hall - your choice. You might just choose to prepare the drinks, or to bring food, or to clean-up.  Or you might be prepared to do all three tasks. There is a sign-up form on the bulletin board by the office, or you may call me directly (250-882-3921) or the church office (250-477-6222). This signing-up form goes right to the end of the year, so you can also look at the fall months. During the summer months of July and August, we usually just have water or juice with some cookies. 

With much appreciation for your willingness to help.

Gisela B. on behalf of Board of Care for Communities

A Meatless Recipe to Try

EASY AND ELEGANT CHEESE “SOUFFLE”
Submitted by Valerie and Bill Williamson

For a bunch of years when we were younger we were dedicated vegetarians.
Nowadays we are not dedicated to anything except things we like to eat.
 
One of our retained favourites from way back then was from a seminal cookbook from 1971 called, "Diet for a Small Planet".  We still have it, and many of the pages are covered with smudges of the ingredients so you can tell the ones we loved.  It is called "Easy and Elegant Cheese 'Souffle' but don't be impressed by the title.
 
Ingredients and instructions: 
 
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
4 to 6 slices of bread
2 cups milk
3 eggs beaten
½ teaspoon salt
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp pepper
Spray a deep casserole dish with vegetable oil.
Layer bread and cheddar cheese into the casserole.
Pour milk over the layered bread and cheese.
Mix the eggs with the spices and pour over the casserole contents.
Let stand for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 350.
Bake casserole for 1 hour in a pan of hot water.

Join Valerie and Bill making this recipe in their kitchen in this video here.

The Social Justice Committee is collecting individually wrapped, store bought snack food items for distribution to the shelters and programs that support the homeless.  There is a basket in the narthex waiting to be filled to the brim with treats that are sure to put a smile on the faces of hungry teens and adults!
 

HeroWork Victoria
Sixth in Social Justice Lenten Series

HeroWork helps other charitable organizations thrive by renewing and refreshing their physical infrastructure through “barn raising” events.  These barn raising events are Radical Renovations where a community comes together with cooperation and common vision to create a transformation. 
 
By securing in-kind supplies, service donations of trades people and organizing volunteers
HeroWork is able to deliver a Radical Renovation for a fraction of the actual value resulting in a major benefit in savings to a non profit organization.
 
To make a barn raising event happen, HeroWork develops leaders, train volunteers, and holds marketing campaigns that bring many thousands of dollars of in-kind supply and service donations to the project. HeroWork also contributes tested project management expertise, full safety protocols, and more.
 
Two examples of HeroWork making a difference are the Mustard Seed food bank facility and Casa Maria Emergency Housing Society in Victoria.  HeroWork branches are located in cities across Canada.  To learn more about HeroWork visit this website:  https://victoria.herowork.com 

Sunday School 
 
Sundays in Lent and Easter Sunday, March 6 through April 17, Sunday School will meet in person during Sunday Worship, 10 AM PDT. Contact the church office for more information. Stay tuned for special kids activities on Easter Sunday, April 17. In consultation with families with young children, we will gauge how frequently to offer Sunday School during the Easter season.

Senior Recital, April 15
 
You are invited to join for Jose Tuazon’s senior recital on cello with UVic.
 
It will be held on Friday, April 15, 5 PM PDT in the Church of the Cross sanctuary. You are welcome to attend in-person or via the livestream at LutheranVictoria.ca
 
See the event link:
https://www.lutheranvictoria.ca/events/senior-recital-jose-tuazon

Ukraine Emergency Appeal - Update

Through the ELCIC's partnership with Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR), support for the Ukraine Emergency Appeal has provided help and hope to those affected by this crisis. Watch the NEW video impact report from CLWR featuring ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson, click to watch or download.

CLWR has also provided additional resources for congregations to share as they are able, including: 

• PDF impact report
• PowerPoint slide
• Bulletin insert

Thank you for your prayers and your financial support for this appeal.