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In this week's Crossroads, you will find information on:
In Sadness and Hope
Advent Evening Prayer
Christmas 2022
Gingerbread House Decorating
2023 Offering Envelopes
Florentien Verhage
Cookies for Homebound Friends
Engaged to Serve
Reading Centre
WIN Store coming to Saanich
What Did You Ponder?
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Longest Night Service
Advent 2022
Discerning the Way Forward Together
In-Person Worship
Read Ahead
This Week at Church of the Cross
The deadline for all Crossroads submissions is Wednesday at 12 noon.
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In Sadness and Hope
It is with sadness that we announce the death of Helen Bickel on December 5, 2022 in her home with her caring family with her. A funeral for Helen will be held on Sunday, December 18 at 3 PM PST at Lutheran Church of the Cross. All are welcome. Livestream also available at LutheranVictoria.ca
Rest eternal grant her, O God, and let light perpetual shine upon her.
You may read her obituary here.
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Advent Evening Prayer: Darkness Is Holy
Thursdays in Advent
December 1, 8, 15, 22, 7 PM PST
Church of the Cross
In-person & Livestream at LutheranVictoria.ca
Join us for a contemplative service during a busy time of year. Sit, prayer, and sing into the anticipation of the Advent season. In this liturgy we lift up the theme “Darkness Is Holy,” remembering the ways that darkness and light interplay, both needing the other for revealing God’s holiness.
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Christmas 2022
Church of the Cross
In-person & Livestream at LutheranVictoria.ca
Christmas Eve, 5 PM, Carols & Candelight
Christmas Eve, 7 PM, Carols, Candelight, & Holy Communion
Christmas Day, 10 AM, Carols & Holy Communion
New Year's Day, 10 AM, Carols & Holy Communion
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Sunday School Dates: December 18
Note that Sunday School children are having some of their art featured on the covers of the order of worship.
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Gingerbread House Decorating – Saturday, December 17th, 4:00 pm, Upper Hall, Church of the Cross
 After two years of decorating at home we are finally meeting in person to decorate individual gingerbread houses. We will begin at 4:00 pm in the Upper Hall. A pizza dinner will be provided at 5:30.
The kits include the prefabricated gingerbread house, gingerbread men, gingerbread trees, icing, and some decorations. We will provide a sturdy base to put your house on. However, if you would like to add additional items to your gingerbread house you are welcome to bring extra decorations. If possible, we would like you to leave your house at the church overnight so that it will dry and so that others can see them on Sunday morning.
If you are planning to attend, please contact Janice (jbnel13@gmail.com) or the church office. Please advise of any dietary issues.
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Florentien Verhage
The Board of Education would like to recognize Florentien Verhage for her dedication to our Sunday School. Since  arriving in Victoria Florentien first assisted with Sunday School and has led it for the last three years. This is done while she has a full-time job and children of her own. Without a curriculum she continuously develops programs and creative adventures for the children of our congregation. We extend our thanks and praise to her for her work.
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2023 Offering Envelopes
 For those families utilizing weekly or monthly offering envelopes you will find them in your church mailbox this Sunday. Due to the number of people using direct deposit and electronic giving the number of envelopes needed has been greatly reduced in the past 2 years. This has resulted the need to change the envelope numbers for some members. If anyone wants to change their regular giving method in 2023 and needs different envelopes or has any questions please contact the Financial Secretary Barry Walker at bhwalker@shaw.ca Home 250-381-1698 or leave a note with the church office and Barry will be in contact.
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Cookies for Homebound Friends
The Board of Care for Communities is inviting people to make a plate of a dozen cookies to be given to homebound friends of the congregation. These will be delivered as part of a small care package to people who generally are unable to join us for worship at Church of the Cross and who live in Greater Victoria. Things to keep in mind, keeping baking nut-free. If someone is already making gluten-free cookies we could set these aside for anyone who needs them. We need cookies dropped off at the church office by Wednesday, Dec. 21, so they can be delivered before Christmas. The church office is open Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 3 PM.
We are also looking for people willing to deliver the care packages to people’s homes. You can contact Nicky at the church office: lutheranchurchofthecross@shaw.ca or call 250-477-6222 if you are available to help with either cookies or with driving.
Many thanks,
Board of Care for Communities
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Engaged to Serve
Do you ever wonder who looks after the flower beds and gardens at Lutheran Church of the Cross? That responsivity has been shouldered for several years by a small but extremely dedicated group of volunteers who are Dana McKee, Barbara McDavid, her friend Beverly Norman, Rose Calland and Joanne Henning. When heavier work is scheduled, they are joined by Tom Holcroft, Don Storch and Murray Nelson. The Church of the Cross is blessed to have gardening "Saints" who offer their time, talents and occasional plantings that beautify the property from season to season. The Church of the Cross community thank you all for your valuable service.
Grant FROYLAND
Board of Trustees Chairman
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Reading Centre
 The cupboard is getting bare. Do you have a book to share?
The Reading Centre is located in the Upper Hall of the church. It is curated by friends of the TRC committee to highlight books with an Indigenous focus. Speak with Bob or Craig for more information.
Visit the Reading Centre during Coffee Hour following worship on Sunday.
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WIN Store coming to Saanich.
This local news story was passed on to us by a member to include in Crossroads. WIN stands for “Women In Need.” As the news story explains the organization takes an inclusive approach to the communities it serves. The new storefront will open at the corner of McKenzie and Quadra.
“Revenue from the resale shops, as well as a pop-up shop and an online store, funds programs geared toward women, transgender, non-binary and Two-Spirit people, according to WIN in a news release.”
Read the news release here.
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What Did You Ponder?
Two weeks ago what totally interrupted Pastor Lyndon’s sermon for my brain was the mention of John the Baptist. On the Saturday morning before I had read in Chief Robert Joseph's memoir called NAMWAYUT about his experience at the Jordan River. He was in a residential school as a child. Now as a revered elder he was attending a World Council of Indigenous Peoples gathering in Jerusalem. They travelled through Palestine passing a trickle of a river. When he was told it is the Jordan River he was stunned. I quote: “This is where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. I’m not going by this place without getting baptized.” The caravan stopped, a priest was asked and Chief Joseph got submerged in the river and baptized. Check out page 189 of his book where he also shares his confusion of that day’s experience. I am blown away by this man’s telling of hardships and joys and ending that paragraph with, "We can do what we have always done:
Care for the poor. Advocate for justice. Love people.”
-submitted by Lennor Stieda
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Longest Night Service
Your friends at St. Luke Cedar Hill invite you to the Longest Night Service on Sunday, December 18th at 7:00 pm. Whether you have experienced loss in your life or simply are finding it difficult to enter into Christmas this year for whatever reason… Come and enter gently into a quiet holy time… This Longest Night Service is a service of Light in the Midst of Darkness. You are welcome to invite a friend to come and share with you in this service of remembrance and hope.
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Shelbourne Community Kitchen will be closed on Dec. 22nd through to and including January 3rd, 2023.
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Advent 2022
Join This Week's Conversation on God's Love Includes Everyone with PCC Moderator Rev. Dr. Robert Faris
Every Thursday in Advent, participate in a discussion to continue the conversation on Advent mediations offered by our national leaders. This Thursday, December 15 at 7:00 p.m. EST, join The Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, Moderator, The United Church of Canada in conversation with Rev. Dr. Robert Faris, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Canada about the inclusion of all in the church. For decades, all churches have been engaged in discussion around the inclusion of 2SLGBTQI+ people. All four participating churches have taken steps towards greater inclusion, but the discernment continues. What does it mean to include everyone?
If you haven't signed up yet in our What Are We Waiting For? Advent mediation and conversation series, please click here.
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In-Person Worship, Sunday, December 18, 10 AM PST
Covid-19 and Worship
- We offer worship in both live (in-person) and livestream (online) formats.
- We rejoice in the gift of vaccination and encourage everyone to be / stay vaccinated & boosted if you are eligible.
- To protect vulnerable persons, we currently encourage the wearing of masks during worship, especially while singing.
- If you test positive, or have symptoms for Covid-19, please stay home (and worship via live-stream)!
- The Church Council reviews our COVID protocols and practices on a regular basis and will amend them when needed.
Church Council
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Read ahead:
 Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 18, 2022 Isaiah 7:10-16
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25
Worship Bulletin: CLICK HERE for Worship Bulletin
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