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In this week's Crossroads, you will find information on:
World Refugee Day 2021
Indigenous History Month & Day
National Indigenous Day
Update on the Intergenerational Housing Project with Luther Court
Canadian Council of Churches
Covid-19 Update
Prayers, Solidarity and Support for Jerusalem and the Holy Land
Register Now for the 2021 National Worship Conference
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CLAY 2021 Registration is Now Open
COVID-19 Emergency Appeal for India
Amazing Journey Day Camp
All Creation Sings Worship Book
Read ahead
This Week at Church of the Cross
The deadline for all Crossroads submissions is Wednesday at noon. Thank you.
Please visit our website for more information about us and our events.
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World Refugee Day 2021
 Would that in the future there would be no World Refugee Day… that there be no war, strife or disasters causing folk to flee or become displaced. While waiting and hoping for that day, Lutheran Church of the Cross has had the passion and privilege in taking part in several sponsorship cases – bringing individuals and families to a new life in Canada. Friends who will remain ‘family’ to us from that time forward!
The pandemic has created a long delay in processing the applications of those hoping to start anew. And if we, who live safely and soundly in Victoria are impatient for it to end, we can only imagine how the past year and a half has been for those sheltering in countries not their own, waiting to be contacted by the Canadian immigration office.
Thank you for your continued prayers for Merhawi, Samuel, Kibreab, Gift and her child. From their family and friends, we hear they are well and healthy, if impatient for news that they are any steps closer to coming to Canada. They send on their greetings, best wishes and sincerest thanks to us, their LCC friends, and eagerly await the day they can meet us in person! As one family member living in Victoria told me, they trust in God who is the great “way maker” who will bring their loved ones to them when the time is right. Amen and let it be so.
Sherry Coughlin
Social Justice Committee
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Indigenous History Month & Day!
Engage, Celebrate, Honour and Respect! 
If you haven't already heard, June is Indigenous History Month, a time to learn about history from the lived experience of BC's First Nations! There are approximately 200,000 Indigenous people living in BC. They include First Nations, Inuit and Metis. There are 198 distinct First Nations in BC, each with their own unique traditions and history. More than 30 different First Nation languages are spoken in this province.
To learn more, a great place to start is a book by Victoria Indigenous author, Monique Gray Smith: Speaking Our Truth A Journey of Reconciliation
An excellent online resource for National Indigenous History Month:
https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/national-indigenous-history-month
Participate in the next Reconciliation Dialogue on Tuesday, June 29 at 7:00 pm when MLA Adam Olsen, a member of the Tsartlip First Nation in Brentwood Bay, will speak about the status of implementation of the BC act regarding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. There will be opportunity to ask questions regarding recent events impacting BC First Nations.
As a congregation committed to making reconciliation a reality, a helpful resource is this book: Indigenous Relations: Insights, Tips and Suggestions by Bob Joseph with Cynthia Joseph.
June 21 is National Indigenous Day! Check out these online resources:
Indigenous Day Live!
https://www.indigenousdaylive.ca
BC Treaty Commission
https://www.bctreaty.ca/national-indigenous-history-month
National Indigenous Peoples Day
https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100013248/1534872397533
Listen, Learn and Understand. Join in the conversation at the next meeting of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee on Friday, June 25 at 1:00 pm via Zoom.
Zoom invitation will be sent in separate email.
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Thanks to Luther Court for including church office staff in their fish and chips truck event giving thanks to their staff.
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National Indigenous Day - Service of Lament
Sunday, June 21, 2021
Ho sted by Carolyn Klaassen, Indigenous Representative on the BC Synod: Journey Towards Reconciliation Facilitation Team.
Everyone is encouraged to view the worship video. A link to the video will be sent in a separate email.
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Update on the Intergenerational Housing Project with Luther Court
On Friday, June 4, we received the unfortunate news that our Intergenerational Housing Proposal with Luther Court was not included in the most recent funding from BC Housing. (More information about the project is available on Luther Court’s website Intergenerational Housing Update - Luther Court Society). Our consultant from M’akola indicated only 4 projects of almost 50 submissions on the Island were approved. 47 projects were approved in total across the province. You can read more about the funding announcement here News (bchousing.org). It was very disappointing to receive this news. But we recognize the worthiness and importance of many other project submissions including for Indigenous housing and housing for those who are currently homeless. A de-brief meeting with BC Housing is scheduled for the end of this month where we hope to hear about options for future funding. BC Housing along with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation have invested significantly in the development of this project so far, and we continue to hope this speaks well for its future. And we are looking at other funding options. The process of re-zoning and development permit approval is moving at a slow pace through the District of Saanich. We will continue this process, as these approvals are critical for funding. While this is a significant set-back, we are grateful for the hard work of many people and the strong partnership with Luther Court to envision and submit what we still believe is a very strong proposal and a project with many positive community impacts. Our great thanks to Karen Johnson-Lefsrud, CEO of Luther Court for all her hard work and commitment to this project, along with Luther Court’s Board, our consultants, and our own past and present Council and project committee members. We will continue to provide updates to the congregation. Please keep all those involved in your prayers and the hope that this vision of affordable housing for students and elders would be realized.
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Canadian Council of Churches: Join This Conversational Event on June 24
 You are invited to attend Acting Together in Canadian Churches to Observe The International Decade for People of African Descent on Thursday, June 24 at 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. EDT. This event continues the conversation of the November 2020 Cross-Canada event. There will be a small group time to reflect on what we can do together and support each other (Participants will be grouped into French language and English language rooms). There will also be an opportunity to hear about and join existing initiatives or to caucus by church tradition or region to connect toward working together on the decade in the Canadian churches. For more information and to register, please click here. You can also download the event poster when you click here.
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Covid-19 Update
On June 6, 2021, the Provincial Health Officer (PHO) issued updated guidelines for gatherings and events including worship and other gatherings for religious communities. The update may be found here. The Covid-19 Leadership Team of our congregation has reviewed these guidelines and the further guidelines provided by the BC Synod that may be found here. It is the conclusion of the Leadership Team that the congregation not re-open for worship at this time. The restrictions are similar, with some additions, compared to last summer/fall. The requirements for pre-registering, distancing, and masks, including for worship leaders have increased. As well, we are entering the summer when both our pastors and others will have vacation times, increasing the demands on a smaller number of people to prepare and lead worship. Re-starting in-person worship, along with continuing livestreaming, adds considerably to the work involved for everyone. The Leadership Team and Council will continue to follow the announcements and guidelines from the PHO and the BC Centre for Disease Control and are looking toward and hopeful for the late summer early fall to reopen in-person worship and other programs, including Sunday School, as restrictions permit. As stated before, we will continue to livestream worship even when we re-open for in-person worship, providing people the option of worshipping online, especially those who find online worship more accessible or who are joining online worship from greater distances. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please speak with a member of the Covid-19 Leadership Team - Laura Cochrane, Craig Knight, Janet Molnar, Rory Molnar, members of Council or our pastors.
Blessings and peace,
The Covid-19 Leadership Team
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Prayers, Solidarity and Support for Jerusalem and the Holy Land
 Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada National Bishop Susan Johnson and Anglican Church of Canada Archbishop Linda Nicholls share their deep concern for the escalating violence in Gaza and central Israel. In their letter, which may be found here, the two leaders, urge every Canadian Lutheran and Anglican, and all peoples of good will, to walk in solidarity with our partners. The leaders call for prayers for the cessation of violence, invite sharing the letter they have written to the Minister of Foreign Affairs with our local MPs, and encourage making a donation to support efforts by local partners in the region to continue ministries of relief, care, justice and peace.
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Register Now for the 2021 National Worship Conference
 Registration is now open for the 2021 National Worship Conference (NWC). Disruption and Grace: Learning Edges in Liminal Times - the 2021 NWC is all about exploring the disruptions and the graces we have experienced in the current pandemic and other unsettling circumstances. What have we learned from these experiences? This conference will take place on July 6-7, 2021. To see the full schedule, keynote speakers, and other information, please visit nationalworshipconference.org.
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CLAY 2021 Registration is Now Open
August 20-22, 2021
New this year, get early-bird access to the CLAY 2021 theme song with your completed registration.
Registered Home Team Leaders will receive details about the HTL Orientation Event taking place on June 23rd from 4 to 6 pm MDT.
Before submitting your registration, please check out the Registration Booklet which will likely answer all of your questions in advance. In an effort to make CLAY 2021 as accessible as possible, the cost of participating will be pay-what-you-can. The suggested amount for every participant is $45. Home teams that can pay beyond the suggested amount are encouraged to helping those who may not be able to afford the registration fee.
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COVID-19 Emergency Appeal for India
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada's partner Canadian Lutheran World Relief is accepting donations to assist with this crisis. Donations will provide emergency medical support to those who are sick at home, and help support critical advocacy and public awareness efforts to keep as many people safe as possible.
Individuals and congregations wishing to support relief efforts can donate as follows:
- Make a designated offering donation for "India Covid Crisis" through any ELCIC congregation.
- Send a cheque made payable to CLWR and mailed to CLWR, 600-177 Lombard Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 0W5. Please indicate that you wish to contribute to "India Covid Crisis."
- Call CLWR at 1-800-661-2597 (locally at 204-694-6502) to donate by credit card or go online at: clwr.org/india
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Amazing Journey Day Camp 
The annual Amazing Journey Day Camp will be happening this year August 9th to August 13th. This small group program will be held from 9 am to noon outdoors at St. George's, Cadboro Bay. The program is for children who have completed Grades 1 to 5.
Registration is now open for this year's Amazing Journey Camp. You can register online at this link.
The registration form is also available on the church website to download as a Word document or pdf. If you wish to type in the document, first save the Word document to your computer and then type in it. Once completed, print the registration form and sign it. Completed registration forms (with registration fees) can be returned to:
St. Luke Cedar Hill Anglican Church: 3821 Cedar Hill Cross Road, Victoria, BC V8P 2M6
Lutheran Church of the Cross: 3787 Cedar Hill Road, Victoria, BC V8P 3Z4
St. George’s Anglican Church: 3909 St. George’s Lane, Victoria, BC V8N 4E3
Please make cheques payable to Lutheran Church of the Cross and write “Amazing Journey” on the memo line. Completed registration forms can also be scanned and e-mailed to amazing4kids17@gmail.com.
If you wish to pay by e-transfer, please contact Lutheran Church of the Cross at lutheranchurchofthecross@shaw.ca or call 250-477-6222.
Early Bird Registration Fees are $30 - 1st child, $25.00 - 2nd child, $20.00 - 3rd and additional child.
Early Bird Registration Deadline is Wednesday, June 30th.
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All Creation Sings Worship Book
 The Board of Worship will be placing an order for additional copies of the new worship supplement All Creation Sings. If you would like a personal copy you may contact the church office to add your copy to the order. The cost is $23 each. Make cheques or e-transfer payable to Lutheran Church of the Cross. Contact Nicky in the office to reserve a copy. E-mail: lutheranchurchofthecross@shaw.ca
Office phone: 250-477-6222
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Read ahead: Fourth Sunday after Pentecost 
- June 20, 2021 1 Samuel 17:32-49
Psalm 9:9-20
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
Mark 4:35-41
Worship Bulletin: CLICK HERE for Worship Bulletin
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This Week at Church of the Cross
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