Church Council and others continue to work to see that in-person worship is safer for everyone. Our current practises for in-person worship meet all present requirements. Changes in the pandemic continue to raise concerns for health and safety, and 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.  
• Wear a mask when entering the building and throughout worship and Sunday School.  (This is required of everyone age 12 and older. Children under 12 are encouraged to wear a mask.)
• Observe social distancing.
• Sanitize or wash hands as needed.
• You are welcome to sing, but masks must be worn.
• 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.
• You are invited to greet and talk with others after worship with masks on.
• It is not required that people register for worship ahead of time or sign in as you arrive.

Congregation’s Annual General Meeting

The Congregation’s Annual General Meeting will take place on Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 1 PM PDT on Zoom. 

• Zoom link will be sent again in a separate invitation
• The meeting starts at 1:00pm PDT.  We will begin admitting people at 12:45pm. 
• Below is the link for the final AGM document. It includes the approved Financial Statements from Grant Thornton which we received today.
• Remember to set your clocks on Saturday. Spring Forward!
• Ten paper copies of the AGM document will be available at the church.  

Link to Annual Report

Time change this Weekend

Remember we spring forward this Saturday night, March 12, which means we lose an hour.

Note your clock and alarm settings for Sunday morning!

Offerings Matter
 
Thank you for your continued generosity in support of the mission and ministries for Lutheran Church of the Cross.  People make their offerings in a variety of ways and all of it matters.  We recognize that some folks like to make their offering through the Sunday offering plate.  Due to COVID restrictions, the passing of offering plates during worship was discontinued.  
 
However, an offering plate for those who wish to use it will be available on the table located inside the front entrance to the church.  Offerings placed in that offering plate before the start of worship will be brought forward at the time the bread and wine are brought to the altar for the Eucharist.  
 
Resource Stewardship Committee

Prayer Around the Cross

Lenten Evening Prayer at Church of the Cross
Thursdays in Lent, 7:00 PM PDT, In person & livestream
5 Thursdays: March 10, 17, 24, 31, April 7

Simple liturgy of word and music including invitation to light candles and place them around the prayer wall.

Women in Faith Walk - Thursday, March 17th

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by joining the Women in Faith for a walk at Witty’s Lagoon. We will leave the main parking lot at 11:00 am. Weather permitting we will eat our lunch at the beach before returning to the parking lot. All women of the congregation are welcome to attend. Please contact Janice for more information or to let us know you plan to attend. 

A Meatless Recipe to Try
The second in a series of vegetarian recipes shared by the Greening Committee during Lent.

Making a vegetarian meal can be a simple as taking a recipe that you already know well and finding a replacement for the meat.

Sometime ago our family discovered in the local grocery store (in the fresh veggie section) tasty vegetarian substitute for ground beef - made from cauliflowers!

It’s called “Cauli Crumble” and it lasts in the fridge until we’re ready to use it. Our favourite recipe is pasta and tomato sauce:  30 min prep time + 30-60 min simmering = delicious!

Denise Maier Pawliuk 








Join Denise making this recipe in her kitchen in this video here.

Recipe
Finely chop up:
3 medium carrots
2 celery ribs
3 medium onions
Add them to a large pot and allow them to slowly cook until the onions are transparent and the carrots and celery are soft
Now add the herbs and spices. What we typically use are:
fresh thyme
dried basil, parsley, 2 bay leaves, oregano, and crushed red pepper
plus salt and pepper to taste
Allow this to become fragrant and then add 3 cloves of diced or minced garlic
Chop up:
1 large zucchini (you can choose to slice it thinly or chop it up finely to hide it within the pot)
2 small or 1 medium orange or red pepper
8 small fresh mushrooms or a can of mushrooms
Add all of these ingredients to the above and allow them to soften as well
To these ingredients add:
One box of Cauli Crumble
One jar of the best pasta sauce you can find (we use Zambri’s)
Two large cans of diced tomatoes
At this point stir everything together, then bring it to a boil
Complete a taste test at this point and add additional salt, pepper, or sugar to balance out the flavors
Allow it to simmer for 30-60 minutes
Boil the noodles while the sauce is simmering and serve

Sunday School Resumes
 
Sundays in Lent and Easter Sunday, March 6 through April 17, Sunday School will meet in person during Sunday Worship. Contact the church office for more information. Stay tuned for special kids activities on Easter Sunday, April 17.

   

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!
 

Cool Aid Society
Second in the Social Justice Lenten Series
 
“A community where no one is forced to sleep on the street or go hungry
and everyone has the dignity that comes with home, health and connection.”
 

It all began in 1968 with a hotline and hostel.  The mission:  to provide short-term emergency shelter to transient youth traveling the country.  But it was quickly realized there was an increase in the local need for shelters and holistic services and things took off from there!  Today the Cool Aid Society offers permanent housing, emergency shelter, health and dental care, employment assistance and social and recreational opportunities to adults who have been impacted by poverty, colonization, stigma, and homelessness.

One of the hotels converted to housing during the pandemic provides residents with two meals a day. Carolyn, a staff member at the Cool Aid shelters (and Sherry’s neighbour) says the residents look forward to those in-between snacks that WE can help provide.  “Handing out these extra treats has the added bonus of giving the staff and residents face to face time to chat and interact. Building a trusting relationship with our clients, many of whom have had traumatic life experiences is so important. Thank you, Lutheran Church of the Cross for your support of vulnerable folk in our community.”  
 

Thank you to the staff across the city working to help those needing shelter stay safe.

Amazing Journey Day Camp 2022

Save the dates July 4th to 8th, 2022 for this year's Amazing Journey Day Camp. Children aged 4 to 12 are eligible to attend. We will also be looking for middle school students to be Leaders in Training and High School students to be small group leaders. All campers and volunteers eligible to be vaccinated must show proof of vaccination. Registration will open in April. Additional details will be available in the coming weeks.

Thriftys' Stamp Promotion

The Thrifty's stamp promotion to purchase pots for Shelbourne Community Kitchen is coming to an end. Please bring any remaining stamps to the church by Sunday, March 13th. Thanks to everyone who has participated.