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If you have a Mac or the links are not working,
please try clicking on 'View it in your browser'.
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In this week's Crossroads, you will find information on:
Continuing Ways to join worship on-line
Covid-19 Update
Dessert and Dialogue on Virtual Holy Communion
Flowers in Worship
Message from Sabine Lehr
Signal For Help
Zoom Update
Shelbourne Community Kitchen
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Prayer in the style of Taizé
Day Camp Update
High School Youth Group (TRY) & Middle School Youth Group Update
Read ahead
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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Continuing Ways to join worship on-line:
Sunday Worship Live Stream, 10 AM PDT:
Go to website: www.lutheranvictoria.ca and click on the livestream link.
We always publish the most up to date links to access the worship live stream on the website. Copies of the bulletin/worship order for each Sunday are available for download, and printing if you wish, on the website.
View past worship videos by visiting “About/Videos” tab of the website:
https://www.lutheranvictoria.ca/about
View Sunday School videos and activities here:
https://www.lutheranvictoria.ca/kids-youth-students/childrens-ministry-sunday-school
Tuesday Morning Prayer, 8:30 AM PDT:
On Facebook Live and you can view past videos here:
https://m.facebook.com/lutheranvictoria/
You do not need a Facebook account to view the church page.
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Covid-19 Update
On Wednesday, the Provincial Government announced beginnin g measures for reopening some aspects of community and contact together that have been restricted during the pandemic. Specifically for churches, the allowance for gathering up to 49 people who are socially distanced in a space will be possible. The Council and Board of Worship will discuss the options this may open up for us as a congregation. We will keep the community informed and look for feedback.
Thank you! to everyone who has been able and made the effort to continue financial support of the congregation during the pandemic. It is greatly appreciated. The Council is carefully monitoring the financial position of the congregation and will keep the community informed.
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Dessert and Dialogue on Virtual Holy Communion
About 40 people p articipated in the online discussion about questions related to the possibility of “virtual Holy Communion” during this time of physical restrictions on worship. Thank you to everyone who participated and those who have provided comments on email as well. There was great support for gathering this way again. The next online Dessert and Dialogue on Holy Communion will take place on Tuesday, May 26, 7- 8:30 PM. A Zoom invitation will be sent by email prior to the date.
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Flowers in Worship
Pe ople have appreciated seeing flowers in the online worship. If you would like to provide flowers in honour or memory of a person or occasion please contact the church office to sign-up. Arrangements will be made for dropping them off at the church prior to worship.
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Dear Members of Church of the Cross,
I hope that you are all doing well and staying healthy at home. As we are mourning our inability to do so many things that are dear to our heart – visiting with friends and loved ones, going out for dinner, worshipping together in person, and many others – we are grateful that we have a home where we can safely shelter, have food on the table to eat, and access to virtual platforms to be socially close while physically distancing.
Most of the world’s over 70 million forcibly displaced persons, among which over 25 million refugees, are less fortunate. COVID-19 has added many layers of complexity and danger to their already precarious situation. In response to the pandemic, many States have taken harsh and unprecedented measures against migrants, refugees, and other displaced persons. Leading academics and international experts on forced migration, health and human rights have drafted 14 principles of protection for migrants, refugees, and other displaced persons. These principles are derived from international treaties and instruments, customary international law, decisions of UN treaty bodies, and guidelines widely accepted by the international community. They are further informed by decisions of human rights bodies at the regional level and regional inter-State agreements.
You can access the 14 principles at the following website:
https://zolberginstitute.org/covid-19/#Human%20Rights%20Document
At this site, you can also find recordings of the Immigration Short-Takes series which explores various dimensions of the nexus between migration-related issues and COVID-19. These are short, insightful interviews with experts in the field that can serve to educate us and inform our advocacy.
Stay safe,
Sabine Lehr
Member of the Social Justice Committee
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Signal For Help
The Signal for Help has been “.. launched by the Canadian Women's Foundation in response to COVID-19” and the subsequent social isolation that has made it more difficult for some people who are at risk to safely reach out for help. This Signal for Help is being shared around the world. A toolkit is available in various languages.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency services (police, fire, ambulance).
IF YOU SEE THE SIGNAL - Check in with the person safely
through a phone call or social media to find out what the person needs and wants you to do.
To reduce risk if someone else is listening in or watching a person’s device or accounts
-use general questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no” responses
“Would you like me to call 911?”
“Would you like me to call a shelter on your behalf?”
-use general questions or comments for text, social media, email, or WhatsApp
“How are you doing?”
“How can I help you out?”
“Get in touch with me when you can.”
For more information on how to check in with a person safely, or to help get the word out on social media or through other organizations go to https://canadianwomen.org/signal-for-help/
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Shelbourne Community Kitchen
The COVID-19 pandemic has sharply increased the need for food support for vulnerable community members in Greater Victoria. The Shelbourne Community Kitchen is working quickly to respond to the needs of our current program participants, as well as the additional individuals and families who are contacting us daily for help. We are also responding to a reque st from Pacifica Housing to provide food support to 100 households.
To support our work, we launched the COVID-19 Urgent Food Support Fund at the beginning of April, and so far, over $8,600 has been raised toward our goal of $25,000 by May 31st! Thank you to everyone who has donated to the fund and to those who are helping to spread the word.
Although our cooking and gardening programs are on pause, our Pantry program, a food support program vital in distributing nutritious food to those who need it, has greatly expanded. Through this program, the Kitchen is making fresh and healthy food available and accessible to community members who are in need right now by:
- distributing food to people twice a month instead of once a month;
- increasing the amount of staple foods that we provide per visit;
- providing home delivery to our most vulnerable members who cannot leave their homes, many of whom are seniors or individuals with chronic illness or disability (a community partner that used to provide this service is not able to do so at this time);
- purchasing more produce directly from local farmers who have been impacted by the loss of restaurant sales;
- and by sharing updates about programs and supports related to COVID-19.
We are very grateful to have received $20,000 from the Times Colonist/Victoria Foundation Rapid Relief Fund. Due to COVID-19, many of our core volunteers are not available, and the number of people accessing the Pantry, as well as the frequency of their access has increased. These funds will pay for temporary support staff, and costs associated with the greatly increased demand and the delivery program.
The COVID-19 Urgent Food Support Fund will help replace lost  fundraising opportunities that support our operational costs, such as our annual Garden Sale that takes place in May but has been canceled and other ongoing fundraising activities, like our preserves and pie sales. It will also be used to purchase food, since food drives held by businesses, schools and other groups, and food donations from individuals have stopped due to COVID-19.
Please consider donating to our COVID-19 Urgent Food Support Fund today, so that we can continue to provide much needed food distribution and support to our most vulnerable community members.
Your donation can be made online or be mailed to Shelbourne Community Kitchen at
3541 Shelbourne Street, Victoria V8P 4G6.
Thank you for your support!!!
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Prayer in the style of Taizé
Prayer in the style of Taizé, which was  scheduled to take place in Victoria this Spring at St Andrew’s Cathedral, is cancelled until further notice, due to the uncertainty around current and future COVID-19 restrictions.
Meanwhile, blessings to all of you in the time between now and when we are able to join together again in prayer.
We recommend that you check out the Taizé website at www.taize.fr.
There, you have the option to join up with a small group of Taizé brothers for daily common prayer. Go to the Taizé website and click LIVE where you find the word “Prayer”, then follow the links through to Facebook Live.
This opportunity to pray with the brothers may be of particular interest to young adults, (ages 18-35).
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 Day Camp Update
In person Day Camp has been postponed until July 2021 due to concerns around COVID-19, keeping kids and volunteers safe. However, in July 2020, we will be offering on-line resources for families and kids. Stay tuned for more details. |
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High School Youth Group (TRY) & Middle School Youth Group Update
Middle School Youth Group meets on Wednesdays via Zoom, 6:30 to 7:30 PM.
Contact leaders Clay and Teaghan via e-mail for info on how to connect.
E-mail: youth@stgeorgescadborobay.ca
High School Youth Group meets via Zoom according to schedule below:
Contact leaders Jaimie and Caitlin via e-mail for info on how to connect.
E-mail: try@bc.anglican.ca
Our schedule is as follows:
Saturday May 9th: Zoom Baking Night @7pm
Friday May 15th: Zoom Yoga with Leslie @10:30am
Sunday May 17th: Movie night @7pm - Movie: Free Solo (we will be watching this over Zoom instead of Netflix Party this time!)
Sunday May 24th: Zoom Dinner Night @5:00pm
Sunday May 31st: Zoom Games Night @7pm
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Read ahead: Fifth Sunday of Easter
- Sunday, May 10, 2020 Acts 7:55-60 / Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
1 Peter 2:2-10 / John 14:1-14
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