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In this week's Crossroads, you will find information on:
Welcoming those Who Are New
Sunday School Dates
Confirmation Dates
Pastor Alfred Johnson Celebrating 60 years of faithful service
Weekly Devotions from Diaconal Intern Denise
Pledge Card
Common Cup
Aboriginal Veterans Day
Engaged to Serve
Good News
Queer-Friendly Curling
Concert November 12
Second Visioning Event
Salad Social Event
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Fundraiser concert
Wonderful Wednesdays
CLWR Gifts from the Heart Catalogue
Hordern Chair Appointment
Advocating and Negotiating for Climate Justice Globally
Live on Location
Join The Bible Year
Time Change
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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Welcoming those Who Are New – Sunday, November 6, 10 AM Worship
 The pandemic has limited our opportunities to welcome those who are new to the community of Church of the Cross. And so, we look forward to worship on All Saints Sunday, November 6, and sharing in Affirmation of Baptism and welcoming and blessing of those who are new.
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Upcoming Sunday School Dates:
THIS Sunday, November 6 (All Saints Sunday)
and Sunday, November 20 & 27
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Upcoming Confirmation Dates:
Sunday, November 6 and 20 at Church of the Cross
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Pastor Alfred Johnson
Celebrating 60 years of faithful service
Few in the Victoria Faith Community do not know of or have worked with Pastor Alfred Johnson. On this occasion, we recognize and honour Alfred’s remarkable achievement of reaching his 60th year of ordination.
Alfred and Mary Johnson married young and lived in northern Alberta where he worked for Northern Alberta Railway. As a telegrapher, he traveled the line dispatching and key coding messages. Mary did not care for living in Northern Alberta so Alfred looked for opportunities with the railway, eventually accepting a position in Portland, Oregon. On route to the USA by train, Alfred had a chance meeting with a co-worker who talked about telegraphist/dispatch positions available in Calgary. They abandoned their plans for Portland and secured a dispatch position in Calgary were Mary and their young family, (Mark and Lorna) made a home. Alfred’s father urged the Johnsons to attend a church, and heeding father’s words, found a church. It was there that Alfred heard Pastor McFarland speak about the shortage of ministers and “what was he going to do about it?” This message spoke to Alfred and he listened to the call to service. The Lutheran Ministry was a huge career change but Alfred, Mary and family accepted the challenge. Alfred continued to work full time for the C.N.R. attending University of Calgary for one year to prepare for full time studies at the University of Saskatchewan.
Upon relocating to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Alfred studied for five years, earning his Batchelor of Arts Degree and then Masters of Divinity from the Lutheran Seminary in 1961, all the while working full time for the C.N.R as a dispatcher. He was also a temporary pastor at Langham Lutheran Church for four of those years. Upon his ordination, Alfred accepted a call to the farming community of Naicam Saskatchewan where they established themselves in the community, making many close friends. That’s where Karen and Aron joined the family. The parish consisted of three churches: Spalding, Naicam and Dahlton. Each had Sunday services, church councils and various committees, choirs, and musicians so his parish work was involved and divided between three communities. In appreciation, the combined parish granted study sabbaticals, sending the Johnsons to St. Louis on three occasions where Alfred earned his Masters of Sacred Theology. Alfred studied and the family enjoyed the sites and offerings of this vibrant city.
In 1967 the Johnsons were called by the Lutheran Church of the Cross, Victoria BC. They accepted and uprooted their four children from school mid-year and took up residence in the parsonage. Their home was a happy and welcoming place for family and friends to visit.
Alfred was involved in all aspects of parish life and Church of the Cross witnessed growth in attendance through young families, Sunday School, Vacation Bible school, Confirmation classes, Luther League and Hebrew language tutoring. His youth mentorship eventually saw seven young adults from this congregation become ordained ministers in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada. In the wider Christian community, Alfred was instrumental in forming partnerships with the Anglican Lutheran Dialogue group, the Victoria Council of Churches, connecting with our Jewish community and shared his experience and wealth of knowledge freely. He encouraged the inclusion of a Vietnamese family who were seeking asylum in Victoria and with the assistance from parishioners was able to provide food and money to those who came to him in times of need.
A group of bold parishioners identified a need for a seniors’ living complex that could be associated with Church of the Cross. With Alfred’s support, Luther Court was proposed, designed, funded and constructed on land owned by the Church of the Cross. Mary would work for many years at Luther Court and Alfred became the chaplain. The Johnsons also became travellers, hosting small groups to the Holy Land, Greece, New Zealand, China and Norway where they enjoyed interesting sites together.
After years of living in the parsonage, Alfred and Mary lived in an apartment overlooking Dallas Road and the ocean and their cabin on the Sooke River, which they enjoyed very much. As Alfred moved into retirement, he took on the enjoyable task of supply minister and especially loved his time in Haida Gwaii. Alfred is fully retired now but loves his Church of the Cross home, life at Luther Court, his comfortable apartment and his loving bond with sons, daughters, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He remains a pillar in the Christian community of Victoria and is a very much-loved member of Church of the Cross.
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Weekly Devotions from Diaconal Intern Denise
 Please find my latest devotion. Just click on the link here and you will be taken to the podcast. Please also feel free to share with others.
Denise Maier Pawliuk (she/her)
Diaconal Intern & Sacred Storyteller
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Our Church, Our Commitment
Dear People of Church of the Cross,
Once a year we consider our personal commitment in support of our mission and ministry. We do so with grateful hearts knowing our financial support matters. It makes possible the providing of spiritual care, worship, learning, a well used facility and outreach to neighbours.
Making a financial commitment in uncertain times isn’t easy. Yet we do it in many other areas of our life. We commit to paying a mortgage or rent. We commit to paying utilities, insurance and keeping the car running, if we have one.
Our church has ongoing costs, rising costs like everyone in this congregation. Now more than ever we need our church to be financially, as well as spiritually, healthy.
We have proven ourselves to be a resilient congregation. That resiliency will continue to be tested in the face of uncertain economic, social, and global realities.
We will need our church more than ever to help us navigate the challenges of today and tomorrow.
This is an invitation to each of us to consider faithfully and prayerfully the financial support to our church. Your pledge remains confidential to the Financial Secretary of the congregation. Your financial commitment whatever the amount matters to ensuring we will continue to be a resilient and compassionate faith community. Your pledge matters.
Please complete and return the pledge card by Sunday, December 11, 2022. Click here you will find a e-copy of card that was placed in your church mailbox. E-card pledges can be sent to the church office or directly to the Financial Secretary, Barry Walker at bhwalker@shaw.ca.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Lutheran Church of the Cross.
In Christ,
Church Council
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The Common Cup will be available for Communion this Sunday.
The Board of Worship has been asked to consider including the option of the common cup for Holy Communion once again in worship. This practise was paused during the pandemic. The option will be available each Sunday for those who wish to share the wine in this way. As before, if anyone is not feeling well, they are asked not to share in the common cup, and if experiencing symptoms, to stay home from worship and join online.
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With thanks to members of the congregation and community who are part of the BC Public Service for designating Church of the Cross and Shelbourne Community Kitchen for Donations through the Provincial Employees Services Fund
The Provincial Employees Community Services Fund (PECSF) campaign is on until November 10. PECSF is a unique, employee-driven workplace charity giving program for the BC Public Service. Over $50 million has been raised since 1965 and 100% of donations go directly to the charity (or charities) you choose. Support local organizations of your choice by making a one-time or recurring payroll deduction.
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Aboriginal Veterans Day, November 8
 Aboriginal Veterans Day was established in Manitoba in 1994 and has since spread across the country to the other provinces and has been renamed National Aboriginal Veterans Day, recognized annually on Nov. 8. It’s a day to recognize and acknowledge the many contributions of Indigenous members of the Canadian armed forces.
Today, about 3.5 per cent of the Canadian Armed Forces is of First Nation descent, representing many distinct cultures. They continue to make Canada proud through their service at home and abroad. We should honour their contributions and of those who served before them.
Nov. 8 is about making efforts to better understand the role Indigenous Veterans have played in Canada, and expressing our heartfelt gratitude. Ceremonies are held across Canada to mark this day, and Canadians across the country should pause for a minute or two to honour our Aboriginal veterans.
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Engaged to Serve
This is the first in a regular series of brief profiles about individuals who make unique contributions to the Church of the Cross community.
Every wonder where the communion wine comes from? Well Marge Adams, a member and coordinator of the Altar Guild made the communion wine for over 20 years. Her husband Bob helped her to bottle the wine until he passed away in 2019. Thank you Marge for being Engaged to Serve at Church of the Cross! And thanks to Grant Froyland for taking on the making of communion wine.
If you have someone you would like to celebrate in this column, contact Craig at craigrknight@gmail.com
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Good News from Robert Oppenheimer at Temple Emanu-El
Dear friends,
I have some really good news to share with you all.
The paperwork and initial funding required for the Syrian family we are sponsoring has now been successfully submitted to the Inter-Cultural Association and the application is being passed through to the federal government on our behalf. We are feeling excited to have achieved this important milestone. In our zoom meetings with the family, they now look and sound far more positive and less worried about their future compared to when we first met them.
As Rabbi Harry has noted, the knowledge that a group of complete strangers, in this distant corner of the world have chosen to reach out to them has already made a huge difference in bringing hope into this family’s lives. Our rabbi when I was growing up in London, Rabbi Gryn, was a teenage survivor of Buchenwald and Auschwitz. Rabbi Gryn talked about the critical importance of maintaining hope for survival, something his father taught him in Auschwitz. I know he would agree with Rabbi Harry on the importance of this "mitzvah" and act of "chesed" we are undertaking.
I want to thank all of you who have helped with this process over the last 18 months. As we knew it would be, it has huge a huge task involving many people to make this happen. We have so far raised a total of $55,000, including funds donated by our collaborators at the Lutheran Church of the Cross. I also want to acknowledge the helpful advice we have received from members of the previous sponsorship committee.
Of course, this is not the end of the project, but of the critical first stage. We now expect that the family will arrive in Victoria in 2025 and will keep you all updated as we get closer.
Robert Oppenheimer
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Queer-Friendly Curling this Saturday
Queer-friendly drop in curling this Saturday, Nov. 5, 6 to 9 PM at Victoria Curling Club on Quadra Street. Licensed lounge upstairs. For teens and adults. $25 includes ice time, beginner coaching, and all equipment needed. Check it out! Gerry S. and Pr. Lyndon have helped organize.
Click here for the details.
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Concert November 12, 2:30 PM, Church of the Cross
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November 26 - Save the Date for the Second Visioning Event
 The second gathering for determining the vision and priorities of Church of the Cross for the next 3 years will take place on Saturday, November 26, 9 am – 12 noon, with coffee beginning at 8:30 am and lunch beginning at noon. Once again, everyone who is interested is invited and encouraged to join in this important morning. Please contact the church office if you plan to attend or if you have nay questions.
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Salad Social Event
Date: Nov. 24
Time: 12:00 noon
At Lutheran Church of the Cross
 On November 24th, the Women in Faith are hosting a salad social at noon. Everyone is invited. Please bring a salad or dessert to share. Coffee and tea is provided. Following the luncheon, we will have a games afternoon. Please bring your favourite game, if you have one. We will have numerous games available from which to choose. You may choose to attend either the salad luncheon or the games afternoon, or both.
This event is being held in lieu of going out for lunch. We suggest that a donation in an equivalent amount be made to the Shelbourne Community Kitchen. A basket for donations will be available at the door.
Women in Faith
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Wonderful Wednesdays: November 2022
We enjoyed our discussions around "Do I Stay Christian?" so much, we're going to keep the conversation going, with new content to inspire and challenge us!
How is your faith evolving?
"Evolving Faith" conference 2022
Join us on 3 Wednesdays in November for discussion based on selected talks from the recent 2022 "Evolving Faith" conference featuring many contemporary voices in the emerging Christian landscape. Coffee and snacks provided!
When: 10am, November 9, 16 and 23
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CLWR Gifts from the Heart Catalogue is available now!
 CLWR’s Gifts from the Heart catalogue is available now! Bring a smile to your loved one this Christmas season with a meaningful gift that shares hope with someone in need. New gifts in this year’s catalogue include veterinary care for livestock and infant hygiene kits for new mothers displaced from their homes in Ukraine. Watch your mailboxes and inboxes for your copy, or visit clwr.org/GFTH now!
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Lutheran Theological Seminary - Hordern Chair Appointment
Lutheran Theological Seminary Saskatoon is pleased to announce that the Rev. Dr. Kayko Driedger Hesslein has been appointed William Hordern Professor of Theology, commencing January 1, 2023.
The official announcement appears here.
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Advocating and Negotiating for Climate Justice Globally, Regionally, and Locally
Photo credits: LWF/Albin Hillert (from the LWF website)
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) will join other faith-based actors and civil society organizations calling for action on the global climate crisis at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt from November 6 to 18. This year, the LWF delegation to COP is larger than previous years. It consists of 40 young climate activists from LWF member churches around the globe who will join LWF staff to advocate for climate justice from a faith perspective. Twenty-one women and 19 men from all seven regions of the LWF make up the youth delegation. They come from 33 member churches in 26 countries. This diversity ensures a broad representation across the communion, strengthening LWF's climate justice efforts. To read the full article, please click here.
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Live on Location: ELCIC Member to Share Daily Updates Live from COP27 in Egypt
ELCIC member Katarina Kuhnert is travelling to Egypt to participate in COP27. She will be taking over the ELCIC Instagram account (@CanadianLutherans) during her time overseas (November 7-19). The majority of her trip will be spent in Sharm El-Sheikh, but exciting treks through Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine's Monastery are also on the itinerary. Watch for Katarina's content which will be posted to the @CanadianLutherans Instagram page beginning next week.
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Join The Bible Year: Understanding the Bible Webinar on November 8
The Bible Year: Understanding the Bible is an event celebrating the 500th Year of Luther's New Testament Translation and which will take place on November 8 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. This is the second of four webinars that The Lutheran World Federation is hosting to mark the 2022 Bible Year. Two biblical scholars will discuss the cultural and theological impact of Martin Luther's New Testament translation and how the work of Bible translation impacts the community of faith today. Featuring Rev. Angela del Consuelo Trejo Haager (Mexico) and Prof. Dr. Jerzy Sojka (Poland). For more information and to register for this event, please click here.
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Time Change
Daylight saving time ends at 2:00 am on Sunday, November 6 and clocks are set back one hour.
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In-Person Worship, Sunday, November 6, 10 AM PDT
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)!
Church Council
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Read ahead:
 All Saints Sunday
November 6, 2022 Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18
Psalm 149
Ephesians 1:11-23
Luke 6:20-31
Worship Bulletin: CLICK HERE for Worship Bulletin
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