In Victoria, we are experiencing more frequent days of extreme heat. When temperatures rise, it's very important to stay cool. This summer is set to be unusually warm, and we need to be prepared.

Join us at Church of the Advent for tea/coffee and cookies on Monday, June 17 at 1.30 PM and attend a heat emergency preparedness workshop by City of Colwood Emergency Support Services.

Come and learn how to take steps to reduce the impact of extreme heat in your living space, be aware of those at risk, the symptoms of heat-related illness, and where to go to cool down. You can also receive your free Extreme Heat Preparedness Guide.

Please share this invitation with all who need to learn how to manage the dangers of a heat dome.

When the world judges, excludes, harasses and injures people who are brave enough to be their true selves as God made them, God calls us to love. When people speak hate about our flying the Pride flag outside the Church of the Advent - the flag that shows that we are a safe and affirming community, God calls us to love.

In love, and in defiance of the increasing tide of homophobia and bigotry in Canada, we will be celebrating our annual Pride Sunday service at 10 AM on Sunday 30th June. It will be joyful and colourful. Be there - bring your friends who may need a safe and loving family of faith.

After the 10 AM service, we'll be picnicking on the front lawn facing Sooke Road - bring a picnic lunch, garden chairs and a pop-up gazebo, if you have one.

On Sunday, Sister Ingrid announced that we will be returning to communion in two kinds (bread and wine) from July. This is an invitation to anyone who would like to volunteer to serve communion wine at the 10 AM service, offering either the tray with small individual glasses, or to offer the common cup. Both will be available at that service. Congregation members of the 8.30 service have chosen the common cup.

If you would like to be trained as a Minister of the Chalice, please contact Sr. Ingrid at iandersen@bc.anglican.ca  There will be two trainings. The first takes place immediately after the 10 AM service this Sunday 16th June.

If you cannot be present for the training this Sunday, please email Sr. Ingrid, so we can organize a second training date that suits everyone. Thank you to those who have already responded.

Our 39th Tea was held on June 8th. Such a good day. So much of our community look forward to coming to our tea. The strawberry shortcakes were so enjoyed along with the tea/coffee in the beautiful china cups. We especially want to thank the many parishioners who came out to help on Friday evening, during the day on Saturday, and stayed for cleanup. A lot of you were new to helping at the TEA. You were all amazing and we so appreciated your help.

We served 225 people; we had 9 crafters; Trudine & her 11 guides all did an excellent job at bussing and serving. We were busy right till the end. Final profit was just over $4,000!

We thank Pearl Veillette for once again providing us with her beautiful roses from her garden. We thank the amazing team of Carolyn Hamar & Sue Hamblin who took care of the dish washing for hours! We thank our local stores (Quality Foods, Thrifty’s, & Fairways) who generously donated $500 worth of gift cards. A final large THANK YOU from our core team to all our parishioners, under the direction of Mary Wills. - Kathy M.; Bev S.; Darleen T.; Barb G.; Mary W.; Linda V S.; Liz G. & Dayle R.

In the Hall, you will find one of the cork boards emptied and ready to serve a new purpose as our Parish Notice Board. The Parish Notice Board is a place for parishioners to post their own notices, whether they be personal or to do with an upcoming event that they are promoting. All notices must first be approved by the Parish Office. We hope you will find the board both practical and useful!

Our monthly Saturday night Spanish language services are growing! The services take place on the last Saturday of the month at 6 PM. The service is followed by a lively potluck dinner in the hall.

We would like to invite you to consider attending one of the Spanish Services this year, to help to make our new parishioners feel welcome at Church of the Advent, and feel as if they are an integral part of our community. The service follows the BAS, so even if you don't speak Spanish, you can follow the service. The music worship is great!

Please click on the link below to fill in the online form, to select all the dates you are available. If we have enough volunteers (in teams of two), you might be called on only once in the year.

Please sign up! We have had no response as yet.

Come to Messy Church on June 22nd (10 am to 12:30 pm) and celebrate God's inclusive love for ALL people and ALL families.

Crafts, activities, music, stories and lunch. 

ALL FREE FUN for kids and adults.

Location: Gordon United Church
935 Goldstream Ave, Langford
www.gordonunitedchurch.ca
MessyChurchWestshore on Facebook

Want to walk and fellowship in the Victoria area with some fellow Anglicans? Larry Scyner has issued a warm invitation to anyone who would like to join a summer walking group that meets promptly each Friday at 5:30 P.M., rain or shine. The walks end with a relaxed dinner at a pub. Caroline in the office can email you the walking schedule.

Contact: Susan Powell/Larry Scyner 250-361-4652, 250-419-3425

Photo by Ashim D’Silva on Unsplash

Beyond the Good Samaritan: Community Ministry and Mission

Ann Morisey

This is a book about church outreach in partnership with non-church people or organizations, in the service of those within the local community who are disadvantaged in some way. As the title suggests, it is a ministry that aims beyond our reaction to the immediate distress of those whom we encounter by chance, as good as that is, by being a carefully-planned and organized response to an equally carefully-identified and specific need within our community. This is community ministry.

Morisey points out that that the poor and marginalized have a mysterious role in the purposes of God. If we feel that our Christian faith contributes to our well-being, it is inconsistent not to share it, so the partnership to serve becomes also a form of mission or evangelism: not, or not deliberately, towards the recipients of service, but towards ourselves in providing us with opportunities for active discipleship and the deepening of our faith, and towards our non-church partners in letting them see faith in action, and perhaps awakening some latent inclination to turn to God (although not necessarily to come to church). This is community mission.

Beyond the Good Samaritan, which was published in 1997, is the first title in the new Community Participation section, and has the shelf code CMTY MOR. This week it can be found on the Top Shelf.

Readings for this Sunday's services:

1 SAMUEL 15:34-16:13

PSALM 20

2 CORINTHIANS 5:6-10, 14-17

MARK 4:26-34

Read Sunday's readings online:
1. Go to https://lectionary.anglican.ca/  
2. Select next Sunday's date in the space at the bottom.
3. Click "Link to full text for this day".

All are welcome to join us on Thursdays for our relaxed and interesting Zoom online Bible Study, to look at the readings for the following Sunday. No experience or prior knowledge is needed.

Time: 10 AM - 11 AM.

Zoom Link:  

https://bc-anglican-ca.zoom.us/j/88378461340?pwd=cU9wSUNEZG02M3h3bGVrUmpyMjRNZz09

Meeting ID: 883 7846 1340
Passcode: 4743031 

Thank you to Lisa, who will be leading the Bible Study while Sr. Ingrid is attending her annual Franciscan Chapter.

Registration for St. Luke's Cedar Hill's Summer Day Camp is now open. The theme for this year's Amazing Journey Day Camp is Mending God's World. The Camp will held Monday, July 22nd to Friday, July 26th, in the mornings, 9 am to noon at Church of the Cross.

Children born January 1, 2013 to June 30, 2020 are eligible to be campers.

St. Luke's is also looking for Middle School students to be Leaders in Training and High School students to be Small Group Leaders.

Children with special needs may attend with an assistant.

For more information, click READ MORE.

Faith Tides is the official publication of the Anglican Diocese of Islands and Inlets. It is a space where people of faith and doubt can share their stories, challenge their perceptions and grow together.

In this issue: Day school Survivor calls for justice and true reconciliation; a look back at the Primate's visit and We Together; a sabbatical in New Orleans; attic treasures and more! 

Read it here!

Jun 17 – Heat Emergency Preparedeness Workshop (& tea), Hall, 1.30 PM

Jun 19-23 – Rev. Ingrid out of office at Franciscan Chapter

Jun 22 – Messy Church, Gordon United, 10 AM

Jun 29 - Spanish Eucharist Service, Chapel, 6 PM

Jun 30 - Pride Sunday Service, 10 AM, followed by picnic

Jul 6 – Celebration of Life for Bob Garland, 2 PM

Jul 12 – 19 – Parish Campout

Jul 14 - Combined 9 AM Service

Jul 29 – Aug 2 – Garage Sale prep week

Aug 3 – Garage Sale Day

Sunday
 8:30 AM - Traditional Eucharist, Book of Common Prayer
(no choir) Chapel

10:00 AM - Contemporary Eucharist, Book of Alternative Services,
with choir Main Church

First Saturday of the Month
5:00 PM - Taize service with singing  Chapel (except August and January)

Last Saturday of the Month
6:00 PM - Spanish Language Anglican Eucharist Service  Chapel 

Office hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays

from 9 am until noon.