"How the past perishes is how the future becomes
."
~ Alfred North Whitehead
Sunday Preview
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Retired & Senior Adult Sunday
Worship service @ 8:30 & 10:30 AM
Education Hour (for all ages) @ 9:15 AM
Sermon:
"As If" by
Marcia Mount Shoop
Scriptures:
Jonah 3:1-5, 10; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
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GCPC Congregational Breakfast & Annual Meeting
Sunday, January 28 |
8:30 AM
Come and enjoy fellowship, food, and exciting news about all that is going on at Grace Covenant. This annual gathering is an opportunity to be together and hear from your staff and other church leaders about things like Serve projects, ministries for all ages, and updates from Finance, Personnel, and Stewardship. Get the latest scoop on construction and the new HVAC system as well! There will be no 8:30am worship and no adult Sunday school that morning. Sunday school for children and youth will begin after breakfast is served.
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Thank you Celebration Team
for the creativity you brought to worship during Advent. You helped us all experience and reflect on how faith waits. Thank you for the cool candles and the waiting vignettes!
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Construction Update
Construction is focused downstairs on our new kitchen and improvements to the Atrium and Fellowship Hall. The HVAC replacement is moving forward, too. Soon the whole main building's system will be complete!
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What are the things you love the most about Grace Covenant? Worship? Sunday School? Music? Service projects? Congregational care? Connections with the greater community? Our partnership with Guatemala? Other? All of the above?
All of these things require money. Staff, equipment, materials, contributions. The budget is being finalized, and we can’t allocate money we don’t have. So, please:
If you haven’t pledged, please do so as soon as possible.
If you have pledged and feel you can increase your giving, please do so.
Our Faith Forward campaign is getting closer to our goal—our average pledge is up from last year and the amount pledged is more than ever pledged at Grace Covenant. These are exciting times, and we need your pledge to keep the momentum going.
Thank you for prayerfully considering how you can help Grace Covenant live out the mission God is calling us toward.
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Faith Forward Update:
179 pledges totaling
$
748,038.40
We are 85% of our way to our pledging goal.
If you have not turned in your pledge, please do so today!
Year end tax statements for all giving in 2017 will be available in late January.
If you have questions regarding your pledge balance or payments, please contact Natalie Weaver, Stewardship & Financial Administrator, at
giving@gcpcusa.org
or
828.254.3274, ext. 202
.
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2017 Contribution Statements Available Now
The year end contribution statements listing all gifts made in 2017 are available now on the credenzas outside the sanctuary.
Please pick up your statement by
Sunday, 2/4/18, to help save on postage.
Please review your statement closely and notify Natalie Weaver, Stewardship & Financial Administrator, as soon as possible with questions or corrections needed. She is in the office Tuesday - Thursday to assist and can be reached at
828-254-3274, ext. 202 or
nweaver@gcpcusa.org.
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GCPC’s Creating Sanctuary Team invites all to attend its regular meetings held on the second Sunday of each month. CST meets immediately following the 10:30 AM service in the Indie Room on the second floor of the Education Building. As team members report on activities among WNC faith communities and related agencies as well as specific needs of the Latinx community, members learn about service opportunities. The Creating Sanctuary Team welcomes your participation in creating a welcoming, caring environment for our vulnerable neighbors. For more information, contact Kathy Meacham at
krmeacham@gmail.com or Anne Stokely at
annecallison.stokely@gmail.com.
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Power and Race Team (PART)
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MLK Commemoration Pilgrimage | April 2 - 5, 2018 | Memphis, TN
April 4, 2018 marks the 50
th
commemoration of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Power and Race Team (PART) is planning a four day intergenerational pilgrimage to Memphis to participate in this national remembrance.
Along with members from All Souls Cathedral and Memphis Youth Mission (MYM), GCPC members will spend time building community while learning about the past, present, and future of the Civil Rights Movement. The trip will be Monday, April 2 – Thursday, April 5. The cost payable to GCPC will vary from $300 - $700 per person, depending on food, lodging, and activity choices. There may be additional food and travel costs not included in this amount.
Click
HERE
for a link to a flyer with more information.
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MLK Week Keynote - Michelle Alexander | Thursday, January 18 | 7 - 9 PM | UNCA Sherrill Center - Kimmel Arena
Michelle Alexander’s best-selling book,
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, both crystalized and amplified public discussion about racism and civil rights, the war on drugs and the prison system. As an attorney, Alexander clerked for Justice Harry Blackmun at the U.S. Supreme Court, directed the Racial Justice Project at the ACLU of Northern California, and brought discrimination suits in private practice. She now is a visiting professor at Union Theological Seminary and a forceful public speaker who argues that mass incarceration is today’s version of Jim Crow segregation. Alexander will deliver the keynote talk for UNC Asheville’s observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Week. This event is presented by UNC Asheville with support from the Blue Ridge District of the United Methodist Church.
Arena doors open at 6 pm. Lecture is free and open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Click
HERE for more information.
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Malaprop's presents Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors with Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad| Friday, January 19 | 6 PM | Rainbow Community School (60 State St.)
Please join us in welcoming Patrisse Cullors, Black Lives Matter Co-founder and author of
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir, to
Asheville! She will be in conversation with Warren Wilson Professor and Chair of Religious Studies and Director of Peace and Justice Studies,
Rima Vesely-Flad, who is the author of
Racial Purity and Dangerous Bodies: Moral Pollution, Black Lives, and the Struggle for Justice.
Doors open at 6 and event begins at 7 pm.
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"At the River" - Oral History Project Screening | Sunday, January 28 | 2 PM | White Horse Tavern (Black Mountain)
What did white Southern Presbyterian ministers do during the Civil Rights Era? Often isolated in small towns in the Deep South, some chose to be brave in spite of dangerous circumstances. Carolyn Crowder and Rod Murphy are producing “At the River," an oral history project about the efforts & trials of young, white Southern Presbyterian ministers who fought for civil rights in the Deep South during the 1950’s & 60’s. Please click
HERE for more info about the project.
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Earth Team Meeting | THIS Sunday, January 21 | 11:45 AM|Indie Rm
Please join us every third Sunday of the month immediately following worship as we meet to discuss Earth Team plans.
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Hard 2 Recycle Event | Saturday,
January 20 | 10 AM - 2 PM | Park Terrace Center (
1298 Patton Ave.)
Asheville GreenWorks Hard 2 Recycle collection returns to West Asheville for their first collection of 2018. Weather permitting, our partners will be accepting styrofoam, batteries, TVs, electronics, appliances, books, select Terracycle items and MORE. All items collected will be recycled here in the US. Click
HERE
for more info and a full list of accepted items.
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Join the Earth Team for Sunday School!
Healing the Earth: Living Into God’s Covenant
In the Indie Room, Jan. 7 - Feb. 11, 9:15-10:15
What kind of natural environment will host our grandchildren and great-grandchildren? In his 2015 encyclical, Pope Francis appealed “for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.”
At Grace Covenant, we are beginning the conversation with five classes focused on God’s covenant and critical aspects of how we as Christians can live into that covenant:
January 21: Animals are a critical part God's Creation – and God’s covenant. Vann Vogel and Rick Pyeritz will discuss interfaith perspectives regarding animals, as well as endangered species and the history/future of species extinction.
January 28: No class because of Congregational breakfast and meeting
February 4: Andy Tait, Director of Ecoforestry at EcoForesters, will speak and show slides about best practices in forestry management, including the preservation and promotion of vibrant, healthy and diverse forests. Andy has worked for the US Forest Services’ Southern Research Station and has taught high school and led Youth backpacking trips.
February 11: John Curry, Vann Vogel, and Ray Shem (Chief Financial Officer at Pine Gate Renewables) will discuss future possibilities for solar panels at GCPC.
Please join us on this journey of healing the Earth
and realizing God’s Covenant.
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This Sunday’s Education for All Ages | 9:15 AM
Adult Education Winter Term | January 7 – February 11
Digging In: The Book of James | Jerusalem Room
What does our faith require of us as we lead our lives? What does Scripture tell us about the responsibilities of Christians who are rich? What does it tell us about gossip and how to speak truth in love? What does it say about friendship and the temptation to judge others? These are central questions of the New Testament book of James, as it expands upon its central message that faith without works is dead.
This week, we will be reading chapter 3 of James, examining the possibilities and pitfalls of our speech as Christians as well as the nature of wisdom.
Facilitators:
Mary Lou Nash and Kevin Brunk
The Improv: Healing the Earth – Living Into God’s Covenant | Indie Room
What kind of natural environment will we leave our grandchildren and great-grandchildren? Join the Earth Team in the Fellowship Hall for a series of five Sunday School classes focused on God’s covenant and critical aspects of how we as Christians can live into that covenant. See the poster in the Narthex for the curriculum and speakers.
This week, we will examine animals as a part of God’s Creation from an interfaith perspective. EARTH TEAM leaders, Vann Vogel and Rick Pyeritz will lead us in learning about diverse (Buddhist, Muslim, Native American, Hindu, etc.) perspectives on endangered species and extinctions.
Facilitators:
Earth Team and Guests
Pressure Points: Feminist Theology | Choir Room
bell hooks defines feminism as “a struggle to end sexist oppression…[and] to eradicate the ideology of domination that permeates Western culture.” In many ways, Christian theology, including the ways we think and talk about God, orthodoxy, the human condition, and relationships, are tied closely to ideologies of domination and oppression. How can feminism lead us to more just concepts, more life-giving practices, and more equitable communities?
This week, we will examine traditional and feminist symbols and metaphors for God through the lens of Sallie McFague's theology. We will be asking whom do certain names of God empower and how can we broaden our understandings of God in
liberate
ways. Please contact
Richard Coble
if you would like a copy of the reading.
Facilitators:
Marcia Mount Shoop and Richard Coble
CHILDREN & YOUTH EDUCATION
[Contact
Samantha
]
Preschool/Kindergarten (ages 3-5) |
anytime from 8:30–11:30 AM |Preschool Sunday School Room (downstairs, Children’s Center)
Elementary (grades 1-5)
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9:10–10:10 AM |Temple Room
(upstairs, PZ)
Middle School (grades 6-8)
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9:15-10:10 AM | Middle School Classroom, PZ
Senior Highs (grades 9-12)
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9:15-10:10 AM | Senior High Classroom, PZ
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Click
HERE
to see a preview of the full year of
2017-2018 Adult Education classes.
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Bible Study | Wednesdays | 11 AM | Garden Room
Everyone is welcome to join the pastoral staff to read and study our sermon texts for Sunday. No preparation needed, just come ready to open scripture and discuss.
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Wednesday Sanctuary Open for Prayer
Each Wednesday from 11:45 AM - 1 PM, the sanctuary will be open for silent prayer. Some evenings will close with a brief time of centering prayer.
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Guatemala Partnership Brainstorm Meeting
| THIS Sunday, January 21 | 11:45am (after worship) | Garden Room
Help GCPC strengthen ties with our sister church, Iglesia Jerusalem and support the Guatemala partnership programs. All ages are welcome to lend their voices and ideas to this all-important conversation. Questions? Contact Bonnie Parker at
bparker17@gmail.com.
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GCPC Volunteers needed for "Saturday Sanctuary" at First Pres. AVL | Saturday, January 27 | 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM (Afternoon Shift 1)
Adults and Senior High Youth are welcome to volunteer! First Presbyterian opens their fellowship hall to folks without homes every Saturday. Lunch is served at 12:30 and many hands are needed. Contact Tamara Puffer to sign up or for more info,
puffer61@gmail.com or 828-254-0507.
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One of our ministry partners,
is presenting a 4-part series on equity in the schools.
Choosing Equity: The Legacy of Desegregation in ACS | Tuesday, January 30 | 6-8 PM | Stephens Lee Recreation Center
The first of a four part community series Choosing Equity: on integration, inclusion, and equity in our schools. Free event. Food and childcare will be provided. For more information, click
HERE
.
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Choosing Equity: Ending Racial Inequality in our Schools: What Actually Works? | Wednesday, February 28 | Event: 7 PM | Lipinsky Hall, UNCA
Nikole Hannah-Jones is a National Magazine Award-winning Journalist, writing on modern day civil rights for the New York Times Magazine. Her widely read articles on segregated housing and schools, as well as her deeply personal reports on the black experience in America, expose how racial inequality is maintained through official policy. They also offer a compelling case for greater equity. For tickets, please click
HERE.
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CoThinkk's 2nd Annual Membership Drive & Mixer Event | Saturday, February 10 |
6 - 8 PM | The Center for Craft, Creativity and Design (
67 Broadway St.
)
Our Mission Partner, CoThinkk, invites us to a meet and greet on Saturday, February 10, to learn more about its accomplishments in 2017 and its 2018 initiatives. CoThinkk is a giving circle dedicated to collectively investing time, talent, and treasure to address some of the most critical social and community issues affecting African-American and Latinx communities in Asheville and Western North Carolina. This year CoThinkk would like to thank the Amy Mandel & Katina Rodis Fund, who have committed to match all 2018 CoThinkk membership contributions, 2:1, up to $15,000!
For more more details and to RSVP to this free event, click
HERE.
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Steady Collective - new Ministry Partner in 2017
The Steady Collective works to improve overall community healthy by reducing the rate of drug overdose and spread of infectious disease with education, advocacy and direct services. In 2017, Steady Collective had 1,679 total visits, distributed 72,994 syringes, had 13,962 used syringes returned, and distributed 1,762 narcan kits. To see state-wide statistics on opioid overdose reversals statistics for North Carolina, click
here
. To learn more about this work in Western North Carolina, watch
this short video here
. To learn more about Steady Collective, contact Hillary Brown at
hillary@thesteadycollective.org
or visit
thesteadycollective.org.
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Habitat for Humanity Update
Thank you note to GCPC from the Norris-Hunter Family:
"Thank you so very much for everything you do to help support the build for our new Habitat home! All of your hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed. We appreciate all of the donations and helping hands you have sent our way! Also, thank you for hosting our wonderful church visit. It was so special and we had an amazing time! - The Norris-Hunter Family"
*And Congratulations! Baby Kaleia Rayelle Norris was born on December 28, 2017. Healthy baby girl, healthy mom!
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Click
HERE
for a link to the 2018-2018 GCPC Ministry Partners brochure.
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GCPC Senior Adult Ministry Survey
If you are 55 years or older, please fill out the following survey of how Grace Covenant can better serve, empower, and utilize our retired and senior adults. The survey will also be available in paper form following both church services on January 21. Click
HERE for survey.
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Dine with Nine | Sign up in the narthex - January 21 and 28
It’s time for Dine for Nine to organize new groups for a new year. Dine with Nine is a program created to foster intentional fellowship and community within our church family. For one year, small groups of nine will share meals and fellowship. Each group will decide independently how often to meet and when and where to meet. Dine with Nine group assignments will be communicated on Ash Wednesday as the Lenten season begins. Sign ups will be in the church narthex following the 10:30 AM services on January 14, 21 and 28 or by calling the church office (254-3274) or emailing
Sherrie
. Questions? Contact Nancy Kramer at
nancykramer1981@gmail.com
.
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J.O.Y. (Just Older Youth) Group Gathering – “Hymn Sing” | Tuesday, January 23 | 6 PM | Habitat Tavern and Commons (
174 Broadway St.
)
There will be live music and lots of old familiar hymns. Parking is available in the Moog Music parking lot. J.O.Y. includes retirees, empty nesters, and/or those who qualify for senior discounts who gather to enjoy fellowship.
Follow us on Facebook
.
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PW Academic Scholarship Award
The Scholarship Committee of Presbyterian Women of the Presbytery of Western North Carolina offer a $1500.00 scholarship for an academic year. The scholarship is available to members of a Presbyterian Church of the Presbytery of Western North Carolina. Criteria for awarding this scholarship is financial need, scholastic ability, leadership of applicant in church, school, and community, and references.
The application form, school transcripts and letters of recommendation must be received by the Scholarship Committee by February 15
th
, 2018. For application forms or questions, please contact Cathy Froehlich,
oremont2@gmail.com, 828-775-1016.
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PNO~ Parents’ Night Out | 5 – 8 PM |
Meets one Saturday a month
**We still need a host for February 17th**
Please click
HERE
to sign up!
Leave your children at the church for childcare, and let’s all go out on the town together! Contact the church to reserve a space for childcare the Monday prior to our outing Saturday. Drop your child and $10 at the church on the night of the event. Carpool or meet us wherever we are to gather! Email
Anna Louise
to be added to the list.
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Deacon of the Week
Each Sunday morning there will be a deacon available for everything from praying with you to giving you a tour of the building. This deacon will be wearing a purple sash and stationed in the narthex before 10:30 worship and in the front of the sanctuary after worship. He or she is also available during the week if you or someone you love needs assistance from our board of deacons.
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Prayer List
[We are happy to pray for anyone who is in need. Concerns will stay on this list for a month unless we hear otherwise. Please keep us updated.]
Jerusalem Church congregation
Sherry Harcke (Les and Susan Stradley's friend)
Nikita Norris, Regina Hunter & family (Habitat for Humanity partner family)
Betty Weller (sister of Lucy Reiley and Margaret Peery)
Chris Barkley (Kathy Theoharis' sister)
Pat Cocke (Les and Susan Stradley’s friend)
Ben Johnston-Krase (Nancy Gaskin's friend and pastor of the Farm Church)
Ron Kaussner (Ron Hawkins' friend)
Betsy Needle (Robin Gaiser’s friend)
Glenn Russell (Robin Gaiser’s brother)
Roy Hicks (Melissa Hicks' father)
Melissa Noll (friend of Pam McGill and Pamela Culp)
David Whitt (Mary Ellen Horne's friend)
Will Siburt (grandson of Anna Jarvis)
Leonard Hollifield, Sr. (Father/Father In-Law of Leonard and Lynn Hollifield)
Mary Ann Dykes (Sister in Law of Steve and Sandra Dykes)
Kathy Middens (Steve Dykes' sister)
Virginia Bradley
Hettie Lou Garland
Dot Holladay
Jerry Bleckley
Teresa Stern
Cindy Egerer
Jana Watts
Bob Busey
John Brigham
Susan Stradley
Sally Richardson
Betty Smith
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Parents, please help us eat at Youth Group!!!
As youth group kicks into high gear, we need parents to please sign up to provide meals.
SIGN UP HERE
to bring a meal for youth group (we need one for as early as this weekend). Thanks!!!
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Participate in the new GCPC Youth Choir/Band!| This Sunday, January 21
| (after church) 11:45 AM - 12:30 PM | GCPC Sanctuary
Jeff Jones is inviting all youth singers and musicians to come share their musical gifts at GCPC. Beginning this weekend, we will meet right after church to learn about your interests and availability. Please come check it out and bring your instrument!
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Youth Group "Back on Track!"| This Sunday, January 21| 5-7 PM | GCPC
Get ready to cruise back into youth group at full speed! This will be an evening of games, challenges, plotting, planning, laughter and fun! Learn about what the semester has in store and begin "moving mountains" together. It will be a blast! Dinner provided!
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Senior High Service Party: Midnight Manna! |
Saturday, February 10
| 9 PM - 12:30 AM | Manna Food Bank
Register by TODAY
(no exceptions)
for this super fun service party (sponsored by AYM & Manna Food Bank). It will feature live music, delicious local food, community service and lots of fun.
SIGN UP HERE
!!! GCPC will cover the cost of all youth and adults/chaperones who sign up. Don't miss out on this wild experience!
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Senior High Montreat Youth Conference
(
NEW DATE: Week 6: July 29 - August 4
)
We have switched our Montreat week due to changes in the school calendar.
Youth (who have completed 9th, 10th, 11th & 12th grade by this summer), get ready for a week of fellowship, energizers, activities, worship and lots of fun!
The discounted cost is $405 if you register by February 17th
(cost goes up $10 a month) and full and partial scholarships are available upon request.
Register digitally here
and bring your $100 deposit to
Sherrie
in the church office. Hard copy registration forms available in the Information Station.
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Middle School Massanetta Youth Conference (Week 3: July 5-8)
This thrilling experience is open to youth who will have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade by this summer.
Register digitally here
and bring your $50 deposit to
Sherrie
in the church office.
The discounted cost if you register by February 17th is $235
and full and partial scholarships are available upon request. Hard copy forms are in the Information Station.
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Grace Covenant Community Out and About...
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Travels in North Korea: The Myths and the Reality | Tuesday, January 23 | 7:00 PM | Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville, NC
North Korea is one of the most secretive and remote locations on earth, visited by few Americans. In Jonathan Tetzlaff’s travels, he visited not only the capital, Pyongyang, but also remote locations in the central and northern portions of North Korea (along the border with China).
Jonathan is one of the few Americans to view the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) – one of the most heavily-militarized borders in the world – from the
northern side. Other destinations included Chongjin, for decades a city closed to all visitors. Opened only a short time before his trip, security in Chongin was very tight.
Jonathan will discuss his travel, varied accommodations and unexpected experiences. Jonathan will also touch on tensions between the US and North Korea, recent advances in North Korean nuclear technology, and the regional and global consequences if war were to break out. This presentation is an updated version of a presentation provided at UNCA Asheville in November 2017; it includes additional information from a presentation by Jonathan at a US State Department regional meeting in December 2017.
This event requires no tickets or reservations and is open to the public. The presentation will last approximately one hour with ample time for Q&A. If you have questions, please contact Jonathan Tetzlaff (
jctetzlaff@TRMRISK.com). Information is also available via the Library’s “Event Calendar”
HERE.
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The January Series 2018 - Lunch and Learn | January 3rd - 23rd | 12:30 - 1:30 PM |
First Presbyterian Church
Hosted by Calvin College, the January Series features expert speakers on a wide range of today’s most relevant topics, including race in America, technology & national security, bio- waste, millennials & faith, dementia, radical generosity and global poverty, among others.
The January Series lectures will be video streamed live in the Fellowship Hall. The lectures are free and open to the public. Attendees are welcome to bring a lunch. Drinks and light snacks will be available at no charge. For more information about the January Series, contact Pastor Patrick Johnson at
pjohnson@fpcasheville.org or at 828-253-1431. Click
HERE for full flyer with dates and speakers.
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Interfaith Peace Conference | Theme: "Meeting the Other: Can We Talk?" | March 1-4, 2018 | Lake Junaluska
We are living in a culture of increasing polarization that borders on chaos.
Our society is divided culturally, politically, economically, and racially. Educational level, sexual identity, geographical region, ethnicity, race, and class have divided our nation. As a result of these growing divisions within our society, we are not listening to one another. We are gravitating toward conversation only with those with whom we agree on issues. We have barricaded our communities of faith and failed to reach out to our brothers and sisters of the three Abrahamic faiths, much less other faiths or those who advocate no religious belief.
Can we talk/listen to one another? At the Interfaith Peace Conference at Lake Junaluska we will demonstrate the art of building bridges of godly love, and participation in holy conversation. We can agree to disagree with civility and respect while upholding the core values of our various traditions.
Keynote speakers are The Rev. T. Anthony Spearman, Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, and Juliane Hammer. For more information and to register, please
CLICK HERE.
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Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church | 828.254.3274
789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804
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