Grace Covenant Weekly News | February 7, 2019
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“Without community, there is no liberation.” 
~ Audre Lorde

Sunday Preview

Sunday, February 10, 2019
Ordination and Installation of Elders & Deacons
Sacrament of Baptism

Worship services @ 8:15 & 10:45 AM
Education Hour (for all ages) at 9:15 AM


Sermon: "Leave and Follow" by Marcia Mount Shoop
Scriptures: Isaiah 6:1-8; Luke 5:1-11

“Winner Winner Wednesday Dinner” | February 13 | 6:00 PM | Fellowship Hall
You'll note our cool new name for 2nd Wednesday Dinners! Thanks to the competitors in our Minute-To-Win-It Contest at the Annual Meeting. This month will be a Valentine's Potluck! Please bring a dish you love to share and make some space for connecting with your church community. The church will provide a main dish and beverages. The J.O.Y. Group will be providing desserts this month! These events are intergenerational. *RSVP to Sherrie, smeehan@gcpcusa.org , by 12:00 pm on Monday, February 11 so we can have an estimate.
Attention: Looking for Pictures of GCPC's Oak Trees
An effort is underway to gather pictures of the two large oak trees (later removed due to disease) on the Gracelyn Road side of GCPC to create a photo display for an event in the spring. Long-time members of GCPC, if you have personal photos of these trees, or of church events which took place under the trees (including the 50th anniversary celebration in 2003), please contact Anne Callison Stokely at annecallison.stokely@gmail.com .
Stewardship Corner
IF YOU HAVEN’T PLEDGED YET… THEN YES!

IF YOU FEEL CALLED TO GIVE MORE… THEN YES!

We need $4,303 to complete this historic stewardship campaign.

It can be a one-time gift or a pledge to be paid over the year.

236 individuals/families have pledged - THE MOST EVER!

We have raised $1,015,549 of pledges - THE MOST EVER!

WE NEED SOME AMAZING, INCREDIBLE, AWESOME PEOPLE TO FINISH THIS THING!

YES, WE’RE TALKING TO YOU!

To increase your pledge, please email our Stewardship & Financial Administrator with your increase details at nweaver@gcpcusa.org . If you would like to submit a new pledge, please click here
YOU SAID…

Besides asking for increases or new pledges on the Sunday “How Can We Keep from Sharing” cards, the Stew Crew also invited you to share words of gratitude about GCPC. Here is what one of you said…

“I am humbled and encouraged by the generosity of this church.”
2018 Contribution Statements Available Now

Your 2018 statement of tax deductible gifts are available now on the Welcome Desk in the narthex. *Please pick up your statement by THIS Sunday, 2/10/19, 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.
Will you be our Valentine?
AmazonSmile donates to Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church.  
Community Garden
Garden Potluck | Friday, February 15 | 6:30 PM | Fellowship Hall
All are invited - new gardeners, veteran gardeners, garden supporters or just folks looking for a good time.  The church kitchen is in working order, but please bring a prepared dish to share. (It is nice to identify your offering.) A good time is in the making as we sup together, celebrate the 2018 garden, then share plans for the 2019 garden season.
Come early and help set up or stay late to help clean up. We have much to share and discuss. Bring your stories, laughter, and enthusiasm for being able to grow and share food with our community.
Creating Sanctuary Team (CST)
Creating Sanctuary Team Meeting | THIS Sunday, February 10 | 11:45 AM | Garden Room
Please join the CST group after the 10:45 service on Sunday, in the Garden Room. We'll looking at the PCUSA's recent work with regard to immigration, asylum, and all of our related issues. We'll do some prayer, some study, and an "Extending the Table" post-card-writing exercise, using materials that the PCUSA has created. 
WNC Faith Communities Organizing for Sanctuary (FCOS) has developed the "We All Belong Together" book list for congregations engaged in the sanctuary movement in our region. GCPC and FCOS are currently working towards a multi-congregational gathering in late Spring to discuss some of the books, which are also on the Racial Justice Book Club list. More details soon! 

Click HERE for book list.

Art by Micah Bazant, micahbazant.com  
Poster Art and Title Used with Permission
Power and Race Team (PART)
Racial Justice Book Series | *Wednesday, February 13 | 7:00 PM | Garden Room
The Racial Justice Book Series is reading books examining institutional and interpersonal racism and racial equity. Come and join us for all discussions or for just one or two. All are welcome, whether you have read closely or are just interested in learning more about the subject. Copies of the books can be found in the church library. For February, we are reading  An American Marriage  by Tayari Jones.

*Note different day this month

From  Amazon  Page: 
"Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together."
Part of what PART does is to inform Grace Covenant about
racial equity work going on in the larger community.
The following are some events that PART recommends.
Black History Proper - "The Proper and more Effectual Method on the Teaching of Afro-American History" | Thursday, February 7 (TODAY) | 5:30 - 8:30 PM | The Block off Biltmore
Hosted By: Robert Zack Zachary; $ 15, No one will be turned away.
A pictorial presentation of combined poetry, storytelling, expressive thought, musical expressions and dialogue audience participation. Emphasis placed solely on the vast Acts, Achievements, Contributions, Inventions, Compositions, Discoveries; inclusive of Names. A New and Traditional Way of knowing and understanding History, with Meaning, Respect and Cultural Appreciation.
"Growing Up Black in Asheville (1958 - 1962)" | Thursday, February 21 | 7:00 - 8:30 PM | Beverly Hills Baptist Church ( 777 Tunnel Rd. )
Presented by Al Whitesides, County Commissioner, District 1. ( L ong-time community activist, former banker, and the first African-American to serve as a commissioner for Buncombe County.) A presentation honoring Black History Month describing Asheville during the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. Hosted by the Friends of East Asheville library. Admission is free, but donations to support library programs are greatly appreciated.
Darin Waters: " Whose Story - Democratizing America's Collective Memory" | Thursday, February 28 | 6:30 PM | Lenoir Rhyne University ( 36 Montford Ave. )
Darin Waters, PhD, will examine America’s collective memory in remembering its past. As the Confederate-monument controversy swirls across the South, Waters will reflect upon the historical origins of memorializing bygone eras with images that disregard the blight of African-American enslavement and persecution. An audience Q&A will follow the presentation. Waters is an Associate Professor of History and Executive Director of Community Engagement at UNC Asheville. Free and open to the public. Click HERE for more information.
2018-2019 CLAXTON ELEMENTARY FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SOCIAL JUSTICE WORKSHOPS
Thursday Evenings | 6-8 PM | Open to the public
(Free childcare for Claxton Families only; starting at 5:45pm)

FIRST EVENT:

February 21: Colorblind vs. Color Conscious: Families Talking About Race
Is your family more color blind or color conscious? Join us to explore how we talk to our kids about race--what is hard, what goes well and why it's important to step out of our comfort zones. FREE for anyone to attend with childcare provided to Claxton families only. Please RSVP to help us with numbers .
Earth Team
Earth Team Meeting | Wednesday, February 6 | 5:30 PM | Jerusalem Room
EDUCATION
Next Sunday's Education Hour (for all ages)
Adult Education-Winter Term | January 6 – March 3 | 9:15AM

Pressure Points | Painting the Stars: Science, Religion, and an Evolving Faith | Jerusalem Room
Celebrating the connection of science and faith, Painting the Stars explores the promise of Christian spirituality. Featuring over a dozen leading evolutionary theologians and progressive thinkers, the program includes weekly dvd segments and lively discussion questions. Bruce Sanquin, one of the dvd speakers says, “the goal of this curriculum is to create some space for us to inhabit mystery more deeply, and explore the relationship between science, particularly evolution, and religion. Perhaps most importantly, the hope is that each participant will feel from the inside what it is like to be the presence of all this creativity showing up after 13.7 billion years as him or her. Without this felt sense of being one with the creative process that is ceaselessly animating life, the conversation will remain objective and academic."
Facilitators: Denise Snodgrass and Tim Hamel

The Improv | Religious Wounds and Healing | Fellowship Hall
The class will discuss how religion or communities of faith can do harm and the ways we find healing and resilience after such experiences. We will be engaging panels of people from the Grace Covenant community willing to share their experiences, as well as a few outside voices who have found healing elsewhere. Please come, bring your questions and your experiences, as we think about how we as Christians are called to be agents of healing and care in a wounded world.
Facilitators: Richard Coble and guests

Digging In | Singing Faith: Exploring the Bible through Hymns | Choir Room
The class will examine our biblical heritage of song as a way of understanding the historic development of hymns and the music of the church. We will seek to understand biblical foundations for singing while giving consideration to the theological, musical, literary, and cultural components of the faith we sing. Bring your questions and your voice (Bibles and Hymnals will be provided!)
Facilitator: Jeff Jones
CHILDREN & YOUTH EDUCATION | 9:15 AM
[Contact Heather or Samantha ]

Toddlers (ages 2-3) | "God Loves Me" | Toddler Sunday School Room (downstairs, Children's Center)
Preschool/Kindergarten (ages 4-5) | Godly Play | Preschool Sunday School Room (downstairs, Children's Center)
Elementary (grades 1-3) | Godly Play | Temple Room (upstairs, Education Wing)
Elementary (grades 4-5) | "CONNECT" | Indie Room (upstairs, Education Wing)
Middle School (grades 6-8) | "Collaborate" Curriculum | Middle School Room (upstairs, Education Wing)
Senior Highs (grades 9-12) | "Wired Word" Curriculum | A-Frame (upstairs)
Confirmation Class | Senior High Room (upstairs, Education Wing)


*Nursery care is available throughout Sunday morning beginning at 8:10 am.
OTHER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES...
Winter Women's Memoir Series | 4th Monday of the month | 6 PM | Jerusalem Room
Join us for a series of book talks focusing on memoirs written by people of faith. Open to all women of the church. One copy of each book can be found in the church library. Please pre-read the book to ensure lively discussion.  *Childcare provided.
  • February 25 - Becoming by Michelle Obama
Facilitator: Caroline Wyrosdick-Webb
  • March 25 - Undaunted: Surviving Jonestown, Summoning Courage and Fighting Back by Jackie Speier
Facilitator: Mary Lou Nash
Bible Study | Wednesdays | 11:00 AM | Garden Rm
Join the pastoral staff to read and study our sermon texts for Sunday. No preparation needed; just come ready to open scripture and discuss!
SERVE
Room in the Inn DRIVERS NEEDED to Move Mattresses
We have an URGENT NEED for drivers to move mattresses each Sunday. This task takes approximately 1 ½ hours. If we cannot secure volunteer drivers, then we will have no choice but to discontinue the service. This means that we will be back in the struggle of how we move mattresses each week. PLEASE consider who in your congregations might be willing to drive. If we had six volunteers, the rotation would be much smaller and easier to handle. Our current drivers will provide training and no CDL is needed. (You do not have to load and unload mattresses.)
For more information please contact Sharon Blythe, Room in the Inn Director at
Time for PRITCHARD PARK | Sunday, February 17
To sign up to help with this important breakfast ministry please look for Cathy Byers in the narthex on Sundays, February 3 & 10. Food donations and volunteers are needed. Questions? Contact David Bailey at 777-3990 or email him at david.bailey@unitedwayabc.org.
Guatemalan Sister Church - Iglesia Jerusalen
The Guatemala Committee is working on bringing a delegation of members from our sister church, Iglesia Jerusalen, for a visit in September. Although this visit is not yet fully confirmed, the committee feels that it is time to begin planning for it. We are looking for volunteers to help plan a joyful, meaningful 7 -10 days with our Guatemalan siblings in Christ. If you are interested in helping please contact Paul Tierney  paul@tierneyandco.net  or (828) 506-7100.
Ministry Partner Events...
YTL's "Sweethearts Supper" | Saturday, February 9 | 7-10 PM | Arthur R. Edington Center ( 133 Livingston St. )
On Saturday, February 9 Youth Transformed for Life (YTL) Training Programs will hold our Fourth Annual Sweethearts Supper, Songs, & Silent Auction fundraiser at the Arthur R. Edington Center. The event will feature a four course meal prepared by Chef Clarence Robinson of Cooking with Comedy Catering and Chef Quita Johnson of Ms. Quita’s Kitchen. The host will be ZaKiya Bell-Rogers and music will be provided by Free Flow. Tickets are $50 for individuals and $90 for couples. You can also buy “gift” tickets for community members, which we will distribute.
Click HERE to purchase tickets.
Pisgah Legal "Love & Justice Benefit" | Tuesday, February 12 | 5:00 - 7:00 PM | Ginger's Revenge ( 829 Riverside Dr. )
Show your love for Pisgah Legal by joining us for a benefit event featuring multiple pairings of refreshing ginger beer from  Ginger’s Revenge  with small bites from  Gan Shan Station   and tasty treats from French Broad Chocolates .
Tickets: $30/individual or $50/couple. Click HERE for tickets.
All proceeds benefit Pisgah Legal Services.
Homeward Bound "Lunch & Learn" | Thursday, February 14 | 12:00 - 1:30 PM | Trinity Episcopal ( 60 Church St. )
On Valentine's Day, open your hearts to learning more about women and homelessness. One of our longtime Ministry Partners, Homeward Bound, is sponsoring a lunchtime informational program. Speakers include former Homeward Bound client and current board member Donna Ball, Room in the Inn Director Sharon Blythe, and Program Director Emily Ball. Lunch is provided. If you'd like to attend, contact Serve Council co-chair Jennifer Vogel at jcvreads@gmail.com or 908-930-3399. We could carpool from the GCPC parking lot!
A Celebration of Afro-Latinx Culture (hosted by BeLoved) | Thursday, February 21 | 5:30 - 7:30 PM | 10 N. Market St., 28801
An evening of Afro-Latinx history, culture, and art; heavy refreshments provided.
  • 5:30 pm Music spun by DJ Mallinali and media of dancers celebrating the heart of the culture.
  • 6:00 pm Ponkho Bermejo will speak about the history of Afro-Latinx people in the Americas
  • 6:15 pm Calling of the Ancestors and unveiling of a 4'x12' painting by local artist Harry Rivera, the Rise of the Ancestors, to be added to our new outdoor gallery at BeLoved Asheville's Liberation Station
  • 6:30 pm A short documentary exploring this intersection
  • 7:00 pm A panel discussion with local people sharing their stories and that of their ancestors living at this intersection.
GCPC COMMUNITY
Dine with Nine
For the past 2 years, Dine with Nine has started fresh with new groups on Ash Wednesday. This year we have made the decision to change up our groups in September. When everything else is changing let’s also start with new friendship groups. This is just a heads up because you will not hear anything about sign ups until late in the summer. If you already know that you want to be included in a new group in the fall please feel free to let Nancy Kramer know now. We would like to get our groups formed and be able to actually meet each other on our kick off day in September. For now, stick with your current groups. Any questions, contact Nancy Kramer, nancykramer1981@gmail.com.
The 2019 Flower Chart is on the bulletin board next to the elevator. Please consider signing up to give flowers one Sunday. The cost is $45, payable to GCPC. Please send your dedication to Anna Louise
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 10:45 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.
This week:  Matt Stradley email:   stradley55@yahoo.com
Youth News
Thanks to our awesome GCPC youth and church family for raising funds to support our ministry partner, Hood Huggers! Find out this Sunday what we raised! Special thanks to Marcy ONieal and Paul Rogers for counting all of the change!  
Youth Group " Our Voice:  Cyberbullying & Consent" | This Sunday, February 10 | 5-7pm | GCPC
How do we "be the change" on social media and in our relationships? All youth are highly encouraged to attend this invaluable youth group where a local organization,  Our Voice  will be facilitating conversations with Middle Schoolers and Senior Highs separately about healthy social media practices and respecting each other's bodies (as well as our own). Hood Huggers will be joining us for dinner, where we will gift the money raised in worship! Dinner will be provided.
Summer Opportunities: 
Montreat Senior High Youth Conference Week 6: July 28 - Aug 3 
Massanetta Middle School Youth Conference Week 3: July 11-14
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.] 
 
Iglesia Jerusalem congregation
Sherry Harcke (Les Stradley's friend)
Pat Cocke (Les Stradley’s friend) 
Glenn Russell (Robin Gaiser's brother)
Nancy and Richard Schaadt (Donna Robertson's sister and brother-in-law)
Louise Seitz (Janet Schifflin's friend)
Ana Garcia, (our Padrino Partner) her husband, Francisco, and their sons Jose and Adrian Garcia
Sondra Dorn (Jonathan Tetzlaff's partner)
Jeffrey Ferris (Mary Lou Nash's son)
Erik Jacobs (Kathy Jacob's son)
June Collins (Carolyn Tingle’s mother)
Family of Vera Shealy (Nancy Gaskin’s aunt)
Linda Parker (Anna Jarvis’ sister-in-law)
Family of Lloyd “Hatman” Haag (Carolyn Haag’s father)
Hettie Lou Garland
Dot Holladay
Betty Smith
Margaret Rada
Bob Higgins
Olga Malinoski
Nancy Gettys
James Harwell
Joyce Summerlin
Joe Brumit
Grace Covenant Community Out and About...
Enneagram Gatherings
Join us for weekly two  hour enneagram gatherings  Fridays,  10:00am & Monday s ,   6:00pm in the
A-Frame @ GCPC. Contact Carol Hovis  cmhovis@gmail.com  about cost & details. All are welcome; you can come once or every week.
Click HERE to see flyer.
Enneagram notes:
  • The Friday gathering will NOT meet tomorrow, Feb. 8th. We reconvene next Friday, Feb. 15th.  
  • Save the Date:  Two upcoming Saturday retreats: 
Saturdays, March 9th and April 27th. Stay tuned for details.  
Interfaith Series - Presentation and Discussion with Imam Khalid Latif | Sunday, February 10 | 6 PM | Trinity United Methodist
Imam Latif will be sharing his experiences as a Muslim in America as well as his work in bringing Americans of all faiths together in addressing common community issues. Imam Khalid Latif is the University Chaplain for New York University and Executive Director of the Islamic Center at NYU, the first ever established Muslim student center at an institution of higher education in the United States. Imam Latif's exceptional dedication and ability to cross interfaith and cultural lines on a daily basis brought him recognition throughout NYC, including being selected as the youngest chaplain in the history of the New York City Police Department. Event is free, but please click here to register.
PWNC Annual Spirituality Retreat - " Praying with the Celtic Saints" | March 8-9 | Bonclarken Conference Center ( 500 Pine Drive, Flat Rock, NC 28731 )
Our weekend together will explore ways for us to celebrate Celtic wisdom and weave it into our lives here in the 21st century. We will pray together, enjoy the poetry and stories of the Celtic saints, and seek the still, small voice of God in the natural beauty of Bonclarken. Retreat begins Friday, March 8, 3:00 p.m., and ends Saturday, March 9, 4:00 p.m. A Saturday only option is also available. Presenters are: Carl McColman and Linda Abel. Click HERE for the full flyer.
2019 Come to the Table Conference | March 12-13, 2019 | Friendship Missionary Baptist Church | Charlotte, NC
"Called to Action: Uprooting Hunger and Cultivating Justice"
We invite faith leaders and laypeople, hunger relief advocates, farmers, farm workers, community organizers, community gardeners, food council members, extension agents, and others to join us next March to examine the root causes of hunger and collaborate to build a more just food system. At the 2019 Come to the Table Conference, we hope to energize attendees to go back to their communities with the knowledge to challenge the systemic nature of hunger and the skills and connections to grow structures that are based in justice. The 2019 Conference will:
  • Share resources, tools & knowledge to support attendees in being effective community organizers for a more just food system
  • Provide space for the knowledge and wisdom in the room to be shared and for us all to learn together
  • Provide space for people to connect with each other and build relationships that will sustain and support their work

Keynote Speakers:
Executive Director of  Food First
For more information, including keynote biographies, workshop selection, conference schedules, and other logistics, click here.
Symposium on Reformed Christianity and Social Ethics | March 13-14 | Davidson College
As a liberal arts college founded by Presbyterians, the Reformed Tradition of the Christian faith has been integral to Davidson College. Please join us for a series of events engaging Davidson students, alumni and community members in
conversation about the ethical commitments, theological spirit and moral character of the Reformed Tradition and how Reformed theology ethics shape our larger society. Click here for more information.
John Pavlovitz Live in Black Mountain, NC
PC(USA) Advocacy Training Weekend
  • Compassion Peace and Justice Training Day | April 5 | 8 AM - 4:30 PM | New York Ave. Presbyterian Church | Washington, DC
Gather with your fellow Presbyterians as we look at how our church and our partners are working to organize for change. In plenaries and work shops we will look at the Church as movement and as well as ways to build movements for change. We will hear from inspiring leaders and learn about past present and future efforts to bring about a more just society and world. We will offer concrete tools and strategies for members and their congregations to organize and advocate in their churches and local communities.
  • Ecumenical Advocacy Days | April 5-8 | Washington DC
The 2019 Ecumenical Advocacy Days Conference will draw on #GoodTrouble pioneers from the Civil Rights era as well as inspiration from young leaders to learn from the past, share best practices, and encourage one another for the work ahead. Through worship, educational and training workshops, and advocacy, we will beckon the Spirit to “Trouble the Waters” as depicted in John 5:1-9, calling on God to bring healing to our nation and world. Join us as we envision and train for new ways to stir up #GoodTrouble for the healing of all God’s children.
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church | 828.254.3274
789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804