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"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day
for their bodies, education and culture for their minds,
and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Sunday Preview
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Worship Services @ 8:15 & 10:45 AM
Education Hour (for all ages) at 9:15 AM
Sermon:
"Never Cease to Be Amazed" by Marcia Mount Shoop
Scriptures:
Isaiah 62:1-5; John 2:1-11
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GCPC Congregational Breakfast & Annual Meeting | Sunday, January 27 | 8:15 AM | Atrium & Fellowship Hall
Come and celebrate another great year at Grace Covenant! This annual gathering is an opportunity to be together and hear from your staff and other church leaders about all the exciting ministries happening every day at GCPC. There will be no 8:15am worship and no adult Sunday school that morning. Sunday school for children and youth will begin after breakfast. The Men @ GCPC will provide our scrumptious breakfast. If you would like to help with that, please contact Dean Presson at
michael.presson@bcsemail.org.
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Room In The Inn (RITI)| January 27 - February 3 | GCPC
In one week, Room In The Inn returns to Grace Covenant. You may sign up either in the Narthex on Sunday or here at
this link.
Our main needs still include overnight hosts and drivers!
GCPC: Do you have any new or lightly used twin sized blankets you could donate to Room in the Inn? We could use more blankets for these cold nights.
The ladies rarely have access to lipstick, make-up, cologne, nail polish, facial creams, manicure sets and other personal items most women use. If you would consider donating any of the above type of new products, please put them in the box marked ”RITI” located near the information station near the name tags.
P.S. Thanks to all of you who have already signed up!
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Dear Grace Covenant Community,
Exciting news! Our new Maintenance and Repair Technician (the position formerly known as "The Sexton") comes on board at GCPC on Friday, January 25. Check out Cliff's bio below and see what a wealth of experiences, skills, and know-how he brings. He will be a great addition to our staff team and our community.
Please take time to welcome Cliff Sunday, January 27, his first Sunday, when we have our annual meeting and breakfast.
Peace,
Marcia
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Clifford Schlegelmilch was owner and operator of Schlegelmilch Enterprises, a general contractor. He was also a law enforcement officer and firefighter with City of Beaufort in SC. He retired in 2006 and moved to Leicester. He was the supervisor of maintenance at Ridgecrest Conference Center for 8 years. He then was a Spa Engineer at Omni Grove Park Inn. He is married to Sheryl Schlegelmilch and they have been married for 41 years. They have two grown children, Mark and Maria, who they adopted from Guatemala as infants. He is looking forward to joining the family at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church.
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WE’RE SO CLOSE!!!
The Stewardship Committee is grateful to our generous congregation for pledging the largest amount in GCPC history to fund the many ministries we offer in our community. 227 families or individuals have committed to give $949,266 this year! Compared to that amazing amount, what we have left to raise to meet the campaign goal is very small—about $70,734. If each of the current 227 pledging units were willing to pledge an additional $25 per month (about 85 cents a day), we’d sail past the goal. Please consider forgoing that cup of overpriced coffee once a week so you can help push us to our $1,020,000 goal. Email Natalie Weaver at
nweaver@gcpcusa.org
to tell her you want to help GCPC get over the finish line. We’ll report on where we are at the Annual Meeting and look forward to saying we’ve gotten there!
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"How Can We Keep From Sharing?" Update
As of 1/16/19, here's where we are on our pledging:
227 Pledges Received, 99% of 230 Goal
- Only 3 More Pledges Needed!
$949,26
6.00
Pledged, 93% of Goal
- Only $70,734 Left to Raise!
This includes 45 new pledges from families that did not pledge in 2018. 131 families have increased their pledge from last year.
If you haven't already, please complete you 2019 pledge card, handwritten or
online
, and return to the Finance Office as soon as possible. If you have questions about your gifts or pledge, please contact Natalie Weaver, Stewardship & Financial Administrator, at 828-254-3274, ext. 202 or
giving@gcpcusa.org.
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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 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.
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Creating Sanctuary Team (CST)
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Creating Sanctuary Team Meeting | Sunday, February 10 | 11:45 AM | Garden Room
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Power and Race Team (PART)
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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.
"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."
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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.
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Inoxia, at the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival | Sunday, January 20 | 7:30 PM | Vance Monument, Pack Square
The site of the Vance Monument was formerly an open slave market—now the central plaza at the heart of Asheville. The monument itself is dedicated to Zebulon Vance, a slaver who fought for the Confederacy. Inoxia is a ritual using movement, sound, film and community participation that will penetrate the psychogeography of the monument, cleanse the space and consider its futures.
*This event is free to the public. Mature content referencing slavery, racial violence, colonialism. Click
HERE for more information.
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MLK, Jr. Day of Service 2019 | Monday, January 21 | 12 – 4 PM | Burton Street Community Peace Gardens (
47 Bryant St, 28806
)
Join us around noon for a pot of stew and the kick off to our annual day of service! We'll work until 4-ish in the afternoon. As always, a family-friendly event...all ages welcome. Please, no dogs/pets!
We'll be spreading mulch, installing water catchment systems, cleaning portraits/art throughout the garden, flipping compost, and more! Let us know if you have a talent you'd like to share or if you'd like to lead any activities...
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Mountains to Move: Black Asheville's Call to Action |
Monday, January 21 | 5:30 – 8 PM | Kenilworth Presbyterian Church (
123 Kenilworth Rd.
)
Join us for the 9th Annual Kenilworth Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.! Community potluck from 5:30-6:30pm in Kenilworth Center,4 Chiles Ave. (directly behind church) followed by the program which will begin at 6:30pm in the Church Sanctuary.
This year, the evening’s topic is: "Mountains to Move: Black Asheville’s Call to Action".
We are honored to host a panel of outstanding Asheville visionaries. Panelists include DeWayne Barton, Councilwoman Sheneika Smith, Dr. Marcus Harvey and Sheriff Quentin Miller. The evening will be hosted by Marvin Chambers a founding member of A.S.C.O.R.E. (Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality) and an icon of the Civil Rights Movement in North Carolina. The panel discussion will be moderated by Ami Worthen, writer and collaborator for justice and liberation. For more information,
click here.
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Tamika Mallory - Keynote Address | Thursday, January 24 | 7:30 PM | UNC Asheville's Lipinsky Auditorium
Tamika D. Mallory, national co-president of the Women’s March, will deliver the keynote address for UNC Asheville’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Week. The keynote talk is the highlight of a week focusing on King’s moral legacy, including a day of community service, and activities and workshops for students on contemporary issues and civil rights history.
Mallory’s talk is free and open to everyone, with no tickets required, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019, in UNC Asheville’s Lipinsky Auditorium. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and seating is first-come, first-served.
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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)
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
.
March 7: Understanding Gender Identity
Transgender, cisgender, gender expansive--what's it all mean? How can a school be welcoming for students of all genders? Join us for activities and discussion led by Allison Scott and Craig White of the Campaign for Southern Equality. FREE for anyone to attend with childcare provided to Claxton families only.
Please RSVP to help us with numbers
.
March 21: Asheville's Hidden Racial History
Some of Asheville's racial history is hidden away, and some of it is hidden in plain sight. Who were the people behind names like Vance, Merrimon, Patton and Dickson? What people and places have been mostly forgotten? Learn about the research Claxton students have done, and join us in a discussion about how we as a community are affected by who and what we choose to remember. FREE for anyone to attend with childcare provided to Claxton families only.
Please RSVP to help us with numbers.
April 11: Divided America: Finding Common Ground
How can we “Be the change” in our own families and communities? In this session we will recognize the divisions that exist in our country and discuss tools and skills that will help us forge a path towards resilience and peace. FREE for anyone to attend with childcare provided to Claxton families only.
Please RSVP to help us with numbers
.
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Hard-2-Recycle Event | Saturday, January 19 | 10 AM - 2 PM |
1298 Patton Ave
Hard 2 Recycle events are free to the public collections geared to bring awareness to alternate modes of recycling to our area. Our goal is to educate, collect and divert items that would normally end up in the Landfill i.e Styrofoam, electronics, books, batteries and much more. Click
HERE
for a list of accepted items.
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Plastics Reduction Task Force (first meeting) | Wednesday, January 23 | 6 – 8 PM | New Belgium
Come join the EARTH Team and Asheville Greenworks as we try to address single-use plastic in WNC! Join the discussion about how Asheville can reduce our collective dependence of single use plastics. We will focus on setting up sub-committees to address each of our action areas. Contact Eric Bradford at Asheville GreenWorks with any questions:
eric@ashevillegreenworks.org
/ 828-232-7144. Click
HERE
for more information and to RSVP.
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Earth Team Meeting | Wednesday, February 6 | 5:30 PM | Jerusalem Room
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This Sunday's Education Hour (for all ages)
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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
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CHILDREN & YOUTH EDUCATION | 9:15 AM
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.
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OTHER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES...
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Winter Women's Memoir Series | Monday, January 28 | 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.
- January 28 - Pure: inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free by Linda Kay Klein
Facilitator:
Amber White
- 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
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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!
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We are excited to announce our Christmas Eve offering for our Advent Ministry Partner, Youth Transformed for Life (YTL), was $3,250! Remember YTL's after school program is in the Atrium and Fellowship Hall during the week from 3:30 - 6:00 pm. If you are interested in learning more or volunteering to help, please contact
Sherrie.
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Join us for a breakfast meeting! Come for good conversation and fellowship. To prepare, please watch the commercial found at this
LINK and think about the formative messages you received growing up.
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Fathers with Young Children Meet-up | Thursday, Jan. 24 | 4 PM | High Five Coffee (
190 Broadway St.
)
Fathers with babies and young children will be meeting for informal conversation, exploration, and support. If you find yourself in this particular stage of life, please come and have a coffee with us! Contact
Richard
with any questions.
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GCPC 20s/30s Gathering: “Bowling Night & Pizza Dinner" | Thursday, Jan. 31 | 6:30-8:30 PM | AMF Star Lanes (
491 Kenilworth Rd
)
If you are age 19-39, you are invited to a fun night of bowling, pizza & beverages and fellowship. GCPC will cover the cost, RSVP soon to
Samantha
.
*Contact
Heather
for childcare by January 27th.
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Sisters at the Sea Retreat 2019 - | February 21-24, 2019 | Folly Beach, SC | $190
Registration ends on February 3rd.
Are you a woman age 25ish-50ish who would like a weekend of connecting and rejuvenating? Mark your calendars for our 10th
annual SOS (“save our sanity”/“sisters at the sea”/”women needing to replenish and rejuvenate”) retreat! This year’s leader will be our own Heather Ferguson. We will dig into some unique ways to tap into Celtic spirituality, a very earthy spirituality that is rooted in the natural elements. The beach will be a perfect place to explore
"Fire, Earth, Wind and Water: Praying with the Elements of Creation."
Cost:
$190 per person
*Full and partial scholarships available upon request. Registration forms will be available on the wall near the Welcome Desk; or you can use the
online form.
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Care for GCPC Children and Youth
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At GCPC, we have countless ways in which we nurture and care for our children and youth. Because we care about the well-being of all who are a part of our community, we have a comprehensive Child & Youth Protection Policy (CYPP) that is reviewed and updated annually.
If you work with children and/or youth in any capacity (Nursery Volunteer, Sunday School Teacher, Youth Advisor, Confirmation Mentor, Choir Parent Helper, etc.), you MUST participate in one of the CYPP training sessions.
Because we believe the policy contains vital information we encourage EVERY ADULT to participate in one of the CYPP training sessions. So please invite others to join us. Great for all parents, grandparents, nannies and guardians.
Chris Campbell, GCPC member and co-founder of Campbell-Shatley Law Firm, will be facilitating the training sessions. Chris’ area of expertise is education and legal training. We are ever-so-grateful for Chris!
We have one option left for the Child & Youth Protection Policy:
- Sunday, February 3, 12:00-1:00 pm
*No RSVP needed. Snacks and childcare will be provided.
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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
.
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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 10:45 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.
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Please keep our 42 youth and adults in your prayers as they prepare to travel to Richmond for our Youth Winter Mission Education Trip from January 18-21st.
*Please note for this Sunday, 1/20: there will be NO youth group, Confirmation class or Youth Sunday School.
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Mark Your Summer Calendars (registration coming soon):
Montreat Senior High Youth Conference Week 6:
- July 28 - Aug 3 *note this is a date change
Massanetta Middle School Youth Conference Week 3:
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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.]
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)
Lynne Norris (Mary Lou Nash's friend)
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
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Grace Covenant Community Out and About...
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Enneagram Gatherings
New two hour enneagram gatherings begin Friday, January 25, 10:00am & Monday, January 28, 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.
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January Series
of Calvin College | January 3-23 (each weekday) | 12:30-1:30 PM | First Presbyterian Church, Room 112
First Presbyterian Church will broadcast o
ne of the nation’s leading lecture and cultural arts series, fifteen lectures shown through live feed from Calvin College with topics ranging from millennials and faith, restorative justice, confident pluralism, radical generosity, and so much more by top experts in their fields. Bring a sack lunch, we’ll supply beverages. Attend one or all. Click
HERE
for more information.
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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:
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For more information, including keynote biographies, workshop selection, conference schedules, and other logistics,
click here.
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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.
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Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church | 828.254.3274
789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804
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