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And when
You know your flock is safe
You’ll like to wake and hear
That wild voice sing itself
Free in the dark, at home.
~ from
"The Farm,"
Wendell Berry
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Sunday Preview
Sunday, May 12, 2019
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Worship services @ 8:15 & 10:45 AM
Education Hour (for all ages) at 9:15 AM
Sermon:
"Get Up" by Marcia Mount Shoop
Scriptures:
Psalm 23; Acts 9:36-43
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What a joy to celebrate life's beautiful moments!
This Sunday, May 12 we will surround Samantha and Matt with our love and blessings for their marriage during the 10:45am worship service and after worship in a courtyard reception. Congratulations and best wishes, Samantha and Matt!
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Mozart's Coronation Mass | Sunday, May 12 | 5:00 PM | Cathedral of All Souls
The GCPC Chancel Choir and the Choir of the Cathedral of All Souls will be combining forces to present Mozart's Coronation Mass with full orchestra. The Concert is free and open to the public.
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Sunday Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast | Sunday, May 19 | 9:15 AM | Fellowship Hall
We will be recognizing everyone who taught or volunteered regularly (Sunday School teachers, choir members, sound technicians, nursery volunteers, etc.) at Grace Covenant for the 2018-2019 program year. Everyone is invited, and we will be providing a light breakfast.
Please RSVP at
http://bit.ly/GCPCVolunteer
or call the church office (254-3274) so that we can have a good estimate for the food,
and come out to show your appreciation!
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Calling All Instrumentalists to Make A Joyful Noise!
We need your leadership for the annual outdoor service on June 9
th
. Our initial rehearsal will be next Sunday, May 19 immediately following the 10:45am worship service. All woodwinds, strings, and brass players welcome! Please bring your instruments. Contact Jeff at
jjones@gcpcusa.org
if you have any questions.
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New Summer Worship Times!
Service times will be 8:15am and 10:15am.
The summer schedule will begin Sunday, June 2 and end on Labor Day weekend in September.
(No Education Hour during summer)
Summer Choir will also begin on June 2 at 9:15am!
Anyone who wants to give singing a try is encouraged to show up on Sunday mornings at 9:15am in the sanctuary. We will spend about 40 minutes learning music for that day and then lead worship at the 10:15am service. It's fun, low-pressure and minimal commitment. . . come try it once or sing all summer!
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GCPC Hosts the Presbytery Meeting!
GCPC will be hosting our bi-annual Presbytery of Western North Carolina meeting on October 26, 2019. We are expecting between 180-220 people in attendance. If you would be willing to help, please click the link below and tell us how you would like to be involved.
RSVP to Volunteer
Thanks!
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WEEKLY VS. MONTHLY ENVELOPES
We are working with our envelope provider to see about adding an option of monthly pre-printed envelopes, since many of you give once a month instead of weekly. Before making any changes, we want to hear from you! Please email
giving@gcpcusa.org
if you would be interested in monthly envelopes or fill out
this short survey online
.
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When you shop Mother's Day gifts at
AmazonSmile donates to Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church.
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Creating Sanctuary Team (CST)
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This evening (Thursday, May 9) the documentary "Lumpkin, GA" will air on PBS (Channel 8) at 10:30 pm as part of the REEL South film series.
Members of our Padrino Team visited Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia a few months ago. Here is a link to learn more about the film and its director:
https://www.lumpkingafilm.com/
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There will NOT be a Creating Sanctuary Team meeting during the month of May. We look forward to reconvening in June.
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NC HB 370, set for action in the state Senate in coming days, requires all county sheriffs to collaborate with ICE in detaining undocumented immigrants. Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller and other sheriffs across the state oppose the bill, which threatens immigrants and usurps the authority of local law enforcement. Because the bill is expected to pass the Senate, CIMA of Asheville (Compañeros Inmigrantes de las Montañas en Acción) urges all concerned citizens to resist enactment of the law by (1) appealing immediately to Governor Cooper to veto the action, and (2) urging state representatives to vote against the bill when it returns to the House following his veto. You may call Governor Cooper at 1-919-814-2000. Contact information for your district representative is available online. Speaking out against this bill without delay is urgent.
~ Contributed by Tish Anderson
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Power and Race Team (PART)
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PART
Event - "The Cherokee Experience"
(1st of a 4-part experience)
| TONIGHT, May 9 | 7:00 PM | Fellowship Hall
Join us for a narrative and interactive conversation with Dr. Barbara Duncan, past Director of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and UNCA Adjunct Professor of Cherokee Language. She will go over Cherokee history, past and recent.
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Digging Deeper - Native American History | Getting to know our Cherokee Indian neighbors
(These events are family-friendly)
REGISTRATION OPEN NOW!!
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Museum of the Cherokee Indian | Saturday, June 8 | | 12–7 PM | Cherokee, NC
An afternoon in the Cherokee Museum, picnic on the grounds and an evening of Cherokee storytelling around a bonfire. You can access the registration form at
http://bit.ly/CherokeeMuseum
or there are some hard copies available at the Welcome Desk.
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SAVE THESE DATES:
Monday, July 8 | “Unto These Hills” Outdoor Drama | 4–10 PM
An afternoon picnic on the grounds before the play in Cherokee, NC.
Saturday, August 10 | Oconaluftee Indian Village | 12-7 PM
An afternoon in the Oconaluftee Village, picnic on the grounds and an evening of Cherokee storytelling around a bonfire.
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Black Mama’s Bail Out Action
This Mother's Day, we are bailing out as many Black women, broadly defined, across the South as we can. More than often, people are sitting in cages because they cannot afford to pay bail.
SONG crews will be participating in bail outs along with holding events to discuss the devastating impact of money bail and pre-trial incarceration on our communities.
We ask you to donate to SONG to connect Black families and loved ones and highlight the inhumane and destructive bail practices.
Contributions will be used to bail out Black women, and to support continuing on-the-ground organizing of participating grassroots organizations. All resources we get that are not used for the action will be saved for future bail outs or to advance long-term liberation work in our communities! Across the Southeast, we see bail outs as an ongoing tactic to build a base, to expose the crisis of cash bail and the beast that is the criminal-legal system, to change hearts and minds, to make real and material impacts on the lives of our people, and to build power.
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Upcoming: Earth Day Sunday, June 9
We will celebrate Earth Day at our annual outdoor service on June 9th. (The “real” Earth Day was on Easter weekend this year.) We will have a small fair with refreshments, an information display on our upcoming solar panels and other types of alternative energy, and additional information tables. We will also be selling some of our fund-raiser items: metal straws, bat houses, and more. Now that the solar panels have been funded, our profits will go toward our monarch butterfly garden and related projects.
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New Recycling Bin in Church Kitchen
There is a new, blue, recycling bin in the church kitchen area. Please use it in adherence to the Asheville household recycling rules!
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The Price of Privilege
by Madeline Levine
In recent years, numerous studies have shown that bright, charming, seemingly confident and socially skilled teenagers from affluent, loving families are experiencing epidemic rates of depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders -- rates higher than in any other socioeconomic group of American adolescents. Materialism, pressure to achieve, perfectionism, and disconnection are combining to create a perfect storm that is devastating children of privilege and their parents alike.
In this eye-opening, provocative, and essential book, clinical psychologist Madeline Levine explodes one child-rearing myth after another. With empathy and candor, she identifies toxic cultural influences and well-intentioned, but misguided, parenting practices that are detrimental to a child's healthy self-development. Her thoughtful, practical advice provides solutions that will enable parents to help their emotionally troubled "star" child cultivate an authentic sense of self.
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*This Sunday's Education Hour (for all ages)
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Adult Education Speaker Series
| May 12 | 9:15 AM | Fellowship Hall
May 12:
Discussion about Reproductive Justice with Dr. Rebecca Todd Peters, professor of ethics at Elon University and author of
Trust Women: A Progressive Christian Account for Reproductive Justice
Copies of Dr. Peters's book
Trust Women
will be available for purchase ($15).
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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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Marketplace, AD - VBS: “Love Your Neighbor” | June 24-27 | First Presbyterian - AVL
DEADLINE TO REGISTER: May 31st!
Marketplace is for children ages 3 years old (by January 1, 2019 AND fully potty trained) through children who will be completing 5th grade.
All forms and payment are online this year at:
http://bit.ly/MarketplaceAD
.
Youth and adult volunteers are also needed. Email
Heather Ferguson
for more information.
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Bible Study | Wednesdays | 11:00 AM | Garden Rm
Our regular lectionary Bible Study will end on Wednesday, May 15
th
for the summer.
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Summer Bible Study – The Gospel of Mark | Wednesdays in June and July | 11:00 – 11:45 AM | Garden Room
"How could such a painful story of fear, betrayal, sufferings and death also be the 'good news of Jesus Christ' (1:1)" asks one commentator of the Gospel of Mark. Come join us as we seek to answer this question through a deep reading of Mark, the oldest canonical Gospel in the New Testament. Together, we will examine what Mark believed about Jesus, how he understood this "Good News" for the world, and what this book means for our lives today. Come to every meeting or stop by when you can. Contact Richard,
rcoble@gcpcusa.org
, for more details.
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Ministry Partner News and Events...
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Passages: A Journey Through Place and Space | May 10 - July 8 | Red House Studios and Gallery (301 W. State St., Black Mountain)
Swannanoa Valley Fine Arts League in Black Mountain in partnership with Homeward Bound is sponsoring the "Passages" exhibit . Twenty percent of sales will go to help end chronic homelessness through Homeward Bound.
Opening Reception | Friday, May 10 | 5-7 PM | Red House Studios & Gallery
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Hood Huggers International Fundraiser! Click
here for full newsletter.
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GCPC Softball Team - "The Prez-Beez"
Everybody come out and have some fun supporting our church softball team!
Our amazing Prez Beez play TONIGHT, May 9 at 9:00 pm.
All games are only an hour long and are played at the ball field behind the Montford Recreation Center.
Next week there will be two games: Tuesday at 8:00 pm and Thursday at 9:00 pm so mark those dates and join us!
A team photo is coming soon!
For the full Prez-Beez schedule, click
HERE
.
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Mild Cognitive Impairment Support Group (MCI Group) | Wed., May 15 | 12:00 PM | Garden Room
This support group introduces techniques for daily living with such issues, led by Paul Rogers, a retired physician in our congregation. We meet the 1
st
and 3
rd
Wednesdays of every month.
*New participants welcome at any time.
Contact Richard,
rcoble@gcpcusa.org
, with questions.
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Men @ GCPC | *Thursday, May 23 | 8:00 AM | HomeGrown (371 Merrimon Ave.)
Join us for fellowship and discussion of
Ta-Nehisi Coates's
Atlantic
article "Letter to My Son" found at this
LINK
.
Contact Richard,
rcoble@gcpcusa.org
with questions.
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Annual Blood Drive | Sunday, June 2 | 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Registration for the June 2 GCPC Blood Drive begins this Sunday, May 12, in the Narthex. Questions? Please contact Marilyn Schmidt at
bigjewelry@bellsouth.net
or 694-0869.
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Mission Statement ReWrite
The Session would like to hear from you as we rewrite the Mission Statement. We will use your feedback to tickle Session's imagination. There will be a wall display in the narthex for the next few Sundays where you can chime in with your thoughts. Or if you prefer, share your thoughts on this
online form
.
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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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Special Youth Group! | THIS Sunday, May 12 | During worship and 11:45 AM | Sanctuary & Courtyard
Our entire church family is invited to celebrate life's beautiful moments! We will surround one of our pastors, Samantha and her partner, Matt with our love and blessings for their marriage during the 10:45am worship service and after worship in a courtyard reception. Congratulations and best wishes, Samantha and Matt!
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SENIOR HIGHS, APPLY FOR THE PRESBYTERY YOUTH COUNCIL!
Our presbytery is seeking rising 10th -12th graders to serve on the Presbytery Youth Council for 2019-2020. The council leads youth events (including the Middle School Retreat & Youth Adventure Day). This is a valuable way to grow in faith and as leaders alongside other Presbyterian youth. For more info: contact
Beth Gunn
.
THE APPLICATION IS
HERE
.
It is due by May 28th, but you must
notify Samantha that you are applying by May 12th
, so that session and pastors can write recommendations in time.
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GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN JUNE?
SENIOR HIGH GRADUATION SUNDAY!!!!
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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)
Deborah Strong (Robin Gaiser's cousin)
Nancy and Richard Schaadt (Donna Robertson's sister and brother-in-law)
Louise Seitz (Janet Schifflin's friend)
Jeffrey Ferris (Mary Lou Nash's son)
June Collins (Carolyn Tingle’s mother)
Robin Smith (Beth Robrecht's sister)
James Martin (Stacy Shelley's dad)
Rebecca Wells' brother, Jamey
Natalie C.
Sandra Rummel & Family (friends of the Kavalhunas)
Family of Tara Williamson (friend of Caroline Wyrosdick-Webb and family)
Jennifer Moore (Amanda Pressley's daughter)
Dorothy Zuck (Pat Durham's mother)
Tom and Barbara Hughes (Debby Vance's parents)
Hettie Lou Garland
Dot Holladay
Betty Smith
Margaret Rada
Bob Higgins
James Harwell
Joyce Summerlin
Cory Hartbarger
Mary Ellen Horne
Marty Dean
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Grace Covenant Community Out and About...
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May Enneagram Gatherings
Join us for May weekday enneagram gatherings,
Mondays, 6-8pm, and Fridays, 10am-12noon.
Next one is tomorrow, Friday, May 10th, 10am.
We will utilize enneagram wisdom on how to move from the reactivity of our personality structure to the receptivity of our essential self on four topics: guilt, power, broken relationship and letting go.
You can come once or to all.
See attached
flyer
for details.
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American Friends of Combatants for Peace present:
Programming from the Heart of Israeli & Palestinian Peacemakers
Disturbing the Peace
(film and discussion)
| Wednesday, May 22 | 7-9:30 pm
Congregation Beth Israel, 229 Murdock Ave., Asheville
Co-sponsored by Congregations Beth Israel and Beth HaTephila
Two Sided Story (
film and discussion) | Thursday, May 30 | 7-9:30 pm
Congregation Beth HaTephila, 43 N. Liberty St., Asheville
Co-sponsored by Congregations Beth HaTephila and Beth Israel
These films and events document heroic Israeli and Palestinian activists who cross political and personal boundaries in order to transform violence and hatred into peace, justice, and equality. Free and open to the public.
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The Liberating Theologies conference, presented by The Freedom Center for Social Justice, is a one-day experience exploring varying theologies with an emphasis on liberation and inclusion for the oppressed and marginalized. This year honoring Rev. Dr. Katie G. Cannon. SPEAKERS: Rev. Dr. Keri Day on
The Future of Theology, Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey on
Womanist Queer Theology and Dr. John Boopalan on
Dismantling Oppressive Theologies.
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Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church | 828.254.3274
789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804
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