Click
"
View entire message"
at bottom of email
to see the FULL newsletter
|
|
"I have taken the bones you hardened
and built daughters
and they blossom and promise fruit..."
~ Lucille Clifton,
"The Thirty-Eighth Year"
|
|
Sunday Preview
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Worship services @ 8:15 & 10:15 AM
Courtyard Fellowship @ 11:15 AM
Sermon:
"Finding Fruit" by Marcia Mount Shoop
Scriptures:
1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21; Galatians 5:1, 13-25
|
|
Summer Music Happenings
- Summer Choir rehearses Sunday morning at 9:15am and is open to all. If you'd like to give singing a try, please join us in the sanctuary.
- Instruments of Grace - GCPC is blessed with a number of talented members. Each week this summer a different musician will share their gifts in worship. This week we are fortunate to have Amber Cook, flute.
- Montreat Worship & Music Conference has started and has daily worship at 11:00am. There are numerous worship services and evening concerts which are free and open to the public. Please click HERE to see the full schedule.
|
|
Sign up for Courtyard Fellowship!
Courtyard Fellowship has begun for the summer and we need volunteers to sign up to host and provide refreshments. This is a great opportunity for your church group to share about their ministry/activities or for families to extend hospitality to your church family.
Click
HERE to sign up for one Sunday this summer!
|
|
The Community Garden is in need of more volunteers!
It truly takes a village to keep the gardens growing and free of pests and weeds. This important ministry donates tons (10,000 lbs. to be exact) of food throughout the growing season. There are four teams that meet on Wednesdays and Saturdays (2 work days per month/per team) from 8:00am to 10:00am. Come help alleviate food insecurity! Contact Rick Philipsen,
onthecove@charter.net
, if you are interested.
|
|
Creating Sanctuary Team (CST)
|
|
HB 370 and Family Separation
The NC Senate voted to approve House Bill 370 which requires county sheriffs to cooperate with ICE. If you've been reading the news then you are aware of the overt racism embedded in the rhetoric of many state officials. For instance, all of the newly elected African-American sheriffs in the state of North Carolina are opposed to HB 370. They have been labeled by some state officials as "Urban Sheriffs, Sanctuary Sheriffs, and Super Minority Majority Sheriffs." In fact, these six sheriffs were duly elected to serve the six largest counties in this state.
Governor Cooper also opposes it and is expected to veto the bill. An override would require a supermajority of the NC House to agree with the majority of the Senate. GCPC member and Executive Director of El Centro in Hendersonville, Sergio Fernandez, has been lobbying in Raleigh AGAINST this legislation, along with other LatinX advocacy groups in WNC.
Read a recent
article in the Asheville Citizen-Times to learn more.
Here are some agencies working directly with the children imprisoned in inhumane conditions at the US border. These are recommended by ActBlue, and they also appear on Charity Navigator if you want to learn more about them.
The International Refugee Commission, the ACLU, UNICEF, Catholic Charities and many other groups are also working to support the children and families separated at the border and held in traumatizing conditions.
|
|
Join the #StopHB370 coalition
in urging
all
NC elected officials to oppose HB 370 and any other anti-immigrant law that requires police to operate as agents of ICE.
- Contact your State Legislator by email (Link) or phone (Link)
|
|
Power and Race Team (PART)
|
|
The Racial Justice Book Series | Thursday, July 11 | 6:00 - 7:30PM | Choir Room & Indie Room
For July
,
we are reading
Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America
by Jennifer Harvey.
Heather and Richard invite young families to our next Racial Justice Book Series, where we will be meeting to discuss Jennifer Harvey's
Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America. We are hoping to have the adults in one room talking about the book while Heather and our volunteers separate to talk through an age appropriate book or movie on the themes of racial justice. Then we will all come back together for debriefing together and pizza! Please RSVP at this
Google Form.
"
With a foreword by Tim Wise, Raising White Kids is for families, churches, educators, and communities who want to equip their children to be active and able participants in a society that is becoming one of the most racially diverse in the world while remaining full of racial tensions. For white people who are committed to equity and justice, living in a nation that remains racially unjust and deeply segregated creates unique conundrums." (Amazon)
|
|
Digging Deeper - Native American History | Getting to know our Cherokee Indian neighbors
|
|
The Native American genocide began with the Doctrine of Discovery penned in 1452:
“Pope Nicholas V issued to King Alfonso V of Portugal the bull Romanus Pontifex, declaring war against all non-Christians throughout the world, and specifically sanctioning and promoting the conquest, colonization, and exploitation of non-Christian nations and their territories.” This Doctrine was and continues to be a destructive justification in USA law and in the World. It was repudiated by PC(USA) last year at the 223rd General Assembly (2018). You can read a copy of the GA report on the Doctrine of Discovery
HERE.
|
|
100 Ways to Support—Not Appropriate From—Native People
by Simon Moya-Smith
Don't even think about calling anyone/anything your spirit animal.
"
Natives have been so cancelled out of the American conversation that people don’t even know where to begin to include us. “What do we call you? ... American Indian? Native American? Do you guys still live in tipis?” These questions are still asked today—and they will continue to be asked unless we put together some kind of list, a collection of do’s and don’ts, and share it widely... Wait. Hang on a tick. What do we have here?..."
This article was originally published on Broadly, a former VICE website focused on gender and identity.
Click
HERE to read the full article.
|
|
(These events are family-friendly)
“Unto These Hills”- Outdoor Drama | Monday, July 8 | | 4-10 PM | Cherokee, NC
Carpool or van to Cherokee, NC for an afternoon picnic on the grounds before the play. "Unto These Hills" tells the Cherokees’ rich story from 1780 to the 21st century. You can access the registration form at
http://bit.ly/OutdoorDrama
or there are also some hard copies at the Welcome Desk.
Deadline to register is Sunday, June 30th!
|
|
Oconaluftee Indian Village | Saturday, August 10 | 12-7 PM | Cherokee, NC
Carpool or van for an afternoon in the Oconaluftee Village, picnic on the grounds and an evening of Cherokee storytelling around a bonfire. Registration form is available at
http://bit.ly/CherokeeVillage or there are also some hard copies at the Welcome Desk. Adults - $20; Children (6-12) - $12; Children 5 & under - FREE. Pre-registration is required and full payment (made to GCPC) is due to Sherrie in the office by August 4th.
|
|
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.
|
|
More Light Teach-In: Racial Justice
Jessica Vazquez Torres is the Lead Trainer for the 3-part series and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion around racial justice. As the National Program Coordinator for
Crossroads Anti-Racism Organizing and Training
, Jessica has years of experience training folks on how to begin the conversation about dismantling systemic racism.
|
|
Part 1 will:
Define racism and white supremacy; Discuss the ways in which white supremacy shows up in our everyday contexts, and distinguish white supremacy from projected notions of racism; Connect the ways in which race and gender are linked, and why it is essential that conversations about gender are also conversations about racism.
|
|
Part 2 will:
Define white fragility and identify how it shows up in conversations about racial justice; Look at how white fragility can be triggered even when we aren't discussing race; Discuss ways to engage our own fragility and that of the people with whom we are working.
|
|
Part 3 will: Distinguish between decentering whiteness and white silence; Discuss the ways white supremacy appears in spaces even when no white people are present; Offer a theological praxis for working to dismantle systems that uphold white supremacy and division.
|
|
Earth Team Meeting | Wednesday, July 3 | 5:30 PM | Jerusalem Room
|
|
God’s Big Plan
by Elizabeth F. Caldwell and Theodore Hiebert
Diversity is God’s gift to creation. In this new interpretation of the story of the Tower of Babel, readers are told of the descendants of Noah and how they lived together in the city of Shinar. The people were all the same; they looked alike, lived the same way, and spoke one language. They wanted life to remain that way, but God had a different plan. He wanted people to be diverse, so he gave them many different languages, ways of life, and places to live around the world. The stunning illustrations are colorful and rich. Readers are taken from the world and people of ancient Babylon to diverse, modern children eating around a table, giving readers the opportunity to see themselves reflected in the story.
|
|
Education Hour (for all ages) will resume on September 15th!
|
|
*Nursery care is available throughout Sunday morning beginning at 8:10 am.
|
|
OTHER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES...
|
|
2019 Summer Women’s Book Series | Last Monday of the month | 6 PM | Garden Room
Join us for a series of book talks. Open to all women of the church. One copy of each book can be found in the church library. Please pre-read the books to ensure lively discussion.
- July 29 | Wearing God: Clothing, Laughter, Fire and Other Ways of Meeting God | Lauren Winner
- August 26 | If Oceans were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the Quran | Carla Power
|
|
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.
|
|
2 WEEKS to go until RITI MOVE-IN!
Only a little over 1 WEEK to SIGN UP!
Room In The Inn (RITI) | July 7-14 | GCPC
GCPC we are almost ready for Room In The Inn to move in on Sunday, July 7
th
!
We still have some critical needs:
OVERNIGHT HOSTS Needed:
Monday, July 8th, Wednesday, July 10th and Friday, July 12th
DRIVERS Needed:
Friday, July 12th Morning & Afternoon and Saturday, July 13th Morning & Afternoon
We also still need help setting up and taking down the Inn. We will set up the Inn on Sunday, July 7th at 9:15am and take down the Inn down at 7:30 AM on Sunday, July 14th. Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated.
An advance “Thank You” to each of you who have already signed up to prepare food, drive, stay the night, or share your talent.
Members of the RITI team will be in the narthex on Sunday for sign-ups. Remember you can also sign up online
HERE.
RITI team members are happy to answer any questions you may have.
|
|
VRQ—BBQ Cook Team | First Tuesday of each Month
If you would like to join this list of Veteran Restoration Quarter’s cooks and servers please respond to
almurchison@gcpcusa.org. By joining you will receive a notification each month. If it fits your schedule that month, you will come at 4:45 to cook or 5:45 to serve the evening meal. After serving, you may join the veterans and share the meal and conversation. You will be back on the road by 7. No clean-up. This mission service has a long history and we would love for you to be a part of the future service and camaraderie.
Our next cook date is Tuesday, July 2nd.
|
|
Ministry Partner News and Events...
|
|
Food Connection Volunteer Opportunity
Food Connection needs your help! We are currently seeking volunteer drivers, food packers and distributors to help us rescue the surplus fresh meals from Ridgecrest Conference Center and connect them with mobile home communities in Swannanoa and Black Mountain. This is an ideal opportunity for faith groups, couples, or parents with teenage children.
|
|
Hands & Feet End of Year Storytelling Event | Monday, July 15 | 5:30 - 7:00 PM | THE BLOCK off Biltmore (
39 S. Market St.
)
Come and hear stories of the challenge and growth that can happen through service and help us say goodbye to our 2018-2019 volunteers! Bring your family and friends and mingle with the Hands and Feet of Asheville (YAV) Board of Directors, volunteers and our community partners. Snacks and good company provided! *Please notice the new location! You can register for this event
HERE.
|
|
GCPC Softball Team - "The Prez-Beez"
FINAL GAME TONIGHT!!
Everybody come out and have some fun supporting our church softball team's last game! It is played at the ball field behind the Montford Recreation Center.
|
|
Centering Prayer | Wednesday Nights | 6:30 - 7:00 PM | Sanctuary
Centering silence calms the nervous system and positively supports all body systems. It teaches the mind to quiet and to open itself up to mystery and creativity. Centering silence strengthens our connections to each other and to the world around us. Sacred silence teaches us to listen devoutly, humbly, and with trust. It helps us befriend the unknown.
It is beautifully simple and a spiritual skill whose gifts goes deeper and gets more powerful the more one practices it. This practice is open to all and is come as you are able. Questions? Contact
Marcia.
|
|
Nursery Volunteers Needed
As we look toward populating the Nursery Volunteer Schedule for 2019-2020, would you consider volunteering for one of our teams? Being part of a team means that you serve alongside our Nursery Staff for 6 Sundays (out of 52 Sundays) in one of our three nursery rooms (Infants, Toddlers or Preschoolers). The time commitment is 10:15AM-12:00PM September through May and 10:00AM-11:30AM June-August.
Please consider this opportunity to serve Grace Covenant by helping to grow our children. If you have questions, contact Heather Ferguson,
hferguson@gcpcusa.org
.
|
|
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.
|
|
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
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)
Rebecca Wells' brother, Jamey
Natalie C.
Jennifer Moore (Amanda Pressley's daughter)
Dorothy Zuck (Pat Durham's mother)
Richard Stump (Marcia Mount Shoop's friend)
Michelle Elhert (Bill McNeff's friend)
Jennifer Vaughn (Mary Berg's friend)
Jim Wyrosdick (Caroline Wyrosdick-Webb's father)
West Asheville Presbyterian Church
Hettie Lou Garland
Betty Smith
Margaret Rada
Bob Higgins
James Harwell
Joyce Summerlin
Cory Hartbarger
Mary Ellen Horne
Penny Ponder
Doris Prak
Jack Smith
Steve and Florence Riedesel
|
|
Grace Covenant Community Out and About...
|
|
Spiritual LGBT: An Interfaith Panel | TONIGHT, June 27 | 6:00 - 7:30 PM | AB Tech Auditorium
Join us for a discussion of the intersection of spiritual and LGBTQIA+ identities. Presented by Youth OUTright WNC and sponsored by PFLAG, Asheville Jewish Community Center and Open Hearts.
|
|
The Lavender Scare -
Local Premier and Community Mixer
| TONIGHT, June 27 | 7:30 PM | Asheville Fine Arts Theater
This is the first documentary film to tell the story of the U.S. government’s decades-long effort to identify and fire gay and lesbian employees.
Directed by Josh Howard and narrated by Glenn Close, “The Lavender Scare” was screened at more than 70 film festivals around the world and opened at theaters in New York City and Los Angeles in 2019.
Following the film, the Aloft Hotel is sponsoring a mixer to encourage conversation on what we hope will be a moving and enlightening experience.
Tickets for the June 27 event are $20. This covers both the film and a complementary drink at the mixer afterwards. All proceeds will benefit the Blue Ridge Pride Community Partner Fund [
link
].
|
|
SAVE the DATES:
July & August Enneagram Gatherings
in the A-Frame at GCPC with Carol Hovis
- Mondays, 6:00-8:00pm: July 8, 15, 22, 29, August 5 & 12
- Fridays, 10am-12noon: July 12, 19, 26, August 2, 9, & 16
|
|
"Resilience for Social Activists" Workshop with Margaret Benefiel | Wednesday, July 17 | 5:45-8:30 PM | Black Mountain Library Education Room (
105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain
)
In twenty-first century Western (white supremacist) culture, leaders are rewarded for
drive, decisiveness, productivity,
and
long work hours.
Especially in
the social justice arena, burnout is rampant. And in these times, when we add in current levels of anxiety and grief about the climate crisis, there is often an additional layer of exhaustion and despair that activists must contend with.
What might it look like for activists to step back and take time to cultivate depth in their inner lives, to step off the treadmill and take time away for personal reflection, in order to
develop more resilience?
What might leadership that arises from a core of contemplative grounding and compassion look like?
This will be an experiential workshop, in which your own experiences will serve as the basis for reflection and discernment. Stories of resilient activists and principles of resilient activism will complement personal reflection.
Margaret Benefiel is a long time Quaker and Contemplative. She is the Executive Director of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and Program Director of the Soul of Leadership Program. (Find out more at shalem.org)
|
|
Learn more about CoInspire: Facebook Live Discussion | Monday, July 1 | 6:00-7:00 PM
Join Jessica Vazquez Torres, Laura Cheifetz, Alex McNeill, Ashley-Anne Masters, and Tanner Pickett as they discuss topics around CoInspire, our upcoming conference that examines racism in the church. Visit their FB page
HERE.
|
|
CoInspire - Liberating Imagination, Eviscerating Racism | October 7-10, 2019 | Montreat Conference Center
Montreat Conference Center will host CoInspire, the second in a series of conferences addressing systemic racism in the church. Their first conference, DisGrace, lived in lament for the ways in which the sins of racism thwart individual people and institutions, infecting congregations and denominations with death-dealing dehumanization.
In response to the racism and violence in our world, this event seeks to bring together people of faith in order to disarm prejudices that divide us and equip each other for practicing resurrection as new creations in Christ. We will delve into the questions around the toxicities we are currently breathing into our bodies and exhaling into the shared air. CoInspire will examine ways that we, as members of Christ’s body, might co-inspire one another to liberate imagination for new ways of being, and examine ways we can conspire to eviscerate the racism within our church. We will seek to identify those things we want to breathe in to precipitate a pathway to eviscerating the racism in our country and our world.
Traci Blackmon, executive minister of justice & local church ministries for The United Church of Christ and senior pastor of The Kind United Church of Christ, will be the conference’s preacher.
|
|
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church | 828.254.3274
789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
