Grace Covenant Weekly News | January 30, 2020

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by Robert Rosal with help from Hill Fowler             “Jesus came to announce to us that an identity based on success, popularity and power is a false identity- an illusion! Loudly and clearly he says: 'You are not what the world makes you;  but you are children of God.”      ~ Henri Nouwen

Sunday Preview Sunday, February 2, 2020 Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Children's Sunday Worship services @ 8:15 & 10:45 AM Education Hour (for all ages) @ 9:15 AM Homily: "Something New" by Samantha Gonzalez-Block, Marta Rosal, and Millie Stradley Scriptures: Psalm 15; Matthew 5:1-10 Click  " View entire message" at bottom of EMAIL to see the FULL newsletter

We need Communion Servers! The Session invites anyone and everyone at GCPC to sign up to serve Communion. It is a great gift to serve each other this way, and it is a gift in which we can all share! You can sign up HERE or by contacting Sherrie Meehan in the church office. Any Session member, Worship Council member, or Staff member is happy to answer any questions you might have.

REGISTER NOW! “We Like Sheep!” A Music, Drama, and Arts Camp at GCPC! | Monday - Friday | June 15-19, 2020 | 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM For Children 4 Yrs. (potty trained) through Rising 6th Graders This summer we will be hosting a week of music, drama, and arts at Grace Covenant that will culminate in a musical performance called “We Like Sheep!” Jeff Jones, Ednamae Fisher, Josie Moe, and Heather Ferguson, along with the Children’s and Family Ministry Committee invite children to this full week of fun, friends, and fuzzy, four-legged creatures as we sing, act, create and celebrate the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the One who made the flock complete. The week will culminate with a Friday (June 19) evening performance of the musical, “We Like Sheep!,” an exhibit of art and creative work by the children, and a reception beginning at 6:30 pm.  Cost: $100/child EARLY BIRD SPECIAL: $75/child registered and paid in full by Friday, February 28, 2020. Scholarships available (contact Heather Ferguson or Jeff Jones for info) Registration deadline – April 1, 2020 Register here for children Register here for Adult and Youth Volunteers NOTE: Additional information will be requested after the registration deadline (April 1).

Stewardship Corner

Click here to pledge online Click here to increase online or email giving@gcpcusa.org

2019 CONTRIBUTION STATEMENTS   If you’ve opted for paper statements,   your 2019 contribution statement of gifts made 1/1/19 - 12/31/19 are  available  at the Welcome Desk. Please pick up your statement by  Sunday, 2/9/20 ,  to help save on postage.    If you’ve requested paperless statements* ,  you should have received an email from our software on 1/22/20 with a link to view your statement online.  The sender address will appear as Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church,  notifications@onrealmmail.org . Please check your spam folder if you did not receive an email. *If you would like to sign up for  paperless statement delivery  for future statements, please contact our Finance Office. Please check your contribution details and pledge balances for accuracy. If you have questions or concerns about your statement, please contact Natalie Weaver, Stewardship & Financial Administrator, at  nweaver@gcpcusa.org  or 828-254-3274, ext. 202.   NOTE : If you are paying off a prior year pledge balance in 2020, please be sure to include "2019 pledge balance"  in your memo line or on your cash envelope.

Community Garden

SAVE THE DATE! Community Garden Potluck | Friday, February 21 | 6:00 PM | Fellowship Hall

Creating Sanctuary Team (CST)

Creating Sanctuary Team (CST) Meeting | Sunday, February 9 | after 10:45 AM worship | Garden Room

Following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, April 4, 1968, Robert Kennedy delivered the following eulogy, considered by many to be one of the greatest addresses of the twentieth century . In this month when we honor Dr. King and in these times fraught with polarized beliefs, we share with you in three parts Kennedy’s eloquent and healing words. Today, we can translate Kennedy’s references to the black people of our nation as references to all people of color. The third part appears below:

We've had difficult times in the past. We will have difficult times in the future. It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of lawlessness; it is not the end of disorder. But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings who abide in our land. Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and to make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people.

"Suppressed: The Fight to Vote" | Friday, February 7th | 7:00 PM | Unitarian Universalist Congregation ( One Edwin Place , 28801 ).   The February Environmental and Social Justice Film night presents Suppressed: The Fight to Vote,  the new documentary by   Robert Greenwald (Director of Outfoxed, Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price, and Making A Killing: Guns, Greed, & the NRA) weaves together personal stories from voters across the state of Georgia to paint an undeniable picture of voter suppression in the 2018 midterm election where Stacey Abrams fought to become the first Black female governor in the U.S. The issues Georgians faced included polling place closures, voter purges, missing absentee ballots, extreme wait times and a host of voter ID issues – all of which disproportionately prevented many students and people of color from casting their ballots.  Suppressed: The Fight to Vote  features experts, poll watchers and everyday Georgians speaking to the reality of voter suppression and the threat it poses in 2020. In a race that was ultimately decided by 54,723 votes, the film exposes that the basic constitutional right to vote continues to be under siege in America.

Power and Race Team (PART)

Racial Justice Book Series | Thursday, February 13 | 6:00 PM | Jerusalem Room For February, we will be discussing An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. The first history of the United States told from the perspective of indigenous peoples. In  An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States , Dunbar-Ortiz adroitly challenges the founding myth of the United States and shows how policy against the Indigenous peoples was colonialist and designed to seize the territories of the original inhabitants, displacing or eliminating them. And as Dunbar-Ortiz reveals, this policy was praised in popular culture, through writers like James Fenimore Cooper and Walt Whitman, and in the highest offices of government and the military. Shockingly, as the genocidal policy reached its zenith under President Andrew Jackson, its ruthlessness was best articulated by US Army general Thomas S. Jesup, who, in 1836, wrote of the Seminoles: "The country can be rid of them only by exterminating them." Spanning more than four hundred years, this classic bottom-up peoples' history radically reframes US history and explodes the silences that have haunted our national narrative. ( From  https://www.cokesbury.com/9780807057834-An-Indigenous-Peoples--History-of-the-United-States )

PART Meeting | Thursday, February 13 | 7:00 PM | Choir Room Everyone is invited to join us for the next PART (Power and Race Team) meeting. We will continue practicing Organizing 101 skills and tools of building a more relational culture at GCPC. This is for anyone interested in meeting with and learning more about fellow GCPC members. What keeps us up at night? How do we take our anger and use it to build power and connections in our congregation and beyond the walls of GCPC.  Also, everyone is invited and encouraged to join us THIS Su nday, Jan. 26th, 1:00-2:30pm in the Garden Room @ GCPC,  where we will practice relational meetings, gain more organizing insights and plan for the February PART meeting. For more information, contact  Liz Huesemann  or  Carol Hovis .

EARTH TEAM

Earth Team Meeting | Wed., February 5 | 5:30 PM | Jerusalem Room

Asheville GreenWorks Monthly Workday @ Sandhill Tree Nursery | Saturday, February 1 | ​10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Our Urban Forestry program is quickly growing and with it, our native tree nursery at the Buncombe County Sports Park. Join Community Forestry Coordinator, Gabby Fitts at our monthly workdays to show the nursery some TLC, and to prepare for giveaways, plantings, and more. Click HERE to register.

EDUCATION

This Sunday's Education Hour (for all ages) Winter Term | January 5 – February 23

Pressure Points | The Theology and Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer | Choir Room A German theologian who called out 'cheap grace' and dreamed of a 'religionless Christianity,' Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a vital part of the Confessing Church who stood against Adolph Hitler's Third Reich at a time when most German Christian churches acquiesced to Nazism. He was executed in 1945 by the state for his part in a plot to overthrow the fascist regime. In our class together, we will learn from his theology and discuss why his legacy is currently being fought over by Christians with divergent viewpoints today. Facilitators: Marcia Mount Shoop & Richard Coble

The Improv | Justice, Money and God: Exploring God’s call for right relationship (justice) by considering our relationship to money | FH A lot of the Bible talks about money. In fact, money was Jesus’ most talked about topic. Money influences and has power in many of our relationships: our faith, our culture, our church. We will explore God’s call for justice and righteousness and wrestle together with where money fits into it all. In this class we'll be deepening relationships with each other, and hopefully seeing possibilities for new ways of relating to God, to ourselves, to each other, and to money. Facilitators : Keaton Hill, Bonnie Parker and Kate Shem

Digging In | Sexuality and the New Testament | Jerusalem Room “If the Gospel is where we find healing from the harm done to us by the messages of the church, then it must also be where we find freedom.” - Nadia Bolz-Weber Sexuality and the New Testament is a 7-week, discussion-based series covering a variety of topics focused on sexual ethics in the light of New Testament principles. Our goal is to create a space for learning and honest discussions about sexuality in our contemporary culture that help us wrestle with the shame and confusion many of us harbor. Join us for discussions on purity culture, sexual identity, gender identity, and more. Facilitators : Amber White & Leah Madamba

CHILDREN & YOUTH EDUCATION [Contact Heather or Samantha ] Toddlers (ages 2-3) | “God Loves Me” | 9:15 – 10:15 AM | Toddler Room (1 st floor) Preschool/K (ages 4-5) | Godly Play | 9:15 –10:15 AM | Preschool Room (1 st floor) Elementary (grades 1-3) | Godly Play | 9:15–10:15 AM | Temple Room (2 nd floor) Elementary (grades 4-5) | “CONNECT” | 9:15–10:15 AM | Indie Room (2 nd floor) Middle School & Senior Highs (grades 6-12) | 9:00-10:15 AM | Youth Rooms *Nursery care is available throughout Sunday morning beginning at 8:10 am.

Bible Study | Wednesdays | 11:00 AM | Garden Room Join the pastoral staff to read and study our sermon texts for Sunday. No preparation needed; just come ready to open scripture and discuss!

Winter Women's Memoir Series | 4th Monday of month | 6:00 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. February 24 | I Grew Up Little: Finding Hope in a Big God by Patsy Clairmont | Facilitator: Grace Hall March 30 | Shameless: A Sexual Reformation by Nadia Bolz-Weber | Facilitator: Amber White

SERVE

Room in the Inn (RITI) | February 9 – 16 | GCPC Sensational Grace Covenant: Thank you for your commitments to the needs of Room In The Inn. With one week away from the date that our guests will arrive, we still have a few roles to fill. We need one overnight host on Wed. Feb. 12, and one afternoon driver for Saturday, Feb. 15. Additionally, we do still need help setting up the “Inn” on Sunday Feb. 2, which occurs in two parts—one group of people at 8:30 to receive the mattresses and another group to actually set the “Inn” up at 10:15 am.   We also need help taking the Inn down on Sunday, February 16, which begins at 7:00 am. We also are looking for a few items for the ladies themselves. If you would like to donate, we will set up a box near the tree by the entrance door of GCPC. Items are new, “better” ladies’ razors, scarves, socks, hats, coats, comfortable, warm clothing, and new long-underwear. Sign up in the narthex with a RITI team member on paper or you can sign up HERE online . THANK YOU. Your RITI Team: Tish Anderson, Sally Booher, Beth Kissling, Geneva Neeriemer, Lynne Noble, Susan Presson, Linda Pyeritz, Linda Stransky, and Beth Philipsen.

Ministry Partner News and Events...

Homeward Bound   is putting on their Save a Life winter clothing + camping gear donation drive.  Want to help out? Donations – like warm sleeping bags, 3-person tents or bigger, heavy-duty waterproof tarps for sleeping, hats, gloves + hand warmers – will go directly to people living outside in the cold. Drop yours off at the Welcome Home Donation Center ( 205 Elk Park Dr., Woodfin ).

GCPC COMMUNITY

There will be NO Winner Winner Wednesday Dinner in February. We look forward to seeing you at dinner fellowship in March!

Mild Cognitive Impairment Support Group (MCI Group) | Wednesday, February 5 | 12 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.

PW February Circle Meetings #1 | Tuesday, Feb. 4 | 10:00 AM | Hostess: Carol Kavalhuna | GCPC Fellowship Hall | Study Leader: Sandra Dykes #2 | Tuesday, Feb. 4 | 7:30 PM | Hostess: Barbara McLean | 2 Woodbury Rd. | Study Leaders: Ann Brown and Hettie Lou Garland #3 | Thursday, Feb. 13 | 7:00 PM | GCPC Garden Room | Study Leader: Andrea Rosal #4 | Thursday, Feb. 6 | 7:00 PM | Hostess: Susie Bleckley | 140 Skyview Circle | Study Leader: Marcy Onieal #5 | Monday, Feb. 3 | 10:00 AM | Baptist Home | Study Leader: Susie Churchfield

Centering Prayer | Wednesday Nights | 6:30 - 7:00 PM | Sanctuary Christianity has a rich and ancient tradition of intentional and prayerful silence as a spiritual practice. Sacred silence teaches us to listen devoutly, humbly, and with trust. 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 at  mmshoop@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. This week (1/26 - 2/1):  Betsy Rhodes email:   betsyrhodes@charter.net Next week (2/2-2/8): Nancy Gaskin email: nancy.gaskin@gmail.com

Youth News

THIS WEEKEND:

Children's Service & Souper Bowl of Caring | February 2 | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM | Meet in the Sanctuary/Pick-up GCPC Courtyard This Sunday, the youth will be helping the children prepare to lead worship - please arrive at 9 am sharp in the sanctuary. The youth choir will also be singing, and breakfast snacks will be provided.  If possible, bring a big soup bowl to use to collect donations for the Souper Bowl of Caring.  The Souper Bowl of Caring will benefit a kid/youth-sponsored home in the BeLoved Tiny House Village, that we will help build later this year. After church, we will walk together to get a pizza or salad lunch at MOD. Please bring $10 for lunch. Pick-up will be at 2 pm in the GCPC courtyard.  There will be no evening youth group this weekend!

COMING UP:

Youth Committee Meeting | Thursday, February 6 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM | Garden Room All Youth, Advisors and Parents are invited to participate in the Youth Committee meetings and lend their voice and ideas to the youth program. If you cannot attend, feel free to jump in another month.

UPCOMING FAITH & SEXUALITY RETREATS!!! Please register ASAP for these upcoming valuable "Faith and Sexuality" retreats sponsored by our presbytery and GCPC. These will be all-important opportunities for sharing and learning. We will engage in healthy and honest discussions about faith, puberty, body image, sex, sexuality, positive relationships, social media, and more.  * Please note: We highly recommend these retreats, even if you have attended one in the past. GCPC affirms youth of all gender and sexual identities.  Please learn more below and register ASAP.

Middle School Faith  & Sexuality Retreat For Youth (grades  5 -8)  &  Parents Saturday, February 22,  9 AM - 5 PM Montreat ( Allen Building ) Please make this a priority.  Youth (grades  5 -8) and their parent(s) are highly encouraged to attend this impactful retreat. At least one parent must attend for each participating family. This retreat is sponsored by our presbytery, and Rev. Samantha and Katie Smith will serve as two of the facilitators. The cost is $10 per person (full/partial scholarships available) and lunch is included.  REGISTER HERE  or email  Samantha .

Senior High Faith  & Sexuality Retreat:   For Youth (grades 9-12)   &  Advisors Sunday, February 23, 3 PM - 7 PM GCPC Please make this a priority.   Senior High youth are highly encouraged to attend this valuable retreat. Parents are  not  asked to attend, but they will be informed about the topics covered. Rev. Samantha and Katie Smith will be two of the facilitators, and all adult advisors will be present to help support these important conversations. The cost is $5 per person (scholarships available) and dinner will be included.  REGISTER HERE  or email  Samantha .

TIME TO SIGN UP FOR TWO SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES:

Senior High Montreat Youth Conference (Week 5: July 26-Aug. 1): This is for youth who have completed 9th, 10th, 11th & 12th grade by this summer. The discounted cost is $490 (full/partial scholarships available)  if you register HERE by February 16th (cost goes up $10 a month ) . Don't miss out on the fun!

Middle School Massanetta Youth Conference (Week 3: July 9-12): This is for youth who will have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade by this summer. The discounted cost is $290 (full/partial scholarships available)  if you register HERE by February 16th (cost goes up $10 a month ) . It's going to be an adventure to remember!

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 Schaadt (Donna Robertson's sister) Jeffrey Ferris (Mary Lou Nash's son) Rebecca Wells' brother, Jamey Jeff Combs (Bill McNeff's friend) West Asheville Presbyterian Church Marcia Zuzel (friend of Kim Hottle and Melissa Shook) Virginia Bibee (Jamie Bibee Lloyd's mother) Suzy Carter (David Carter's wife and Yvonne Smith's friend) Arlene Hill (Jay Hill's aunt) Eveline Damiano (Lisette de Groot's daughter) Pam Morrell (Penny Ponder’s daughter) Hettie Lou Garland Betty Smith Margaret Rada Bob Higgins James Harwell Joyce Summerlin Cory Hartbarger Florence Riedesel Elizabeth Fisher Doris Prak Roslyn Carney Nell Payne Amanda Pressley Allen Johnson Sarah Frye Click HERE to follow the link to Sarah Frye's Caring Bridge page.

Grace Covenant Community Out and About...

2020 Enneagram Weekday Gatherings resume  Mondays, 6-8pm  Fridays, 10am-12noon In the A-Frame @ GCPC Contact Carol for more information: cmhovis@gmail.com

Christians for a United Community (CUC) Book Discussion Group Book : "Between The World And Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates Dates : starts Sunday February 2nd, 2020 and meets every other Sunday through April 5th Time:  2:00-3:30 PM Location : New Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, 2 Herman St., Asheville NC Between the World and Me | Ta-Nehisi Coates

Laura Boosinger & Josh Goforth Concert | Thursday, February 20 | 7:00 PM | GCPC Acclaimed Appalachian old-time musician Laura Boosinger and outstanding fiddler, guitar-picker and mandolin player Josh Goforth will perform a musical history of the mountains. Based in Asheville, Laura has won glowing reviews wherever she appears. Whether she's singing, playing the clawhammer banjo, the autoharp or guitar, Laura is blessed with an "essence of the mountains" spirit that'll take you back to the days when folks used to huddle around the radio. Josh is a talented multi-instrumentalist and recording artist who grew up steeped in the old-time Appalachian music traditions of Madison County.  Together, Laura and Josh are two names that fans of Appalachian music already know and love — and the duo's performance, brought to you by the Asheville Symphony Guild, is designed to complement  the Asheville Symphony's Feb. 22 concert , which features Aaron Copland’s famous Appalachian Spring. *This performance is open to all. Free-will donations will be gladly accepted.

PWNC Annual Spirituality Retreat: "Celtic Spirituality II" | March 13-14, 2020 | Bonclarken Conference Center (Flat Rock, NC) Experience the prayer, poetry, folklore, and spirituality of the Celtic Christians of old - and how their down-to-earth, lyrical, and hope-filled wisdom still speaks to us today. First-time attendees are more than welcome! Click here for more information and/or to register!

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Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church | 828.254.3274 789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804 www.gcpcusa.org