GCPC Alive and Well This Week!
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Worship Preview | Sunday, April 19, 2020
Second Sunday of Easter
Congregational Meeting immediately following worship
Homily:
"
We're Still Here
"
by Marcia Mount Shoop
Scripture:
John 20:19-31
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Called Congregational Meeting
The Session has called a congregational meeting for immediately after our virtual worship service this Sunday, April 19, 2020.
The purpose of this meeting is to receive a report from the Finance Council recommending that GCPC refinance our HVAC loan. The Finance Council is making this recommendation in an effort to cultivate financial sustainability as we absorb the impacts of COVID 19 in our community.
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A congregational vote and presbytery approval is required for this refinance because a 20 year loan term on equipment loans requires that our building and property be encumbered. Churches, including GCPC, have traditionally avoided encumbering building and property in loans. However, given that we will not soon know the long term ramifications of this global pandemic on all the economies of the world, including GCPC's economy, the Finance Council and the Session have voted unanimously to create some breathing room in our budget with this loan refinance.
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Welcome to our newest GCPC members who joined Easter Sunday!
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Recurring Weekly Zooms:
(Zoom password is:
789
)
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GCPC's Got Talent!
In this time of social distancing- and now with a stay home/stay safe order in place- the staff invites you to share your hidden talents with your church family. There's a lot of talent out there -- we are sure of that!
Perhaps you play an instrument and want to share a song. Maybe your child or your family wants to sing a hymn, perhaps your child has written a song or created a beautiful work of art while staying at home. A family dance routine, a poem, a soliloquy, a magic trick, pet tricks or sharing a secret recipe. . . the possibilities are endless.
If you and/or your family would like to participate and share your talents then please create a short video using your phone or IPad so we can kick off our very first "GCPC's Got Talent." Please limit your video presentation to 3-4 minutes. Upload your video in an email to Jeff at
jjones@gcpcusa.org
and we will post them for our church family to enjoy. We look forward to seeing and hearing all the amazing ways that you will share your gifts during this time!
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Spiritual/Pastoral Support
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Deacon of the Week
I
n this time of physical distancing, the deacons of Grace Covenant continue to be available to talk and pray with you by phone or online and to coordinate care. If you have difficulty reaching your assigned deacon or if you do not know who your assigned deacon is, please feel free to reach out to our deacon of the week.
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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
Pat Cocke (Les Stradley’s friend)
Marcia Zuzel (friend of Kim Hottle and Melissa Shook)
Suzy Carter (David Carter's wife and Yvonne Smith's friend)
Eveline Damiano (Lisette de Groot's daughter)
Joseph Tierney (Paul Tierney's father)
Melissa Matherly Bowers (friend of Rick and Lynne Noble)
Howard and Julia Clark (Elaine Blake's parents)
Glen & Tom Kilbourne (parents of Janet Martin)
Family of John Waskey (Anna Hamel's uncle)
Jonathan Hettrick (Friend of Mary Craig)
Mona Johnson (Angie Everett’s mother)
Carrie Gaiser Casey (Robin and Gordon Gaiser's daughter)
Don Pressley (Amanda Pressley’s brother)
Mike Arim (Friend of Ken and Ednamae Fisher)
Bud Darnell (Jerry Bleckley’s cousin)
The Moore Family (friends of Jim and Martha Branden)
Anne Z. (friend of Jim and Martha Branden)
Laurie Allen (Amber Cook’s cousin)
Susana Muñoz (Marta Alcala-Williams’ sister)
Jay and Elizabeth McKell
John Hamel (Tim Hamel’s dad)
Paula Kelton (Mary Bridges’ mom)
Jeb Kramer (Nancy and John Kramer’s grandson)
Hettie Lou Garland
Betty Smith
Margaret Rada
Bob Higgins
Cory Hartbarger
Florence Riedesel
Elizabeth Fisher
Doris Prak
Roslyn Carney
Dean Presson
Bill McNeff
Daniel Breen
Susan Smialowicz
Susie Wheelis
Laura Ross
Our sympathy and support are extended to Roger and Susan Meade, following the death of Roger's mother, Ruth Meade, on April 10th. Please keep the family in your prayers.
Our sympathy and support are extended to the family of Lorraine Formato, long-time GCPC member, following her death on April 14, 2020. Please keep her family in your prayers.
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"Zoom Education & Formation" | This Sunday, April 19 | 8:30 AM
All are invited! We will be discussing the chapters 7 & 8 of Barbara Brown Taylor's book,
An Altar in the World
. You are encouraged to purchase the book, but Richard can also send you a pdf of the chapters if you contact him directly at
rcoble@gcpcusa.org
.
(Password is: 789)
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Virtual Youth Group | Sunday, April 19 | 5:00 - 6:30 PM on Zoom
We're back! Join us this week for games, check-ins and more creative planning for the upcoming Youth Sunday worship service. Please make this time a priority, as we would love to have as many youth involved as we can!
NOTE: We ask that siblings please attend Zoom on separate devices for small group time.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 450 545 811
Password: 789
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Racial Justice Book Series
With the extended stay at home order, we are hoping to get a book in for both April and May, with discussions happening over zoom.
1)
First, in extending our exploration of the subject matter of our last book,
An Indigenous People's History of the United States,
as well as our Sunday school class in the fall on "The Church and Native Americans,"
we will be reading the novel
There There
by Tommy Orange
. That meeting will take place on
Thursday, April 30 at 7pm.
Tommy Orange’s wondrous and shattering novel follows twelve characters from Native communities: all traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow, all connected to one another in ways they may not yet realize
.
“Powerful. . . .
There There
has so much jangling energy and brings so much news from a distinct corner of American life that it’s a revelation.” —
The New York Times
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2)
In May, we will read
How to be an Antiracist
by Ibram X. Kendi
. Since we are trying to cover two books, we will push back this book date to
Thursday May 21 at 7:00 pm
, also by zoom.
Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science with his own personal story of awakening to antiracism. This is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond the awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a just and equitable society.
Note:
These meetings of the Racial Justice Book Series will not take the place of the usual PART meeting.
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Enneagram Sessions for GCPC Parents
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Carol Hovis continues facilitation of enneagram zoom gatherings for GCPC parents,
Wednesdays, April 22nd & 29th, 6:30-8:30pm
using Carol's zoom link which she will send each week to interested parents. Email
Carol
if you would like to participate. You can participate once or each week.
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(All Zoom conferences require password:
789
)
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C
ommunity Working Together
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Homeward Bound Urgent Update
As you may know, the City and Homeward Bound worked together to open the Civic Center to up to 50 homeless men and women for the duration of the lock down (
click here
for full story). T
his may be a many week commitment and we need more help, particularly volunteer help to receive donations and to monitor various activities in the center.
If you would like to volunteer, please reach out to Joe Hoffman, at
joeh@homewardboundwnc.org
.
DONATION NEEDS
Please donate supplies, either at Welcome Home or at the Civic Center. You can drop off donated items at the Harrah's Cherokee center (former Civic Center) daily from 1pm-4pm, at the Homeward Bound van parked on the street outside the entrance.
We are also accepting donations ANYTIME at the Welcome Home Donation Center at 205 Elk Park Drive in Woodfin. This office is closed to the public, but donation bins are located outside and items are collected and sanitized from there multiple times a day.
Food items most needed now
are individually wrapped snacks of any kind, bottled/canned/boxed drinks like juice, soda, sugar free sodas, capri suns and water. We also need items for breakfast individually wrapped, like bananas, oranges, granola bars, breakfast bars, mini boxes of cereal, muffins, and oatmeal packets.
Non-food items most needed now
are backpacks, tents, socks, underwear, toiletries, detergent, masks, earbuds, shower shoes/flipflops, towels, pillows, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and extra bedding. We are also collecting used games, puzzles, arts/crafts, journals, drawing paper, books, magazines, coloring books, etc. to help everyone cope with being quarantined.
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Room In The Inn:
Normally, our faith communities shelter and provide staff for 12+ ladies each week on a rotating basis. As a result of social distancing practices, this support has been suspended. The good news is that all program participants have either been housed or transitioned to the Civic Center.
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Financial Help for Immigrant Workers Affected by Pandemic
Please consider supporting one of our Ministry Partners, WNC Workers Center, with a Rapid Response Fund for Workers. Many immigrant workers won’t be able to access the stimulus bill funds. A rapid response fund has been set up to support immigrant workers whose hours have been reduced or have lost their jobs and can’t get unemployment benefits. Information can be found here:
https://wncworkerscenter.org/rapid-response-fund-for-immigrant-workers-in-wnc/
~ contributed by the Creating Sanctuary Team (CST)
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As we stay home and stay safe, we have extraordinary opportunities to educate ourselves about injustices that threaten our democracy and to prepare ourselves to take a stand for justice. Brave New Films invites you to watch
Suppressed: The Fight to Vote.
Although COVID-19 has heightened fears of many voters who are wary of voting in public settings, we can make it easier for all citizens to vote by demanding Universal Vote By Mail and Early Voting for the November election. Please sign the petition
here
. After signing the petition, we hope you will watch the film (free on Vimeo) and register for your absentee ballot
here
.
You can support Brave New Films with an online donation to its website -
www.bravenewfilms.org
- or by mail to 10510 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232.
~ contributed by the Creating Sanctuary Team (CST)
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Working Wheels - Neighbors Helping Neighbors
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The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that our personal actions directly affect the lives of those around us. We practice self-isolation and take safety precautions to protect our entire community, both the folks we know and the ones we don’t. Still, we are left wondering, “What else can I do to help others?”
A
car donation
to Working Wheels or a
financial donation
to the parts and repair fund can help create the security and hope that a local family desperately needs right now. A reliable car can still help our neighbors in need get to their essential work at a grocery store or care facility, where they, in turn, serve the good of the community.
Touchless Car Donation Process--Donate your Vehicle Safely
Working Wheels follows CDC guidelines with safety and sanitizing procedures to protect the health of our donors, program participants, and staff. Our
touchless car donation process
can be completed online and by phone without any physical contact.
Visit us online
or call 828-633-6888 to begin the process. Thank you!
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YMCA Community Health April Updates
We have added a new offering during this time of need. FREE meals for kids 18 and under at a variety of sites throughout Buncombe and McDowell counties. Please review the attached document titled "Free Meals for Kids" for locations and times. Kids not not have to be present to get the meals. Please share with all of your families!
We are still continuing our mobile markets, but as mentioned before, instead of client choice we are pre-packing food boxes for our neighbors to just come and pick up. We are discouraging drive-through pick-up, as this is putting our team more at risk. Folks can come up to the back of the truck to grab a bag.
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Pisgah Legal - ACTION ALERT!
Lend your voice to increase access to the stimulus payment for those who urgently need it.
Three million seniors and people with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a Social Security program for people with very low incomes, will have to file taxes to receive financial help during the COVID-19 crisis. For people who typically do not file taxes, this step is burdensome and complicated- especially now that many free tax-prep services are suspended due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The IRS should make stimulus payments available directly to SSI recipients without requiring them to file taxes. Please contact your
Congressional representative
and ask them to push the IRS to take these steps to get money in the hands of low-income people who urgently need help.
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Asheville GreenWorks
GreenWorks is quickly adapting to our evolving circumstances and we remain committed to inspire, equip, and mobilize our communities so that we all reap the benefits of clean water, fresh air, and access to unspoiled nature within and around our urban spaces.
As we maintain necessary "social distancing" measures, there are still so many ways to remain connected. Our GreenWorks team has set up stations throughout Asheville where any local community member can pick up supplies for self-guided cleanups.
#AvlQuaranclean
1) AGW Office @ 2 Sulphur Spring Road
2) AGW Office @ 318 Riverside Drive
3) The HOP @ 640 Merrimon Ave #103
4) Sutton / Dezio Law @ 70 Mt Pisgah Hwy (on their back porch)
5) Buncombe County Sports Park Entrance @ 58 Apac Drive
Our cleanup events may have been canceled, but there’s still trash to collect as part of Avl Quaranclean!
Our Cleanup Supply Stations have been filled and supplies are ready for pick up if you find yourself wanting to get out of the house & motivated to improve our community. Each station has been filled with supply packs— in one roll you will find: 2 trash bags, 1 safety vest and 1 pair of gloves. There are further instructions at each station.
Make sure to post videos and pictures and tag #AvlQuaranclean so that we can all see the incredible job you’re doing. And, as always, please stay safe and healthy.
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GCPC Diaspora
Dispatches from GCPC scattered around the globe
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When Marcia asked if I could write a paragraph about being a physician in the time of COVID, I thought I should get started right away - because today I have positive feelings about it.
All of our lives are like roller coasters these days, and so it is in the healthcare world. I better share my thoughts while they're upbeat, before they drastically change again.
I'm thankful to be an OBGYN these days. What a joy it is to be reminded on a daily basis that life continues to come barreling into this world, no matter what we do. There is something so grounding for me in the act of labor, birth, the adding of life to a family. When I get frightened by my spiraling thoughts of how bad this virus could hurt us, I have the privilege of being able to ground myself in birth. Being grounded is my only option these days, to keep me from thinking "what if I'm infecting my family members unknowingly?" or "what if I'm too sick to work, and end up in the ICU amongst my colleagues?" or "how will my friends with small businesses survive?" Still more questions creep up about our larger community, similar questions that I'm sure are on all of our minds. The question of how healthcare in this country helps us and also hurts us is heavy on my heart.
Being an OBGYN right now means learning at a new pace, a pace that feels similar to my first years of medical school. They described that rapid learning as "attempting to drink water out of a fire hydrant." I'm learning so many new things on an hourly basis, then asked to apply them immediately to best care for our patients. I'm reminding myself that it's okay to feel more exhausted than normal - this learning feels pressured, overwhelming, and rushed. We all need to be a little more patient with ourselves. We all need a little more grace for ourselves.
Don't worry about me though, at least not today. I'm reveling in the joy of new life, that comes day after day. I'm finding joy in the "normal" whenever I can. I'm taking deep breaths watching Lucy in her last two weeks before she turns one. I'm taking time to try to support my husband as he works from home and finds time to work out in our garage. I'm listening to Sofia grapple with what this virus means to her social life, but also her joy of being a homebody. We are making it through, doing the best we can. Much love, Bre
~ Bre Bolivar, GCPC Member
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Many thanks to our garden volunteers who are growing the GCPC Community Garden with the love of one person at at time!
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It is providential that we built our 2020 budget on pledged dollars at GCPC. And we are grateful that so many of you give online. In this unprecedented and difficult time, your gifts are enabling the church to continue our important work in our community. If you have not signed up for online giving, you can do that
here
. As the COVID19 situation sets in in the USA, your gifts will help sustain all of our ministries and the mini-economies that we support without interruption. Thank you for your generosity and your faithfulness!
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Emailing 1st Quarter Statements
Due to the office closure, the 1st Quarter contribution statements for gifts made January - March 2020 will be
emailed
if we have your address on file. Accounts without an email address will be mailed. If you're unsure if we've got your email address, need to update it, or would like to sign up for only paperless delivery going forward, please contact Natalie at
nweaver@gcpcusa.org
.
Statements will be available the week of April 20th- you should receive an email through our software from the sender
Grace Covenant Presbyterian church <
notifications@onrealmmail.org
>
. Follow the link in the email to view your PDF statement.
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Remote Giving & Paperless Statements
Did you know that you can make donations and receive statements online? Here are a few different ways to stay up-to-date on your pledge remotely:
- MAIL gifts to the office at 789 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804
- BANK BILL PAY mails checks remotely, one-time or on a recurring schedule - contact your bank to set this up
- ONLINE at www.gcpcusa.org/ways-to-give - just click GIVE HERE
- SMARTPHONE with the Give+ Mobile App or by texting 828-266-0126 the amount you’d like to contribute
To sign up for
paperless statements
or if you have any questions, please contact Natalie in our Finance Office at 828-254-3274, ext 202 or
nweaver@gcpcusa.org
.
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GCPC Out and About Online
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April
2020
Enneagram Gatherings
Monday evening & Friday morning gatherings occur electronically using Zoom.
Newcomers are welcome! You can participate once or every week.
Mondays, 6:30-8:30pm
Fridays, 10am-12noon
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Presbyterian Association of Musicians presents . . .
"Worship and Music Now"
As we manage in a time of uncertainty for church programs, we at PAM thought it might be a good idea to experience a bit of our Worship and Music Conference community now, so we asked members of our 2020 conference leadership if they could help us deliver some "Worship and Music Now."
Every Thursday at 7:30 pm eastern, we will bring you another Worship and Music Now episode with a Conference faculty member. Click
here
to watch.
Remember, you won't be able to watch each new episode until 7:30 pm eastern.
Thursday April 16th - David Eicher
Thursday April 23rd - Byron Wade
Thursday April 30 - Ann Laird Jones
Thursday May 7th - TBA
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Green Money: Nature Makes Good Business Sense
An Environmental Economics Forum produced by the
Wilma Dykeman Legacy
This program has been rescheduled to
January 28-29, 2021.
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Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church | 828.254.3274
789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804
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