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"At the table of peace will be bread and justice."
~ unknown
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Sunday Preview
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper
One worship service @ 10:15 AM
Lunch and Palooza Celebration @ 11:30 AM
Dialogue Sermon:
"This Eucharistic Life" by Marcia Mount Shoop, Samantha Gonzalez-Block and Richard Coble
Scriptures:
Isaiah 53:2-5; 1 Corinthians 11:20-26; John 6:32-35
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Ongoing Collections - Narthex Updates
GCPC has several ongoing collections that have recently been updated. They are located under the Norfolk Pine in the narthex. Below is a pictorial update:
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GCPC has an ongoing
food drive that helps stock pantries at
ABCCM.
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GCPC's
Prayer Shawl Ministry appreciates your yarn donations.
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Terracycle provides an outlet for some hard to recycle items including personal care & beauty items (toothpaste tubes, skin care packaging, etc.); writing instruments (markers, pens); and Brita related products.
Batteries can be recycled in the container on the right.
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GCPC's
Lost and Found is now located under the Welcome Desk in the narthex.
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STEW CREW at PALOOZA
Pick up your Palooza Passport at the Stew Crew table this Sunday the 8th.
Prizes (Yes! PRIZES) for passport bearers who return to the Stew Crew table with passports stamped by destinations traveled to during Sunday Palooza.
No purchase necessary----free opportunities to sightsee GCPC's abundant offerings and sign up for amazing journeys for 2019-2020.
Make sure you stop by the STEW CREW table first to get your passport!
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IRA Charitable Rollover
Did you know that if you're
70 ½ or older
, you can make tax-free contributions from your IRA?
Tax provisions allow you to make charitable donations up to $100,000 annually directly from your IRA without counting the gift as income. You can use your
Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)
to pay your church pledge or donate to a charity… all without having to pay income tax on those dollars!
IMPORTANT:
The donation must come
directly
from the IRA to GCPC to avoid being considered taxable income. Contact your investment fund manager to request a
Qualified Charitable Deduction (QCD)
made payable to Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church. Be sure to remind them to list your name as the donor in the memo line so we can apply it to any pledges you may have.
For more information, please contact your CPA or financial advisor. Additional details can be found on the
IRS website
.
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Creating Sanctuary Team (CST)
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LEARN AND DISCERN with Presbyterian Peace Fellowship | October 11-14 | Montreat, NC
At this three-day gathering, people who are interested in accompaniment with Presbyterian Peace Fellowship gather to train in non-violence and anti-racism, engage with accompaniment principles, learn about the contexts in which we have been invited to practice accompaniment, and spend time in discernment and reflection.
See more information
HERE
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My Place in Race Workshop | Saturday, September 28 | 9 AM - 4 PM | Evergreen Community Charter School (
50 Bell Road, 28805
)
Open to 7th and 8th grade students. Lunch, snacks, and transportation provided.
This free workshop seeks to help 7th - 8th graders:
- participate in meaningful and intentional dialogue around the concept of race
- engage with the dynamics of the oppression/privilege model
- understand and self-identify their own racialized identity
- discover their own ways to engage in the greater global conversation around racial equity
Space is limited.
Please
APPLY
before September 10th.
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CoInspire - Liberating Imagination, Eviscerating Racism | October 7-10, 2019 | Montreat Conference Center
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.
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GCPC Bird Walk | Saturday, September 14 | Meet at 8 AM at the Beaver Lake Sanctuary
Bring binoculars if you have them. The walk will take about 1 to 2 hours depending on weather and bird activity. Questions? Contact Rick Pyeritz at
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Hard 2 Recycle Event | Saturday, September 14 | 10 AM - 2 PM |
2319 US HWY 70
, Swannanoa
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
WHAT CAN I RECYCLE page.
Volunteers are needed, especially for the afternoon shift! Click
HERE
to volunteer.
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Climate Justice Rally | Friday, Sept. 20 | 5:30 - 7:30 PM | Pack Square
Show your support for God's Creation, the Earth! The WNC chapter of the Climate Reality Project is hosting this rally. Pack up the kids and come out and help us support the effort. Speakers, Music, etc. For more information, click
HERE
.
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Education Kick-Off (for all ages) on
Sunday, September 15th @ 9:15 AM
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Adult Education - Fall Term | September 15 - November 24
Pressure Points - The Church and Native Americans: Grappling with the Past, Facing the Future | Fellowship Hall
This 11-week program will outline a Christian's response to social issues related to Native American Peoples of North America. This will involve educating ourselves about the history of native peoples (from their perspective using The Great Courses as an academic basis for this education) prior to European contact and the philosophical/theological/political concepts that were employed against Native peoples after contact. In the second half of the course's term, we will deal specifically with Cherokee Indian issues as a case in point of our country's and our church's involvement in oppression of native culture, highlighting the Cherokee Nation/ECBI's response to that oppression. Ultimately, we would like to posit for our class how we should prayerfully yet actively respond to these issues in the future.
Facilitators:
Buzz Durham, Mike Fleenor, Jaan Ferree, Mary Berg, Marcia Mount Shoop
The Improv -
The Spirituality of Vulnerability: Brené Brown and Richard Rohr
| Jerusalem Room
“Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path” (Brené Brown, Daring Greatly). In this class, we will be discussing how the insights of shame researcher Brené Brown and spiritual writer and Franciscan friar Richard Rohr can inform our spiritual lives.
Facilitators:
Richard Coble, Nancy Gaskin, Paul Rogers
Digging In - Living the Questions: Taking the Bible Seriously | Choir Room
Living the Questions is for those who are looking for a resource that encourages questions they’ve always wanted to ask and sparks open dialogue in a safe place. It’s also for those who have stopped taking the church seriously and for those asking what a meaningful faith can look like today. Living the Questions provides a context where people can be liberated from stagnant clichés, pursue their questions and deepen their understanding as part of a life-long spiritual journey. This video-based program (along with downloadable participant guides and readings) includes conversations with scholars, theologians and clergy. Spirituality, Bible, God, creation, Jesus, Gospels, Paul, and evangelism are some of the topics we’ll consider.
Facilitators:
Denise Snodgrass and Tim Hamel
Toddlers (ages 2-3) | “God Loves Me”
| 9:15 – 10:15 AM | Toddler Room (downstairs, Children’s Center)
Preschool/Kindergarten (ages 4-5) | Godly Play
| 9:15 –10:15 AM | Preschool Sunday School Room (downstairs, Children’s Center)
Elementary (grades 1-3) | Godly Play
| 9:15–10:15 AM | Temple Room (Education wing, upstairs)
Elementary (grades 4-5) | “CONNECT”
| 9:15–10:15 AM | Indie Room (Education wing, upstairs)
Middle School & Senior Highs (grades 6-12)
| 9:00-10:15 AM | Youth Rooms, (Education wing, upstairs)
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*Nursery care is available throughout Sunday morning beginning at 8:10 am.
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Other Education Opportunities
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Movie Night:
Native America: From Cave to Cosmos
| Sunday, September 22 | 7- 8:30 PM | Sanctuary
First aired on the PBS Native America series, October 2018
Modern scholarship and ancient oral tradition work side-by-side to discover a shared native science and spirituality
, maintained across thousands of miles, that creates the foundation for some of our planet’s greatest wonders. These stories point to the genesis of a vast social and cultural network that connects people across two continents – one that began earlier than ever imagined. Recent discoveries are driving archaeologists and indigenous leaders to a bold new perspective: that all Native Americans are part of a unique interconnected world.
New evidence hints that the First Americans spent millennia developing their distinctive culture and beliefs as a single community in what is now Alaska, before spreading rapidly across North and South America. Together, they set Native America in motion, continents apart and untouched by influence from Europe, Asia and Africa. The result was incredible cities, sophisticated cultures, and unique ways of life that continue to reverberate in native beliefs and ways of life to this day.
*This movie is part of the curriculum for the Pressure Points class this fall.
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Habitat for Humanity Shifts
The 2019 Presby/UMC house is underway. House is moving along well.
Anyone wishing to volunteer for the construction of the house should contact Bill Ryan (
bill73ryan@gmail.com
).
Minimum age to volunteer at a site is 16.
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Ministry Partner News and Events...
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Advocate Training w/ Homeward Bound | Friday, September 27 | 12 Noon
(Lunch will be served)
| Location: TBD
Homeward Bound is hosting an Advocate Training to provide volunteers and supporters with an overview of key information about Homeward Bound’s programs and plans. This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in learning more, to get an insider's "snapshot" of Homeward Bound. You will meet key staff who are vital to the work of helping our community's most vulnerable end homelessness through permanent housing.
Please
click here
to RSVP as soon as possible
(deadline is Friday Sept. 6).
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Pisgah Legal Services' Annual Justice Forum featuring Jose Antonio Vargas | Thursday, October 3 | 7:00 PM | Thomas Wolfe Auditorium (U.S. Cellular Center)
Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, author of
Dear America: Notes of An Undocumented Citizen and a leading voice for the human rights of immigrants. He is the Founder and CEO of Define American, the nation’s leading nonprofit media organization that fights injustice and anti-immigrant hate through the power of storytelling.
Mr. Vargas will share details of his childhood journey to the United States from the Philippines and his life in America as an immigration reform activist. Some have called him the most famous undocumented immigrant in America.
For the first time, the Justice Forum is free to attend thanks to our generous sponsors. Tickets to the pre-forum reception are $60 per person. Availability is limited. Click
HERE
to register.
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GCPC 20s/30s Gathering: “Good Food, Games & Conversation!” | Monday, September 16 | 6:00 - 7:30 PM | Zillicoah Beer Company (
870 Riverside Dr.
)
If you are in your twenties or thirties (or nearly these ages), you are invited to an unforgettable evening of fun as we kick-off the year together! Enjoy board games, a food truck, and the chance to meet new people! Let’s celebrate the fall and share our ideas for the future. If you need childcare, email
Heather Ferguson
by September 12th.
CLICK HERE TO RSVP
.
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J.O.Y. Group Outing | Thursday, Sept. 26 | 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM | Hickory Nut Gap Farm
Our J.O.Y. Group (retirement age adults) will be touring
Hickory Nut Gap Farm
and the historical
Sherrill's Inn
on Thursday, Sept. 26. Let’s meet at the farm,
57 Sugar Hollow Rd
, Fairview, NC 28730, at 11:00am. There is no cost associated with the tours, but please bring lunch or plan to buy lunch at the Farm’s restaurant as well as cash for the Farm’s store. Please contact
Richard
with any questions.
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Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Group | Wed., September 18 | 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 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month.
*New participants welcome at any time.
Contact Richard,
rcoble@gcpcusa.org
, with questions.
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Wisdom in the Woods | Nov. 8-10, 2019 | Lake Logan, NC | Leader: Carol Hovis
Are you a woman who has a few decades under her belt? Would you like a chance to connect on a closer level? Announcing our third annual (Women’s) Wisdom in the Woods retreat. Carol Hovis will be our facilitator this year!
- EARLY BIRD RATE (by Sept. 24th): $275 (double); $335 (single)
- AFTER SEPTEMBER 24TH: $300 (double); $360 (single)
Thirty beds available assuming double occupancy.
Registration begins NOW and ends on October 13th.
Price includes Friday lunch through Sunday breakfast and programming! Space is limited, so register soon.
Scholarships available upon request.
Please submit check and registration form to the office with "Wisdom in the Woods" on the memo line. Registrations available at Welcome Desk or online:
http://bit.ly/WisdomWoods
.
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The GCPC Softball Team, "The Prez Beez" return for Fall Ball!
Everybody come out and have some fun supporting our church softball team! All games are an hour long.
For the simplified Prez-Beez schedule, click
HERE
.
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Sign up for “Dine with Nine”
(begins in October)
Who?
Open to all
What?
A rotational supper club for individuals and couples who want to be part of a fellowship group of folks from GCPC.
When?
TBD. Each group determines the frequency and the timing of their gatherings. Groups stay together for one year.
Where?
Private homes and /or restaurants. Group members do not have to be able to host the group in order to participate.
Why?
To more tightly bind the fellowship of our congregation.
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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
.
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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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Youth Sunday School Kick–Off:
Youth Choir, Drama & Fun
(6th - 12th graders) | Next Sunday, September 15 | 9:00 - 10:15 AM | Youth Rooms
This fall we will be fearlessly jumping into our faith in creative ways. We will begin at 9:00am sharp with breakfast, followed by Youth Choir, Energizers, Games and and an on-your-feet Bible Study. See you at the first class and get ready for a fun, meaningful experience!
Questions? Contact Samantha at
sgblock@gcpcusa.org
.
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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)
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)
Robin Smith (Beth Robrecht's sister)
Rebecca Wells' brother, Jamey
Natalie C.
Jeff Combs (Bill McNeff's friend)
Jennifer Vaughn (Mary Berg's friend)
Louise Hill (Geneva Neeriemer's mother)
West Asheville Presbyterian Church
Sarah Ralston (Susie Bleckley’s mother)
Marcia Zuzel (friend of Kim Hottle and Melissa Shook)
Nicolle & Scott McCoy and family (Family of Melissa Hicks)
Hettie Lou Garland
Betty Smith
Margaret Rada
Bob Higgins
James Harwell
Joyce Summerlin
Cory Hartbarger
Mary Ellen Horne
Penny & Ray Ponder
Steve and Florence Riedesel
Walt Justice
Donna Robertson
A Service of Witness to the Resurrection and Thanksgiving for the Life of Ray Dean will be held at GCPC on Saturday, September 8 at 1:00 pm, followed by a reception in the Atrium.
*We encourage GCPC members who are able to use overflow parking for Ray Dean's Memorial Service. Overflow parking will be available at the Post Office, Asheville Savings Bank and Wells Fargo. This will help us extend hospitality to those visiting Grace Covenant for the first time.
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Grace Covenant Community Out and About...
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Hosted by Carolina Jews for Justice. You’ll hear Rabbi Goldstein discuss the Jewish texts that recognize multiple genders, and you’ll learn from experts such as Allison Scott of the Campaign for Southern Equality, and others.
Transgender and gender nonbinary people’s recent increase in visibility in the world has presented new linguistic challenges. This workshop investigates those challenges and presents strategies developed by trans speakers and promoted by trans activists concerned with language reform in several aspects of life and religious spaces.
Click
HERE for more info.
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Upcoming Enneagram Retreat:
Relationships: Self, Partner, Colleague & Sacred
Saturday, September 21st | 10 AM - 4 PM | GCPC
Enneagram gatherings will resume in October,
Mondays, 6-8pm and Fridays,10am-12noon.
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Are You Doing It Wrong? | Friday, September 20 | 9 AM - 12 PM
or
3 PM - 6 PM | YWCA (185 S. French Broad Ave.)
This training is for licensed mental health professionals willing to own that they don't know everything about working with populations of color, even though they already went to the one diversity training their agency required. Presented by Elizabeth McCorvey, MSW, LCSW and Catie Beaulieu, LPC, MBA. Cost is $125. Click
HERE
for more information and to register.
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Open for Lunch
Book Talk by Robin Gaiser | Sunday, September 22 | 5:00 PM | GCPC Fellowship Hall
In her new book,
Open for Lunch
, Robin Russell Gaiser writes of her encounters with a dozen strangers in casual lunch spots from upstate New York to Asheville, North Carolina. She began these encounters almost by chance when she invited someone in line with her at a Subway restaurant to share her table. But as she pursued such encounters over the years, she gradually became “the reporter reporting on myself. Soon the stunning stories of my lunch mates took me deeply into my own narrative.” Please join Robin for a reading and signing. Books will be available for purchase.
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Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church | 828.254.3274
789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804
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