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This Week at GCPC!

Pics of the week

20s/30s/& Beyond Gathering: Dinner and Winter Lights

Covering all our bare beds with composted leaf mulch for the winter.

A new varmint-proof compost bin for the Community Garden.

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Confirmation Class

Staff Christmas Party!



Friday, December 24



Christmas Eve Services

3:30 pm - Interactive Service for all ages

(also on Youtube)

7:00 & 9:00 pm - Identical Candlelight Communion Services

(7:00pm on Youtube

9:00 pm on Youtube)

Sunday, December 26

Livestream Worship

(ONLINE ONLY)

10:45 am on Youtube

Sunday, December 26

ALL Youth Coffee Break

1:00 - 3:00 pm @ Starbucks on Charlotte St.

Thursday, December 30

Men of GCPC Gathering

8:30 am on Zoom

Sunday, January 2

Kid's Zoom Adventure

10:15 am on Zoom

Sunday, January 2

Livestream Worship

(ONLINE ONLY)

10:45 am on Youtube

Sunday, January 2

Confirmation

3:30 pm @ GCPC

Worship Preview | Sunday, December 26, 2021

First Sunday of Christmas


ONLINE ONLY Service

Sermon:

"Christmas Sweater"

by Marcia Mount Shoop



Scripture:

Colossians 3: 12-17

Live Stream Worship Service

@ 10:45 AM Sunday

*For the full revised common lectionary, please click here.

Important Announcements

This year, pledging through Realm is even easier! (Watch a tutorial video here.) Simply CLICK HERE to submit your pledge online, all in one form. 


If you would also like to set up automatic eGiving from your bank account or credit card, be sure to checkmark Add a scheduled gift for this pledge after the pledge confirmation and follow the prompts. 


You will receive an email confirmation of your pledge and a separate confirmation for eGiving, if applicable. Questions or concerns? Please contact Natalie Weaver, Stewardship & Financial Administrator, at nweaver@gcpcusa.org or leave a message at 828.254.3274. 


WAYS TO PLEDGE:

  • Online pledge card HERE
  • Email Nweaver@gcpcusa.org
  • Call 828.254.3274 and leave a message for Natalie Weaver
  • Request a mailed pledge card from the office

Pledges & Prepay

Now that 2022 pledges have started to come in, you may wonder if you can prepay that before the end of the year. The answer is "yes," but please be sure to differentiate between the current year (2021 General Fund) and next year (2022 General Fund). 


If you are prepaying a 2022 pledge for next year, please be sure to notate that on your gift- simply write "2022 pledge" in the memo line of your check or select 2022 General Fund online.


If you have questions about your 2021 pledge balance or need assistance in submitting a 2022 pledge, please reach out to Natalie Weaver in the Finance Office at nweaver@gcpcusa.org or leave a message at 828.254.3274. 

2021 Year End Giving Cut Off

Please note that the office will be closed for the holiday on Friday, 12/31/21. If you would like to make a year-end gift to be included on your 2021 contribution statement for tax purposes, be sure to plan ahead with your gift. Here are the ways to make your year-end gift before the 12/31/21 cut off date:


  • Give online here up to 11:59pm on 12/31
  • Log into your Realm account, select Giving, then click + Give
  • Text "giveGCPC"  to 73256, then follow the prompts
  • Mail gifts to the church office at 789 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804 *must be postmarked 12/31/21 or before* 
  • Come by during Tuesday office hours on 12/28, 10am - 4pm
  • Drop in the Narthex donation boxes on Sunday, 12/26


Wishing you safe and Happy Holidays! 

Sisters at the Sea Retreat 2022 - | February 3-6, 2022 | Folly Beach, SC | $275  | “Shift Happens”

Are you ages 25ish-50ish and would like a weekend of connecting and rejuvenating in a beautiful natural setting? Mark your calendars for our 12th (we think!) annual SOS (“Save our Sanity”/“Sisters at Sea”) retreat! This year’s theme will be “Shift Happens,” facilitated by our own Marcia Mount Shoop. Register today to ensure this special time of building friendships and centering your faith in the new year!


All attendees must be “fully vaccinated” against the Covid-19 virus.

Click here to read the COVID mitigation plan for this year.


REGISTRATION ENDS ON JANUARY 15TH!

Register here

Youth Summer Trips Are Coming Up Fast!

Watch the recording of our Summer Trip Info Meeting and let Melva know which trip(s) your youth is interested in attending.


Check out the 2022 summer trip schedule with dates and costs (scholarships are available):


  • Massanetta Middle School Conference (July 7-10 | Rising 7th-9th | $340)
  • Presbyterian Youth Triennium (July 24-27 | Rising 10th - Graduates | $515)
  • Montreat Youth Conference (July 31-August 6 | Rising 9th - Graduates | $540)


Although we are not asking for financial commitments at this time, we do need to know by January 3 if your youth is interested in attending Triennium, and by January 21 if they are interested in attending Montreat.

The church office will be closed on Friday, December 24, Monday, December 27, and Friday, December 31st.

The Wednesday Lectionary Bible Study will NOT meet on December 29th.

We will resume our Wednesday study on January 5th, 2022.



Deacon of the Week:

In 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.

This week (12/19-12/25): Louise Root | email: lcr@rootandroot.com

Next week (12/26-1/1): Cathy Froelich|email: oremont2@gmail.com

Prayer List

Prayer requests will stay on the GCPC Prayer List for one month. Please let any staff know if you (or your loved one) would like to remain on the list for longer.


Iglesia Jerusalem congregation

Debi Miller (friend of Marcia Mount Shoop) 

Jeff (Tricia Hynes’ son)

Maria and Esteban Goicoechea (La Mariposa and her husband)

Winnie Martel (Prayers for Winnie and Susie Churchfield)

Jennifer Martin (Yvonne Smith’s daughter)

Greg Young (Leslie Sharpe’s brother)

Don Pressley (Amanda Pressley’s brother-in-law)

Buster Carswell (Amanda Pressley’s brother-in-law)

Jack Waskey (Anna Hamel’s father)

Family of Abigail Carter (family member of Alexandra Lusak)

Valerie Simon (Alexandra Lusak’s daughter-in-law)

Brenda Young (Leslie Sharpe’s mother)

Joel Holtzclaw (Leslie Sharpe’s uncle)

Geraldine Haynes (Libby Kyles’ aunt) 

Seminarians

Bob Higgins

Susan Smialowicz

Laura Ross

Bill Williamson

Doris Prak

The Seddon Family

Barry Sharpe

Sharon

Michelle Chromey and family

Marilyn Roderick


Our sympathy and support are extended to Tim Hamel and family on the death of his father, John Hamel, on Wednesday. Please keep the entire family in your prayers.

Upcoming @ GCPC

Winter Adult Education: The Difficult Words of Jesus | Sundays | 9:00 - 10:00 AM | January 9 - February 27 | via Zoom

"Jesus provided his disciples teachings for how to follow Torah, God's word; he told them parables to help them discern questions of ethics and of human nature; he offered them beatitudes for comfort and encouragement. But sometimes Jesus spoke words that followers then and now have found troubling."


Using a DVD series from NT scholar Amy-Jill Levine, we will explore the meaning and implications of these difficult texts together. Topics include Jesus's commandments to sell all you own, hate father and mother, be a slave to all, and other texts that have been used to justify anti-semitic, racist, and sexist violence through the ages.

Presbyterian Womenʼs Circles are Zoom meetings. ​​Please join us.


Circle 1: Second Monday of each month, 10:00 a.m.


Circle 2: First Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m.


Circle 3: Varies (Click here to see schedule for 2021-2022), 7:00 p.m.


Circle 4: First Thursday of each month, 7:00 p.m.


Circle 5: First Monday of each month, 11:00 a.m.

Need to set up a church zoom meeting?

Contact Anna Louise and she can get you all set up!

Community Working Together

Michelle C. Johnson and Tema Okun present....

Everything Belongs: Loving Our Grief

Wednesday, December 29 | 6:00 - 7:30 PM

Many of us have been socialized to deny our grief or grieve in private. In so many ways, dominant culture pushes us to “be positive.” Dominant culture doesn’t want us to know how to feel; if we did, we would not accept the level of harm and dis-ease that our culture produces. As a result of this push to be positive, we bypass what needs our attention. This is a time of great grieving and some of us are carrying personal grief that needs expression and healing in community. Our ability to grieve is a testament to our capacity both individually and as a community.


Everything Belongs is a 90-minute online session focused on collectively learning to love our grief instead of having an adversarial relationship with it. During our session, we will explore what you are currently grieving, what we are collectively grieving, and move through practices meant to support us in honoring our grief.


This session will include meditation, ritual, reflection, and small and large group community building. Please bring a journal and anything else that would help you feel supported.

Register Here


Hood Huggers International



Click here to read their

2021 Annual Report

Blue Ridge Pride

Click here to read the

December Newsletter

Interfaith Initiative for Social Justice

Calls to Action/Engagement


The Interfaith Initiative for Social Justice is committed through their e-newsletter to offer articles, blog posts, opinion pieces, and video and audio segments on social justice issues to educate, inspire, and offer ways to take action. Below are links to two documents that provide those opportunities.


  • Here are such items focused on racial and criminal justice issues.
  • Here are other social justice issue items. 

Stewardship & Sustainability | GIVE HERE

Year End Pledge Balance Check


Want to make sure you've fulfilled your 2021 pledge before the year ends? The best way to check your pledge balance is to log into Realm on your smartphone or computer and click Giving. You'll see your 2021 and 2022 pledges listed on the right hand side with the total pledge, amounts applied, and remaining balance. You can also manage your payment methods, set up scheduled recurring online gifts, and see your giving history on this page.

Computer View


Mobile View




Due to the high volume of work being done this time of year in our single-person Finance Office, responses for year end pledge balance requests may be delayed. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Year end statements for tax purposes will be issued via email in late January once the month has been closed.


If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Natalie Weaver, Stewardship & Financial Administrator, at nweaver@gcpcusa.org or 828.254.3274.

STOCK DONATION CHANGES

The DTC and account number for our stock brokerage receiving account has changed since the BB&T and Truist merger in 3/2021. Please contact Natalie Weaver at nweaver@gcpcusa.org or 828.254.3274 for the updated account information before initiating any transfers- if you try to send them to the old account, it will not go through. 

STAY CONNECTED

HOW TO CONTACT STAFF:


The church office is open weekly for walk-ins on Tuesdays, 10am - 4pm. Our staff can also be reached by email or voicemail Monday - Wednesday. To leave a voicemail for a staff member to return your call, follow these steps:


  1. Call the main office at 828-254-3274.
  2. Listen through the office closure notice, which will then take you to a staff directory.
  3. Enter the first 3 letters of either the staff member's first or last name on your phone keypad (i.e. to reach Natalie Weaver, you'd enter 628 for NAT or 932 for WEA).
  4. You'll be directed to the staff member's individual voicemail, where you can leave a message to be returned as soon as possible.
  5. If you just want to leave a message for the general voicemail box, press 0.   


You can also reach our staff by email- please see our website for each staff member's individual email address. 

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Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church

789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804

828.254.3274 

www.gcpcusa.org