Photo by Burak The Weekender | |
|
Click "View entire message"
at bottom of email to see the FULL newsletter
| |
Sarah Robinson, Director/PEG Partners, Sharon LeDuc, Asheville Rotary, Sophia Ungert, w/Circle, 3 display items created by women in Guatemala to help support PEG Partners & the David LaMotte School. | |
|
|
Worship Preview | Sunday, November 13, 2022
In-person Service and Youtube
| |
*For the full revised common lectionary, please click here. | |
| Thursday, November 10 | Centering Prayer | 6:00 pm | Sanctuary | | Thursday, November 10 | A Journey Through the "Revelation of John" | 6:30 pm | Fellowship Hall/Atrium | | Sunday, November 13 | Hybrid Worship
(In-person and online) | 9:30 am @ GCPC
(also on Youtube) | | Sunday, November 13 | Fellowship Time | 10:45 am | Narthex | | Sunday, November 13 | Formation for All Ages
Children | Sanctuary
Youth | Youth Room
Adults | Fellowship Hall | 11:00 am
*please see details below | | Monday, November 14 | PW Circle 1 Mtg. | 10:00 am | Fellowship Hall | | Tuesday - Thursday | Church Office Open | 10 am - 4 pm | | Tuesday, November 15 | PW Circle 4 Mtg. | 10:30 am | Offsite | | Tuesday, November 15 | Finance Council | 5:00 pm on Zoom | | Tuesday, November 15 | Session | 6:00 pm on Zoom | | Wed., November 16 | Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Group Mtg. | 11:00 am | Jerusalem Room
(also on Zoom) | | Wed., November 16 | Bible Study | 12:00 pm | Jerusalem Room (also on Zoom) | | Wed., November 16 | Wisdom in the Woods Planning Team Mtg. | 2:00 pm | Garden Room | | Wed., November 16 | Biltmore Christmas Choir Rehearsal | 5:00 pm | Choir Room | | Wed., November 16 | Just Funding Mtg. | 6:00 pm | Fellowship Hall | | Wed., November 16 | Choir Rehearsal | 7:00 pm | Sanctuary | | Thursday, November 17 | Men of GCPC Gathering | 9:00 am on Zoom | | |
|
Children's Formation (K-5th Grade) | Sundays | 11:00 AM | Sanctuary
| |
|
Youth Formation (Middle/High School) | Sundays | 11:00 AM | Youth Room
| |
|
Adult Formation: Faith and Boundaries I Sundays | September 18 -November 20 | 11:00 AM I Fellowship Hall and Zoom
This fall, we will be exploring a faith based approach to boundaries, a vital tool for all communities and relationships searching for ways to create space for love, compassion, and and justice.
Facilitators: Margaret Tierney, Paul Rogers, Libby Kyles, Marta Alcalá, Patty Thompson, and Dean Presson
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86748147293
Meeting ID: 867 4814 7293 Passcode: 789
| |
|
Bible Study | Wednesdays | 12:00 PM | Jerusalem Room & Zoom
Join the pastoral staff to read and study our sermon texts for Sunday. No preparation needed; just come ready to open scripture and discuss!
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82947867192
Meeting ID: 829 4786 7192 Passcode: 789
| |
Stewardship & Sustainability | |
|
November 6, 2022
Worship Council
Stewardship Video
| |
|
A Letter from Susan Curtis... | |
|
Worship and Stewardship
Worship – what sustains
gives energy….
to move
move mountains
move and inch
move a heart
move closer to God
| |
A time for collective
Community, song and praise
Common prayers
shared beliefs
questions
confessions
aspirations
A place for safety and rest
Stewardship, a place to put your time, talents and money where your mouth is.
Amen.
~ Susan Curtis, Member of the Worship Council
|  | |
READY TO SUBMIT YOUR 2023 PLEDGE?
Submitting your pledge is quick and easy! (Watch a tutorial video here.) Simply CLICK HERE or scan the Qr code to the right 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. These are two separate steps and forms - setting up a pledge does not renew eGiving automatically and eGiving without a pledge doesn't count towards our Stewardship and budget goals.
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 giving@gcpcusa.org or leave a message at 828.254.3274.
Keep in mind, anyone can pledge any amount - every single penny helps support the ministry and mission at GCPC!
WAYS TO PLEDGE:
-
Online pledge card HERE
-
Email giving@gcpcusa.org
-
Call 828.254.3274 and leave a message for Natalie Weaver
-
Fill out a pew pledge card and put in the Sunday offering plate
-
Request a mailed pledge card from the office
| |
|
THANK YOU, GCPC!!!
Your awesome generosity to the Western North Carolina Workers’ Center (WNCWC) women and their infants, children and young teens made these 35 activity bags possible! Over 70 children received items that you provided so their mothers could attend their annual conference via Zoom on November 4 and 5, 2022. There were a wide variety of books, games, puzzles, crayons, colored pencils, Play Doh, paints, pacifiers, rattles, teething rings and other cool stuff for children aged 1 month to 17 years old! We cannot thank you enough for your participation with this amazing group that does so much for immigrant families in the WNC area.
With much gratitude,
Serve Council members: Denise Lockett, Chris Callaway and Lynne Meacham
| |
Outgrowing Their Dance Costumes! | |
|
Raíces Emma-Erwin is a children´s program focused on dance, art, and cultures of Latin America. You may have seen them perform beautiful traditional dances at local festivals. The children of Raíces (which means "roots") are outgrowing their dance costumes and new ones are needed.
To replenish the costume supply, they ask if anyone at GCPC has any of the following items: girls' folkloric dance dresses, fabric for making such dresses, boys' charro outfits, dance shoes. The photos give an idea of the types of fabrics they use. More photos and information about Raíces can be found here.
Contact Lynne Meacham (larkm99@gmail.com) if you have fabric, costumes, or shoes to pass on to this organization which is part of Covenant Partner, Colaborativa La Milpa.
| | | |
Serve Giftbags.... DEADLINE TO COLLECT: NOVEMBER 13!
| |
|
Our 13 Covenant Partners everyday serve Black and Brown communities with their time, energy and resources. We want them to feel loved, appreciated and supported in their important work. The Serve Council will be collecting items to present in beautiful gift bags in November.
| | |
|
GIFTS OF APPRECIATION: Gift cards; self-care and stress relieving products such as scented candles, lotions, mists, facial, eye and foot masks, diaries/journals, positivity cards/postcards, chocolate, tea, goodies that will stay preserved - anything that will support our Partners relax and feel loved!
COLLECTION BOX: IN NARTHEX
DEADLINE TO COLLECT: NOVEMBER 13!
If you have any questions, please contact Eleanor Lane at elane@northstarlane.com. THANK YOU!!
~ Submitted by Serve Council members Eleanor Lane and Chris Callaway
| | |
|
Deacon of the Week:
The deacons of Grace Covenant are 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 (11/6-11/12): Martha Ensign Johnson | email: marthaensignjohnson@gmail.com
Next week (11/13-11/19): Paul Tierney | email: paul@tierneyandco.net
| |
|
Prayer requests will stay on the GCPC Prayer List for one month. Please let any staff member know if you (or your loved one) would like to remain on the list for longer.
Iglesia Jerusalem congregation
Maria and Esteban Goicoechea (La Mariposa and her husband)
Seth Turnbow (Anne Raustol’s twin brother)
Trey and Alisha Thompson and 3 kids - Gabi, Arlo, and Eldon (Patty and Brent Thompson's son and daughter-in-law and grandchildren)
Sarah Ralston (Susie Bleckley’s mom)
Rebecca Longenecker-Singer (sister-in-law of Loidaly & Hans Rosario-Singer)
Maryann Jennings and Sasso Family
Eric Mount (Marcia Mount Shoop's father)
Dorothy Zuck (Pat Durham's mom)
Bill Ross (Jonathan Ross' dad)
Erik Jacobs (Kathy Jacobs' son)
Hillary Frye (Steve Riedesel’s friend)
Keith Kanoy (Richard Coble’s uncle)
Rebecca Harrison's husband, Nigel
Bob Higgins
Susan Smialowicz
Doris Prak
Michelle Chromey and family
Earl Fowler
Robin Gaiser
Andrea Rosal
Sharon Sasse
Lisette de Groot
Roslyn Carney
| |
|
The GCPC Coffee House | Sunday, December 4 | 7:00 PM | Atrium
Imagine yourself in a cozy coffee house enjoying good friends, soulful conversation, comforting coffee (or tea if that's your preference), and some delightful desert. Imagine how good it would feel on a December evening to be in a place that warms your soul, your heart, and your body. That's the vibe we're going for on Sunday night, December 4 at The GCPC Coffee House. This coffee house is a chance to hear a bit more about Marcia's sabbatical through the window of some of the poems that she wrote during her three months away. We'll have live music, too, and time to connect and enjoy each other's company. Mark your calendars and plan on being there either in person or online at 7pm on Sunday, December 4 in the Atrium or on GCPC's YouTube channel.
| |
|
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: Second Tuesday of each month (some Zoom and some in-person), 7:00 p.m.
Circle 4: Second Tuesdays of each month, 10:30 a.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!
| |
On Saturday, November 5, Team 2 had 6 volunteers that planted garlic and cleared out the tomato plants. | |
Community Working Together | |
|
Sacred Conversations: Eco Grief and Gratification | Monday, November 14 | 12 - 1 PM | on Zoom
Join Partners in Health and Wholeness staff and guest speaker Ren Martin (Program Coordinator, Eco-Justice Connection) for a conversation on how we can come to grips with the world we live in, and the part we have to play in fixing our common home.
| |
|
Every Black Voice presents....
Walk the Walk Campaign Final Report
Walk the Walk was a campaign to engage community members in a survey envisioning what an anti-racist Asheville City and Buncombe County would be like. This campaign was lead by the Racial Justice Coalition in partnership with other local organizations in 2021.
| |
|
|
Asheville Poverty Initiative | | | |
|
Interfaith Initiative -
Social Justice Opportunities
| |  |
Buncombe Community Remembrance Project |
| |
|
NEW DATES!!
Fraught & Flummoxed: Courage and Creativity for the Elevation of the Gospel | January 30–February 2, 2023 | Montreat
In a time when the gospel of Jesus is threatened by the ascendance of Christian nationalism and white supremacy, what is the apprehensive, overstretched church leader to do? How does a leader tend one’s soul for the elevation of the gospel? How do followers of Jesus meet this moment with courage and imagination?
Building on the content of past conferences such as CoInspire, DisGrace, and MLK’s Unfinished Agenda, we will engage in three days of peer learning group work in partnership with Crossroads to examine the current challenges of leadership in this time and place. Furthermore, we will critically reflect on the obstacles of leadership as well as explore tangible and embodied practices involving creativity, movement, and contemplative exercises with the goal of building capacity and endurance for this important work. All levels of interest and experience are welcome as we will host three customized tracks of learning, nurture, and growth.
| |
|
|
|
A Conversation with Jessica Vazquez Torres and Shawna Bowman
Conference leaders, Jessica Vazquez Torres and Shawna Bowman, recently discussed the inspiration behind Fraught & Flummoxed in a conversational, podcast-style video. Watch or listen as they share their thoughts and insights in the video!
| | | |
Dr. Obery Hendricks, Jr., speaks Thursday during The Immersion conference, offered at Montreat Conference Canter and online by the Office of Vital Congregations. (Photo by Rich Copley) | |
The Immersion, a PC(USA) conference on congregational vitality, hears from one of the nation’s foremost biblical scholars -
‘We have the power in our hands to make huge changes,’ says Dr. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr.
~ by Mike Ferguson
Dr. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., the final keynoter for The Immersion conference which concluded Thursday, shared his insights on two more of the 7 Marks of Congregational Vitality — Outward Incarnational Focus and Empowering Servant Leadership. The Office of Vital Congregations sponsored the conference, held online and in person at Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, North Carolina.
Hendricks, a lifelong social activist, is a visiting scholar in the Department of Religion at Columbia University and a visiting professor at Union Theological Seminary, both in New York City. He wrote “The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus’ Teachings and How They Have Been Corrupted.” The most widely read and perhaps the most influential African American biblical scholar writing today, Hendricks’ most recent book is “Christians Against Christianity: How Right-Wing Evangelicals are Destroying Our Nation and Our Faith.”
| | |
Dr. Keisha E. McKenzie (Photo courtesy of Auburn Seminary) | |
Auburn Seminary’s Dr. Keisha E. McKenzie talks up effective engagement during the Presbyterian Foundation’s ‘Leading Theologically’ -
‘When you make a commitment that your culture should be welcoming to all people, you will inevitably run into confrontation with people who don’t believe that’
~ by Mike Ferguson
Dr. Keisha E. McKenzie told the Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty during his Leading Theologically broadcast last month she’s drawn to biblical characters with vision, including the prophet Jeremiah and John of Patmos, especially the latter with his “vision of a new Earth populated by an uncountable number of people from all kinds of backgrounds.” Her affinity is for “people who have learned what it is to be just and faithful and true and kind. A community of love as practice — that’s the vision John was drawn to.”
McKenzie is Senior Vice President of Programs at Auburn Seminary in New York City. Hinson-Hasty is Senior Director of Theological Education Funds Development at the Presbyterian Foundation.
Listen to their 32-minute conversation here.
John’s vision is the kind she found inspiring when she joined the Seventh- Day Adventist Church at age 13, which she said has a “lovely tradition around the role of education as a way of shaping mind, body and spirit as a unit, and a long tradition of public service … in the sense of taking practical skills you have and putting them in the service of the community that you are in. The key question is, how do we flourish together? That’s the key to the work we do.”
| | |
|
Montreat College Annual Christmas Concert | Saturday, December 3 | 7:00 PM | Anderson Auditorium, Montreat
Montreat College will host its annual Christmas Concert in the Anderson Auditorium on Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. This event is free of charge as a gift to the community—a highlight of the holiday season.
The concert will feature Montreat College choir students and alumni as well as faculty and staff performers. The concert will also feature a live orchestra made up of Montreat students and community members.
Join us for this special evening as we celebrate our hope in Christ at the beginning of the Advent season.
| |
|
The church office is open Tuesday - Thursday, 10am - 4pm.
We recommend calling ahead or emailing to set up an appointment if you are wanting to meet with a specific staff member. Please note, many staff are off or work remotely on Monday and the office is not open on Friday.
Coming to visit? We have a new video doorbell to assist with security. To access the building or office, please enter through the far left glass doors off the courtyard (labeled Enter). Ring the doorbell to have the door unlocked. The GCPC office is down the hall to the right, just past the Sanctuary.
You can also reach our office by phone at 828.254.3274. Follow the prompts for the staff directory to dial by name or press 0 for the main office.
| |
|
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church
789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804
828.254.3274
www.gcpcusa.org
| | | | |
