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Staff Meeting on Zoom again! | |
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Emergency Winter Shelter Team | |
Garden Steering Team Mtg. | |
Montreat College Conference | |
Worship Preview | Sunday, January 9, 2022
Baptism of the Lord
ONLINE ONLY Service
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Sermon:
"Special Sauce"
by Marcia Mount Shoop
Scripture:
Isaiah 43:1-7 and Acts 8:14-17
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*For the full revised common lectionary, please click here. | |
| Thursday, January 6 | PW Circle 4 Mtg. | 7:00 pm on Zoom | | Sunday, January 9 | Kid's Zoom Adventure | 10:15 am on Zoom | | Sunday, January 9 | Livestream Worship
(ONLINE ONLY) | 10:45 am on Youtube | | Sunday, January 9 | Middle School Youth Group | 5:30 pm on Zoom | | Monday, January 10 | PW Circle 1 Mtg. | 10:00 am on Zoom | | Tuesday, January 11 | CHURCH OFFICE OPEN! | 10:00 am - 4:00 pm | | Tuesday, January 11 | Property Council Mtg. | 6:00 pm on Zoom | | Wednesday, January 12 | Bible Study | 10:00 am on Zoom | | Wednesday, January 12 | Choir Chat | 7:00 pm on Zoom | | Thursday, January 13 | PART (Power & Race Team) Mtg. | 6:00 pm on Zoom | | |
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GCPC Kids Zoom Adventure | Sundays | 10:15 AM | via Zoom
You will receive an email on Friday with the zoom information.
Email Cat Kessler (ckessler@gcpcsua.org) if you would like to be added to the list.
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Middle School Youth Group | Sunday, January 9 | 5:30 - 7:00 PM | on Zoom
Middle School Youth will gather online this Sunday for fun and fellowship, plus a look at the story of the Magi and a chance to play with our "star words" for 2022. Look forward to seeing you there!
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Lectionary Bible Study | Wednesday, January 12 | 10:00 AM | via 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!
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PART (Power and Race Team) Meeting | Thursday, January 13 | 6:00 PM | via Zoom
Join us to explore how the characteristics of white supremacy culture are showing up in our culture, in our community, and in ourselves. We will focus on the characteristic of fear as we mark one year since the January 6 insurrection at the US Capital.
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Pledges are how we fund the 2022 Budget, which we are unable to set until we get closer to hitting our goal, which is why the chart above is so important to keep track of. Pledged offerings are the most reliable revenue source for a church and are the main determining factor of what programming, grant, and other operating expenses we can commit to in the coming year. Without pledges, we have to guess what might hopefully come in during the year, which is not a stable financial position.
If you haven't already done so, please prayerfully consider pledging today to help us start 2022 with a funded and sustainable budget. Every single penny pledged helps us support the ministry and mission of the coming year.
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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:
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Online pledge card HERE
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Email Nweaver@gcpcusa.org
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Call 828.254.3274 and leave a message for Natalie Weaver
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Request a mailed pledge card from the office
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~REMIXED~
Sisters at the Sea ... in the Mountains!
Saturday, February 5, 2022
8:30 AM - 8:30 PM | @ GCPC | $25
“Shift Happens”
The Sisters at the Sea Planning Committee met earlier this week and made the tough discernment that due to Omicron and community spread, it would be best to make a “Holy shift” away from the planned retreat in Folly and instead invite you to a special one-day “Sisters at the Sea… in the Mountains!” retreat!
Are you ages 25ish-50ish and looking to connect and rejuvenate with each other, build friendships, and center your faith in the new year! Join us for our remixed retreat in February! This years theme will be “Shift Happens: Reflecting on Life in the Pandemic” facilitated by Marcia Mount Shoop.
Please plan to commit to this retreat for the day AS IF you were 4 hours away at the beach! Yes… we know… it’s not the beach. But we plan to have some Folly-like fun in store for you, some down / hang time, along with the opportunity to be led by Marcia through contemplation of the times we are in, together. Come with a spirit of camaraderie, support, reflection, and flexibility!
Registration Fee and Requirements for Attending:
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$25, which covers lunch and materials for the day. If you are interested in a scholarship, please contact Anna Louise Murchison at annalouise@gcpcusa.org.
- All attendees must agree to these Covid safety precautions:
- be “fully vaccinated” including a booster shot, if you are eligible.
- wear a face mask indoors covering your nose and mouth (we will have some available if needed).
- receive a negative result in a Covid test (rapid or PCR) within 18hrs before attending.
Questions? Contact the planning group:
Andrea Rosal, Anna Hamel, Taryn Duncan, and Elizabeth Mullen
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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 (1/2-1/8): Jeff Curtis | email: JandSCurtis@msn.com
Next week (1/9-1/15): Mike McCauley | email: mikemccauley28@gmail.com
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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)
Buster Carswell (Amanda Pressley’s brother-in-law)
Jack Waskey (Anna Hamel’s father)
Brenda Young (Leslie Sharpe’s mother)
Joel Holtzclaw (Leslie Sharpe’s uncle)
Geraldine Haynes (Libby Kyles’ aunt)
Michael Riedesel (Steve Riedesel's nephew)
Leo (extended family member of Janice Kominski)
Seminarians
Bob Higgins
Susan Smialowicz
Laura Ross
Bill Williamson
Doris Prak
The Seddon Family
Barry Sharpe
Sharon
Michelle Chromey and family
Marilyn Roderick
Marty Dean
Joe Brumit
Our sympathy and support are extended to Anthony Cole and family on the death of his father, Ormond Anthony Cole, on December 31st at their home in Leicester. Please keep the family in your prayers.
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Winter Adult Education: The Difficult Words of Jesus | Sundays | 9:00 - 10:00 AM | January 16* (note new start date) - 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.
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Winter/Spring Memoir Series | Mondays | Feb. 21, March 28, & May 2 | Location and time: TBD
Join us for a series of book talks focusing on memoirs written by people of faith. One copy of each book can be found in the church library. Please pre-read the book to ensure lively discussion.
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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.
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Need to set up a church zoom meeting?
Contact Anna Louise and she can get you all set up!
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Community Working Together | |
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is a defining moment each year when Americans across the country step up to make our communities more equitable and take action to create the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream. While Dr. King believed the Beloved Community was possible, he acknowledged and fought for systemic change. His example is our call to action.
Hood Huggers International, Riverlink, Asheville Parks & Recreation, Asheville Creative Arts, Energy Savers Network, and Burton Street Community Association are joining on this day of service to facilitate engagement in community betterment projects in the Burton Street neighborhood and Asheville on January 17, 2022. We’ve identified projects of need in the neighborhood intended to support unity and sustainability within the community.
Join us on this day for community building and connection! Food and refreshments and good company will be provided.
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Racial Justice Coalition
Solidarity Circles Supporting
Engagement & Accountability
What are RJC Solidarity Circles?
The purpose of a Solidarity Circle is to support RJC members in staying engaged and active in anti-racism work through small, intimate groups (generally 4 – 8 people) that support individual and collective accountability through:
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Relationship Building: Consistent meetings with the same group members help build relationships and trust within groups. They can offer a nonjudgmental space to process whatever is coming up for folks so they feel supported and inspired to stay engaged in anti-racism activism.
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Action: Solidarity circle members complete calls to action established in collaboration with RJC, AVL Black Demands, and the overall Black Community, and then report this progress to the RJC community.
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Accountability: Solidarity Circles provide a brave space that serves to create individual and collective accountability to initiating and sustaining community activist work.
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Equity Over Everything
Folding Chair Speaker
December 2021:
Dr. Dwight Mullen
& The State of Black Asheville
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The State of Black Asheville was founded by Dr. Dwight Mullen over 10 years ago as an undergraduate research project at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, creating a comprehensive resource that collects and enables data-driven research and analysis of outcomes along racial lines and makes the information accessible to our community.
For more information about the State of Black Asheville Project, visit stateofblackasheville.com.
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Introducing Food Connection Mobile Meals, a complimentary food truck experience. They have already met 79% of their fundraising goal and need your help to close the gap and make this a reality. They now have an anonymous donor matching funds up to $55,000.
When caterers and institutions find themselves with surplus prepared food, Food Connection connects this food to families, seniors, and veterans who do not always have enough to eat. Their Mobile Meals program will allow them to go into low wealth neighborhoods to meet the need directly providing a complimentary and equitable food truck experience.
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Grants offsetting carbon emissions will support climate-friendly projects -
If approved by the 225th General Assembly, the Presbyterian Tree Fund will support global efforts to combat climate change
~ by Kathy Melvin
Climate change will become a focus of the Matthew 25 invitation in 2022 and in support, global partners and ministry areas in the Presbyterian Mission Agency have created the Presbyterian Tree Fund to receive carbon offset donations that’ll be used for grants that support tree planting and other climate- friendly projects.
The fund will be administered by Compassion, Peace & Justice, Presbyterian World Mission and the Peru Mission Network. Here’s the proposed formula: for every flight taken by PMA personnel, a specific dollar amount will be taken from the travel budget of the staff person's work area and transferred to the Presbyterian Tree Fund.
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Being Matthew 25 in word and deed -
Monthly livestream series welcomes hard conversations
~ by Melody K. Smith
Being Matthew 25, a new Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) monthly livestream series, begins at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Jan. 20.
Being Matthew 25 is an interactive online event that makes space for stories, reflections and conversations about what it means to live out the Matthew 25 vision. The livestream will be available for viewing on the PC(USA) Facebook page or PC(USA) YouTube Channel during the event and after.
More than just talking heads, Being Matthew 25 includes video storytelling, song, poetry, art, guest interviews, case studies, testimonials and Q&A sessions that invite the Church to consider how to be a relevant presence in the world and to more fully live into Matthew 25.
“This broadcast creates a sacred space online to explore our shared future as the Church and people of Christ,” said the Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett, president and executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. “I believe it is exactly the conversation we need in the middle of this transformational time for the mission agency and as we envision our ministries for the next generation.”
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Year End Pledge Balance Check
2021 is completed, but your pledge may not be yet! Want to make sure you've fulfilled your 2021 pledge? 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.
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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.
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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 - Friday. To leave a voicemail for a staff member to return your call, follow these steps:
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Call the main office at 828-254-3274.
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Listen through the office closure notice, which will then take you to a staff directory.
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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).
- You'll be directed to the staff member's individual voicemail, where you can leave a message to be returned as soon as possible.
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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
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