GCPC Alive and Well This Week!
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PW Coordinating Committee
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Racial Justice Book Series
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The youth (pictured here, Annie Cole) share with Session their experiences on the Presbyterian Youth Council (PYC) last year.
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The Session joyfully and unanimously endorses the new slate of PYC applicants.
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Worship Preview | Sunday, May 31, 2020
Pentecost
Sermon:
"Together in One Place?" by Marcia Mount Shoop, Richard
Coble and Samantha Gonzalez-Block
Scripture:
Acts 2:1-21
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Children and Families Sunday Worship Resources
For this Sunday, May 31 - Pentecost, click
HERE
for coloring pages, Children’s Bulletin, and other resources for this Sunday. Print whatever you would like to use to deepen your family's participation in Worship.
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Update your Zoom!
Zoom 5.0.3 is now live and older versions of Zoom will stop working on May 30th. Please be sure to update your zoom to the latest version.
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If you are a part of a group, Team, or Circle at GCPC and you want to have a Zoom meeting, let staff know.
We will help you get set up on our GCPC Zoom account for group gatherings and meetings. You can schedule your meeting on the calendar with Sherrie, and any staff member can help you get set up for your meeting if you have questions.
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ATTENTION! ATTENTION!
GCPC's Got Talent is getting an extreme makeover!
That's right!
We're planning a live Cabaret performance on Zoom at 6:00 p.m., Sunday, June 14.
Don't worry if you never got around to the talent show - now you can look forward to live on Zoom for your church family.
Want to sing or play a solo? Want to perform a magic trick, juggle, dance, or share pet tricks? Perform solo or with the whole family, act out a mini drama or share your gift of speaking in spoonerisms? The possibilities are endless (as long as you keep your act to 3-5 minutes!) We will accept enough acts to fill up one hour on Zoom so don't be shy and don't delay.
Send
Jeff
an email stating your desire to share a talent along with a brief description of what you'd like to do. All those participating will have a zoom rehearsal earlier in the week prior to June 14 and then we will gather with our church family online to share our talents on Sunday, June 14.
Mark your calendars and plan to join us!
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More Light Presbyterians
On June 7 we will celebrate More Light Sunday!
The day’s events will begin at 4pm (ET) with Worship, where we will all be blessed by the preaching of
Rev. Laura Cheifetz
and a worship service led entirely by LGBTQIA+ people.
At 7pm (ET) we will host a Streaming Release Party for
Out of Order
, followed by a panel discussion with the cast and crew of this groundbreaking documentary at 8pm (ET). The Out of Order documentary follows the lives of a group of LGBTQIA+ Presbyterians called to ministry as they navigate the ordination process and the delicate work of inclusion beyond policy change. Out of Order offers audiences a glimpse into what it looks like to navigate the reality of gender transition and lived sexual identity as a person of faith.
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We're in this together...
Grace Covenant can help your stimulus check get to impacted families if you would like to share it with our larger community in that spirit. Some GCPC members have already sent theirs in and Marcia is confidentiality disbursing those to impacted families.
Thank you for your continued generosity. If you would like to participate, please put "Pastor's Discretion" in the memo line of your check and let
Marcia
and
Natalie
know that you are sending it for that purpose.
If you have questions, please contact
Marcia
.
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Spiritual/Pastoral Support
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Feeling Inside Out Right Now?
Hmmmmm...There is actually a movie by that name. It registered 98% on Rotten Tomatos. Even if you have seen it before, it would be a good way to enjoy animation for children but also remember that we all have emotions we need to be in charge of during COVID 19. We are called to manage ourselves but often try to manage those who trigger us. So...pop the popcorn and kick back and enjoy the movie. May has been mental health awareness month so it is a good way to sharpen up our parts for good use. As the NAPA commercial said it so well years ago, "Parts is parts!"
But parts need managing!!
~ David Bradley, GCPC Member and Pastoral Counselor
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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)
Glen & Tom Kilbourne (parents of Janet Martin)
Jonathan Hettrick (friend of Mary Craig)
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)
Paula Kelton (Mary Bridges’ mom)
Jeb Kramer (Nancy and John Kramer’s grandson)
Nancy Hoyt Duncan (friend of Rick and Lynne Noble)
Sharon Meares (Moderator of Presbyterian Women in PWNC)
Emma Ivory (Carolyn Tingle’s friend)
Deerfield Retirement Community
Ryan Lockett (nephew of Denise Lockett)
Hettie Lou Garland
Betty Smith
Margaret Rada
Bob Higgins
Cory Hartbarger
Florence and Steve Riedesel
Elizabeth Fisher
Doris Prak
Roslyn Carney
Dean Presson
Bill McNeff
Susan Smialowicz
Laura Ross
John Mount Shoop
Carol Kavalhuna
Carolyn Crew
Susan Holt
Bob Walther
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PART
(Power & Race) Team Meeting| Thursday, June 11 | 6:15 - 7:30 PM | via Zoom
We will continue to explore having a PART steering committee. We also will continue to use the lens of eliminating characteristics of white supremacy to create a culture for PART that does not harm people.
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"Zoom Education & Formation" | Sunday, May 31 | 8:30 AM
All are invited! We will be discussing the chapters 4 & 5 of Barbara Brown Taylor's book,
Holy Envy
. 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
.
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Virtual Youth Group | Sunday, May 31 | 5:00 - 6:30 PM on Zoom
It's the last official Youth Group gathering of this school year, so join us to celebrate an awesome year and give some love to our graduating seniors and 8th graders. We would love to see you there for fun games, meaningful memories and an opportunity to end our year of Fearless Faith all together!
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GCPC Zoom Speaker Series | 7:00 PM | Every 4th Thursday |
May-August
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- TONIGHT, May 28 - "Hope Springs Forth Brightly!" with Phyllis Utley - In November 2019, the City’s Public Art & Cultural Commission completed a two-year project resulting in Asheville’s latest public art piece, entitled Hope Springs Forth Brightly by Art Ecologie and local artists Joseph Pearson and Phyllis Utley. The two installations serve as a gateway to the historic Block area of downtown and pay homage to the many Black businesses and residences lost during urban renewal in the 1970s. In addition, the work envisions an equitable future for Asheville. Lessons from the Ancestors can help us recreate a brighter future for all as we re-emerge from our current economic downturn. Let's explore the possibilities together.
- June 25 - Meta Commerse
- July 23 - Susanne Walker Wilson and Audi
- Aug. 27 - DeWayne Barton
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Summer Adult Education: "Beyond Belief" | June 7 - July 19 | Sundays | 9:15 - 10:15 AM via Zoom
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Marcus Borg was among the most widely known and influential voices in progressive Christianity and internationally known in both academic and church circles. This summer, we will be delving deeply into his work and living in his questions about the possibilities of belief and action in our modern world. We will be meeting over zoom and utilizing "Beyond Belief," a new curriculum by "Living the Questions."
Facilitated by Tim Hamel.
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Presbyterian Women’s Circles are Zoom meetings. Please join us.
Circle 1:
First Tuesday of each month, 10:00 a.m.
Circle 2:
First Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m.
Circle 3:
June 11, 7:00 p.m.
Circle 4:
First Thursday of each month, 7:00 p.m.
Circle 5:
First Monday of each month, 10:00 a.m.
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C
ommunity Working Together
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Letter from the Serve Council
"During this time of pandemic, the GCPC Serve Council continues to be committed to being led by the Spirit to build mutually enriching relationships with Ministry Partners, as well as justly disperse funds shared by our congregation to impact our community and world. . . "
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NC Poor People's Campaign
The Western Region Circle of the NC Poor People’s Campaign together with the YWCA of Asheville, are partnering with ABIPA and BeLoved Asheville to collect items for our neighbors in need in Buncombe County. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will sponsor Drive-By, Drop-Off on six days over the first two weeks in June.
Bins will be placed to accept donations of needed items. The first three days, June 1, 3 and 5, items will be collected for ABIPA for the care packages the organization is creating and distributing, and collections on June 8, 10 and 12 will go to BeLoved Asheville for distribution.
The process is contactless to protect our volunteers and donors. Please respect the process, since some of our volunteers are high-risk if they were to contract COVID-19.
Times and locations are as follows:
- Tuesday, June 1: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the YWCA, 185 S. Broad Ave., Asheville.
- Thursday, June 2: 6 to 8 p.m. in the parking lot of the Eddington Center, 133 Livingston St., Asheville
- Saturday, June 4: 10 a.m. to noon in the parking lot of the YWCA
- Tuesday, June 8: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the YWCA
- Thursday, June 10: in the parking lot of the Eddington Center
- Saturday, June 12: in the parking lot of the YWCA
Items needed are listed below, along with ways to donate money.
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ABIPA
• Masks (We are in need of masks sized for children)
• Paper towels
• Toilet paper
• Clorox wipes
• Disinfectant Spray
• Dish washing liquid
• Laundry Liquid
• Bleach
• Water
• Alcohol
• Hand Sanitizer
• Vitamin C
Donations for ABIPA can be mailed to ABIPA at PO Box 448 Asheville, NC 28802
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BeLoved:
• Cloth masks for families and essential workers
• Hand sanitizer
• Cleaning products: bleach, bleach wipes, bleach-based cleaning spray and Lysol
• Toilet paper and paper towels
• Laundry detergent and dish soap
• Shampoo and body wash
• Diapers/wipes
• Vitamins C and D
• Tylenol
• Gloves
• Flashlights and batteries
• Backpacks
• Kids art supplies and book, especially books that include themes/characters who are
African-American or Latinx (and books in Spanish)
• Laptop computers/tablets
BeLoved’s Cash App is $BeLovedAsheville and Venmo is @BeLoved-Asheville.
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North Carolina Justice Center presents "Mountains of Hope"
Despite COVID-19's burden on our state, our mountain communities continue to be resilient and hopeful, and we at the NC Justice Center remain committed to our mission of
reducing poverty and building an economy where all families and communities can thrive.
We've teamed up with
BeLoved Asheville
and
WNC Workers' Center
for a special virtual conversation, and you're invited! You will not want to miss this unique online event. It promises to be a wonderful occasion, with like-minded folks sharing real stories of hope: neighbors and strangers supporting each other and finding solutions together.
Our conversation will share on-the-ground experiences, advocacy work, and uplift grassroots efforts across Western North Carolina. We will also include an update on the incredible work The NC Justice Center is doing on behalf of all North Carolinians.
Let us inspire you to join our cause and advocate for all North Carolinians!
The steering committee for this virtual conversation is:
Patsy Davis, Frank Goldsmith, Rev. Milly Morrow, and The Honorable Ray Rapp
When:
Wednesday, June 10, 2020, at 5:00 PM
Where:
Online; pre-register from the comfort of your home!
Cost:
Free!
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Pisgah Legal Center
Support Funding for Rental Assistance
Half of Asheville households are renters. Amidst massive layoffs and economic insecurity, many people don’t know how they are going to make their rent.
The City of Asheville has an opportunity to alleviate some of the strain for local renters. Through the CARES Act, the city will receive
$615,000 of Community Development Block Grant funds,
known as CDBG. These block grants are used to “strengthen communities by providing funds to improve housing, living environments, and economic opportunities, principally for persons with low and moderate incomes.”
City staff has indicated that that
food security, homelessness, and rental assistance
are their priority issues.
Currently CDBG is the only governmental funding source that can be used for rental assistance of up to 3 months.
Take Action
Can you take 5 minutes to send an email to City Council urging them to use CDBG funds for rental assistance? Click below for a sample email.
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YMCA Community Health June Updates
They are still offering FREE meals for kids 18 and under at a variety of sites throughout the summer in Buncombe, McDowell and Henderson counties. Please review the attached document titled "Free Meals for Kids" for locations and times. Kids do not not have to be present to get the meals.
Beginning June 1st they are moving back to their "normal" mobile market operations. Neighbors will be required to wait in line 6-feet apart, they are highly encouraging masks, and will provide hand sanitizer for all participants before they pick out produce.
In addition, they are continuing to offer the Diabetes Prevention Program VIRTUALLY to anyone in North Carolina for FREE. Please see the attached document for more information on how people can register. Classes are looking to start this week and beginning of June.
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Community Garden Update
On Saturday team 2 harvested 239 lbs of cabbage, kale, collards, turnip greens, and chard for pickup by YTL/YWCA for distribution to food insecure families.
On Monday Judy Major, Mary Selle, Beth Kissling, Rick Philipsen, Barb Toth, Mary Boynton, Liz Huesemann, and Terri, Dan, and Graham March planted tomato, pepper and eggplant starts and yellow squash and okra seed.
On Wednesday team 3 harvested an amazing 775.5 lbs of cabbage, swiss chard, collards, kale and cauliflower. The harvest was picked up by YTL/YWCA and by Loving Food Resources. Ben Jones and Rick Noble mowed the grass. A big shoutout to Mary Selle who cleaned all our tools!! Mary has truly transformed these tools and all volunteers should be encouraged to help keep them this way by taking a few minutes after using any GCPC garden tools to clean them thoroughly and occasionally give a very light spray of WD-40.
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Greens ready for pick up!
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GCPC Diaspora
Dispatches from GCPC scattered around the globe
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When we moved from the Asheville area, we knew we would terribly miss GCPC. While we have found a church home in Williamsburg, it is just not the same! Not the quality of preaching, not the quality of music, and not the quality of abiding friendships wrought in working together on projects.
Then along comes this Covid 19 horror. As retired folks who split time between Williamsburg and Nags Head, we have not been very inconvenienced by the requirements of physical distancing, staying at home, etc. We have, however, felt rudderless, without a leader, alienated from opportunities to make a difference, and, yes, angry at the absence of empathy and the lack of physical, emotional, and economic support from the government. Our hearts break as we watch long lines for food, as we see the overwhelmed health care facilities and workers, and as we learn that the very folks who are obviously our most essential workers are the ones who are dying disproportionately, who are losing their jobs, and whom we have paid the very least.
So imagine our joy when we discovered the online services and devotionals from GCPC. The preaching has been creative, challenging, inspiring, and hopeful. We love seeing our friends play a part in the services, and it has meant a great deal to us to participate. The sadness we have felt from both the move away from GCPC and the desperate effects of Covid-19, while not erased, has been greatly lifted. We feel re-connected in a profound way, and we are grateful.
~ Carolyn and Lloyd Horton, GCPC community friends (and former members)
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Thank you for your generous giving! 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
. You can also mail your checks to the church. Without you, the church could not continue its ministries in these difficult times. Thank you, again, for your generosity and your faithfulness!
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Coming Soon: Mid-Year Pledge Check Ins
If you have a pledge and email address in our system, you will receive an email mid-June from
notifications@onrealm.org
with a link to view your pledge statement as of 5/31. Please take a moment to review your pledge, gifts applied, and balance if applicable for accuracy. If your situation has changed and you need to make changes, please contact Natalie Weaver at
nweaver@gcpcusa.org
.
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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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"Little Women"
: Live Virtual Production | Saturday, May 30th | 7:30pm EST | Asheville Community Theater (ACT) | Free
Rev. Samantha Gonzalez-Block will be performing as Marmee in this now live virtual production of Little Women at ACT. She is thrilled to invite her GCPC family to attend from the comfort of your homes. Little Women is a classic story, with themes that still speak into today. The show will be live-streamed through Zoom. It will not be recorded, so you will need to see it in real time. This event is FREE and all are welcome!
Reserve your tickets here
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May-June 2020
Virtual Enneagram Gatherings
Subtype Gatherings:
Sundays, 1:30-3:30pm
,
May 31 & June 7
Weekday Gatherings,
Mondays, 6:30-8:30pm & Fridays, 10am-12noon
Topic: Relationships between different types
All are welcome; you can participate once or every week.
Basic knowledge of your enneagram type is suggested.
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Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church | 828.254.3274
789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804
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