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Worship Preview | Sunday, February 6, 2022
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper
ONLINE ONLY Service
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Sermon:
"Mercy and Mystery"
by Marcia Mount Shoop
Scripture:
Isaiah 6:1-8, (9-13)
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*For the full revised common lectionary, please click here. | |
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This Sunday we will celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.
Remember that our COVID practice has been to use anything you have at home for your elements. Your bread can be a cracker, bagel or even a donut. Your cup can be a glass of water or anything else you have on hand.
The spirit of our Presbyterian practice of Communion is that the body of Christ is not found in the elements themselves, but in the community gathered together to share this meal of revolutionary love.
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Ordination and Installation of Elders and Deacons
Sunday, February 13, 2022 | Online Worship Service
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On Sunday February 13th we will be ordaining and installing our new Elders and Deacons. When we are able to gather in-person we will lay hands on our leaders and pray for them. Since we will be online this year I thought it would be wonderful to send some handprints/cut-outs to the Deacons and Elders to have for this moment during worship.
SO- if you are able, please take a moment as a family and trace your hands, decorate them if you would like and then get them to Amy Kim (640 Reed Street) or to the outside mailbox at the church by Monday February 7th so we can get them to our new deacons and elders.
~ Amy Kim Kyremes-Parks
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| Thursday, February 3 | PW Circle 4 Mtg. | 7:00 pm on Zoom | | Saturday, February 5 | Sisters at the Sea . . .
in the Mountains! | 8:30 am @ GCPC | | Sunday, February 6 | Livestream Worship
(ONLINE ONLY) | 10:45 am on Youtube | | Sunday, February 6 | Camp Grier Info Mtg. | 1:00 pm on Zoom | | Tuesday, February 8 | Church Office Open! | 10:00 am - 4:00 pm | | Tuesday, February 8 | Property Council | 6:00 pm on Zoom | | Wednesday, February 9 | Bible Study | 10:00 am on Zoom | | Wednesday, February 9 | Choir Rehearsal Pod | 7:00 pm @ GCPC | | Thursday, February 10 | PART Mtg. | 6:00 pm on Zoom | | Saturday, February 12 | Session/Diaconate Retreat | 10:00 am on Zoom | | |
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Winter Adult Education: The Difficult Words of Jesus | Sundays | 9:00 - 10:00 AM | January 16 - 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.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82353845672
Meeting ID: 823 5384 5672 Passcode: 789
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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) to be added to the list.
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Camp Grier Info Session | Sunday, February 6 | 1:00 PM | on Zoom
Kids ages 7-17 and their grown-ups are invited to a Zoom gathering to learn more about overnight summer camp options at Camp Grier, located just down the mountain in Old Fort, N.C.
A Camp Grier representative will be there to share a presentation and answer your questions. New campers who attend the meeting can receive a $50 discount on camp registration for 2022. Learn more about Camp Grier here.
Register here to attend the Grace Covenant session at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 6. The Zoom link and meeting details will be emailed to you after submitting the form. If you cannot attend on the 6th, feel free to sign up for other of the other sessions listed.
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Lectionary Bible Study | Wednesday, February 9 | 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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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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Winter Shelter Team Update @ Trinity
A huge thank you to GCPC for all your incredible generosity supporting Trinity in so many ways, including carloads of donations.
To sign up, please contact Dustin Mailman at (772) 214-4116 or mailmand79@gmail.com or sign up on your own here: Trinity Code Purple Sign up.
Specific volunteer needs are:
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An on-site manager to oversee volunteers from 3-8pm (today through Monday, Jan 24). Volunteer once or multiple times. Contact Kate Shem for details, kateshem@gmail.com
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Dinner support - both bringing food and/or serving dinner(5-8pm). Dinner needed each evening or Contact Tish Anderson, 19ppanc40@gmail.com, to join the GCPC food team to prepare and serve on Feb 1 & 15 and March 1 & 15.
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Overnight volunteers (10:30pm-8am). Contact Beth Philipsen, onthecove@charter.net, with questions about overnight volunteering.
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Morning transition shift (7:30-10:30am)
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Laundry support- pick up and return bedding (THIS IS A NEW REQUEST FOR SUPPORT). Contact Kate Shem, kateshem@gmail.com, to learn more.
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CURRENT WINTER SHELTER NEEDS: | | |
Please deliver these food items directly to Trinity United Methodist (587 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806) as the GCPC church bin is not emptied daily.
Please call the shelter number first (828-490-0444) to make sure someone is there before you drop your items off.
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Drop supplies at Grace Covenant (in black bin in the courtyard labeled Code Purple).
The bin will be emptied by 4pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
Contact Robin Gaiser, robingaiser@gmail.com, with questions about donations.
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You can also donate money directly by check to Trinity United Methodist Church with "Winter Shelter" in the memo line. Mail to: 587 Haywood Ave. AVL, NC 28806 | |
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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 (1/30-2/5): Jerry Bleckley | email: Jerryb@nexuscorp.com
Next week (2/6-2/12): Ellen Sizemore | email: ellen.sizemore@gmail.com
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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
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)
Marianne Nash (Dave Nash’s daughter)
Phil Noland (Kelly Spradlin's friend)
Ben Nicoll (Christa Hyatt's friend)
Mike Wisecup (Kim Hottle’s brother)
Mimi (friend of Robin and Gordon Gaiser)
Family of Marcia Zuzel
Seminarians
Bob Higgins
Susan Smialowicz
Laura Ross
Bill Williamson
Doris Prak
The Seddon Family
Sharon
Michelle Chromey and family
Marty Dean
Joe Brumit
Martha Kisiah
Truly Mount, Marcia’s mom, passed away peacefully this morning at her home in Louisville, KY. Her four daughters and husband supported and loved her through her final transition. Marcia and her family are deeply grateful for all the GCPC love and prayer. Please continue to surround the family with prayers, love, and grace.
A Service of Witness to the Resurrection for the Life of Truly Mount will be livestreamed on Sunday, February 13 at 2:00 pm from the The Presbyterian Church of Danville.
A message from the Cole family:
To our Grace Covenant family:
Heartfelt thanks for all the prayers, cards, texts, emails, and well wishes during the time of journey transition and earthly death of my father. It is deeply appreciated beyond words. -- Anthony, Kay, Eli, and Annie Cole
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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. Please pre-read the book to ensure lively discussion. The church now has copies of all three books. Please contact Richard or Anna Louise if you would like to come by and borrow one of the copies.
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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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This week garden volunteers worked on cleaning and sharpening our garden tools. Thanks to John Olson, Rick Philipsen and Mary Selle for helping out with that. Allison has also been working on composting and mulching some small beds around the garden to plant with herbs and flowers in spring/summer.
Thanks to John Drake for help unloading mulch!
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Community Working Together | |
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Guatemala Partnership
GCPC's Guatemala Partnership Committee has been continuing to keep connection with our brothers and sisters at Iglesia Jerusalem throughout the continued pandemic. Among the ways we have strengthened our relationship include:
- GCPC and IJ committees have held Zoom meetings to interact and learn more directly about each other and the efforts, challenges and joys taking place during the pandemic.
- With COVID hitting Guatemala especially hard, GCPC made a special "COVID-relief" gift of $600 in 2021.
- Continued annual scholarship support for the children attending school in Coatepeque.
- IJ diligently and lovingly shared the use of the scholarship donations in a detailed report.
Contact Anna Hamel at anna_hamel@yahoo.com to learn more or to join the Guatemala Partnership Committee.
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GCPC's Circle of Welcome gives thanks to our members for their time, talents and resources as we circle around an Afghan family recently relocated in Asheville.
On Monday and Tuesday our Circle of Welcome brought together donated furniture and household items to make ready a home for two families; a young woman and her niece (whom we support) and a woman and her mother (supported by Central United Methodist Church). These four women are now sharing a home and settling into a new life in Asheville. Next steps for them include learning English, enrolling in AB Tech ESL classes or the local school, moving toward finding jobs, learning the bus system, navigating all of this after sustaining loss and separation from parents, siblings, aunts and uncles.
If you would like to help in some way, contact Bonnie Parker at bparker17@gmail.com or Lara Hollaway at lhollaway@gmail.com.
Prayers and proximity are always welcome.
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A Year of Service for a
Lifetime of Change
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The Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program is an ecumenical, faith-based year of service for young people (ages 19–30) to accompany local agencies working to address root causes of poverty and reconciliation. | |
CLICK HERE to read the January 23rd, 2022 newsletter that outlines news and opportunities for action. | |
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#WPC23Charlotte REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
For the first time in its 23-year history, the White Privilege Conference is being hosted by a religious organization and specifically by The Presbytery of Charlotte in Charlotte, NC March 9-12, 2022. The WPC Conference Theme for 2022 is: 'Wade in the Water: White Supremacy, Race, Religion, and Reciprocity'. Our keynote speakers will include Resmaa Menachem, Khyati Joshi, Bree Newsome and Gregory Drumright. We plan to be both in-person and hybrid knowing that the in-person experience will be life-changing. We are taking Covid precautions for our in-person presentations & we have a virtual track available.
Join the early bird registration today!
There is a 20% discount for PC(USA) members.
Enter PCUSAWPC23 at check out.
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Join CreationCare Alliance for an environmental justice webinar with Will Barber III. Barber's presentation will focus on the many social justice implications of climate change and will be followed by conversation and Q&A. This will be an opportunity for participants to consider deeply how environmental racism and climate injustice can be addressed systematically and within their communities, congregations, and lives to create a just, sustainable, and compassionate future.
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Join us for the first of four Environment, Health and Faith focused Sacred Conversations. For the first Sacred Conversation: Wholly Sacred and Beautifully Ordinary: Water, we will explore the use of water in religious rituals and our everyday lives. Partners in Health and Wholeness is excited about their new pilot project offering the opportunity for faith communities to explore the intersections of environment, faith and health.
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‘We must go beyond the one-day worship service’
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to host forums recognizing Black History Month
~ by Gail Strange
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will be holding a special online worship service at 9 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, Feb. 9 to commemorate and honor Black History Month.
The theme for the 2022 celebration is “Resiliency to Recovery.” The theme observes the strong resiliency of the African American community from a historical to present-day perspective. It examines African Americans’ ongoing ability and need to survive while continuing to fight for justice and equality.
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The Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, speaking at Luminis Health MLK Annual Honor Program via Zoom. |
Health care and freedom -
Stated Clerk connects Jesus’s healing ministry with Dr. King’s fight for equality
~ by Fred Tangeman
The Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), recently delivered the keynote address during Luminis Health’s 2022 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Honor Program.
The address was part of Nelson’s ongoing effort to shine light on the contributions of America’s health care workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was also a chance to remember King’s vision of a society where equality of opportunity is shared by all.
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Poems for a Dangerous Time: A Gathering around the Psalms | February 20-22 | Montreat Conference Center
Inspired by the students and family of Patrick Miller, this gathering will explore the rich and varied ways biblical Psalms give voice to the cries of the believer: in lament, in anger, in praise, in rejoicing.
According to Pat’s family and his students at both Union Seminary (VA) and Princeton, nothing could honor him more than a gathering around the Psalms, exploring the way they sustain communities of faith, even – or especially – in dangerous times.
Leaders include: Brent Strawn, Nora Tubbs Tisdale, Aisha Brooks Johnson, and Martin Tel. Commuter rates are available.
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RECURRING GIVING:
Interested in fulfilling your 2022 pledge with automatic giving? There are a few easy ways to make that happen!
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Bank Bill Pay: contact your bank and they can set up a check to mail directly from your account on a recurring basis. There's typically no charge for this service, but contact your bank to confirm.
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Realm eGiving: have GCPC's software draft your bank account or charge your credit/debit card on a recurring schedule. GCPC does incur online processing fees, but you have an option to offset these if desired (1% ACH, 2.75% credit card).
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2021 Giving Statements Emailed 1/20/22
Year end giving statements for tax purposes were emailed on 1/20/22 from notifications@onrealmmail.org - please click on the blue link at the end of the email to view the PDF statement. You do not have to have a Realm log in to view the statement.
If you would prefer a hard copy of your statement printed and mailed, please call 828.254.3274 and leave a message for Natalie Weaver or email a request to nweaver@gcpcusa.org.
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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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