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GCPC Alive and Well This Week! |
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Men of GCPC Gathering 11/12 |
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Presbytery of Western North Carolina's Middle School Youth Conference at Camp Grier |
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Potato miners at Anthony Cole's Jasperwood Farms |
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Worship Preview | Sunday, November 15, 2020 |
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Sermon: "As the World Upturns" by Marcia Mount Shoop
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
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When I think of any church building, I am reminded of the children’s ‘game’ of inverting fingers into a fist – the building – and raising the steeple with two fingers, but finally opening up the building to see all the people. At some point I realized that, for many churches, that was only on Sunday. Not at Grace! The fact that we share our building with our community is incredibly important to me. Welcome and hospitality are central themes in the Bible, and, to me, a hallmark of a loving and caring community. We are not a clique, we are a congregation.
When I was covering the reception desk I was constantly aware of how many groups and projects use our church building, especially from our greater community. Some were ongoing, weekly groups, some were one-time luncheons or conferences and some were individuals. Most Wednesday mornings a gentleman would come into the church to use the meditation space. He was not a member, but part of his recuperation from a serious medical issue was quiet time, and I was always touched that he chose Grace as the place that nourished his body and his soul. What if this space was not available?
Even during the pandemic, Grace has carefully considered how to use the building. The Children’s Center reopened at the end of May, and, in fact, has added an extra class for kindergarten aged children. YTL uses the fellowship hall to continue, and enhance, it’s programming. This is now a place where children have internet access, and assistance, in keeping up with their virtual coursework.
It takes money to keep our building warm or cool, clean, lighted and supervised. If the lights go out, we lose a valuable asset for our service to all our friends and members. Now is the time, even when we can’t be IN the church building, to remember how important it has been, and will be. The church does not need a building to survive, but we have a building, and we need to use it well in order to thrive. Please pledge.
Pledging is easy to do on Realm. Contact Natalie Weaver in the church office if you have any questions. Thank you!
~ Submitted by Lynne Noble, Stew Crew All-Star
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Click the video to watch the fifth installment of the Stew Crew
All-Stars stewardship videos.
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If Pledging in Realm, be sure to check the total pledge at the end of the sentence before saving your pledge for accuracy. The first field after "I pledge" will be used to calculate the total pledge based on the frequency you select in the "to be given" field. If you don't plan to give a regular set amount, you can always select "as can" and enter the annual total in the first field.
For example, if you want your total pledge to be $12,000 and you plan to give in monthly increments, you would enter this:
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WAYS TO PLEDGE FOR 2021:
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Sign into your Realm account online or on the Realm Connect mobile app and enter a pledge under the Giving tab. Detailed instructions with photos are here.
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Email Natalie Weaver your total pledge amount and planned giving frequency (i.e. weekly, monthly) to have her enter it on your behalf.
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Contact the Finance Office at 828-254-3274, ext. 202 or nweaver@gcpcusa.org to request a printed pledge card be mailed to your home address.
Click here to watch a video example of how to pledge in Realm.
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Dear Congregation,
One of the important tasks that GCPC undertakes this time of year is the nomination of Deacons and Elders to faithfully serve our church. These nominations come from all of us, the congregation. Please use this google form link to nominate a person you believe to be qualified for Deacon or for Elder. We kindly ask that you submit your nominations by Wednesday, November 18th.
As a reminder of the differences in the roles, Deacons are the pastoral care arm of the church, they are the caretakers. Each Deacon has a regional group of church members to whom they are assigned to minister. Elders exercise leadership, government, and spiritual discernment and have responsibilities for the life of the congregation.
Before you nominate, please ask the person if they would be willing and able to serve for the next 3 years in this important role.
Thank you for your time and consideration during this important nomination process.
In Christ's Love,
The 2020 Nominating Committee of GCPC
Jessica Graham, Heather Hudson, Russell Kominski, Andrea Rosal, Jonathan Ross,
Margaret Tierney (Chair), Jessica Clark, and Debby Vance
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GCPC Daily Devotionals
If you would like to receive the GCPC Daily Devotional directly to your inbox, please email Anna Louise.
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GLORY TO GOD
Dear GCPC Community,
We are encouraging all members of GCPC to add their voice to our worship. Will you consider the "Glory to God" Challenge? This is fun for all ages and it's easy to do too! The instructions, video link and uploading instructions are provided below. Please let me know if you have any questions or need assistance. I would love to add your voice to this project.
Keeping the song alive,
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Click below to get the video you will use to rehearse and record with: |
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Once you've made your recording click the Google link below to upload your recording of Glory to God and you're done!
Thanks for being a part of our Glory to God Challenge!
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Welcome to the Presbyterian Women’s Christmas Event – 2020 Style! | Monday, December 7 | 7:00 - 8:00 PM | via Zoom
Yes, Virginia, we will have a ZOOM event. All Grace Covenant women (you don’t need to be a circle member), are invited to participate on December 7, from 7 – 8 pm. There will be music, time to chat in smaller groups, more music, a presentation about the Guatemalan Microloan Project, more music, and a collage of favorite Christmas decorations.
How can you get in on the fun?
- Put December 7 from 7 – 8 pm on your calendar.
- Be on the look-out for the Zoom invitation.
- Log on, link up and join in. Feel free to bring snacks and libation to the festivities.
If you would like to participate in the collage, please send a picture of your favorite crèche, ornament or decoration to lynnesnoble@gmail.com by Friday, December 4th.
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Equal Exchange - No Contact Bulk Sales
*ENDING SOON!*
We are accepting orders of the in-stock products and will arrange for no contact pick up/payment during the building closure. You can find the current list of available products here or by going directly to http://bit.ly/EqualExchangeGCPC. Recently expired products available at discounted rates!
If interested in purchasing, please email Natalie with the types and quantities of each from the inventory sheet that you'd like. She will respond with the total due, available pick up dates/times, and payment options.
These orders will require a minimum of 1 case of coffee (6 bags) OR 1 case of chocolate bars (12 bars) per order. Pending availability, you can mix and match your favorites of each and add on additional items once the minimum has been reached.
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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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Spiritual/Pastoral Support |
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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.
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Prayer List
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
Marcia Zuzel (friend of Kim Hottle and Melissa Shook)
Jonathan Hettrick and family (friends of Sherrie Meehan)
Ryan Lockett (nephew of Denise Lockett)
Jennifer Martin (Yvonne Smith's daughter)
Marjorie Tague (Karen Punta's friend)
Pauline Stransky (Mark Stransky’s mother)
Kalynn, Taylor and Laura Kathryn Smith and Anne Marie Riether (Bryant Smith's children and their mother)
Sally Mason (Liz Rupp's friend)
Jean Luc Mastyn (Bill McNeff's son-in-law)
Hettie Lou Garland
Bob Higgins
Cory Hartbarger
Florence and Steve Riedesel
Roslyn Carney
Susan Smialowicz
Laura Ross
Bill Williamson
Queen Mother Maggie Belle Gladden
Bob Walther
Penny Ponder
Amanda Pressley
All those participating in the “Me & White Supremacy” study
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PART (Power & Race Team) Meeting | TONIGHT, Thursday, November 12 | 6:00 PM | via Zoom
Join PART tonight at 6:00 PM to continue our work eliminating white supremacy in ourselves and in our church.We are envisioning new ways to be with each other that are no longer harmful to BIPOC. Everyone is welcome!
Tema Okun is an author and facilitator who has been helping organizations, communities, and individuals dismantle white supremacy culture for several decades. You can find more about her work here and a full list of her "Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture" here. PART has been engaging for some time with these characteristics and exploring how they show up at GCPC and in each of us.
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Here is a must see video discussion between Austin Channing Brown, author of "Black Dignity in a World of Whiteness" and Kevin Frederick of Kevinonstage.Through humor and storytelling they express the realities of systemic racism and the impact on their lives.
~ submitted by Liz Huesemann, PART Member
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"Me and White Supremacy" Study: All-Comers Reflective Zoom | THIS Sunday, November 15 | 7:00 PM
Come to our last reflective zoom and explore with others who are participating in the latest phase of the GCPC's work to dismantle white supremacy culture within ourselves and in our community.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 872 8127 0452
Password: 789
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Sunday Morning Film Series on Voting & Immigration Rights| Sundays | Nov. 1-22 | 9:00 - 10:15 AM
With the help of Brave New Films, a group dedicated to championing social justice issues through media and education, we will be examining voting and immigration rights through the lens of faith this November. Through zoom, we will be watching the films Suppressed 2020: The Fight to Vote and Immigrant Prisons, along with holding discussions about what we are called to do as a faith community in the face of wide-scale voter suppression and immigrant detention. Together we will grieve these wrongs, pray for God’s will, and implement the social change we seek. These sessions are co-sponsored by our Creating Sanctuary and Power and Race Teams.
Facilitators: Kathy Meacham, Alexandra Lusak, and Richard Coble
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 899 2435 0020
Passcode: 789
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Sunday Evening Bible Study & Prayer Group | Sundays | 5:00 PM via Zoom
Our new Bible Study and Prayer Group will be focusing on how selected passages from the Gospel of John speak to our spiritual lives and needs today. With a contentious election looming, the pandemic entering a new phase, and the cold weather approaching, the coming months will be difficult. Our hope is that this group is a time of support, contemplation, and fellowship, where we can feel the movement of the Spirit and ready ourselves for another week. So please, join us as you can. Contact Richard with questions.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 834 6929 0018
Passcode: 789
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GCPC 20s/30s Gathering: "Cider & Psalms: A Pandemic Friendsgiving" | Thursday, November 19 | 6:00 PM |
Morgan Shuler's Backyard
If you are in your twenties or thirties (or nearly these ages), let's celebrate community with a fun and meaningful outdoor gathering near a warm fire. Hot cider, Hot chocolate and tea will be provided.
Please bring a fold-up chair (if you have one), as well as any food to munch on. Also, we invite you to bring a piece of scripture, poem, or a song that brings you hope or fills you with gratitude these days.
Dogs are welcome! Masks are required and please do not attend if you are feeling unwell. We look forward to connecting with one another and giving thanks for the gift of community!
(In case of rain, this event will be virtual)
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Enneagram Sessions for GCPC Parents
Wednesday enneagram Zoom gathering, for GCPC parents is:
Wednesday, November 18th, 6:30-8:30pm.
Facilitated by Carol Hovis, all parents are welcome. If you don't know your enneagram type, contact Carol.
Email Carol if you would like to participate.
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Pre-K - 3rd Grade Sunday Morning Adventure | 10:15 am | Zoom
You'll get an email every Friday with the Zoom link for our Sunday 10:15am check in. Email Anna Louise if you did not receive the link.
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4th & 5th Graders CONNECT Class | Sundays | 5:00-5:45pm | Zoom
Each week, families will receive an email with a unique login for class. If you would like to be on the list, please email Anna Louise.
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Youth Group | Sunday, Nov. 15 | 5:00-6:30 PM on Zoom
Join us at youth group this week to help us design our 2020-21 T-shirts!! Jennifer Edwards will be joining us to help us brainstorm and create our awesome youth group shirts based on our theme for the year, New Horizons. We'll also play some games and talk about the ways God inspires wise leaders. Hope to see you there!
Calling all T-shirt artists!
On Sunday we will brainstorm our design ideas as a whole group. If you are interested in being part of a breakout group to turn those ideas into art, please add your name to the list here.
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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: Second Thursday of each month, 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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Community Working Together |
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GCPC Covenant Partner, CoThinkk
One of GCPC’s more unique Covenant Partners, that you may never have heard of, is CoThinkk. Many would classify it as a “Giving Circle” nonprofit. But it’s so much more. Read on.
CoThinkk is dedicated to social change philanthropy by bringing together community leaders who care about the economic and social well-being of communities of color in Asheville and Western North Carolina. CoThinkk started in 2014 with the intention to implement investment strategies that address education, economic mobility/opportunity, and leadership development towards impacting some of the most critical social issues facing African American and Latinx communities in Western North Carolina.
One new member of CoThinkk states: “I grew up in Asheville, went to Asheville High School, was aware of institutional racism and had a few Black and Brown friends. But when I came back to Asheville from college and got involved with CoThinkk, I came to realize that Asheville was not like I had always thought of it. I absorbed information about redlining and about where investments go. And I have gained a much deeper understanding of my own white privilege.”
Another member says: “I moved here from North Boston and found Asheville much more homogenous than I had imagined and recent events have shattered my heart and I don’t recognize my country anymore. In CoThinkk I have found a way to move things forward. I am so impressed with the people, the mission, the values, and the friendliness. Being in this CoThinkk community is what really counts with my heart."
CoThinkk leaders are doing "systems change work." That work focuses on shifting mental models and positive disruption. In this 2020 moment where narratives are being interrupted, inequitable policies and practices are being revealed, and communities are willing to be bold, the CoThinkk community is deeply committed to building a robust community network of leaders. These leaders work together to interrupt systems and institutional structures to facilitate positive change. To Learn more about CoThinkk on the website: https://cothinkk.org/
Grace Covenant is proud to be in partnership with this superb community organization. CoThinkk is a powerful example of a social change philanthropic model. They are addressing complex challenges by amplifying the time, talent and treasure of African American and Latinx community leaders and allies to shift narratives, deepen equity and drive systemic change.
TAKE NOTE that CoThinkk is putting on its fifth annual (virtual) event, “INTERRUPTING THE NOW: REIMAGINING THE FUTURE”, celebrating our community's leaders of color, lifting up our grantees game-changing work on November 14th from 6-8pm. Read more below.
Join this celebration and you will feel the incredible spirit of our dynamic Covenant Partner!
~ submitted by John Huie
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CoThinkk VIRTUAL Awards Night: Interrupting the Now: Reimagining the Future | Saturday, November 14 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Let us come together in celebrating the fifth Annual CoThinkk Awards Night, Interrupting the Now: Reimagining the Future. We are aching to be together in person - to eat, dance, and share space - however, for everyones health and wellbeing we are excited to get creative this year!! Due to COVID-19, The event will be at completely virtual- we will still have music, we will still interact, and we will still get to hear speeches from every grantee and leadership awardee!
There is game changing work being done in our community right now. We invite you to take the night to pause together- to celebrate and honor all those who are reimagining the future. We are looking forward to announcing this year's grant recipients and recognizing community leaders in Western North Carolina.
STAY TUNED:
We are still navigating the best way to gather virtually online- so please RSVP so we can see how many folks are coming. And look out for an email that will show you how to join when the time comes.
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A Talk in the Woods: Conversations about Our Place in Creation |
Thursday, November 12 | 7:00 PM | via ZOOM
Western North Carolinians are fortunate to live among such wondrous mountains that show an abundant display of color in the fall. How can we both enjoy and respect this natural world that is all around us?
Listen and share as we create community across the Presbytery and discuss environmental issues and earth care concerns with others who have similar interests. Join our monthly gathering of people who have an interest in earth care ministry by ZOOM on November 12 at 7:00 PM. Please register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The next Talk in the Woods will be December 10 and the topic will be the Christmas tree industry.
A Talk in the Woods is sponsored by the Earth Care Team of the Presbytery of WNC. For more information about A Talk in the Woods or the Presbytery’s Earth Care Team contact Jane at janelaping@sbcglobal.net.
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GCPC Community Garden News
Last Thursday a stalwart, repeat crew of "potato miners" (Anthony, Betsy W., Beth K., Bob B., Buzz D., Chris P., Eugene D., Judy M., Louise R., Rick P. and Susan R.) bagged 1,250 lbs of Jasperwood Farm potatoes that were delivered to Southside Kitchen, Loving Food Resources, Western Carolina Rescue Ministries and My Sister's Place (domestic violence agency and shelter in Marshall). Next up.....Jasperwood Cabbage!
Following expert tilling by Rick P on Friday, Saturday morning proved to be the perfect time for Barb T, Chris P, Ellis Hill, Yvonne and Judy to plant about 2/3 of Bed 12 with 3 varieties of hardneck and Earth Fare softneck garlic.
Saturday morning Pam Baker, Susan Roderick, Win Word-Sims, Betsy Wilson, Yvonne Smith, and Keaton and Ellis Hill harvested 203 pounds of cabbage and 28 pounds of collards for pickup by YTL.
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Thank you for your generous giving! Your gifts are enabling the church to continue our important work in our community. We appreciate your faithful support!
Remote Giving & Paperless Statements
Here are a few different ways to stay up-to-date on your giving remotely:
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MAIL gifts to the office at 789 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804
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BANK BILL PAY mails checks remotely, one-time or on a recurring schedule - contact your bank to set this up
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ONLINE at https://onrealm.org/gcpcusa/give/now
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TEXT "giveGCPC" and AMOUNT to 73256 (i.e. giveGCPC $100)
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MOBILE through the Connect - Our Church Community app
Interested in setting up online recurring giving? Follow these simple step-by-step instructions to self-manage eGiving through Realm or return this signed authorization form to have our Finance Office set up on your behalf.
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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Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church | 828.254.3274
789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804
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