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GCPC Alive and Well This Week! |
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All Saints Eve Drive Through Extravaganza video!
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Worship Preview | Sunday, November 8, 2020 |
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Sermon: "As the World Burns" by Marcia Mount Shoop
Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13
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Keeping the Faith
2021 Stewardship Campaign
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KEEPING THE FAITH 2021: JUSTICE AND EQUITY MINISTRIES
Our GCPC community grapples with equity and justice issues because we’re serious about “Love your neighbor as yourself”. We’re looking at systemic racism, power dynamics, repairing injustices….and even looking at the centuries-old myth of “whiteness”, “white superiority”, and even how white supremacy warps white people too.
We’ve been listening to, conversing with, and learning from generous people who share their experiences as people of color: Cherokee elders, Guatemalan immigrants, young Black Asheville leaders, our teachers Rev. Tami Forte Logan, Phyllis Utley, and Meta Commerse. After weeks of preparation, a group made a pilgrimage to Montgomery’s Legacy Museum and National Memorial to Peace and Justice with the Reverends Tami Forte Logan, Marcia Mount Shoop & Naomi Tutu of All Souls Cathedral. The church-wide study of Me & White Supremacy made us deeply reflect on changes needed within ourselves and society in general.
We at Grace Covenant are known for donating to worthy causes. Our ways of giving, however, are changing to reflect our commitment to justice and equity. Instead of a charity-model, we are moving to an equity-model designed to address the structural factors that benefit some social groups/communities and harm other groups/communities. We aim to reduce the harm.
Rather than barging in, we must carefully discern how to act for justice and equity. It must be done humbly, wisely, sharing power with the impacted community that knows best what they need and building relationships as we walk alongside.
Some actions we have taken:
- Invited “Youth Transformed for Life (YTL)” to run a “virtual school” learning pod for students from impacted communities
- Organized a Long-Range Visioning Team to plan how we might share our campus and buildings more in the future
- Serve Council chose as Covenant Partners thirteen local groups led by Latinx and Black and Indigenous People of Color. Besides funding, the goal is to build deeper relationships between GCPC people and Covenant Partners so we may support their efforts in order to cultivate equity and repair.
GCPC is a faith community that can—and must--hold each other accountable as we try to reveal and heal injustices.
Speaking of faith…. Will you commit to KEEPING THE FAITH in 2021? Yes, GCPC, it’s time for us to commit together to “KEEPING THE FAITH 2021” by supporting justice and equity ministries—and ALL the ministries of Grace Covenant--with your pledge.
The Stew Crew is asking GCPC to keep the faith by renewing your pledge at the same level you pledged in 2020. If you have never pledged before, we hope you will now. Every penny of your gift directly funds life-giving ministries. Pledging is easy to do on Realm. Contact Natalie Weaver in the church office if you have any questions. Thank you!
~ Submitted by Lynne Meacham, Stew Crew All-Star
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Click the video to watch the fourth installment of the Stew Crew
All-Stars stewardship videos.
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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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GCPC's Devotional 11/5
A word from Marcia about the election.
Reasons to be calm and to be community.
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Every night during election week at 5:00-5:30 PM there is an interfaith prayer opportunity on Zoom:
"Holding Balance In Uncertain Times."
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The Stated Clerk of the PC(USA)’s General Assembly offers words of hope to a nation anxious over election uncertainty
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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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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 Mary Craig)
Ryan Lockett (nephew of Denise Lockett)
Eveline Damiano (Daughter of Lisette deGroot)
Jennifer Martin (Yvonne Smith's daughter)
Travis Heck (Brian Cook's brother)
Marjorie Tague (Karen Punta's friend)
Marianne Nash (Dave Nash’s daughter)
David Nash, Jr. (Dave Nash’s son)
Thomas Dellinger (son of Libbie Dellinger and Sharlena Thomas)
Betty Hord (Alexandra Hollifield’s great-grandmother)
Robb Overholt (Matt Wiedle’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)
Hettie Lou Garland
Bob Higgins
Cory Hartbarger
Florence and Steve Riedesel
Roslyn Carney
Susan Smialowicz
Laura Ross
Bill Williamson
Queen Mother Maggie Belle Gladden
All those participating in the “Me & White Supremacy” study
Bob Walther
Penny Ponder
Amanda Pressley
Our sympathy and support are extended to the family of Mal Parada who died yesterday in his home. Please keep Mal's family in your prayers. We will share details of the service as they become available.
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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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Enneagram Sessions for GCPC Parents
Next Wednesday enneagram Zoom gathering,
6:30-8:30pm, for GCPC parents is
Wednesday, November 18th.
No gathering Wednesday, November 11, 2020.
All gatherings are 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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"Me and White Supremacy" Study: All-Comers Reflective Zoom | 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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PART (Power & Race Team)
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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I am going to continue to go deeper with the white supremacy norm of gaslighting.
Racial gaslighting is emotional abuse that undermines individual experiences and feelings of BIPOC. The tactics of denial, aversion, and role reversals are used in order to manipulate their reality and for white people to maintain superiority, power and control. Examples: "Not everything is about race. More people would listen to you if you were not aggressive. Do not fight hate with hate. I do not see colour. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Reverse racism exists. I was only joking. Why are you taking things so seriously? You have become too sensitive. You are being overly dramatic. Are you sure it was about race? I am sure they did not mean it that way. All lives matter. Racism does not exist anymore. Are you sure that happened? Just to play devil's advocate here. What I said was not racist. In my opinion, I do not think they were racist, etc."
If you have said one or more of the above statements, I want to ask you to take time for self-reflection and challenge your internal biases. GCPC is providing opportunities for you to do this through reflection groups on the book Me and White Supremacy (more groups to come this winter), attending PART meetings and deeply considering new ways of being in the world, going to church and listening to God's will, reading, and faithfully being in a beloved community where truth and love prevail.
And for those of us who feel we are doing the work of eliminating white supremacy, remember there is more learning to do. The learning does not end. There is not a final event that says your work is finished. It is a process.
Please join us on November 12th at 6pm for our next meeting. All are welcome.
~ submitted by Liz Huesemann PART Member
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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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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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**THERE WILL BE NO YOUTH GROUP THIS WEEK (11/8)!** |
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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, SOS: Saving Our Selves / What They Don't Teach You in School
SOS has coached several individuals in reimagining and recreating community development and mutual aid. Incarcerated individuals have strengthened their relationship with children and co-created a reading program for them and their children. The children on the outside and the parents who are incarcerated have been able to connect more deeply through stories beginning with the book "Reallionaire: Nine Steps to Becoming Rich from the Inside Out." by Farrah Gray. Farrah shared lessons on what he learned outside of the traditional education system that enabled him to succeed in business by age 15.
~ submitted by Phyllis Utley
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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
Thanks to Team #1 gardeners, Eugene Donaldson, Bryant Smith and John Curry. Despite the breezy, chilly weather, they harvested 221+ pounds of beautiful cabbage and almost 6 lbs of collards. Thanks Eugene and John for the attached photos!
Cabbage and collards were delivered to Southside kitchen, WNC Rescue Ministries and the downtown YMCA.
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3rd Quarter Statements Emailed 10/21
I f you gave January - September, you should have received an email on 10/21 from notifications@onrealm.org with a link to your contribution statement PDF. This shows the details of your donations and pledge balance, if applicable.
Please note, this only includes gifts made through 9/30/20. To see all your giving records to date and manage online giving, log into Realm at onrealm.org/gcpcusa and click Giving, or contact Natalie in the Finance Office at nweaver@gcpcusa.org.
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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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Autumn Lecture Series:
A Story Medicine Fundraiser
We all carry our stories within us. When we use them for stewing, ranting or giving up, we get stuck in this gooey energy and wonder why we cannot move forward. Our Indigenous ancestors knew that the stories of humanity, of the human condition, would heal the earth and the world. During these days of contagion, we have had to forego our annual Gala Fundraiser, the financial life-blood of Story Medicine Worldwide and its healing work. Instead we are offering this Lecture Series with presentations by two artists and two scientists, all Story Medicine certified facilitators. Join us in an interactive exploration of how story can guide us through the deep troubles of our times.
Each Lecture Topic will be in two parts, Monday nights, 6:30-7:30.
Click HERE for more information about each topic.
For each lecture, the suggested donation is $25 or more. No one will be turned away, any contribution is appreciated. Click HERE for flyer.
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Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church | 828.254.3274
789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804
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