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Worship Preview | Sunday, December 7, 2025
Second Sunday of Advent

In-person and online service

Deacon of the Week:

We as Deacons know holidays may be difficult for some of our congregants. The Deacon of the Week is available to talk, provide support, and coordinate care if needed. You are not alone. You are loved. Please reach out to our deacon of the week if you have any needs or concerns.

This week (11/30-12/6) Liz Huesemann | email: lizhuesemann@gmail.com

Next week (12/7-12/13) Michelle Chromey | email: monelchromey@gmail.com 



Deacon of the Week Prayer:

Lord, I yearn to feel your energy which I know surrounds me. I want to feel the sensations of your presence. I also yearn for this to lead to a time of deep renewal in my life and a time I can seek out your gentle and profound voice. Give me grace to turn away from the many voices of the world that compete for my attention. I yearn for you to come into my life more deeply.

Amen.

~ Liz Huesemann

Click here to read the "Envision the Possibilities" Stewardship Letter

How to Make Your 2026 Pledge

• Scan the QR code for a link to the online Pledge Card
• Click here: https://onrealm.org/gcpcusa/-/form/pledge/envision 
• Email your pledge and giving frequency to giving@gcpcusa.org
• Visit Brett in the Finance Office at GCPC Tuesday-Thursday 10am-2pm. 

Power and Race Team (PART) Meeting | Thursday, December 4 | 6:00 PM | Zoom

Power and Race Team (PART) meets monthly and intentionally does the work of dismantling white supremacy culture within our own bodies, relationships, and community. Marcia Mount Shoop as facilitator uses tools from Tema Okun, Resmaa Menakem, and Desiree B. Stephen’s to guide our embodied practices of healing ourselves and the world.

Please join us because we are an open space as well as collaborative, generative and transformative.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/91314445389

Meeting ID: 913 1444 5389 Passcode: 789

GCPC Ringers (Bell Choir) | Thursdays | 6:30 PM | Choir Room

Would you like to be part of a Hand Bell Choir? Rehearsals will take place on Thursday evenings in the Choir Room from 6:30 - 7:45 pm. All high school youth and adults are welcome! All that is needed is curiosity and joy for making music in community. You will be gently supported on your music journey. Please contact Ray at ray@gcpcusa.org if you are interested!

Pride Collective Gathering | Saturday, December 6 | 5:00 PM | Susan & Joyce Foster's house

Joyce and Susan Foster will be hosting a Christmas party for the Pride Collective at their home on December 6 at 5pm. We will be having dinner and a white elephant gift exchange. Joyce and Susan will be providing soups as the main course. Please bring a salad, side, or dessert to share, along with a gift for the white elephant exchange that is $20 or less.

Intergenerational Advent Lunch and Formation | Sundays (Dec. 7, 14, 21) | following worship | Fellowship Hall

Every Sunday immediately following worship during Advent (November 30-December 21) we will gather in the Fellowship Hall for a simple lunch and a creative activity for all ages. GCPC member, Jen Edwards, will be guiding us in a collaborative art project, “Weaving Together of Heaven and Earth”, that we build on each week and that will finally adorn the sanctuary for Christmas Eve. 

On December 7 we will also be joined by Adama Dembele, Doris-Owanda Johnson, and Jay Beck who will be teaching us more about drumming and dancing during our Advent lunch. 

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE GCPC ADVENT ART 2025 PHOTO ALBUM!

Music with Ray (Pre-K - 5th Grade) | 5:30 PM | Robing Room

Music with Ray is a nurturing space where children can discover and express their amazing creativity through play, singing, movement, and playing instruments (chimes/bells, Orff barred instruments, and drums). Children will have opportunities to share their music making in our Sunday morning worship services as they feel ready.

Centering Prayer | 6:00 PM | Sanctuary

Pray with GCPC with this simple ritual. Light the God Candle and say blessings in your silence. We turn to our inward self and repeat a phrase such as Peace of Christ. If your mind wanders, it is okay. Just return to your phrase. Be gentle with yourself. After 20-30 minutes the candle is blown out and we show or say the Peace of Christ to each other. Rest in the peace as you leave.

GCPC Choir | 6:30 PM | Choir Room

The choir is open to all youth and adults who have a love and curiosity for creating music together! No previous experience or training is necessary. You will be welcomed with open arms and supported as you discover or rediscover your singing voice. Childcare is provided for those who have little ones. I hope you will consider adding your wonderful presence and voice to our choir! ~ Ray

GCPC Food Distribution | Thursday, December 11 | 11 AM - 1 PM | Sanctuary

Join us as a volunteer to help with food distribution on Thursdays and/or help us stock the supply center with the items listed below.

GCPC Campfire Collective | Thursday, December 11 | 5:00 PM*  | Garden Room* (*note new time and location)

We all have stories to tell. Come share your real experiences and stories in the company of other folks of good will. Warm up, cultivate joy, go light or go deep.  

Imagine sitting around the campfire together – remembering, sharing, laughing, connecting, opening our hearts and minds, learning, and supporting.

Each gathering will open with a moment of centering and reflecting on a theme or a question. Then each person will be offered time to share an anecdote or a brief story that carries personal meaning to which the group may respond. 

Come as often as you like. Everyone is welcome. Sharing our stories in a semi-structured framework, we will deepen friendships and build community. (And bring a whittling stick if you have one!)

John Huie and others will facilitate. 

Meal Train for Olivia Goldstein

Olivia has had back surgery and needs our help and support! Let's show her some GCPC love while she is recovering!

Sign up here:

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/2wzmv8

Would you like to help usher on Sunday mornings at GCPC?

We are looking for a few more folks to helpm with ushering on Sundays. It is a great way to get to know folks at GCPC! If you are able to assist, please email Anna Louise at annalouise@gcpcusa.org.

REALM Contact Information Updates!!

Please take a moment to add/update your contact information (including mailing address) in Realm. This helps us stay connected as a community.

Click HERE to login to Realm.

GCPC Nametags

If you are in need of a new nametag,

please email Anna Louise at annalouise@gcpcusa.org.

GCPC Writing Collective | Thursday, December 18 | *5:00 PM (note new time) | Indie Room

If you love to write and welcome a chance to be creative and supportive around writing in community, come to the GCPC Writing Collective on the third Thursday of the month in the Indie Room (Education Wing) at 6 pm. Come as you are and when you can. Bring a journal and something to write with or your laptop and any food you wish to have.

This will be a supportive, generative gathering that centers the way writing makes space for creativity, expression, connection, and healing. The group will be convened by Marcia Mount Shoop, Margaret Belk and others. Feel free to reach out with questions.

Parents' Night Out | Friday, December 19 | 5:30 - 8:30 PM | Fellowship Hall & Atrium

As the year draws to an end we will share in one final Parents' Night Out! This will be a holiday themed celebration for the children. We will decorate cookies, enjoy a hot chocolate bar, and create a craft to share with families.

Kids are asked to bring their own dinner; snacks and dessert will be provided. Parent's Night Out will be held in the Fellowship Hall and Atrium. Registration is open until Thursday, Dec. 18.

Longest Night Service | Sunday, December 21 | 6:30 PM | Sanctuary

On December 21 the “Longest Night” service will be both online and in the sanctuary at 6:30 PM. This service is a space for everyone, especially those feeling the grief this season can carry. 

CELEBRATE THIS SEASON OF GIVING

WITH YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR

HISPANIC NEIGHBORS

We are all aware of the many stresses on our Hispanic community at this time. The fear of deportation and the possibility of family separation have caused many families great emotional and financial stress. You can participate in providing support and relief to some families with the opportunity described here.

The SERVE Council received a request from Raices, a youth-serving group under La Milpa’s umbrella, to help some of the families provide a bit of Christmas for the children of Raices. (You may have seen the Raices dance troupe perform during a worship service in the past.) We have been provided a list of Raices children whose parents have requested assistance in providing a Christmas gift for their child.   If you wish to provide a gift(s) totaling about $25 for one or more of the Raices children this year, you can follow the link below to select a child from the list. A couple of other groups have also participated, but GCPC received a specific request, so we are offering you this opportunity.

Be sure to check out the details in the Sign-Up Genius for suggestions of gifts. Also, instructions tell you to bring gifts to 347 Kenilworth Rd., Asheville, by Monday, but if you bring them to church Sunday (Dec. 7), Dana Cozad will take them on Monday.



Questions? Please call/text Dana at 803-439-2456 or email decozad5@aol.com.

Standing with Immigrant Families Across WNC

Pisgah Legal Services stands in solidarity with immigrant families across Western North Carolina and throughout our state. We recognize that recent developments—particularly in the Charlotte area—have sparked fear, confusion, and uncertainty for many of our neighbors. Concerns about traveling to work, taking children to school, and simply engaging in daily life have become deeply unsettling under the threat of detention or family separation.

To our immigrant neighbors: you are not alone. You have rights under the law, and Pisgah Legal is here to help you understand and protect those rights.

As part of our commitment to access to justice and making sure that people understand and exercise their legal rights, we have compiled a comprehensive set of resources to support immigrant families. These resources are available in our Immigrant Rights & Resources sheet.

Safe Shelter Update!

"Both Winter Safe Shelter locations have been near or at capacity this past week. We have had multiple nights where all 60 beds at Safe Shelter have been full.

As we serve 3x our year-round capacity, our supply needs are greater than ever.

We are deeply grateful for our community in helping us meet many of our urgent needs before the cold spell this past weekend. Many of our needs from our previous list have been met — thank you for all of your support!



If you are able to continue helping Safe Shelter during our winter expansion, here is our updated needs list. Drop off donations anytime between 12pm-7pm at Home: West Asheville Hub, 27 Balm Grove Avenue, Asheville, NC 28806"

Open Enrollment for 2026 Marketplace coverage is happening now through January 15, 2026.

This year brings big changes to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, including higher premiums for many plans and updates that could affect your coverage. Even if you had Marketplace insurance last year, it’s important to review your options to make sure you’re getting the best plan for your needs.

Certified health counselors with Pisgah Legal Services offer free, unbiased help to people in 18 WNC counties. Our team can help you compare plans and enroll before the deadlines:

• Dec. 15 for coverage starting Jan. 1
• Jan. 15 for coverage starting Feb. 1

Learn more or make an appointment at pisgahlegal.org/health or call 828-210-3404. Help is available in English and Spanish.

The Center for Faith and Life and First Congregational UCC warmly welcome you to First Baptist Church of Asheville on Wednesday, December 17 at 5:30 p.m. for an evening of Reading and Conversation with artist and writer Jan Richardson. Learn more about this event here.