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I sense there is this mystery:
All life is being lived.
Who is living it, then?
Is it the things themselves,
or something waiting inside them,
like an unplayed melody in a flute?
~ Rainer Maria Rilke, from "I Sense There Is This Mystery"
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Sunday Preview
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper
Transfiguration of the Lord
New Member Sunday
Worship services @ 8:15 & 10:45 AM
Education Hour (for all ages) @ 9:15 AM
Homily:
"Leaving and Believing" by Marcia Mount Shoop
Scriptures:
Exodus 24:12-18; Matthew 17:1-9
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Session is calling a congregational meeting immediately after 10:45 worship this Sunday, February 23 so that the Personnel Council can present the congregation with updated information.
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Ash Wednesday Services | February 26 | 7:00 AM, 1200 PM and 6:00 PM | Sanctuary
Begin your Lenten journey by joining us for the imposition of ashes. Carry the sign of the cross with you throughout out the day or conclude the day with this sacred ritual. A brief reflective service of prayer, scripture, and the imposition of Ashes will be offered at the times listed above.
*NO Centering Prayer on Wednesday, February 26
th
.
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Lenten Devotional
Pick up a copy of our Lenten devotional
Becoming a Beloved Community: A Matthew 25 journey to the cross.
“What if this Lenten season. . . we looked beyond personal disciplines and committed to creating beloved communities in our own backyards – communities reflecting the inclusive and healing love that Jesus modeled as he made his way to the cross?”
*Available at the Info Desk (or in the church office throughout the week). Please sign your name on the clipboard next to devotionals.
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RESCHEDULED for NEXT THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH at 7:00 PM at GCPC.
Laura Boosinger & Josh Goforth Concert
Acclaimed Appalachian old-time musician Laura Boosinger and outstanding fiddler, guitar-picker and mandolin player Josh Goforth will perform a musical history of the mountains. Based in Asheville, Laura has won glowing reviews wherever she appears. Whether she's singing, playing the clawhammer banjo, the autoharp or guitar, Laura is blessed with an "essence of the mountains" spirit that'll take you back to the days when folks used to huddle around the radio.
Josh is a talented multi-instrumentalist and recording artist who grew up steeped in the old-time Appalachian music traditions of Madison County.
*This performance is open to all. Free-will donations will be gladly accepted.
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NEWS FLASH:
GCPC received a mini grant from the NC Council of Churches: Partners in Health & Wholeness Division to educate our congregation on the healing aspects of a prayer labyrinth.
The funds will cover some of the costs for an adult Sunday school class (during Lent),
and for youth and children’s activities.
The labyrinth experience is often referred to as a “Prayer Walk.” Walking a labyrinth promotes reduction in stress and a feeling of peace. The grant proposal was sponsored by the Earth Team. The application for the Grant specified that GCPC would emphasize increased physical activity/mental health awareness and sharing the message of health as a faith issue. We hope someday, to fulfill a vision of a ‘Healing Labyrinth’ on our property that will help us heal our spirits, our community and our land.
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REGISTER NOW!
“We Like Sheep!” A Music, Drama, and Arts Camp at GCPC! | Monday - Friday | June 15-19, 2020 | 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
For Children 4 Yrs. (potty trained) through Rising 6th Graders
This summer we will be hosting a week of music, drama, and arts at Grace Covenant that will culminate in a musical performance called “We Like Sheep!” Jeff Jones, Ednamae Fisher, Josie Moe, and Heather Ferguson, along with the Children’s and Family Ministry Committee invite children to this full week of fun, friends, and fuzzy, four-legged creatures as we sing, act, create and celebrate the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the One who made the flock complete.
The week will culminate with a Friday (June 19) evening performance of the musical, “We Like Sheep!,” an exhibit of art and creative work by the children, and a reception beginning at 6:30 pm.
Cost: $100/child
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL: $75/child registered and paid in full by Friday, February 28, 2020.
Registration deadline – April 1, 2020
NOTE: Additional information will be requested after the registration deadline (April 1).
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Whoops!
A few weeks ago there was some online stewardship revelry going on. Remember? Folks were celebrating the news that the $50,000 matching challenge had been met. A lot of wonderful, committed GCPC members had increased their 2020 pledges enough to surpass the goal. Yay! Great news! We did it! You could almost visualize happy dancing going on in the church narthex.
Unfortunately, it seems as if many of us have mistakenly assumed meeting the matching dollar challenge meant we had met the overall 2020 stewardship goal. A lot of folks apparently breathed a deep, collective sigh of relief muttering, “Well thank the Lord that’s over!” Nuh-uh. It wasn’t over.
We met the matching $50,000 challenge goal. Yes. However, we are still $98,125 away from achieving the stewardship income budget goal of $1,200,000.
So, since pledges and pledge increases have slowed down to a trickle the past three weeks, this is what’s been done: Cuts! Budget cuts! Members of Finance Council and staff have worked hard going line-by-line seeing where we can reduce costs.
The big cut was the line item for replacing the roof on the education building. That will have to wait another year or until funding is available. Even after removing th
e roof replacement and all the other cuts, we are still left with a budget shortfall of -$40,000.
Now what? Well, for those of you who have never pledged, please consider doing so. For those of you who have pledged in the past but have not yet done so this year, please do so now. For those of you who do pledge but did not increase your pledge, please prayerfully consider whether you can increase your pledge in some way.
Remember, pledging is all about funding the ministry and mission of your congregation. When divided among the hundreds of people who are active at GCPC, $40,000 is a manageable amount. Do the math! Maybe we can all do some happy dancing in the narthex very soon to a balanced budget.
Gratefully,
Your 2020 Stew Crew
Lon Bechtel and Amber White, (co-chairs), Laurie Stradley, Robin and Gordon Gaiser, Jonathan and Laura Ross, & Chuck Reiley
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Garden Potluck
TOMORROW NIGHT!!
Friday, February 21 | 6:00 PM |
GCPC Fellowship Hall
All are invited -
new gardeners, veteran gardeners, garden supporters or just folks looking for a good time. Bring a dish to share. Come early (5:00 PM) and help set up or stay late and help clean up.
A good time is in the making as we sup together then share plans for the 2020 garden season.
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Creating Sanctuary Team (CST)
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CIMA - Rapid Response Efforts
With the recent announcement that the military will be sent to Sanctuary cities, they may also be sent to our area because they know that our Sheriff will not cooperate with ICE detainers.
I
nterested in Verifying?
If you or anyone you know is interested in helping reduce rumors when CIMA gets calls from community members about suspicious car or ICE activity, please sign up to become a verifier.
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The Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is calling on President Donald Trump and other federal leaders to change direction in how it deals with immigrant families crossing the U.S. border.
In a
letter to Trump
, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Attorney General William Barr, and members of Congress,
the Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, is asking that the practice of family separation come to an end.
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Power and Race Team (PART)
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Anti-Semitism plays a key role in upholding white supremacy.
The Lent 2020 lectionary readings from the Gospel of John are challenging for Christians trying to counter anti-Jewish/anti-Semitic interpretations of these stories. In a time when anti-Semitic violence is on the rise the responsibility of Christians to dismantle anti-Jewish/anti-Semitic readings of the Bible is crucial.
In this webinar, we will offer an historical overview of the context of John’s gospel, basic definitions of anti-Semitism and its biblical roots, key corrections to anti-Jewish readings of the texts, and possible new interpretations that hold the complexity of the 4 lectionary stories with more care.
This webinar will be particularly useful for Christian clergy, seminarians, and lay leaders committed to dismantling anti-Semitism. That said, all are welcome to join and learn.
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"Asheville: 10 Things I've Been Meaning to Say to You" | Wednesday, March 25 | 6:30 PM | Asheville High School Auditorium
Please join Asheville City Schools Foundation and Asheville City Schools for an evening of spoken word and poetry performed by Asheville City high school and middle school students, followed by a presentation from Jason Reynolds, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and author of Ghost, the Track Series, As Brave As You, and Long Way Down. Click
HERE
for more information and tickets.
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SAVE THE DATE!!
Bill McKibben -
2020's Brown Visionary Lecturer
| Thursday, April 2 | 7:00 PM | UNC Asheville's Kimmel Arena
Bill McKibben is an award-winning author and environmentalist whose 1989 book
The End of Nature is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change. He is a founder of 350.org, the first planet-wide, grassroots climate change movement, which has organized twenty thousand rallies around the world in every country save North Korea, spearheaded the resistance to the Keystone Pipeline, and launched the fast-growing fossil fuel divestment movement. *Free and open to everyone.
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This Sunday's Education Hour (for all ages)
Winter Term | January 5 – February 23
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Pressure Points | The Theology and Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer | Choir Room
A German theologian who called out 'cheap grace' and dreamed of a 'religionless Christianity,' Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a vital part of the Confessing Church who stood against Adolph Hitler's Third Reich at a time when most German Christian churches acquiesced to Nazism. He was executed in 1945 by the state for his part in a plot to overthrow the fascist regime. In our class together, we will learn from his theology and discuss why his legacy is currently being fought over by Christians with divergent viewpoints today.
Facilitators:
Marcia Mount Shoop & Richard Coble
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The Improv | Justice, Money and God: Exploring God’s call for right relationship (justice) by considering our relationship to money | FH
A lot of the Bible talks about money. In fact, money was Jesus’ most talked about topic. Money influences and has power in many of our relationships: our faith, our culture, our church. We will explore God’s call for justice and righteousness and wrestle together with where money fits into it all. In this class we'll be deepening relationships with each other, and hopefully seeing possibilities for new ways of relating to God, to ourselves, to each other, and to money.
Facilitators
:
Keaton Hill, Bonnie Parker and Kate Shem
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Digging In | Sexuality and the New Testament | Jerusalem Room
“If the Gospel is where we find healing from the harm done to us by the messages of the church, then it must also be where we find freedom.”
- Nadia Bolz-Weber
Sexuality and the New Testament is a 7-week, discussion-based series covering a variety of topics focused on sexual ethics in the light of New Testament principles. Our goal is to create a space for learning and honest discussions about sexuality in our contemporary culture that help us wrestle with the shame and confusion many of us harbor. Join us for discussions on purity culture, sexual identity, gender identity, and more.
Facilitators
:
Amber White & Leah Madamba
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Toddlers (ages 2-3) | “God Loves Me”
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9:15 – 10:15 AM | Toddler Room (1
st
floor)
Preschool/K (ages 4-5) | Godly Play
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9:15 –10:15 AM | Preschool Room (1
st
floor)
Elementary (grades 1-3) | Godly Play
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9:15–10:15 AM | Temple Room
(2
nd
floor)
Elementary (grades 4-5) | “CONNECT”
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9:15–10:15 AM | Indie Room
(2
nd
floor)
Middle School & Senior Highs (grades 6-12)
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9:00-10:15 AM | Youth Rooms
*Nursery care is available throughout Sunday morning beginning at 8:10 am.
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Bible Study | Wednesdays | 11:00 AM | Garden Room
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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Winter Women's Memoir Series | 4th Monday of month | 6:00 PM | Jerusalem Room
Join us for a series of book talks focusing on memoirs written by people of faith. Open to all women of the church. One copy of each book can be found in the church library. Please pre-read the book to ensure lively discussion.
- February 24 | I Grew Up Little: Finding Hope in a Big God by Patsy Clairmont | Facilitator: Grace Hall
- March 30 | Shameless: A Sexual Reformation by Nadia Bolz-Weber | Facilitator: Amber White
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VRQ - BBQ Cook Team |
Next cook date: March 2
| 4:30 or 5:30 PM| 1329 Tunnel Rd.
Inviting you to join the BBQ Cook Team at the VRQ on the first Tuesday to help prepare, cook and serve the evening meal! If this service fits your schedule, come at 4:30 to help prepare and cook or 5:30 to serve the evening meal. The evening usually ends by 7. No kitchen clean-up—it is a good time and good camaraderie. Questions? Contact Bill Neeriemer,
bill.nmer@gmail.com
.
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Ministry Partner News and Events...
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Food Connection Fundraiser:
"Anamalia" by Hobey Ford |
Saturday, February 22 | 2:00 PM |
Join Food Connection for an all-ages puppet show fundraiser as award-winning puppeteer Hobey Ford presents "Anamalia."
Tickets and information
here.
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Deacon Helpers Wanted!
The deacons have a list of people in our congregation available to provide meals, rides, and other needs to those who can use them, for example, when members have surgery, suffer a loss, or greet a new baby. When we identify a need, a sign-up is sent out to our helpers, and they can choose what dates to provide a meal, etc. It would be wonderful if we could expand this list. If you are interested, please contact Richard Coble (
rcoble@gcpcusa.org
).
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Mild Cognitive Impairment Support Group (MCI Group) | Wednesday, March 4 | 12 PM | Garden Room
This support group introduces techniques for daily living with such issues, led by Paul Rogers, a retired physician in our congregation. We meet the 1
st
and 3
rd
Wednesdays of every month.
*New participants welcome at any time.
Contact Richard,
rcoble@gcpcusa.org
, with questions.
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POSTPONED!
GCPC 20s/30s Gathering:
"Little Bites and Deep Thoughts!"
Look out for an email with the updated date
for “Lite Bites and Deep Thoughts,” where we will discuss selected chapters from Nadia Bolz-Weber’s book
Shame-less.
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Deacon of the Week
Each Sunday morning there will be a deacon available for everything from praying with you to giving you a tour of the building. This deacon will be wearing a purple sash and stationed in the narthex before 10:45 worship and in the front of the sanctuary after worship. He or she is also available during the week if you or someone you love needs assistance from our board of deacons.
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Sign up to take part in Youth Sunday!
Youth Sunday is March 29, and we would love to have all GCPC youth participate! We need ushers, sound technicians, readers, musicians, etc.--and the Youth Choir will be singing, too! If you didn't fill out the yellow form at youth group recently,
please enter your participation preferences here ASAP
.
And mark your calendars both for worship at 10:45 a.m. on March 29th and for a
final rehearsal on Saturday, March 28th from 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
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Middle School Faith
& Sexuality Retreat
For Youth (grades
5
-8)
&
Parents
Saturday, February 22,
9 AM - 5 PM
Please make this a priority.
Youth (grades
5
-8) and their parent(s) are highly encouraged to attend this impactful retreat. At least one parent must attend for each participating family. This retreat is sponsored by our presbytery, and Rev. Samantha and Katie Smith will serve as two of the facilitators. The cost is $10 per person (full/partial scholarships available) and lunch is included.
Registration deadline has passed.
Email
Samantha if you would still like to go.
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Senior High Faith
& Sexuality Retreat:
For Youth (grades 9-12)
&
Advisors
Sunday, February 23,
3 PM - 7 PM
GCPC
Please make this a priority.
Senior High youth are highly encouraged to attend this valuable retreat. Parents are
not
asked to attend, but they will be informed about the topics covered. Rev. Samantha and Katie Smith will be two of the facilitators, and all adult advisors will be present to help support these important conversations. The cost is $5 per person (scholarships available) and dinner will be included.
Registration deadline has passed.
Email
Samantha if you would still like to go.
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Youth Sunday School:
Youth Choir, Drama & Fun
(6th - 12th graders) | Every Sunday | 9:00-10:15 AM | Youth Rooms
This Spring we will continue to fearlessly dive into our faith in creative ways. We begin at 9:00am sharp with breakfast, followed by Youth Choir, Energizers, Games and an on-your-feet Bible Study. Let's continue having a blast sharing our voices and ideas with one another, as well as supporting each other as we prepare to share things in worship as well!
We will be practicing music for Youth Sunday, and we would love for you to be a part of it!
Questions?
Contact Samantha at
sgblock@gcpcusa.org
.
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*Please note: There will be NO Youth Group for Middle School Youth this coming Sunday evening (February 23)!
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Youth Group Lock-In | Friday, February 28-Saturday, February 29 | GCPC
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Senior High Presbytery Mission Retreat | Friday, March 6 - Saturday, March 7 | First Presbyterian Church - Newton
Join us for a rewarding weekend filled with service projects, fun, worship, music & fellowship! We will stay at First Presbyterian Church - Newton and engage in service together with Senior High youth from across the presbytery.
Please fill out this registration form by Friday, February 28
.
(Youth on PYC do NOT need to register with GCPC.)
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For Middle School Youth!
Indoor Rock Climbing! | Sunday, March 8 | 5 - 7 PM | Smoky Mountain Adventure Center (173 Amboy Rd.)
Let's reach for the stars and climb our way there! Meet at Smoky Mountain Adventure Center (173 Amboy Rd.). Dinner will be provided; bring cash for extra snacks or treats. GCPC will cover the cost for all climbers, so please
RSVP HERE ASAP, so that we can secure the reservation.
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Senior High Montreat
Youth Conference
(Week 5: July 26-Aug. 1):
Don't miss out on the fun!
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Middle School Massanetta Youth Conference
(Week 3: July 9-12):
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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)
Deborah Strong (Robin Gaiser's cousin)
Nancy Schaadt (Donna Robertson's sister)
Jeffrey Ferris (Mary Lou Nash's son)
Rebecca Wells' brother, Jamey
Jeff Combs (Bill McNeff's friend)
West Asheville Presbyterian Church
Marcia Zuzel (friend of Kim Hottle and Melissa Shook)
Virginia Bibee (Jamie Bibee Lloyd's mother)
Suzy Carter (David Carter's wife and Yvonne Smith's friend)
Arlene Hill (Jay Hill's aunt)
Eveline Damiano (Lisette de Groot's daughter)
Pam Morrell (Penny Ponder’s daughter)
Joseph Tierney (Paul Tierney's father)
Melissa Matherly Bowers (friend of Rick and Lynne Noble)
Maria Mason (friend of Serge and Carol Kavalhuna)
Rhulon Fowler (Todd Fowler's father)
Howard and Julia Clark (Elaine Blake's parents)
Hettie Lou Garland
Betty Smith
Margaret Rada
Bob Higgins
James Harwell
Joyce Summerlin
Cory Hartbarger
Florence Riedesel
Elizabeth Fisher
Doris Prak
Roslyn Carney
Nell Payne
Amanda Pressley
Allen Johnson
Sarah Frye
Dr. Horace Adams, Jr., charter member of Grace Covenant, died on Sunday, February 9th.
The Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 on Thursday, February 20, 2020 at St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church in Aiken, SC. The committal will be held on Friday, February 21, 2020 at 12:30 pm in Lewis Memorial Park, Asheville, NC. Click
HERE
to read the full obituary.
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Grace Covenant Community Out and About...
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February-March 2020
Enneagram Gatherings
Mondays, 6-8pm
Fridays, 10am-12noon
In the A-Frame @ GCPC
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To Puerto Rico with love - a benefit for disaster relief | Saturday, March 21 | 5:00 - 9:00 PM | One World Brewing West (520 Haywood Rd.)
Hosted by
Sip and Speak
and
One World Brewing West.
In the wake of recent earthquakes amidst of devastating natural disasters the people on the island feel the government is unprepared to meet the needs of its citizens.
We would like our fellow compadres to know they are not alone. With this benefit. We will have a raffle and a special performance by Sol Rhythms and music by DJ HijX De La Chingada and a Puerto Rican food pop up by Jeremy Salig! also a letter writing station to send messages of hope to the island. We are working with a people and families on Puerto Rico to make sure all proceeds and donations get in the hands of people who need it the most. Click
HERE
for more information.
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POAMN (Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network) presents: "Stronger Together: Faith in Action Across Generations" | April 30 - May 1, 2020 | Montreat Conference Center
This conference is for you if:
- You work with older adults in your congregation (lay or clergy)
- You want to build relationships across generations
- You seek to thrive after 55 in body, mind, and spirit
- You seek the latest on current issues of aging and the church
- You are a retired church professional
GCPC community members, Robin Gaiser and Lynn Bledsoe, are presenters at this conference. Please click
HERE for more information.
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Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church | 828.254.3274
789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804
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