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Worship Preview | Sunday, February 8, 2026

In-person and online service

Deacon of the Week:

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 (2/1-2/7) Therese Schuele | email: thereseschuele@gmail.com 

Next week (2/8-2/14) Patty Thompson | email: pattyellisthompson@gmail.com



Deacon of the Week Prayer:

As we approach Valentine's Day, a day that celebrates love, let us strive to hold and share with others the closest we can come to God's perfect love. It is easy to love those we choose to love. It is so hard to extend love to those whose actions strike fear, cause harm, perpetuate white supremacy, and endanger humans and our planet. Oh God, let our faith and trust in you be strong enough to give us an understanding of how we can express love for others in ways that are real and honest. Thank you for sharing your love with us.

~ Therese Schuele

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. 

Pride Collective Gathering | TONIGHT! Friday, February 6 | 6:00 PM | Fellowship Hall

We will meet and plan for the New Year. Please bring a snack to share.

Newer GCPC Members might be asking, what is the Pride Collective?

The Pride Collective at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church was established to further support individuals in our congregation who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer. They also invite those who are questioning their gender identity and/or their sexual orientation. Parent allies are also welcomed. 

GCPC's Pride Collective is a rare community where members work to find a balance with the LGBTQIA+ identities and the thirst for God's continued blessings through shared meals, fellowship, friendship, support, conversation, and love. The group is supported by GCPC's commitment to create an inclusive and hospitable place of spiritual growth by identifying and breaking down white supremacy culture within the Christian context.

Session/Deacon Retreat | Saturday, February 7 | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM | Fellowship Hall

This yearly retreat is an important and rare opportunity for all of us as the elected leaders of Grace Covenant to be together. Lunch will be provided.

What Does it mean to be Presbyterian?:

Presbyterianism 101

 Sunday, February 8 | 12:00 - 1:15 PM | Fellowship Hall

(also on Zoom)

Marcia Mount Shoop and Dave Cozad will provide an overview of our faith’s history, theology, and governance for new members or those seeking a refresher. It will include fundamental beliefs, church structure (polity), and ways members can participate in the church's mission and community. 

Please come and learn more about our beloved community full of love, mercy, and grace. Email Marcia or Dave if you have questions.

Youth Choir Rehearsal | Sunday, February 8 | 12:00 PM | Sanctuary

Ray is inviting all Youth (grades 5th and up) to sing in worship on Sunday, February 15. We will rehearse this Sunday, February 8th, after worship. We will meet in the hallway outside the Sanctuary at 11:45 to enjoy some pizza. Rehearsal will begin at 12 noon in the Sanctuary and end by 1:15.

GCPC Choir | Wednesdays | 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

Grace Abounds Food Pantry | Thursday, February 12 | 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Sanctuary

Our pantry is open on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We believe the pantry embodies the church’s commitment to service and compassion.We try to keep our shelves stocked with canned goods, rice, beans, crackers, granola bars, cereal and other items. We also provide diapers, baby wipes and feminine products. Our pantry is stocked completely with donations. This is where we need your support to keep our pantry open. Each week, we will be asking you to donate an item or two. On each day we are open, we serve approximately 50 shoppers, and our services reach an estimated 225 individuals. It takes many cans of corn or tuna to keep us stocked.

Needs for this week:

• pasta (boxed)
• pasta sauce
• macaroni and cheese

Everyone please bring one (or more) this Sunday, February 8th!

GCPC Campfire Collective | Thursday, February 12 | 5:00 PM | Garden Room

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. 

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

Would you like to be part of a Hand Bell Choir? Rehearsals will take place on Thursday evenings in the balcony 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!

Cancer Support Ministry Gathering | Thursday, February 12 | 7:00 PM | Fellowship Hall

Join us for coffee, tea, sweet treats and a speaker! We hope anyone that has had cancer, is a survivor, newly diagnosed, or in treatment, will attend. Families and caregivers are also welcome. It is a great opportunity to share our experiences and create some joy in a difficult time.

Dr. Eric Kuehn, a Radiation Oncologist in Asheville will be our speaker. Dr. Kuehn is a board-certified radiation oncologist who has been with Mission Health since he completed his residency back in 1995 and the medical director for the radiation oncology department since 1997. 

GCPC Community Garden

NEEDS VOLUNTEERS!

The 2026 garden season is just around the corner and we need more volunteers for the garden team. This is a wonderful way to commune in nature with GCPC members and neighbors alike, all while growing food to share with various communities around Asheville. All ages are welcome...

come grow with us!

Meal Train needs for Stephy Citron (and Dan Mermin)!

Just a few dates left to share some delicious and nourishing food to support Stephy and Dan after Stephy’s knee replacement surgery! No allergies and no dietary needs. And no pressure to participate! 

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 ALL Youth Group: Head Space Hang Out | Sunday, February 15 | 4:00 - 6:00 PM | Youth Room

MC Ellis will facilitate a safe space for the chance to check in and support one another.

GCPC Writing Collective | Thursday, February 19 | 5:00 PM | 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' Day Out | Saturday, February 28 | 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM | GCPC

Kids 0-5th grade are invited to spend time with volunteers and staff on a Saturday while parents enjoy some free time. This event is free!.

ALL KIDS SHOULD PACK A SACK LUNCH. 

We will provide drinks and dessert.

A Multi-Arts Experience to help us tell our stories in these times

Friday, April 17, 2026 | 7:30 pm | GCPC Sanctuary

Community Storytelling, Poetry, Art Making, and Singing/Choral Music with Strings/Organ Music

Thank you for supporting Safe Shelter as we get through this cold spell! This support is more critical than ever with the opening of our Overflow Shelter.

Drop off supplies at 27 Balm Grove:

• Mon-Fri from 2pm-8pm
• Sat/Sun from 8am-12pm

RESCHEDULED!!

Black in Asheville: “Urban Renewal Impact” The Movie | Saturday, February 21 | 7:00 PM | Asheville Community Theater Mainstage

Urban Renewal Impact takes a hard look at Asheville’s past through the lens of those who lived it. This film traces how city leaders, long focused on cultivating Asheville as a white-led tourism destination, excluded Black residents from their plans. From convict leasing that forced Black men to build the city’s foundation to federally funded projects that razed entire Black neighborhoods, Urban Renewal Impact reveals a truth rarely acknowledged: progress for some came at the expense of others.

Runtime: This a two hour long event including a Q&A after the film.

Tickets: This event is free, but tickets must be reserved in advance. Any remaining tickets will be available on the day of the show through the Box Office. Seating is general admission.

Sponsored by Rotary of Asheville and Asheville Community Theatre.

Rima Vesely-Flad presents The Fire Inside: The Dharma of James Baldwin and Audre Lorde | Wednesday, February 11 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM | Malaprop's Bookstore

Join us in-store when local scholar and author Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad presents her newest book, The Fire Inside: The Dharma of James Baldwin and Audre Lorde. The event is free, but registration is required to reserve your seat.

The Fire Inside explores the writings of Audre Lorde and James Baldwin through a Dharmic lens, revealing for the first time how two of America’s greatest literary voices reflect—and expand—Buddhism’s most timeless truths toward justice and liberation.