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Worship Preview | Sunday, June 21, 2026

Pride Sunday

In-person and online service

What’s Happening in Worship on June 21, 2026?

Pride is a Protest, not a Party.

 

The Stonewall Riots in June of 1969 historically kicked off the LGBT liberation movement and is considered to be the first pride. Stormie DeLarverie, a black lesbian and drag king, was credited with throwing the first punch at the police raiding the Stonewall Inn, and Marsha P Johnson, a black trans woman and drag queen, has been credited with throwing the first shot glass, both as events which sparked the rebellion. Sylvia Rivera, a Latina trans woman and drag queen, was also there along with many other queer people of color who chose to fight back after being pushed to homelessness and being constantly harassed by the police. The movement, started by trans and queer people of color, quickly started to prioritize white, cisgender lesbian and gay liberation. In 1973, at one of the first pride festivals in NYC, Sylvia Rivera, then a well know trans activist and co-founder of STAR with Marsha P Johnson, after being denied the mic several times, finally was able to address the crowd and in that speech said,

“I do not believe in a revolution, but you all do. I believe in the gay power. I believe in us getting our rights or else I would not be out there fighting for our rights. That’s all I wanted to say to your people. If you all want to know about the people that are in jail - and do not forget Bambi l’Amour, Andorra Marks, Kenny Messner, and the other gay people that are in jail - come and see the people at STAR House. . .The people who are trying to do something for all of us and not men and women that belong to a white, middle-class, white club. And that’s what y’all belong to.”

In 2001, near her death, Sylvia Rivera wrote,

“Here, where it all started, trans people have nothing. We can no longer let people like the Empire State Pride Agenda, the HRC in Washington, speak for us. And it really hurts me that some gay people don’t even know what we gave for their movement. It’s like I was saying all this year during pride month: 'It’s not my pride, it’s their pride. It’s your pride, not mine. You haven’t given me mine yet.'"

This pride, we want to be different. Here at Grace Covenant, we work to dismantle and disrupt white supremacy culture in ourselves and our church and also now in how we celebrate pride. White people and whiteness have colonized not only our current understandings of gender and sexuality, but distorted the ways in which Black, Indigenous, and other non European cultures have viewed gender and sexuality. We want to center the voices of our queer black and brown siblings who have fought for our collective liberation, even as folks in white bodies and the systems of whiteness have failed them.

~ The Pride Collective

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 (6/14-6/20) Abi Hölder | email: a.bee.holder.333@gmail.com

Next week (6/21-6/27) Liz Harris-Lamkin | email: chaplainehl@gmail.com

Deacon of the Week Prayer

Spirit, thank you for all that has been given to me, all that has been taken away, and everything that has been left behind. 

I look to you for guidance and connection, and the reminder that I cannot do this alone. 

May your will be done, and the pursuit of control leave my body like a deep exhale. 

~ Abi Hölder

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
• Email Sue Kersbergen (sue@gcpcusa.org) or Denise Ochoa (denise@gcpcusa.org) in the Finance Office at GCPC to help you get set up. 

Parents' Day Out | Saturday, June 20 | 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM | GCPC

Children up to fifth grade are welcome to join. We will spend the day outside, make crafts, and sharing meal.

The event will last from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall at GCPC.

Children are asked to bring lunch, but we will provide snacks, drinks, and dessert.

This event is free!

Summer Choir Begins at GCPC! | Sundays | 9:15 AM | Sanctuary

Come Sing this Sunday! All ages welcome! (Childcare is provided for ages 0 - K)

Come with a curiosity and joy for making music in community! No previous singing experience is necessary. Meet in the Sanctuary by the piano at 9:15 am on Sunday. We will learn a simple song or two to share in worship. Some chime ringers are needed, too!

Hope to see you Sunday!

Blessings, Ray

GCPC welcomes YTL Summer Camp!

This summer, the YTL Training Program continues its commitment to community transformation, and we are seeking your support to further this mission. By contributing to our administrative and operational costs, you invest in more than just summer programming; you provide a foundation for a lifetime of potential.

Our program operates daily from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, offering activities specifically designed to foster mindfulness, emotional regulation, and healthy communication among our scholars. Your support helps provide the resources necessary to turn potential challenges into legacies of success and triumph.

We invite you to consider supporting a child’s journey through the following suggested donation tiers:

 - $3,000: 9 weeks of comprehensive support

 - $1,500: 4 weeks of support

 - $750: 2 weeks of support

Thank you for your continued belief in our mission and your commitment to the youth we serve.

~ YTL Training Program

Grace Abounds Food Pantry | Thursday, June 25 |

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Sanctuary

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.

If everyone in the community can bring one item on Sunday we could restock the store!

Needs for next week!:

• shampoo
• conditioner
• deoderant
• toothpaste
• toys (clean and in good condition)

Our new neighbor, Mountain Madre!

Our newish neighbor, Mountain Madre, is now open for brunch on Sunday! Please stop by after church to enjoy some good eats.

They are also now open for lunch (and dinner) on Friday and Saturday as well as dinner on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday.

The owner, Danny Scully, has been a wonderful supporter of Grace Covenant since they have moved in! Let's share some love back!

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!

GCPC Nametags

If you are in need of a new nametag,

please email Anna Louise at annalouise@gcpcusa.org.

On Saturday, June 13 Team 2 had six garden volunteers who harvested the following produce that was shared with Bountiful Cities. They also weeded several beds.

On Wednesday, June 17, Team 3 had four garden volunteers who harvested the following produce that was shared with the YWCA. They also weeded several beds and strung one bed.

GCPC Goes to the Ballpark! | Thursday, July 2 | 7:00 PM | McCormick Field (HomeTrust Park)

Join us on Thursday night, July 2 for a Tourists’ game with your GCPC community!



All tickets cost $11.00. Please pay online with Realm or mail your check to the church (789 Merrimon Ave., AVL 28804) with "Tourists Game" in the memo line.

MISSION

The mission of the Alliance for Beyond Land Acknowledgement is to encourage individuals, faith communities, and other civic and/or charitable organizations to move beyond merely acknowledgement that the land we occupy is the ancestral land of the Anigiduwagi, more commonly known as the Cherokee, and to build stronger relationships with the Cherokee as well as other Turtle Island peoples living in our area.

VISION

We envision a day when the sovereignty of the Anigiduwagi (aka, Cherokee) over their ancestral lands is recognized and their wise stewardship respected.

GOALS

The Alliance for Beyond Land Acknowledgement formed following the Conference “Beyond Land Acknowledgement: Toward Reparations and Healing,” with these goals: 

• To strengthen relationships with Cherokees and other First Peoples with historical ties to our region.
• To learn how traditional tribal knowledge can be of benefit to everyone.
• To share ideas and resources for building understanding and solidarity with First Peoples of our region and beyond.
• To support efforts for justice, reparations, and healing from our country’s original genocide.
• To help interrupt the continuing oppression of First Peoples.

Questions? Please contact John Huie or Larry Stern who are two GCPC members of ABLA.

Family Jam | Saturday, June 27 | 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM | HomeTrust Park (formerly McCormick Field) — (30 Buchanan Place) 

Bring your kids, your friends, and your dancing shoes for a FREE outdoor concert festival! Enjoy live performances by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Billy Jonas Band & Bluestreak, activities for all ages, and a summer day full of fun — all while supporting Food Connection’s mission to reduce food waste and ease hunger in our community. 



• FREE Admission

• Food & Drink for purchase

• Donations welcome

If you own a business or know of one interested in sponsoring this event, reach out to Natasha for sponsorship opportunities: natasha@food-connection.org

Parking: Street parking; Memorial Lot (above the stadium); Minnie Jones Health Center (257 Biltmore Avenue)

"Faith communities can have an important role easing the nation’s housing crisis"

~ by Mark Ferguson

What’s the role for faith communities in helping more of God’s children to secure safe and affordable housing?

That was the central question behind Thursday’s day-long Faith-Based Development Summit hosted by the City of Louisville, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation and the United Church of Christ Church Building & Loan Fund. The Goodwill Opportunity Center in West Louisville hosted more than 100 attendees, who heard from speakers and panels discussing lessons learned, financing and home repairs — and what churches can do to ease the nation’s housing crisis.

The first speaker at the interdenominational summit was the Rev. Mark Elsdon, a PC(USA) pastor, speaker and author who edited “Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition” and wrote “We Aren’t Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry.” Elsdon, who co-founded Rooted Good and is a principal at Threshold Development Group, has partnered with the PC(USA) on its Good Futures Accelerator Course.

Elsdon posed a provocative question at the outset, one he heard a few years back during a conference in San Antonio: Could we solve the affordable housing crisis with church land?

“Could church real estate improve income disparity and the lack of living-wage jobs?” he asked those in attendance. “I invite us to sit with this question all day today.”

Summer Reading/Activity Ideas for Children/Youth

Click here to see more details.

In The Heights | June 12 – 28, 2026 | Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Saturdays & Sundays at 2:30 PM | Asheville Community Theater

Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Book by Quiara Alegría Hudes

Sponsored by: The Teel Family Foundation

Community Sponsors: Cenzontle: A Language Justice Cooperative, L.E.A.F. Global Arts, Hola Carolina, PODER Emma

About the Show

Before Hamilton, there was In the Heights. With a vibrant score blending hip-hop, salsa, merengue, and soul, this Tony Award–winning musical tells the story of a tight-knit community on the brink of change in New York’s Washington Heights. Featuring unforgettable characters and songs like “Breathe,” “96,000,” and “Carnaval del Barrio,” this show is a celebration of heritage, home, and hope.

Join the Conversation: Asheville City Schools Community Engagement Town Halls

As Asheville City Schools continues planning for the future of our facilities, we invite our staff, families, community members, and partners to join us for one of two upcoming Community Engagement Town Halls.

These sessions are an opportunity to review the findings from the Facility Needs Assessment, learn more about current planning scenarios, ask questions, and share feedback that will help shape the district’s final recommendations for long-term capital investment and future facility planning.

Upcoming Town Hall Opportunities:

•  In-Person Community Town Hall

June 23, 2026 | 5:30 PM | Asheville City Schools Central Office Boardroom

•  Virtual Community Town Hall

June 25, 2026 | 12:30 PM | Virtual access details coming soon

A Wilder Way: Midwifing the World to Come in an Age of Extinction @ Dreaming Stone

Join us August 19th – 23rd as we chart a wilder path together through storytelling, skill-sharing, hands-on learning, songs, ritual, somatic practices, and homegrown feasts.

This five-day gathering features some of our most beloved and trusted colleagues. They are collaborating on a journey that will help us find our ground and gratitude, expand our connections and our capacities, and offer tools for building the bioregional and liberatory cultures that can sustain and serve our communities and watersheds. It's time to propagate alternatives!

We are making this event accessible, with worktrade and scholarship options, AND partial childcare and youth programming to support young families!!!