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Someone I loved once gave me
a box full of darkness.
It took me years to understand
that this, too, was a gift.
~ Mary Oliver
, The Uses of Sorrow
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Sunday Preview
Sunday, December 1, 2019
First Sunday of Advent
Worship services @ 8:15 & 10:45 AM
Education Hour (for all ages) @ 9:15 AM
Sermon:
"Gone Missing" by Marcia Mount Shoop
Scriptures:
Isaiah 2:1-5; Matthew 24:36-44
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ADVENT-ure: All Ages Preparing for a Season of Surprises | THIS SUNDAY, December 1 | 9:15-10:15 | Fellowship Hall
It’s that time again! Time to prepare our hearts and our homes for welcoming the mystery of Christmas. This year we will be creating Advent Wreaths. Hosted by the Children’s and Family Ministry Committee, we will have all the supplies and materials for the wreaths. Folks are invited to bring cuttings from holly or boxwood bushes to share Pine cones and sycamore balls and other natural items would also be beautiful. If you have clippers that you can bring, that would be great too! Please label them with your name.
We will also hear about the upcoming intergenerational Advent class (beginning on Dec. 8). Breakfast snacks will be provided. Come and enjoy this festive event alongside your GCPC family!
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Here We Go A-Caroling! | Sunday, December 8 | 12:00 - 2:00 PM | Fellowship Hall & GCPC Homebound Members
Children, youth, and adults are invited and encouraged to gather after worship for this fun and festive time! We will share lunch, games, and dust off our caroling voices. Then we will head out in groups to visit GCPC homebound members to spread the love and joy of the season!
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Advent Term | December 8 – 22 | Fellowship Hall
"Christmas in the Four Gospel Homes:
An Intergenerational Advent Experience"
First grade through Adults are invited to explore Advent by visiting the four gospel 'homes.' Each week, we will delve into the distinctive house of one of our Gospels, looking at its perspective of the incarnation or Jesus's birth through rich conversation, song, and crafts. Come, learn, and explore with participants of all ages.
Facilitators:
Heather Ferguson and Richard Coble
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Please take a moment to fill out the Fall Sunday School
feedback form at this link:
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Getting to our goal is a community effort!
To submit a 2020 pledge,
you can fill out an easy
online option here
or put your completed pledge card in the Sunday plate, bring it by the office, or mail it to 789 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804. Pledge cards are available in the pews, narthex, and at the Welcome Desk.
Even if you have already pledged, prayerfully consider an increase. We can do this GCPC!!
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Our current pledge numbers as of 11/27/19:
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donates to Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church!
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You can bring joy and hope to immigrants in detention by writing and decorating holiday cards in English and Spanish.
El Refugio is collecting hand-written holiday cards to send to detained immigrants at Stewart Detention Center, where many immigrants from the Carolinas, Georgia, and other Southeastern states are held indefinitely. We know that detained immigrants face many challenges, especially the uncertainty of not knowing if or when they will be free and reunited with loved ones. With your help, we can send a message of hope and comfort to those who are isolated in detention, far from friends and family during the holidays.
~ Contributed by Tish Anderson
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Power and Race Team (PART)
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Racial Justice Book Series | Thursday, December 12 | 7:00 PM | Jerusalem Room
Our work continues in disrupting white supremacy individually and as a church community. Even if we get frustrated, restless, or just tired of talking about it, God does not let us off the hook.
PART therefore continues to meet. On December 12
th
at 7pm we will discuss how we can collaborate with session, councils, and committees on being accountable in eliminating white supremacy, and healing our racial trauma.
As Marcia said in her sermon entitled No Shame, “It is a Gospel message really- that invitation for us to get real about the trauma and resilience we have in our bodies, that has been passed down to us and that we carry around the world and pass on to others. God’s healing opportunities define the story of who we are.”
Whether you have attended PART in the past or not, this meeting is a great opportunity to take another step together as a community.
~Liz Huesseman, PART member
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November is Native American Heritage Month
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Asheville artist, Clarissa Sligh's work is one of the opening exhibits at the Asheville Art Gallery's
exhibition of Appalachia Now: An Interdisciplinary Survey of Contemporary Art in Southern Appalachia. (
November 14, 2019–February 3, 2020)
Excerpt from the foreword of her book,
Transforming Hate: An Artist's Book
:
"I am a black woman. I am an artist. For many years I have been creating work to bring issues of social justice into the public discourse. This book evolved from a project for which I folded origami cranes from pages of white supremacist books for the exhibition, Speaking Volumes: Transforming Hate. It was organized by the Montana Human Rights Network and the Holter Art Museum in Helena, Montana and opened in 2008.
In
Transforming Hate: An Artist’s Book
, I was trying to look at what it was like for me to turn the hateful words of the white supremacist books into a beautiful art object. That exploration helped me understand more fully the many levels of oppression and violence at the intersections of race, gender, class and sexual orientation. Why do we keep each other from being who we really are? How can we begin to talk about what separates us?"
Click
HERE
to learn more about the artist.
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Reality Check: Pipeline to Prison with Korey Wise | Friday, December 13 | 6:00 - 8:30 PM |
Mountain Area Health Education Center (121 Hendersonville Road)
Korey Wise is an American activist who travels around the United States advocating for criminal justice while sharing his own experience of false convictions, unjust incarceration, and later vindication. Wise spent approximately 14+ years incarcerated for crimes he did not commit, maintaining his innocence from 1989 until he was exonerated in 2002.
This year, his story along with the four other young men wrongfully convicted in the Central Park jogger case was dramatized and released as a four-episode miniseries on Netflix entitled "When They See Us". The actor who played Korey Wise won the 2019 Emmy for Lead Actor in a Limited Series/Movie for his portrayal of Wise.
Click
HERE to buy tickets.
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GCPC Ride Share Facebook Group
Tired of not finding a parking spot? Want a chance to get to know fellow members, and be a more responsible steward of the earth? The GCPC rideshare Facebook group is your answer.
Just search for it on Facebook, join the group, and post what your ride needs or offers are. Include details like when you come to church, either on Sunday or other days during the week, and how many people you can take -- or need to get rides for. Read other peoples posts and respond. It's simple and it really works. Check it out!
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*Nursery care is available throughout Sunday morning beginning at 8:10 am.
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Bible Study | Wednesdays | 11:00 AM | Garden Room
There will be NO Bible study on Wednesday, November 27th.
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VRQ-BBQ Cook Team |
Next cook date: December 3rd
| 4:30 or 5:30 PM | Veterans Restoration Quarters (
1329 Tunnel Road
)
On the First Tuesday of each month, a team of folks gather at the Veterans Restoration Quarters to grill hamburgers and prepare supper for more than 200 US Armed Forces Veterans living in transitional housing at the VRQ — an ABCCM Ministry. Team volunteers begin to gather at 4:30 to prepare the meal and fire up the grills; to help serve the meal come at 5:30. The evening meal is served at 6 and the team joins with the veterans at their table for supper. Commitments can be for one Tuesday or more. Email
Bill Neeriemer
with questions.
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Ministry Partner News and Events...
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Presbyterian Women (PW) Christmas Social | Monday, December 2 | 5:30 PM | Fellowship Hall
Please join the Presbyterian Women for a festive evening of fellowship, food and a Christmas carol sing-along. $15 per person for a delicious catered dinner.
Our mission will be Asheville Poverty Initiative's
12 Baskets Cafe. An offering will be taken at our dinner. If you would prefer to donate an item, the following are needed - sugar, creamer, salad dressings, ketchup, mustard, napkins, paper towels, toilet tissue, trash bags (large and small) and cleaning supplies (Dawn dishwashing soap, Simple Green concentrate, Pine Sol, Magic Erasers, etc.) Sign-ups will be in the narthex this Sunday. Please email or call Cathy Froehlich with any questions:
oremont2@gmail.com or 828-775-1016.
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MCI Group | Wednesday, December 4 | 12:00 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 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month.
*New participants welcome at any time
. Contact Richard,
rcoble@gcpcusa.org
, with questions.
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GCPC 20s/30s Gathering: "Contra Dancing Fun!" | Thursday, December 5 | 7:30 - 9:30 PM | Warren Wilson College Bryson Gym (
701 Warren Wilson Road
, Swannanoa)
If you are in your twenties or thirties (or nearly these ages), let's get on our feet and try contra dancing together. No experience needed! It will begin at 7:30pm with a lesson for beginners. We will meet at Warren Wilson or carpool there. The cost is $8, but GCPC is happy to cover cost for anyone who needs it. All are welcome!
CLICK HERE TO RSVP!
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Winner Winner Wednesday Dinner and Biltmore Preview Concert | Wednesday, December 11 | 6:00 PM | Fellowship Hall & Sanctuary
Please bring your favorite holiday side dish (meats and beverages will be provided) for dinner followed at 7:00 pm by a festive evening of seasonal carols sung by members of our Chancel Choir as they put the final touches on their Biltmore Candlelight concert.
RSVP to Anna Louise,
almurchison@gcpcusa.org
, by noon on Monday,
Dec. 9 so we can have an estimate.
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Sisters at the Sea Retreat 2020 | February 6-9, 2020 | Folly Beach, SC | $210 (
early bird rate ends on Dec. 9th
)
“Cultivating an Inner Life of Grace & Clarity: Spiritual Practices for Everyday”
With guest retreat facilitator, Rev. Carol Hovis
Do you identify as a woman age 25ish-50ish who would like a weekend of connecting and rejuvenating in a beautiful natural setting? Mark your calendars for our lucky number 11th
annual SOS (“Save our Sanity”/“Sisters at the Sea”) retreat! This year’s guest facilitator, Rev. Carol Hovis, will help us explore approaches to spiritual contemplation that we can practice in even the smallest moments of our day-to-day rush, to develop and deepen throughout our lifetimes. Register today to ensure this special time of building friendships and centering your faith in the new year!
Registration:
- Early Bird Rate (by December 9th): $210
- Regular Rate (December 10th and after): $240
- $50 non-refundable deposit due at registration. Checks should be made to GCPC with “2020 Sisters at the Sea” in the memo line. Full and partial scholarships available (complete registration form to apply).
- TO REGISTER TODAY: Visit http://bit.ly/Sisters2020 to register online, or pick up a registration form at the GCPC Welcome Desk.
- *Registration ends on Jan. 15.*
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"Las Posadas" | Thursday, December 19 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM | Cathedral of All Souls
The Cathedral of All Souls invites GCPC to celebrate "Las Posadas" with them in December. The event is a traditional celebration of Mary and Joseph trying to find room to be sheltered and cared for. The Church La Capilla
http://lacapilla.org
presides over the event and our role is to host and gather and bring the party! We provide food, piñata, and hopefully LOADS of people!
While the tradition is really focused on the exile of Mary and Joseph we acknowledge in our worship and singing and prayers together that many of our LatinX brothers and sisters are being turned away today and we pray for all to find homes and shelter and care and love during this time of re-birth of compassion.
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Centering Prayer | Wednesday Nights | 6:30 - 7:00 PM | Sanctuary
(There will be no Centering Prayer on Nov. 27, Dec. 11, Dec. 25, or Jan. 1.)
Christianity has a rich and ancient tradition of intentional and prayerful silence as a spiritual practice. Sacred silence teaches us to listen devoutly, humbly, and with trust. It is beautifully simple and a spiritual skill whose gifts goes deeper and gets more powerful the more one practices it. This practice is open to all and is come as you are able. Questions? Contact Marcia at
mmshoop@gcpcusa.org
.
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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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There is
no youth group
this coming weekend, but there is a
special intergenerational Sunday School
. See below:
ADVENT-ure: All Ages Preparing for a Season of Surprises | Sunday, December 1 | 9:15 - 10:15 AM | Fellowship Hall
It’s that time again! Time to prepare our hearts and homes for welcoming the mystery of Christmas. This Sunday, during the Education Hour we will not have different classes, but instead people of all ages are invited to create Advent Wreaths together. We will have all of the supplies and materials for the wreaths. If possible, bring cuttings from holly or boxwood bushes to share. Breakfast snacks will be provided.
*Youth Choir will resume the following week at 9am.
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SAVE THE DATE:
Special Youth Group for All Ages "Here We Go A–Caroling! | Sunday, December 8 |
12 - 2 PM
| Fellowship Hall
Let's celebrate a great youth group semester together with good food and fun! Youth, children and adults are all invited and encouraged to gather after worship for this festive time! We will share lunch, games, and dust off our caroling voices. Then we will head out in groups to visit GCPC homebound members to spread the love and joy of the season!
For planning purposes, please RSVP here
.
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Looking for Youth Worship Leaders for 5pm Christmas Eve Service!
Christmas Eve is right around the corner and we need YOUth! Youth are invited to be "angel, magi and shepherd" leaders in this engaging service geared toward children of all ages! There are no speaking roles. If you can participate, please
SIGN UP HERE
ASAP or contact
Samantha
.
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SENIOR HIGHS TIME TO APPLY:
Senior High Youth Delegation to Guatemala (June 23 - July 2, 2020)
Our presbytery will be sending a delegation of youth (who have completed 9th, 10th, 11th & 12th grade by this summer) to Guatemala to strengthen relationships with youth from our sister presbytery and churches. See the
application HERE
due February 1st (please note that it requires recommendations from pastor/session, so please notify
Samantha
if you are applying by January 10th). Partial scholarships available based on need for those accepted.
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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 and Richard Schaadt (Donna Robertson's sister and brother-in-law)
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)
Hettie Lou Garland
Betty Smith
Margaret Rada
Bob Higgins
James Harwell
Joyce Summerlin
Cory Hartbarger
Penny Ponder
Florence Riedesel
Elizabeth Fisher
Doris Prak
Alice Schmitz
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Grace Covenant Community Out and About...
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Asheville Gay Men's Chorus presents “
Sound the Trumpet
" | Saturday, December 14 @ 7:30 PM & Sunday, December 15 @ 4:00 PM | GCPC Sanctuary
General Admission - $20, Youth/Student - $10. For tickets and more info, visit www.avlgmc.org. Keith Prince will be selling tickets before and after worship on December 8
th
.
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2019 December Enneagram Gatherings
Mondays, 6-8pm and
Fridays, 10am-12noon
We take a break the week of Thanksgiving & resume Friday, Dec. 6th and Monday, Dec. 9th.
No gathering Monday, Dec. 2nd.
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Making Room for Joy – an Advent Retreat with Jeannie Dubose | December 6-7 | Lake Logan
Enter the Advent Season with this 24-hour retreat facilitated by Jeannie Dubose. Whether you are in the midst of a sunny stretch or a blue patch, come explore how “Making Room for Joy” can draw you closer to God. We will reflect on the theological context for this topic, as well as addressing how part of accessing our delight includes a willingness to acknowledge our losses. In addition, we will engage music, images, poetry, scripture, and interactive questions — all as portals for awakening, as John O’Donohue says, “to what your heart would love to say.”
Click
HERE
for more details.
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Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church | 828.254.3274
789 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804
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