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Worship Preview | Sunday, November 9, 2025

In-person and online service

           For 27 years GCPC has been in covenant partnership with Iglesia Jerusalem, our sister church in Guatemala. During worship on November 9, you will hear more about our partnership with Iglesia Jerusalem.

 GCPC’s Guatemala partnership with Iglesia Jerusalem, a Presbyterian congregation located in Coatepeque, northwestern Guatemala, began informally in 1995, and the covenant relationship between the partner churches was formalized in 1998. Members and friends of Grace Covenant and Iglesia Jerusalem have welcomed one another on visits to each other’s churches, offered prayers for our partner church during services of worship, held regular Zoom gatherings, and funded scholarships for elementary, high school, and college-age students at Iglesia Jerusalem. In 2025 alone, GCPC scholarship funds helped 18 students, ranging from 2nd graders to an adult who is in the seventh semester of university study for a degree in social work. 

           In celebration of our longstanding partnership and thanks to the power of the internet, the November 9 service of worship will include our sisters and brothers in Christ at Iglesia Jerusalem offering prayers and reading Scripture, as well as opportunities for both children and adults to get better acquainted with our Guatemalan partners. Maps, photos, artifacts, textiles, and background information will be on display in the narthex both before and after the service, and there will be special Guatemalan refreshments to enjoy.

   The Guatemala team meets at 5:30 on the first Tuesday of each month, and all are invited and encouraged to join us as we continue to nurture this meaningful cross-cultural relationship.

Your Guatemala partnership team: Kelley Griffith (chair); Lynne Meacham, Anna Hamel, Alexandra Lusak, Luke Harkema (staff resource)

Deacon of the Week:

The deacons of Grace Covenant are available to talk and pray with you by phone or online and to coordinate care. Please reach out to our deacon of the week if you have any needs or concerns.

This week (11/2-11/8) Michelle Chromey | email: monelchromey@gmail.com 

Next week (11/9-11/15) Therese Schuele | email: thereseschuele@gmail.com

Deacon of the Week Prayer:

My prayer this week are for our political leaders. May our newly elected officials work toward justice. 

I pray for all those affected by the changes in government-assisted programs. I pray for all those navigating the challenges of figuring out how to pay for basic necessities. 

I pray that we as a human family can continue take care of one another through the storms that come our way. 

I pray for guidance & grace. Amen.

~ Michelle Chromey

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. 

ALL Youth Group (6th-12th grade) & Children: | Sunday, November 9 | 12:00 PM | Youth Room

Calling all packers! This week the GCPC youth and children will be doing their part to encourage college aged folks in our community as the fall semester comes to a close. And don't worry, we won't just be packing goodies into care packages, there will be plenty of leftovers for us to take home as well. As always lunch will be provided. We will be up in the youth room from 12 to 1:30. See you there! 

Music with Ray! (K - 5th Grade) | Sunday, November 9 | 12:00 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. Come and bring friends!

Join us on Wednesday Nights for a delicious meal and opportunities for all ages to learn and grow together. Below you can register for a class, but please feel free to come even if you haven't registered.

Youth will hang out with Luke after dinner. Children 5th grade and under will do music with Ray. And we have three classes offered for the fall. 

“Confronting Whiteness: A Spiritual Journey of Reflection, Conversation, and Transformation in Anti-Racism” by Benjamin Boswell facilitated by Tami Forte Logan| Fellowship Hall

This is a course for anyone who is newer to the journey of disrupting and dismantling white supremacy culture in your life. If you have not done the three day training with the Racial Equity Institute (REI), Building Bridges, or the “Me and White Supremacy” series at GCPC in 2020, this would be a great class for you!



Books are available for purchase in registration! 

""The Quaking of America: An Embodied Guide to Navigating our Nation’s Upheaval and Racial Reckoning” by Resmaa Menakem facilitated by Marcia Mount Shoop | Sanctuary

This course is for anyone who has been doing your work around divorcing yourself from white supremacy culture for a while. Maybe you’ve done the REI three day training or Building Bridges. Maybe you have been involved in classes at GCPC on white supremacy like the “Me and White Supremacy” series in 2020. If you’re ready for going deeper together, this would be a great class for you!

Books are available for purchase in registration! 

"Encountering Scripture, Strangeness, and Self: A BIble Study” facilitated by Keaton Hill | Meeting Room 202

Scripture isn't complete without readers, those who are willing to encounter the texts with curiosity and creativity. In "Encountering Scripture, Strangeness, and Self: A Bible Study" led by Keaton Hill, we will pay attention, read for multiple meanings (especially contradictory ones), and allow what seems to be most familiar to become strange. Through our contemplative study, we will not only encounter Scripture, but play a crucial role in making the meaning we find.

GCPC Food Distribution | Thursdays | 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Sanctuary

GCPC Campfire Collective | Thursday, November 13 | 5:30 PM* (note new time) | Youth 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 | 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!

GCPC Cancer Support Ministry Gathering | Thursday, November 13 | 7:00 - 8:30 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.

Please RSVP to Bill McNeff by MONDAY, November 10 if you plan to attend.

REI Training | November 14 & 15, 2025 | 9 AM - 5 PM | GCPC

The Keep it Moving Coalition is offering this Racial Equity Institute Phase 1 Workshop in person happening over the course of two days in the Asheville NC area - participants are asked to attend the entire training Friday November 14th -Saturday November 15th 2025 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET both days. Participants are asked to provide their own lunch. Some light snacks and coffee/tea will be provided.

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.

Invitation to Join the Serve Council at Resistance Training, 11/11

The Serve Council attended a resistance training offered by the Interfaith Action Network, focused on reminding faith communities of how they have often been the core of resistance in previous times when authoritarians have exerted power. 

The Council wants to share with you the Slides from the gathering (found here: Slides) and we were particularly interested to learn more about how Grace Covenant can be preparing itself to stand in solidarity with the most vulnerable under White Christian Nationalism’s growing power and how important it is to be in partnership with folks that are committed and ready.

We want to invite you to join us for the next gathering of Interfaith Action Network, scheduled for November 11th from 6:30 - 8:30 pm - all are welcome, even if you/someone didn't attend the last event. You can RSVP here.

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.

Episode 1

The Human Grace Podcast with Rev. Dr. Marcia Mount Shoop and guest Torre White-Garrison from RSAA.

Stay tuned for Episode 2!

GCPC Nametags

If you are in need of a new nametag,

please email Anna Louise at annalouise@gcpcusa.org.

GCPC Writing Collective | Thursday, November 20 | *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.

November Parents' Night Out! | Friday, November 21 | 5:30 - 8:30 PM | Fellowship Hall

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

ALL KIDS SHOULD PACK A SACK DINNER. 

We will provide drinks and dessert.

On Saturday, November 1, Team 2 had 12 volunteers who harvested the following vegetables and herbs that were shared with Western Carolina Rescue Ministries. They also planted garlic.

Act Now: Access to Food and Health Insurance Are at Risk — Protect WNC Children, Seniors, and Families

The federal government shutdown is putting WNC residents in a precarious situation, and the impact could be absolutely devastating. 

Western North Carolina families are still recovering from Helene. Many of our neighbors are experiencing housing instability, mounting medical bills, lost incomes, and may now face unaffordable health care costs and the loss of crucial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

The federal government recently directed states to not issue SNAP benefits in November until further notice, due to a lack of funding caused by the government shutdown. 

These benefits are essential for families across North Carolina, and we need your help to make that message loud and clear to Congress. And it all needs to happen quickly.

Take Action Now. 

Please contact your congressional representatives TODAY and urge them to:

1. End the government shutdown immediately, and 
2. Ensure that ACA enhanced premium tax credits are made permanent.

These two actions are critical to ensure that food stamps are distributed and access to health care is protected. Otherwise, thousands will become uninsured and the ripple effect on our families, communities, and economies will be disastrous. 

Contact your members of Congress:

Rep. Chuck Edwards (NC-11):  (202) 225-6401 or 

https://edwards.house.gov/contact

NC Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd: 

https://www.senate.gov/states/NC/intro.htm

🔎 Not sure who your representative is? Find them here: 

house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Click here for a sample script.

Working Wheels

Do you have an extra car that needs to find a new home? Imagine how difficult your life would be without a car! Working Wheels repairs and recycles donated cars, transforming them into working wheels for working families. The process is simple, the donation is tax-deductible, and the impact is real.

To donate, volunteer, or learn more, please visit www.workingwheelswnc.org or call 828-633-6888.