Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Dear Grace Covenant Community,
      We, the Session, of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, are excited to share the new mission statement we have created and unanimously approved. Session has spent many hours since January 2019 discerning the words to clarify our goals in the GCPC community. We were diligent and committed to crafting until the words reflected the following mission statement we all could support:
  At GCPC our faith calls us to practice…

Theological CURIOSITY

Moral COURAGE

Abundant COMPASSION

Beloved COMMUNITY

With God’s help, we are seeking our transformation and the healing of the world.

  A More Light congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
and a Supporting Sanctuary Church in Western North Carolina
GCPC’s new Mission Statement calls us to reform as a community with a purpose. We invite you, GCPC, into practice and learning with us. Watch this video that says more about the mission statement.
Here is one way that Session is calling us to practice together.  
Beginning in August, all in the Grace Covenant community are invited and strongly encouraged to participate in a study of Layla Saad’s new release Me & White Supremacy: A 28-Day Challenge to Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor . This study is an active exploration which guides participants through daily reflections on understanding white supremacy culture and our participation in it.
Our intention in undertaking Me & White Supremacy as a congregation is to:  
  • Be better equipped to tell and understand our personal stories
  • Generate shared definitions and understandings of power
  • Strengthen relationships with each other 
  • Better equip ourselves to engage in the work of racial equity 
We believe God is calling the Grace Covenant community, a white-dominant congregation, to go deeper in disrupting and dismantling white supremacy culture within ourselves and our community. May we hear and respond to how God is calling each of us to this work.
Session has pledged to participate and we strongly believe that the more people at GCPC that engage in this initiative, the stronger our congregation’s witness in the world will be. Our Deacons and the Power and Race Team (PART) have already committed to participate. Watch this video to hear more about GCPC's commitment to this initiative.
There will be many avenues to engage with Grace Covenant in this study, which you can learn more about here . We welcome any questions or thoughts that may arise as you discern your participation. Please reach out to any members of Session to find out more or to engage in thoughtful conversations about this invitation. We’re looking forward to engaging in this collective call.

God is calling us to Curiosity, Courage, Compassion, and Community. We are grateful to be part of a congregation that hears God’s call to this way of life.

Please prayerfully consider how God is calling you to participate. To find out different ways to engage click HERE .