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Worship Preview | Sunday, February 23, 2025

Ordination and Installation of Lizette O'Halloran

In-person and online service

Emma Maney

Hi All! I have been a part of the GCPC community for the past 19 years—since I was 5! I spend my time teaching preschool, nannying, and taking classes for an Elementary Education degree. For fun, I really enjoy going to the movies and taking trips to Dollywood. At GCPC, the youth and music programs have always played an important role in my life and I am passionate about seeing those programs evolve and be around for the future. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve on this nominating committee. 

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 (2/16-2/22): Bob Giduz | email: Giduzr@gmail.com 

Next week (2/23-3/1): Bob Giduz | email: Giduzr@gmail.com 

GCPC Cancer Ministry Brunch | Saturday, February 22 | 11:00 AM | Fellowship Hall

The Cancer Ministry is having its' quarterly gathering on Saturday February 22 at 11:00 AM here at GCPC. Brunch will be served and we are excited to welcome Dr. Eric F. Kuehn to speak.

We hope anyone that has had cancer, is a survivor, newly diagnosed or in treatment will attend. Support people are also welcome to attend. It is a great opportunity to share our experiences and create some joy in a difficult time.

Please register on Realm or reach out to a committee member, Anne Turnage, Kimo Hyatt and Bill McNeff. There is no fee to attend. We look forward to seeing you there. 

ALL Youth Group | Sunday, February 23 | 12:00 pm | Fellowship Hall

What have we got cookin' for youth group this week? Well, food of course!

If any of y'all are looking for service opportunities this would be a particularly good week to come by. After church this Sunday we will be meeting in the kitchen to prepare a meal for the folks at Safe Shelter.

If you're not familiar with Safe Shelter- they are one of the only shelters in Ashville that enables families experiencing homelessness to stay together! You can click here to read more about them on their web sight.

We'll be prepping the food Sunday from 12-1 pm. Then I'll be bring it over to Safe Shelter at 587 Haywood Rd Asheville, NC 28806 for their 6:30pm community meal. Y'all would also be welcome to come share in this meal!

Any questions? Ask Luke! luke@gcpcusa.org

GCPC Ringers - Hand 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 - 7:30 pm. All high school youth and adults are welcome! No previous experience is necessary.

Please contact Ray at ray@gcpcusa.org if you are interested!

Parents' Night Out! (Kids' Night In!) | Friday, February 28 | 5:30 - 8:30 PM | Atrium/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.

An evening of Mindful Art Making | Friday, February 28 | 6 PM | GCPC 

Led by veteran art educator Jen from Asheville Art Coach, this calming, creative experience is designed for all skill levels—no prior art experience needed. Through guided exercises, you’ll explore art as a tool for mindfulness, relaxation, and self-expression. 

Childcare is provided (please sign up for this via Parents Night Out event), so you can fully immerse yourself in the process. Come unwind, create, and connect with others in a welcoming space.

GCPC Blood Drive | Saturday, March 1 | 9:00AM-2:00PM | Fellowship Hall

We are halfway there!!!

Come help save lives with a blood donation on March 1st! Look for sign up opportunities online below and after worship on Sundays .

You may be just the person we need!!!!

It has been a while since the EARTH CARE TEAM met, and a lot has happened at Grace Covenant. Among the things that many of us have learned after Helene is that EARTH CARE is even more essential than ever. Predictions are that what we experienced here is probably going to happen again as the waters in the Gulf of Mexico warm, creating more violent storms that reach farther inland than in the past. The good news is that we can take action to mitigate some of the impact.

The EARTH CARE TEAM invites you to consider joining us to learn, educate, communicate, and act to do what we can here in our corporate and individual spaces to make a difference. We have some ideas, but you do, too. Let’s work together.

Please contact Kathy Singleton (kathywilsonsingleton@gmail.com) or Dana Cozad (decozad5@aol.com) to talk about your questions and thoughts.

“Nobody made a greater mistake than we who did nothing because we could do only a little.” (possibly Edmund Burke; italics indicate word change.)

GCPC Nametags

If you are in need of a new nametag,

please email Anna Louise at annalouise@gcpcusa.org.

GCPC Distribution Site and Rental Assistance



The supply and rental assistance site will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays and we need volunteers to help with tasks. Please join us for our morning volunteer meeting @ 11:30 am where we get organized for the day.

Volunteers Needed for Asheville Terrace Meal Distribution

Asheville Terrace is low income public housing for seniors. GCPC, in partnership with Equal Plates, distributes 175 meals to seniors daily. Equal Plates cooks the hot meals and volunteers from GCPC serve the meals Monday-Friday. A volunteer spends about two hours each day, from noon to about 2 pm., serving meals. GCPC has volunteers who serve anywhere from one to even five days a week. We are always looking for more volunteers and would like to invite you to join us. The seniors are so grateful for a hot meal each day, and the volunteers feel a great sense of satisfaction knowing they have provided hot meals to them. 

If you would like to help or like more information, please contact me, Joyce Foster, the volunteer coordinator, for this project at joycefoster0906@gmail.com.

Thank you so much for your consideration.

Pride Collective goes Axe Throwing! | Friday, March 7 | 6:00 PM | Axeville Axe Throwing Club (99 New Leicester Hwy #20, AVL 28806)

Pride Collective will be going axe throwing on Friday, March 7 at 6pm at Axeville. Cost is $28 per person for anyone who wants to throw. Spectators are also welcome. Please reach out if cost is prohibitive and we will take care of it. The deadline to sign up is March 2 if you want to throw.

Axeville has an age limit of 13+, and anyone under 18 must have a parent or guardian with them. Please also make sure to wear closed toed shoes.

Questions? Contact Malachi Gasaway.

Save the dates! | Godly Play event | March 21 & 22

This weekend event will feature:

• Friday night dinner for families & visioning exercises together
• Saturday Godly Play training

We are excited to welcome Rev. Ebony Grisom, the Director for Protestant Life to GCPC to lead our Godly Play events for the weekend.

Rev Ebony Grisom "seeks to deepen ecumenical and interreligious understanding and collaboration, and accompanies students of all religious and non-religious identities in our community. Rev. Grisom earned degrees from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Providence College, and Duke Divinity School. She brings a wealth of experience to the Hilltop having worked in high school to graduate school admissions offices, pastoral leadership, and faith-based advocacy." You can read more of her bio here.

Realm registration coming soon!

How to Make Your 2025 Pledge

• Scan the QR code for a link to the online Pledge Card
• Click here: https://onrealm.org/gcpcusa/-/form/pledge/2025generalfund 
• Email your pledge and giving frequency to giving@gcpcusa.org
• Call Brett at the church office at 828-254-3274, ext 202
• Visit Brett in the Finance Office at GCPC Tuesday-Thursday 10am-3pm. 

GCPC Community Garden Update by Garden Manager, Allison Kiehl

"The place where I usually buy our veggies starts for the garden stopped growing them this year, so I had to find a new grower at comparable prices. I was having trouble finding a place because the prices I was getting before were pretty low. I was able to have The Farm Connection in Marshall grow them for us at a discounted price."

Many thanks to The Farm Connection for helping to support our Community Garden. Please check out their website for more info!

"For homesteaders, farmsteaders, and naturalists who appreciate plants and their essential role in a healthy life, home and harvest."

If you are interested in joining a garden team this season, please reach out to GCPC Garden Manager, Allison Kiehl at allison@gcpcusa.org.

Brunk Auction House | Thursday, February 27 | 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM | 117 Tunnel Rd., AVL

Food Connection and Loving Food Resources are collaborating to bring you a one-of-a-kind fundraiser! Brunk Auction House will be offering their appraisal services for $15/item or $40 for 3 items!

Choose the hour time slot that works best for you and bring in family heirlooms, high-valued finds, and other antiques to be appraised by the professionals! (Click here to see list of acceptable items).

 All proceeds from tickets sales go to Food Connection and Loving Food Resources and participants may have the option to consign their items through the auction house and make some money themselves!

OPEN INVITATION: John Huie and Larry Stern currently represent GCPC as members of The Alliance for Beyond Land Acknowledgement but anyone is welcome!

Please join us for the first Members’ Meeting of The Alliance for Beyond Land Acknowledgement. Please RSVP by Feb 22.

A volunteer Steering Committee for the Alliance has been meeting monthly since the 9/23 Conference, and has already offered several additional learning experiences, in cooperation with local Cherokee elders. 

To continue this work most effectively, the current Steering Committee discerned, after careful consideration, that it is important to take steps towards becoming a non-profit, incorporated organization. This includes adopting goals and objectives and electing officers. These volunteers need and welcome your participation and input re: the Alliance's future goals and activities, as we strive to become better Allies of our Indian neighbors.

Hope to see you there! Bring interested friends and your ideas about how the Alliance can best serve the community.

With gratitude for this opportunity to learn and work together, 

Maggie O'Neill and Pat Johnson

For The Alliance Beyond Land Acknowledgement 

Each year during Black History Month, GCPC Ministry Partner, Hood Huggers International, offers FREE BLACK HISTORY TOURS to Black youth and adults who live in Buncombe County. Their Black History tours through Asheville offer a journey through African American historical sites in the downtown area, neighborhoods throughout the city, and highlight historical artwork.

Are you or your company looking for Black History Month programming to sponsor?

• Send an email to info@hoodhuggers.com or you can click the "I'd Like to Sponsor a FREE BHM Tour" button below to send them an email, and they will send you more information!

Faith and Mental Health Summit | Thursday, February 27 | 10 AM - 3 PM | Central United Methodist Church (27 Church Street, Asheville)

Join the North Carolina Council of Churches' Partners in Health and Wholeness Initiative for our Asheville Faith and Mental Health Summit, where we explore how sacred wellbeing is both healing-centered and trauma-resilient. This gathering will bring together faith leaders, lay members, and mental health professionals to raise awareness and deepen understanding of mental health and trauma-informed care in faith communities. Together, we'll explore the intersection of faith and mental well-being, emphasizing the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit as essential for abundant life. We will also focus on equipping faith communities to create trauma-informed spaces that promote emotional, spiritual, and communal healing—especially in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Through compelling speakers, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities, participants will gain tangible tools to promote mental health literacy, reduce stigma, and foster resilience within their communities.

Ross Gay— poet, essayist, and National Book Critics Circle Award winner— will be joining us on Thursday, February 27th, at 7 PM in the Asheville High School Auditorium. Ross Gay’s work encourages us to explore joy in all its depth and complexity, offering a perspective that feels especially meaningful at this moment. His visit will be an opportunity for us to come together, engage in thoughtful conversation, and celebrate the power of words to inspire and uplift.

The Racial Equity Ambassadors will be hosting the evening and in addition to Ross Gay, student winners from the art contest "Big World, Small Delights: How do you find small delights in a world full of challenges and adversity?” will be presenting their work.

Doors to the student art display in the rotunda will open at 5:45 PM, doors to the auditorium will open at 6:30 PM, and the program will begin promptly at 7:00 PM.