Click "View entire message" at bottom of email

to see the full newsletter

#GCPCinthesanctuaryathomeandabroad

Worship Preview | Sunday, October 4, 2026

In-person and online service

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 (9/27-10/3) Therese Schuele | email: thereseschuele@gmail.com

Next week (10/4-10/10) Bob Giduz | email: Giduzr@gmail.com



Deacon of the Week Prayer:

Be our compass, Lord. As we - GCPC - seek to be grounded in following the path we have set for ourselves, help us truly understand how and why we are on this particular journey. Be our steady and constant companion. Help us support and encourage each other. And when we encounter the inevitable obstacles, give us patience and grace.

~ Therese Schuele

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Group Mtg. | Wednesday, October 7 | 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM | Garden Room (Admin. Building) 

This support group introduces techniques for daily living with such issues, led by Paul Rogers, a retired physician in our congregation and supported by other pastors in the GCPC community. We meet on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. New participants welcome at any time.

Contact Anna Louise, annalouise@gcpcusa.org, with questions.

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

GCPC Choir Practice | Wednesdays | 7:15 PM | Choir Room

All youth and adults are welcome and invited! Just come with a curiosity and love for making music in community. No previous singing experience is needed.

I hope you will consider adding your presence and voice to our Choir!

If you're not sure, come and give it a try!

Blessings,

Ray

Grace Abounds Food Pantry | Thursday, October 8 |

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.

Needs for the upcoming pantry:

• cereal
• soup
• chili
• stew
• pasta sauce

GCPC Campfire Collective | Thursday, October 8 | 5:00 PM | Garden 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, James Lamkin, Robin Gaiser and others will facilitate. 

Invitation to Ring in the GCPC Hand Bell Choir!

Would you like to ring as part of the GCPC Hand Bell Choir? Rehearsals take place on Thursday evenings in the church balcony from 6:30 - 7:30 pm, beginning next Thursday October 8! All youth and adults are welcome! No previous experience is necessary - Just curiosity and a love for making music in community. Please contact Ray at ray@gcpcusa.org if you are interested!

One more day to RSVP for the Shem Vow Renewal ceremony!

On Saturday, September 26, Team 4 had five garden volunteers who harvested the following produce that was shared with Bountiful Cities. They also pulled out stakes and tomatoes.

On Wednesday, September 30, Team 1 had nine garden volunteers who harvested the following produce that was shared with YTL families. They also removed the pepper and tomato plants.

Pride Collective Gathering | Sunday, October 11 | after worship | Fellowship Hall

The Pride Collective: Shaping Our Future Together

What matters most to us as a community? Where do we want to go in the future? The Pride Collective is continuing this vital conversation, and your voice is an essential part of it.

Please join us in the Fellowship Hall, following the worship service, second Sunday of each month.

Grab some lunch, which we will provide,and pull up a chair as we discuss our shared mission, our core values, and where we are heading next. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend!

GCPC Writing Collective | Thursday, October 15 | 5:00 PM | 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! 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.

The group offers prompts and time to write together and share if desired. Leadership is shared each month by its participants. If you have any questions about the group, please text Margaret Belk at 8285062742.

Parents' Night Out! | Friday, October 23 | 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.

Love's On the Ballot: Voting Our Faith | Tuesdays, Sept 29, Oct 6, Oct 13, Oct 20 | Noon - 1 p.m. | Online

“Love’s On The Ballot: Voting Our Faith” is a 4 part lunch and learn series brought to you by the NC Council of Churches, Christians Against Christian Nationalism NC, Pastors for NC Children, and People of Faith for Public Schools. 

Our Faithful Voter Guide is about Seven Spheres of Influence. This series of four Lunch and Learns will take the seven spheres and make them practical as we face the midterm election on November 3, 2026. How do we as people take action to engage seven spheres of influence at the ballot box this fall and beyond to build beloved community? Join us for one or all four interactive, live conversations. Please note: We will be recording the teaching portion to share later, but the conversations and Q&A will not be recorded.

Pride Day Build:

The work at Habitat for Humanity has special significance to marginalized communities, like LGBTQ+ folks, who are disproportionately vulnerable to poverty, housing insecurity, and homelessness.Having a Pride Build Day is a way to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, and the power members of that community have to build a safer, more welcoming, and more resilient future. It's an opportunity for us to stand in solidarity with each other, with our allies, and with all marginalized communities.

Pride Build Day 2026 | Saturday, October 10 | 8:15 AM - 3:30 PM

Sign up for Pride Build Day by going to the link below, logging in (or creating an account), then selecting the "Pride Build" shift on October 10. If you have any issues, you can also email volunteer@ashevillehabitat.org for assistance signing up.

https://aahh.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=56039&job_name=pride build

Please bring friends and loved ones for a day dedicated to creating an intentional, welcoming volunteer experience for LGBTQ+ folks.

2026 Faith Build House:

Habitat for Humanity is seeking volunteers to help with the next Faith Build home. GCPC has consistently provided volunteers to Habitat for the Faith Build projects and we are asking for your help again. The work will begin in October and we are scheduling workers through the end of the year. Our typical build day for GCPC is Wednesday but I can sign folks up for any day they want. Each day can handle six volunteers and I would like to schedule October now. 

For this first phase of the build we will be focused on framing and carpentry skills. Experience is not necessary. Please let me know if you want to volunteer. The more the merrier. Lee Carol Giduz is now scheduling volunteers for Wednesdays in October and November. If interested she can be texted at 828-493-3959 or emailed at lcgiduz@gmail.com.

Click here to see the information for the homeowner who will purchase this Faith build home.

Racial Equity Institute (REI) Two Day Phase 1 Training | Friday, November 6 & Saturday, November 7 | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM | Location: TBA

REI’s two-day workshop is designed to develop the capacity of participants to better understand racism in its institutional and structural forms. Moving away from a focus on personal bigotry and bias, this workshop presents a historical, cultural, and structural analysis of racism. With shared language and a clearer understanding of how institutions and systems are producing unjust and inequitable outcomes, participants should leave the training better equipped to begin to work for change.

Participants are asked to attend the entire training on Friday November 6th and Saturday November 7th 2026 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm both days. Participants are asked to provide their own lunch. In addition, some light snacks and coffee/tea will be available throughout the workshop.

Literacy Together is hiring for the position of:

Director of Programs & Partnerships



This position strengthens Literacy Together’s organizational infrastructure in order to:

• Further our mission to transform lives and communities through the power of literacy.
• Realize our vision for a just and equitable community in which literacy is accessible and achievable by all.

To apply, please send your resume and a thoughtful cover letter describing your interest and qualifications for this role to jobs@lit-together.org using the subject line: "Director of Programs & Partnerships” plus your last name. 

Applications will be accepted until 12:00 p.m. on October 19th. 

Different Strokes! is thrilled to present our fourth year of this series of monologues and short plays from October 1st - 18th.. This year, our theme will be: Get up, STAND UP! Stories of inspiration, success, or survival, despite the odds. Please join us as we present material from local authors and around the world.

Explore the series and lineups here: differentstrokespac.org/369-pt-4/

GCPC Nametags

If you are in need of a new nametag,

please email Anna Louise at annalouise@gcpcusa.org.