First Sunday in Advent is our wreath making event. Please join us to make an Advent wreath. All materials will be supplied.

Sundays, December 4, 11 &18 - Advent Formation with Guy Sayles   
    
"Be Born in Us Today: Preparing for New Life"
Explore, with Mary as our primary guide, how to make room in our lives...as individuals and as a community....for new life with Jesus, a life characterized by joy, love and hope and committed to justice, mercy and peace.

Hanging of the Greens

Our Annual Meeting will be December 18, 2022. Please submit nominations for vestry to the Reverend Milly by December 1. Rotating off this year are: Scott McKenzie; Jim Compton; Joe Aull and, Ron Sims. Additionally, there is currently one vacant seat. Prayerfully consider those who will best serve our church in these roles.

Chili Cook Off!

December 18th, during the annual meeting please join us for the Chili Cookoff! Feed your competitive spirit and your congregation and bring your best Chili to share with everyone while we review the year and dream of 2023! We'll provide the fixins; you bring your best effort.
Email the office at Office@graceavl.com if you plan to submit a winning Chili! 

Angel Tree

Angel Tree gift tags are now available. Pick up one or more today! This year’s Grace Angel Tree will be up and decorated with gift wishes from area foster children beginning Sunday, November 27.

For many years now, our Angel Tree project has supported children and families through the Buncombe County Foster Care Association. The “Angels” on our tree in the foyer represent the children and their personal lists, both wishes and needs. Here are a few tips for selection and buying:

·         Look carefully at the tags. Let your heart guide you in your choice of a child or children.

·         In the same way that parents don’t always buy everything their children wish for, you are not obligated to buy everything on your Angel’s list. Again, listen to your heart.

·         For a challenging list, consider combining efforts and resources with someone else in the parish.

·         Be sure to attach your Angel Tree tag to the gifts and include a list of items purchased. The number on the tag corresponds to a specific child.

·         Call Cheryl Deyton with questions: 828-337-9065.

Gifts should be returned to the church by December 11 for distribution to the families.

Advent in a Bag

It’s Time to Help ABCCM Bag Hunger in Advent
Let’s truly give thanks to the Lord for all the wonderful ways he has blessed us this year
by blessing the hungry in a special food drive for ABCCM during Advent.
You’ll soon have in your pew cloth bags with the familiar “Advent in a Bag” calendar
inside. Please take these bags home with you. For each day on the calendar, you’ll see
an appointed scripture for the indicated food items needed.
Once you’ve read the scripture and placed the food items in the bag, you can color that
date on the calendar. When all of the food items are in your bag or in extra paper sacks
if needed, please bring them to the lobby at Grace during office hours during the week,
and at Sunday worship services through Christmas Day on December 25.
Last year’s Advent Food Drive helped Grace deliver nearly a half ton of food to ABCCM…
just in time to help our neighbors have a blessed Christmas season.

CHRISTMAS WORSHIP SCHEDULE

Paper Bag Pageant

Receptions Ministry and Coffee Ministry

As we (finally) emerge from Covid, we need volunteers to help with receptions at the church (i.e. funerals, conferences, etc.). If you feel that this is a place for you to serve, please contact Jill in the church office at (828) 254-1086. Many thanks to those who regularly show up to make coffee for us, especially in the coming chillier months. Please also let Jill know if you would like to share your time through this ministry.

Dismantling Racism Workshop

The workshop will be hosted in two different locations in the diocese Dec. 2–3. You are invited to register for the training workshop that is nearest to you, either St. Francis, Rutherfordton or Trinity, Asheville.

Home is Key’ Tour and Presentation

Please join us on December 4th at 12:30 for a tour of Homeward Bound’s new ‘Home is Key’ project, an initiative supporting Permanent Supportive Housing for 85 of our community’s most chronically homeless individuals. We will have a guided tour of the building project, and hear more about the Permanent Supportive Housing model in a  presentation by Homeward Bound’s Strategic and Major Gifts Officer, Jim Lowder.  We will gather at 201 Tunnel Road in Asheville (formerly the Days Inn). For more info on the project, visit homewardboundwnc.org/home-is-key/  RSVP to Rev. Mike at mike@graceavl.com to reserve a spot.

EPISCOPAL AND DIOCESE PROGRAMS: 

 

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Praying Together
Rev. Milly holds open spiritual direction sessions for individuals or couples weekly by appointment Wednesdays 1-3 pm in the sanctuary. Please email Rev. Milly to schedule your time with her: Milly@graceavl.com

Weekly Taizé Tuesday evenings at 6pm
These ecumenical services are known for their melodic chants and prayers. Although music forms a central part of the service it is mixed with comforting periods of silence allowing for contemplation. Lighted mostly by candlelight in the sanctuary of Grace Church, the vesper light of approaching evening offers a safe and nurturing space for a well-deserved moment of peace in our hectic lives. Healing prayer is offered throughout the service for oneself or on behalf of someone else.

Women Walking the Way
Thursday at 8:00 am meet at the Bird Sanctuary parking lot. Women of Grace, please consider joining Rev. Milly for a weekly walk at Beaver Lake. This time together is devoted to deep listening to how we as women walk the way of Jesus, in the world and in our community of Grace. No need to register or even email her, just show up! 



Men of the Church

 Our next meeting will be December 13 in the Parish Hall. Jack Frue and  Paul Taylor will host. Please join us!

Stewardship

The Abundance We Need Is Here
Wendell Berry is an American novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer. Parker J. Palmer moved to Pendle Hill, a Quaker community of seventy people in Pennsylvania. He declares that after years of living in this community he concluded that Wendell Barry was right. Palmer espoused that what we need is here, if we can learn to trust and draw upon the abundance within us and between us.
See what he said about “the endless resources of self and community” in this article “What We Need Is Here”.
https://onbeing.org/blog/what-we-need-is-here/


Monday Morning Bible Study
Bible Study will continue to meet via Zoom on Mondays until further notice, at 10:30 AM, as we study the scriptures for the upcoming Sunday service. Please join us virtually or by clicking on the button at graceavl.com/.

The Pastoral Care Team at Grace
Our pastoral care team invites you to reach out to us with any pastoral care needs you, or your family, may have, by emailing the team at pastoralcare@graceavl.com.You can also email, text or call Fr. Mike at 860-771-1656 or Rev. Milly at 828.772.1429, Sunday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., unless it’s a pastoral emergency.
 

If you are not a member of Grace Church and are interested in joining, please reply with your interest, or let Rev. Milly know by calling or texting her at 828.772.1429. Once you're a member, you'll have access to our directory.

Information About Your SimpleChurch App!  Not only do you have access to the parish directory, but you can also easily change your profile picture, confidentially check the status of your pledge, and give to your favorite ministry through online giving. Sign on to find ways to reach out to and connect with other members of the church. And if you don’t know your log in information or need more instructions, contact Valerie at the office. A link will be sent to you that will make it easy for you to get into SimpleChurch.

Look for the green tree symbol to download the SimpleChurch app from your app store onto your computer or phone. The domain name when requested in the app is graceepiscopalasheville. For your computer you put in the domain name.  https://graceepiscopalasheville.simplechurchcrm.com.
 

Electronic Giving Made Easy!

 

Check out the Fall Edition of the Grace Team by visiting GraceAVL.com