Sunday November 20- A Kingdom not Seized: A History and Theology of Christ the King

Join Fr. Mike at 9 am to explore and celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. We wil explore the early 20th century wartime beginnings of the feast day, its biblical and patristic roots, and how it shapes our vision of the church and world today

Stewardship

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!
Email the office at Office@graceavl.com if you plan to submit a winning Chili! 

Angel Tree

ABCCM Needs Food Donations f

Flu Season is here

The flu is not "just a bad cold". The CDC says the flu is hitting early, hard and fast.  Peak flu season is usually December thru January.  Get a flu vaccine now to have adequate protection.  
Schedule appointments for the vaccine at the

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: 

WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT . . .

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart [and
especially the hearts of the people of this land], that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Social Justice, BCP p. 823)
In Sunday forums, over holiday meals, at book groups, among people we know
and among people we don’t know, as we share our stories, let’s remember to:

• Respect – Respect each person you meet and take the time to truly consider what they are saying. Respond, don’t react. No blaming, shaming or attacking another person. Doing this does not mean accepting or upholding their ideas as your own; rather, it can help you understand their perspective, build your knowledge for future conversations, and open your mind to previously unfamiliar ideas—especially important even if you continue to disagree with them.

• Listen Deeply – Listen to what the person is saying, focus on the ideas presented, and discuss ideas and issues—not people. Do not interrupt while others are speaking.

• Speak for Yourself – Use “I” statements when commenting or responding. Share your
personal experience. Own it.

• Try to Understand – Try to understand the thoughts and ideas of others. Ask questions for clarification. Note: sometimes we may be discussing the same concept, yet use different words. Make sure to pay attention to such areas of misunderstanding, and seek clarification where there is any confusion.

• Share Talk Time – If you are having a discussion with more than two people, make sure
everyone has the opportunity to speak before speaking again. Take notes if there are things you want to follow up on. Ask what others think.

• Speak with Humility – You may not know everything about the topic at hand, and your
experience may not be that of the other person’s. Lean into your knowledge, personal
experience, and expertise, but remain open to the truth others are sharing.

• Gratitude – If what someone has shared or asked helps with your own learning, say thank you.

• Suspend Judgment – We all have presumptions, biases, stereotypes, prejudices, and other pre-judgments. Try to suspend pre-judgments and seek first to understand.

• Disagree and Love – We seek to learn and listen. You can disagree with someone and still love them and listen to them. Civil discourse is about listening and learning together, seeking shared understanding and exposure to new ideas in the pursuit of improving our world and fulfilling our call as followers of Jesus.

• Practice Forgiveness – We learn from trying things out and sometimes we make mistakes. Seek to forgive and to be forgiven as we learn together.

• Pay Attention to your Feelings and Thoughts – If someone hurts your feelings, it’s ok to
acknowledge that the comment hurt and explain why. Be open to others sharing that with you as well.

Pub Sing
Come join us for our PubSing, an informal gathering usually on the fourth Sunday of each
month to sing hymns, old-time gospel, folk music, and Americana inspirationals. We’ll meet on
November 20 at Cork & Keg Bar, 86 Patton Ave., Asheville from 3:00-5:00 p.m. For directions
go to http://www.weinhaus.com/cork-keg-bar/. For more information contact Monty Wooten at
montywooten@bellsouth.net.

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! 


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