Affinity Groups

• Dining together:Do you love food and love getting to know people? In Dining Together, we will gather to share a meal together – perhaps a restaurant, a potluck in a park or a coffee break. Similar to the previous Dine with Nine groups at GCPC, this Affinity Group will be an opportunity to get to know one another over a meal and good company.
• Shared meal & shared word: We will prepare before our gatherings by listening to or reading a common thought piece, and then get together to eat & discuss. We will take turns sharing something that made us feel & think – perhaps a newspaper article, podcast, poem, or chapter from a book – and then gather for potluck meals to discuss how these pieces made us feel, deepen our understandings or challenge our life experiences. 
• Divorce and Separation: This Affinity Group is for those who are seeking community with others who have gone through a divorce or separation. We will share our experiences and listen to others, creating space to support the range of emotions and realities that this change in life circumstances brings. 
• Immunocompromised: Navigating our world with a weakened immune system can be tricky and challenging, as well as provide unexpected opportunities. We will share our experiences and support one another as we navigate a post-pandemic world.
• Living with Grief: Loss of a loved one overwhelms us with many emotions that can remain with us for years. We will have open discussions to talk with others who have shared similar experiences, and build community to deepen our understanding that we are not alone with these feelings. 
• Relational Prayer: We will engage in the spiritual practices of prayer, mutual support and relationship building with one another. This group will connect to share prayer requests and pray for others and each other. Texting, zooming, phone calls, walks, or socially distanced in-person gatherings may be some of the ways this group chooses to connect. 
• Asheville Newcomers: Have you moved to Asheville within the past five years? This might be the Affinity Group for you! We will connect to share stories of our journeys to Asheville during a pandemic, meet others who are getting to know this city and share our experiences in the mountains.

Each Affinity Group will decide how it wants to meet and communicate with one another. In the first gathering, groups will work together to decide how to best support one another. While zoom is an option for all groups, please note that the Dining Together group will not have a zoom option for participation.

To participate in a Spring/Summer 2023 Affinity Group, please register on Realm by May 5, 2023. 

You are asked to participate in six meetings between May 7 and September 10 (GCPCPalooza).

Please reach out to Kate Shem, Richard, Amy Kim or Marcia if you are interested in joining an Affinity Group that isn’t being formed this spring/summer. We are hoping to launch another round of affinity groups in the fall.