Grace Episcopal Church  
In This Issue
Sunday Ministers
Birthdays
Sunday Services

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Sunday 
8:00 AM
Celebrant and Preacher: 
The Rev. Noah H. Evans   
LEM: June Pietrantoni 
Usher: 
Wesley Foote, Sr.
Altar Guild:  June Pietrantoni 
10:00 AM
Celebrant and Preacher: 
The Rev. Noah H. Evans 
Minister of Music:  Ruth Roper 
LEM I: Eva Englert 
LEM II: Esther Brownsmith
Lector I *
Barbara Povey  
Lector II *
Julia Lisella  
Acolytes: 
Genita Johnson, Victoria Spence and Rebecca Spence 
Ushers: 
Kristen Spence and India Smith 
Altar Guild: Carolyn Rogers 
Healing Ministers:  Cindy Scott, Rachael Pettengill-Rasure, Carrie Cross and Sara Folta
Coffee Hour Hosts: Tom Hamel, coffee
Marie Glynn, food   
Counters:  Naida Gavrelis and Steve Duggan
Vestry Person of the Day: 
Michael Lwanga   
    
*click on link to prepare for this week's readings  

Birthdays

 

Jacob Brazis, Sarah Masciave and Hannah Rogers (12/8); Emma Bowers and Alexander Stinson (12/9); Thomas Dow, Jr. (12/10); Sharen Brown and Jason Finnegan (12/13); and Galen Brownsmith (12/14)

 

If we do not have your birthday, please contact the church office at 781-396-7215 or office@gracemedford.org  
  Welcome!
Please join us at Grace Church. 
On Sunday, we celebrate the Eucharist at 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM.  Sunday School begins promptly at 9:45 AM. Nursery care is available for young children.  We are offering healing prayer at all 10AM services during Advent.

 

Sunday Evening Worship at 5:00 PM  

December 8th - Join us for Grace Church's first U2Charist! As part of our Advent 5:00 worship series we will be hosting our own version of this worship service which combines Eucharist liturgy and U2 songs, many of which contain social justice themes. The U2Charist was created in Wellington, Florida, when Deacon Charles Cannon of St. David's Episcopal Church wanted to integrate the music that many young people of the church were listening to with the traditional liturgy of an Episcopal worship service. The deacon brought Bono himself to come and lead a worship service in August of 2005, and the service has been a hit ever since. Click  here to read more about it. We hope you will join us as we continue experimenting with new forms of worship! 
December 15 at 5:00 PM
Come join us for another Advent tech worship... cafe style! Come check out the different ways we're experimenting with the parish hall space as we continue being church in new ways!

Protestant services at Tufts are at 7:00 PM in Goddard Chapel.  Click here for the schedule. 
The Bridge between our gratitude for the past and our hope for the future.
Grace Church Stewardship 2014
You can find the
Grace Church Stewardship packet online here.

Did you know that you can still pledge? To
pledge online, click here.
Outreach Corner    
The next opportunity to help at St. Luke's Community Dining is December 28.  Please contact Brenda Pearson at
if you are interested in volunteering or have questions.  

Food is needed for the food pantries that Grace Episcopal Church supports. Food items may be placed in the baskets just outside the main entrance to the sanctuary (an usher can help you locate them). The item for Sunday, December 8 is tuna. The item for Sunday, December 15 is cereal.
 

Giving Tree The Giving Tree

Grace Church is partnering with the Medford Family Network (MFN) again this year to provide Christmas presents (warm winter clothes, toys and games) for Medford families in need.  Here's how it works: 

  • Purchase the item on the star, and place under the tree (unwrapped) along with the star by Sunday 15 December
  • The Rite 13 class will wrap the presents, and the Outreach Committee will get them to the MFN
Contact for this project: Linda Rogers

Kid's Corner    

James will lead an activity for children during coffee hour.

 

ATTENTION CAST OF CHRISTMAS PAGEANT 2013!
Our rehearsals are on two Saturdays, 12/14 and 12/21, from 10:00 AM to noon.  The Pageant will be performed on Saturday, DECEMBER 21st, at 5:00 PM.  Come earlier at 4:00  PM for costuming on December 21st.  Be sure to practice your poem, song, and lines! 

 
Thank you!  Laura Duggan, Director

 

Sunday School Teachers

Pre K - Teacher:  Michael Fenn  Assistant:  Maria Fenn

Early Elementary - Teacher:  Steve Duggan  Assistant:  Ellie Viggiani

Upper Elementary - Teacher:  Catherine Smith  Assistant:  Michael Lwanga

Nursery  -- Sarah Andrade


Other Announcements     

 

One-on-One Meetings with Noah

December dates are up on the bulletin board.  There are some weekend times available. Contact Carol in the office at 781-396-7215 or office@gracemedford.org or noah@gracemedford.org to make an appointment or sign up on the board. 

 

Wednesdays at Grace

5:30: Preschool Godly Play, Godly Play 2

6:00: Community Dinner

Dinner Host:  

Catherine Smith (clean up help needed)     

6:45: Godly Play 3, Faith Explorers, Rite 13 and J2A

Adult Education- 6:45-8:00PM   

 

Film Series on Transgender Rights

Grace Episcopal Church is partnering with Mass Equality on this exciting two part film series about transgender rights, the severe gaps in rights that still exist today, and how we can join the effort to further transgender rights today.

 

Wednesday December 11th

6:45PM

"Too Cold Out There without You" (2012)

When the Rev. Christopher Fike was ordained in the Episcopal Church he was a straight, married mother of two. Five years later he had completed his transition and now identifies as a man. 'Too Cold Out There Without You' is a post-transition story that looks beyond the act of transitioning and instead focuses on the transformations that take place in Chris's relationships and the church as a result of his transition.  The Rev. Chris Fike was the priest at Christ Church Somerville before the parish closed.  The Film features interviews with Bishop Shaw and Grace Church community member the Rev. Cameron Partridge.  Chris Fike will be joining us for a discussion of the film following the screening. 

 

Wednesday December 18th

7:00 PM

Grace Church will have a Blue Christmas Service. The Blue Christmas service is for those who are mourning, or have other reasons for not feeling particularly joyful at Christmas. If you have any questions please see Rachael Pettengill-Rasure (rachael@gracemedford.org) or anyone from the healing team. 

 

Book Club 

The Grace Church Women's Book Club meets the third Thursday of each month at 7 pm (except August and December) at a member's house.  For more information about the Club or the location of a meeting, contact Genita in church or at pawleyslegacy@verizon.net. All women are welcome to any meeting even if you aren't a member of Grace Church.

This year the Club decided to meet in December and have another movie night, on December 19, movie yet to be decided. And on January 16, 2014 we're discussing Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard.

 

KOKA CHRISTMAS WREATHS 

are ready for pick-up for those who placed an order.

 


"It's a Wonderful Life"
movie screening at Grace
I've always wanted to see this movie classic on the big screen. And what could be better than seeing it with a bunch of your friends at church? So why don't you take a break from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and join us for hot chocolate, popcorn and Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" staring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed on Friday December 13th, at 6:00 PM. (Running Time 2 hours and 10 minutes)

Caroling with Grace Church

Join us for a festive afternoon of caroling and hospitality on Sunday, December 15 from 1:00-4:00 PM as we make stops to sing and visit our parish home bound, as well as a local nursing home.  We hope you will join us in demonstrating our care for one another and for some of the dearest members of our Grace community.  If you would like to attend Grace Church Caroling, please add your name to the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the parish hall. Those interested will receive an email with more information. If you have questions please talk to Eva or contact her at eva@gracemedford.org. 

 

Blue Christmas Blessing Station

Come be the church on the street! Our 2nd annual Blessing Station will take place again this year! We will offer healing prayers and blessings on the streets and at nearby train stations on Wednesday, Dec. 18 (time TBD), just before the shortest day of the year. We will also invite folks who come forward for a blessing to come to the Blue Christmas service at Grace that evening (See the notice about the Blue Christmas service above). If you are interested in being a part of this ministry, contact Eva or Noah. The more people are a part of it, the more we can spread out into different parts of the community.

 

Christmas Pageant and Community Dinner

Saturday, December 21st, 5:00 PM

The Grace Church Christmas Pageant will be held in the Church Sanctuary, on Saturday, December 21st, at 5:00 PM to be followed by a potluck dinner in the Parish Hall with a snow date at the same time on Sunday, December 22nd.  Celebrate the story of Christ's birth!

 

Following the Pageant there will be a Pot-Luck dinner in the Parish Hall.  If you plan to attend the dinner and your last name begins with:

A-F   Bring a salad

G-H  Bring bread or appetizer

I-N    Bring side dish (pasta, starch etc.)

O-R  Bring a dessert

S-Z   Bring a main dish

Or just bring something you love!!

 

Christmas Eve Services

December 24, 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM

Grace Church will gather for our celebration of the birth of Jesus on Christmas Eve, December 24th with services at 4:00 PM (service for Children and Families) and 7:00 PM (Candlelight with Choir).

 

THERE WILL BE NO 8:00 AM SERVICE AND NO 5:00 PM SERVICE ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29thth

 

Christmas Lessons and Carols

Sunday, December 29th, 10:00 AM

Celebrate the season with this special service of music, reading of scripture and singing our favorite Christmas hymns.  "For unto us a child is born"