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: Branwen Smith-King  
Usher: 
John Schlesinger
Altar Guild:  June Pietrantoni 
10:00 AM
Celebrant and Preacher: 
The Rev. Noah H. Evans 
Minister of Music:  Ruth Roper 
LEM I: Brenda Pearson 
LEM II: Rachael Pettengill-Rasure
Lector I *
Sandra Eriksson-Ellis  
Lector II *
Butch Edgecomb
Acolytes: 
Louis Carson, Francesca Viggiani and Melanie Edgecomb 
Ushers: 
Olivia Bracken 
Altar Guild: Branwen Smith-King  
Healing Ministers:  Brenda Pearson, Sara Folta, John Rogers and Eva Englert
Coffee Hour Hosts: Vin Maganzini, coffee
Outreach Committee, food   
Counters:  Linda Rogers and Dennis Hale
Vestry Person of the Day: 
Branwen Smith-King  
    
*click on link to prepare for this week's readings  

Birthdays

 

Charlie DePalma (12/16); Santino Borelli, II., Ryan Lamb and Emily Pardy (12/17); Emily Rivera (12/18); Maria Fenn (12/19); Adele Travisano (12/20) and Benjamin Wirz (12/21).

 

If we do not have your birthday, please contact the church office at 781-396-7215 or office@gracemedford.org  
Join the Grace Church Blessing Station on Wednesday, December 18, 2013.  See below for more information.

  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 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.  

 

Snow Policy
10 AM services will not be cancelled except for extreme circumstances.  If the 8AM service or the 10AM service is to be cancelled, an announcement will be recorded on the church answering machine by 7:30 AM Sunday.  If the 5:00 PM service is cancelled there will be a  recorded message on the church answering machine by 3:30 PM. 
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 15 is cereal.  The items for Sunday, December 22 are spaghetti and sauce.
 

Giving Tree The Giving Tree

Giving Tree items are due this Sunday! 

  • 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
  • If you did not get a star, you may donate warm gloves, mittens or hats which will be saved for the clothing pantry next fall. 
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!
The first rehearsal is this Saturday, December 14 from 10:00AM to noon. The second rehearsal is on  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 Hosts: Deb Smith and Tina Reidel 

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

Adult Education- 6:45-8:00PM   

 

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.

 

"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. 

 

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 (7:00 to 9:00 AM), 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"   

 

Grace Church Mission Trip Fundraiser 

Hello Grace Church!  Do you like food?  How about live music?  Do you like to help others?  Well then, you should come to La Cena!  On January 4th there will be a dinner starting at 5:00 P.M.  We will have singers from the Longy School of Music to provide an amazing performance, a presentation by Ted Gaiser, and lots of amazing food!  Worried about the kids?  No worries, there will be children's activities provided!  All proceeds go to the Grace Church Mission Trip to Columbia

 

Please Pay 2013 Annual Pledge Balances by December 31st

Please pay 2013 pledge balances off, and make any Capital Campaign contributions you would like to show on your 2013 statement, by December 31th, 2013.  If you need to know either of your pledge balances, or you have questions, please call the parish office at 781-396-7215 or office@gracemedford.org, or contact our Parish Treasurer Naida Gavrelis.

 

Annual Meeting & Annual Reports Due Date

The Grace Episcopal Church Annual Meeting will be Sunday, February 9.  Annual Meeting reports are due on Wednesday, January 15th to the Parish Office.  Emailed documents are preferred.  Please send them to office@gracemedford.org