Counters: Jane Scherban and Vin Maganzini

Vestry Person of the Day:

Ellie Viggiani
Children's Homilist: Steve Duggan

*click on link to prepare for this week's readings

Birthdays

Lincoln Bell, Peggy Kerans and Faith Wilson (7/6); Eric Auner and Ruthanne Pearson (7/7); Sarah Gay, Ruth Hall and Fernando Novaes (7/9); Fiona Cox and Suzanne Henson (7/10); Jason Cluggish (7/11); Erica Deane and Marie Glynn (7/12).

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!

We celebrate the Eucharist on Sunday at 9:00 AM. Steve Duggan will offer a children's homily during the service. Nursery care is available.

Summer Worship Schedule

On Sunday, July 6, we begin our Summer Worship Schedule, with one service at 9:00AM. We will continue with this schedule throughout July and August. This adjusted schedule allows 8 and 10 o'clockers to get to know each other, and also helps to beat the summer heat.

Kid's Corner

Steve Duggan will give the children's homily on Sunday, June 22nd.

Children at Grace Church in the Summer!

While we do not have Sunday School and Wednesdays at Grace from Memorial Day to Labor Day at Grace Church, there is still a lot for kids at Church! Sundays in the summer are a great time for children to learn about and participate in worship. Every Sunday we will have special Children's Homily, where the children will process out after the Gospel into the parish hall. During this time they will hear a story or reflection on the Gospel, and have a chance to write or draw prayers. They will return to the sanctuary during the peace. There are also Gospel based coloring pages in the rear of the church as well as our toy boxes. Bring your children to Church in the summer, as we all share in our faith and common life together!

ARE YOU CALLED TO TEACH?!

Grace Church needs about 15 teachers and assistants each week to run all of our Children and Youth programs on both Sunday mornings and Wednesday Nights. A number of our teachers have been teaching for almost 10 years, and are ready to pass the baton to some new folks, so they can move on to being engaged in some other ministries in parish life. Would you be willing to set up to teaching on a Sunday or Wednesday?

Godly Play Training at Grace Church

Grace Church is tentatively hosting Godly Play teacher trainings for the New England region on September 19-21st. During this training participants experience all aspects of the Godly Play method and begin to become fluent in the Godly Play core stories and lessons. Core training follows an action/reflection model of learning with a mixture of trainer-led presentations and participant storytelling presentations. Core training plenary presentations cover: the Spirituality of the Child, Setting up a Godly Play Environment and Supporting the Circle of Children. This will be a wonderful opportunity to become a Godly Play teacher, with the training right here at Grace Church! Let Noah if you are interested, or might be interested in this.

Save the Date information for Children and Youth Programs!

NOW: Register for Fall Children and Youth programs at www.gracemedford.org

August 12: The Reverend Margaret Arnold's first day at Grace

August 20: Let's Get Ready for Fall Children and Youth Programs Cookout and Party!

September 14: Sunday school begins

September 17: Wednesdays and Grace Begins

Help Grace Church Send a Kid to Camp!

We have already had 6 kids register for Summer camp! Grace Church contributes almost $192 per child from Grace Church who goes to Camp on a scholarship (the Diocesan Camp Scholarship Fund pays $191, and families pay the same). The vast majority of our kids receive a scholarship. You can help send a Grace Church kid to camp with a contribution to the Grace Church Camp Scholarship Fund. Please speak to Noah (noah@gracemedford.org) for more information.

Outreach Corner

The next opportunity to help with St. Luke's Community Dining is July 26. For a few months, we will be preparing bagged lunches in the Grace Church kitchen from 9-10:30 AM and distributing them at St. Luke's between 11:00 AM and noon. Please contact Brenda Pearson at bpearson267@gmail.com

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 July 6th is coffee. The items for July 13th are peanut butter or jelly.

Gun Violence Meeting (Now Re-Named the Peace Team)

On Wednesday, June 18, a group of Grace Church parishoners met to discuss the ongoing gun violence and deaths in the US, and to express

our grief and frustration with these events. Through our discussion, came some preliminary action items for the group (listed below) and we

are inviting anyone who is interested to join us at our next meeting on Wednesday, July 9th at 6:45 pm.

1. We are looking into the potential formation of an Interfaith Outreach Group in the public schools to work with teachers and students.

2. We are investigating further involvement in the B-Peace movement -- a MA Diocese Epsicopal based organization.

3. We will be looking into current legislation in the MA House and Senate invovling Gun Control.

Thank You, Noah Evans, Maria Fenn, Brad Clompus, Jeff Pietrantoni, John Rogers, Cindy Scott and Margaret Smist

Other Announcements

Come Learn about the Community Preservation Act

We understand to the call to be good stewards. The Community Preservation Act (CPA) was passed in 2000 as a way for communities in Massachusetts to fund historic preservation, open space, recreation, and affordable housing projects in their communities. To date, 155 communities (44%) have adopted CPA. There have been discussions and meetings about adopting CPA in Medford. There are a variety of historic preservation, open space, recreation, and affordable housing projects which would greatly benefit the Medford community and the historic Grace Church.

Following the 9AM service on July 13th, Steven Keleti will come to discuss the CPA and how it can benefit Medford and Grace Church. Steven is a volunteer community activist who is working to help communities in the Mystic River Watershed conserve open space and create recreation areas and greenways. Through his help, Woburn and Malden are on track to put the CPA on the ballot. He has been an activist and conservationist for over 20 years, most recently being a co-founder and former president of the Friends of Mary Cummings Park (http://marycummingspark.org) and a founder of the Middlesex Greenway Coalition (http://middlesexgreenway.org).

CALLING GRACE CHURCH MEMBERS TO BE PRESENT AT THE CONSECRATION OF BISHOP ALAN M. GATES

On Saturday, September 13, 2014 at 11 a.m. The Reverend Alan M. Gates will be ordained the 16th Bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts. The consecration will be held at Boston University's Agganis Arena, 925 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. Presiding Bishop The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori will preside. A reception will follow the service.

This is a momentous and history-making event and we are hoping Grace Church members will come and bring their families to celebrate the occasion.

Tickets are free, but everyone who plans to attend (including participants and volunteers) must register for a free ticket by August 15.

To register for tickets you may:

**Sign up in on the "Sign Up Sheet" in Wiles Hall on the bulletin board near the Parish Office

NOTE: Tickets are numbered and groups who order together will sit together at the Consecration. I urge parishioners to sign-up so Grace Church folkscan sit together. Our first order for tickets will be made July 15.

Register online
Telephone 617-482-4826 x687 and leave your name and telephone number.

For questions or further information, contact June Pietrantoni or the Church Office.

Grace Women's Book Club

The Grace Church Women's Book Club meets monthly at 7 pm on the third Thursday. Here are our upcoming book selections.

July 17 is Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas

September 18 is Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Please see Genita Johnson during church at 10 am service. or contact her at pawleyslegacy@verizon.net for more information. All women are welcome to come, even if you have not read this month's book and just want to check out our book club.

Dining with Grace this Summer....
........RETURNS with picnics at parishioners homes throughout the summer. Currently, we have two picnics planned with more to come!! Sign up and spend some time with fellow parish families over a relaxed summer picnic. Sign up sheets are in the back of Wiles Hall and your
host will contact you with what you can bring to the picnic.

Saturday, July 19th
At the home of Margaret Smist and Bill Smalley in Marblehead. The picnic will begin at 4 pm and for those who are interested, a walking tour of this beautiful seaside town will begin at 2 pm sharp. Bring hats, sunscreen and walking shoes. We have 2 dogs who will also be attending the picnic.

Saturday, August 23rd
At the home of Tom and Jane Hamel in Medford. 6-8 families can attend.

Garden Help Needed

It's that time again! The garden has been planted for the spring and summer seasons, and will require your help to keep it growing! Sign up as an individual or family (you can also combine with others) for a week or two (or three or four!) during the season to weed, and harvest the garden. Most of the produce will continue to support the local food pantry we support at the UU Medford Church, so your volunteerism is appreciated by many! Instructions for how to take care of the garden will be printed and displayed next to the volunteer sign-up board on the easel in the Parish Hall.