Counters:
Jane Scherban and Steve Duggan

Vestry Person of the Day:

Margaret Smist
Children's Homilist:
Maria Fenn

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

Birthdays

Jehovanny Jean (8/6) and Miguel McCurdy (8/7).

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 during the summer on Sunday at 9:00 AM. The Rev. Dr. Cameron Partridge is our guest Celebrant and Preacher. Maria Fenn will offer a children's homily during the service. Nursery care is available.

Summer Worship Schedule

We have begun our Summer Worship Schedule, with one service at 9:00AM. We will continue with this schedule throughout July and August. This adjusted schedule allows 8,10 and 5 o'clockers to get to know each other, and also helps to beat the summer heat.

Kid's Corner

Maria Fenn will give the children's homily on Sunday.

Children at Grace Church in the Summer!

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!

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). 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 August 30. 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.)

Semi-Annual Clothing Pantry

This Fall our pantry will be held on Saturday, September 13 from 9:00 AM to noon.

We need volunteers to help with set-up, pantry day and close down. Whatever time you have available to help, even just an hour, would be greatly appreciated. Adults only are needed on Saturday.

Our set-up days are as follows:

Wednesday, September 10 help is needed getting clothing from storage area above the office.

Thursday, September 11 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM for sorting in the church.

Friday, September 12 from 6:00 until set up is done.

In the past adults and their children have helped with sorting and folding.

Please, let Maria Fenn know if and when you can help. Thanks so much to all who have helped in the past. Thanks also to the kind people who donate their gently used clothing.

Other Announcements

LAST CALL TO ORDER TICKETS TO BISHOP ALAN M. GATES' INSTALLATION!

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 folks can 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 781-396-7215.

Dining with Grace this Summer....

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, August 23rd

At the home of Tom and Jane Hamel in Medford. 6-8 families can attend.

Grace Medford Water Chestnut Pull!

On August 9th from 9am to 1pm members of Grace Episcopal Church will join the Mystic River Watershed Association at a water chestnut pull event. Pulling water chestnuts is fun and messy! Participants go out in canoes and remove the plants by hand and in the process get wet and dirty! This is an important part of keeping our river free of invasive species and available for recreational use. Learn more about this opportunity to care for creation and sign-up to participate. RSVPs are required to ensure enough boats for everyone:

http://greeninggrace.blogspot.com/2014/07/water-chestnut-pull-august-9th-2014.html

Green banner Please join Tufts FOCUS (Freshman Orientation Community Service) program and Grace Church GreenUp CleanUP on Monday August 25 and Tuesday August 26th from 9 AM to 3 PM for a clean-up of the Columbus School and nearby park. Stop by and help for an hour or two!

New Grace Church rainbarrels installed

Garden Help Needed

Thanks to all who have signed up! We could use your help! 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.

Grace Women's Retreat

The Retreat is On! We have registered enough women to hold the dates (October 3-5) for the fall women's retreat at Rolling Ridge Conference Center in Andover, MA. Please contact Maria Fenn (MFENN@partners.org) about available spots left as they will be given on a first come first serve basis. As it gets closer I will be sending out informational emails. There will also be copies of schedules and such at church. If any of you would like to lead an activity, let Maria Fenn know.

Grace Women's Book Club

The Grace Church Women's Book Club meets monthly at 7 pm on the third Thursday except for in August. Here is our upcoming book selection.

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.