Grace Episcopal Church  
In This Issue
Sunday Ministers
Birthdays
Sunday Services

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Sunday 

8:00 AM
Celebrant:
The Rev. Noah H. Evans
Preacher: The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold  
LEM: 
June Pietrantoni
Usher:  John Schlesinger 
Altar Guild:
June Pietrantoni

10:00 AM 
Celebrant:
The Rev. Noah H. Evans  
Preacher: 
The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold 
Minister of Music:  Ruth Roper
LEM I:
Mia Benjamin  
LEM II: Genita Johnson  
Lector I*:
Sandra Eriksson-Ellis
Lector II*:
Lucia Page  
Acolytes:
Jaeda Hamel, Ellie Hunt and Emma Maganzini 
Ushers: 
Don Capuccio and Jill Capuccio 
Altar Guild
Dottie Palladino and Margaret Smist
Healing Ministers:  Carrie Cross, Rev. Maggie Arnold, Mia Benjamin and Margaret Smist  
Coffee Hour Hosts:
Tom Hamel, coffee and the Keran's family, food.  *Next week all are asked to bring Christmas cookies.  (no nuts, please.) 
Counters:
Bryan Spence and Jill Capuccio 
Vestry Person of the Day:
Molly Fenn

5:00 PM 
Celebrant: The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Altar Guild
Mia Benjamin 
  
*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 and Al Palladino (12/19) and Adele Travisano (12/20).

  

If we do not have your birthday, please contact the church office at 781-396-7215 or office@gracemedford.org  
The Grace Church Peace Team filled the first four pews with names, photos, footprints and a small memory of children who were victims of gun violence.  This display traveled to Medford City Hall for the Interfaith Peace Vigil on Wednesday.
Interfaith Peace Vigil, December 10, 2014 at
Medford City Hall
Welcome
Please join us at Grace Church!
We celebrate the Eucharist at 8AM, 10AM and 5PM.
 
The Rev. Noah H. Evans is the Celebrant at the 8AM and 10AM services.  The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold preaches at the morning services.  The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold is the Celebrant and Preacher at the 5 PM service.   Sunday School begins promptly at 9:45 AM.  Nursery care is available at the 10AM service.

Christmas Pageant and Community Dinner

Saturday, December 13th, 5:00 PM

The Grace Church Christmas Pageant will be held in the Church Sanctuary, on Saturday, December 13th, 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 14th). 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!!

 

Please remember Grace Church's allergy awareness policy.  Please no nuts in your potluck offering.  Also, it is helpful to bring a card with the ingredients written on it to display by your dish. 

The Grace Church Stewardship Campaign
Please turn in your pledge as soon as possible if you haven't already done so.  
To make your 2015 Stewardship Pledge to Grace Church online click here.

To view the 2015 Stewardship Packet on the website, click here.

Please Pay 2014 Annual Pledge Balances by December 31st

Please pay 2014 pledge balances off, and make any Capital Campaign contributions you would like to show on your 2014 statement, by December 31th, 2014. If you need to know either of your pledge balances, or you have questions, please call the parish office at 781-396-7215 or send an email to office@gracemedford.org, or contact our Parish Treasurer, Tom Hamel.

Kid's Corner

 

Christmas Pageant 2014

There will be an ALL CAST rehearsals from 10 AM to noon on 13th.  For information, contact Laura Duggan at LauraRDuggan16@gmail.com.

 

Friday night youth event on 12/19:

Grace Church is hosting an evening of games and fun for youth, grades 6-12, on Friday, December 19 from 6-10pm. Parent chaperones are Maria Fenn and Linda Rogers. Dinner is not provided, but kids can bring a favorite board game to share.

The next Youth night

Outreach Corner    

 

The next opportunity to help at St. Luke's Community Dining is coming up on December 27th. Please contact Lisa Carson if you can help or if you 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 December 14 is cereal. The item for December 21 is
canned soup. 

 

Giving TreeGiving Tree 2014

 Wrapped "Giving Tree" gifts are due to Grace Church by Sunday, December 14, 2014. Contact Linda Rogers for this project at
lindamrogers@netzero.net 

Other Announcements     

 

Christmas Caroling Party  

Grace Church will be throwing a Christmas caroling celebration for our neighbors at the Medford Rehab and Nursing Center on December 14 at 2:00pm! If you'd like to be involved contact Mia at  mia@gracemedford.org.     

 

Book Club

The Women's Book Club meets every third Thursday, except in August, at 7 pm. Any woman is welcome to attend any meeting. On December 18 we're watching a movie, Big Night, starring Stanley Tucci and Tony Shaloub. We're also having a pot luck and Yankee Book swap; bring a new or used book. On January 15 we're readingBy Nightfallby Michael Cunningham. For more information, see Genita at the 10 am church service or email her at  pawleyslegacy@verizon.net.

 

Interested in the Altar Guild?

Are you interested in worship?   Do you enjoy the beauty of the church seasons? If you are, please consider attending one of our Altar Guild trainings in December. It would be a good way to see if this is a ministry you may be called to.

 

Reverend Maggie will be meeting with the Guild following the 10 am service on both Sunday, December 14 and 21.   You only need to attend one of the days, and if you are interested in becoming part of the Guild you can speak to Margaret Smist

margaret.smist@gracemedford.org

Blessing Station

Come be the church on the street! Our 3rd 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. 17 (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. If you are interested in being a part of this ministry, contact Mia or Noah. The more people are a part of it, the more we can spread out into different parts of the community.

 

Blue Christmas Service

Sunday December 21st, 5:00 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. 

 

Christmas Services

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 - children should bring an ornament for the Grace Church Christmas tree) and 7:00 PM (Candlelight with Choir).

 

THERE WILL BE NO 8:00 AM SERVICE AND NO 5:00 PM SERVICE ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28thth

 

Christmas Lessons and Carols with Holy Eucharist, Sunday, December 28th, 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".

 

Rachael Pettengill-Rasure's Ordination

Rachael will be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, January 10th at 10:30AM at Trinity Church in Boston. ALL ARE INVITED!

 

Grace Episcopal Church Annual Meeting

The Grace Episcopal Church Annual Meeting will be on Sunday, February 8 immediately following the 10AM service.  

 

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 PM is canceled, there will be an announcement by 3:30 PM.