Grace Episcopal Church  
In This Issue
Sunday Ministers
Birthdays
Sunday Services

Connect with Grace!

Grace Church
 
Join us on 
Watch us on 
 
See us on 
 
Follow us on 
 
Sunday 

8:00 AM
Celebrant:
The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Preacher: The Rev. Noah H. Evans   
LEM: 
Mia Benjamin
Usher:  Wesley Foote, Sr. 
Altar Guild:
June Pietrantoni

10:00 AM 
Celebrant:
The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold  
Preacher: 
The Rev. Noah H. Evans 
Minister of Music:  Ruth Roper
LEM I:
Louis Carson  
LEM II: Dennis Hale   
Lector I*:
Deborah Jennings
Lector II*:
Barbara Novaes 
Acolytes:
Elizabeth Pardy, Emily Pardy and Melanie Edgecomb  
Ushers: 
James Kossuth  
Altar Guild
Adele Travisano and Marie Glynn
Healing Ministers:  Margaret Smist, Rev. Noah Evans, Cindy Scott, Mia Benjamin 
Coffee Hour Hosts:
Vin Maganzini, coffee *All are asked to bring Christmas cookies.  (no nuts, please.) 
Counters:
Jane Scherban and Vin Maganzini  
Vestry Person of the Day:
Agnes Opara

5:00 PM 
Celebrant:
The Rev. Noah H. Evans
Musician: Cheryl Forest Morganson 
Altar Guild
Mia Benjamin
Healing Ministers: 
The Healing Ministers of Grace Church 
  
*click on link to prepare for this week's readings  

Birthdays

 

Sadie Nowick and Benjamin Wirz (12/21); Victoria Spence and Rebecca Spence (12/23); Joné Marceau (12/25); Arthur Edgecomb and Elizabeth Pardy (12/26) and Kateri Paul (12/27).

 

If we do not have your birthday, please contact the church office at 781-396-7215 or office@gracemedford.org  
Cast of the 2014 Christmas Pageant
Welcome
Please join us at Grace Church!
We celebrate the Eucharist at 8AM, 10AM and 5PM.
 
The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold is the Celebrant at the 8AM and 10AM services.  The Rev. Noah H. Evans preaches at the morning services.  The Rev. Noah H. Evans is the Celebrant and Preacher at the 5 PM Blue Christmas service.   There are no Sunday School classes this week.  Rev. Evans will offer a children's homily.  The children will exit the church and go to the Parish Hall following the Gospel reading and will return at the Peace.  Nursery care is available at the 10AM service.

 

For coffee hour this week.  Please bring your favorite Christmas cookies to share.  Please keep in mind Grace Church's allergy awareness policy.  Please no nuts in your offering.  Also, it is helpful to bring a card with the ingredients written on it to display by your cookies. 

To read an article on the Interfaith Peace Vigil at Medford City Hall on December 10, 2014 coordinated by the Grace Church Peace Team, click here.








 
The Grace Episcopal Church vestry meeting while waiting to speak to City Council about Transgender rights in the city. God's calls us to work in all places and all ways!

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

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.

 

The Rev. Noah H. Evans will offer a children's homily on Sunday.

 

Please remember that children may bring an ornament to the 4:00 PM service on Christmas Eve to decorate the Grace Church Christmas tree. 

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 21 is
canned soup. The item for December 28 is rice. 

Other Announcements     

 
Grace Church caroling at Medford Rehab

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 reading
 By Nightfall by 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 our Altar Guild training on December 21. 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 Sunday, December 21.  If you are interested in becoming part of the Guild you can speak to Margaret Smist

margaret.smist@gracemedford.org
 

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!

 

We would like to get Rachael a white Chasuble (it's a vestment) for her ordination on January 10th.  If you would like to contribute to the gift, please give checks and contributions to the Reverend Noah Evans, who is coordinating this gift.

 

Would you like to visit Rachael for Sunday service?? Rachael Pettengill-Rasure is being ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, January 10th. Would anyone like to help her celebrate her first Sunday as a priest??   I will be attending her first Eucharist on January 11th and would like to have people join me. Please let me know if you are interested in accompanying me - we will leave the Grace Church parking lot at 9 am as the service begins at 10 am.   If more than 5 of us are going to Milton for the service, we will need to organize more cars!!   I can be reached at margaret.smist@gracemedford.org.

 

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.