Grace Episcopal Church  
In This Issue
Sunday Ministers
Birthdays
Sunday Services

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Sunday Services
9:00 AM

Celebrant: 
The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Preacher:
The Rev. Noah H. Evans 
Minister of Music:  Ruth Roper
LEM I:
Esther Brownsmith   
LEM II: 
Margaret Smist
Lector I*:
Sandra Eriksson-Ellis  
  Lector II*:
Dennis Hale  
Acolytes:
Timmy Lwanga, Ava Murray and Amanda Murray 
Usher:
Steve Duggan 
Altar Guild
Margaret Smist and Dottie Palladino 
Vestry Person of the Day:
Dennis Hale  
Children's Homily 
Vin Maganzini  
Coffee Hour Hosts:  
Vin Maganzini, coffee 
Counters:
Dennis Hale and Jane Scherban   
 
*click on link to prepare for this week's readings  

Birthdays

 

Steve Duggan and Ethel Silva (7/26); Jackson Kerans (7/27); Shannon Heaton, Maraland New and Julian Nowick (7/28); Jesse Clingan (7/29); Katherine Anderson-Wirz (7/30) and Steve Viggiani (7/31).


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!
Grace Church is on our summer service schedule with one Sunday service at 9:00 AM. This will be a chance for worshipers from the 8 AM, 10 AM and 5 PM congregations to be together, and also allows us to beat the summer heat! The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold is the celebrant and The Rev. Noah H. Evans is the preacher for on Sunday. Vin Maganzini will offer the children's homily.

For the Muslim holy month of Ramadan (June 18th-July 17th), the Bangladeshi Muslim community of Medford and Somerville gathered together to offer evening prayers each night in Wiles parish hall. On Monday, July 13th, several leaders even stayed for an all-night vigil for the holiest night in the Muslim year, Laylat al-Qadr, when Muslims commemorate the night when the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. About a dozen of the community members joined us for our church service on Sunday, July 19th and celebrated the end of Ramadan with us with traditional Bangladeshi food at coffee hour afterwards. Dr. Anwarul Hasan and Dr. Mawdudr Rahman shared with us about the meaning of Ramadan and 'Eid al-Fitr, the festival at the end of the holy month of fasting and charitable giving. You can read more about the celebration on our Grace Church blog.

We are excited to continue in our relationship with the Muslim community throughout the year as they meet for noon-day prayers and sermons in our parish halls on Fridays. We're also looking into ways to collaborate on interfaith community service events. 
  #FlatGrace traveled to London with the Duggans earlier this summer. 

You can bring Grace Church with you wherever you go this summer too! 

Pick up a picture of Grace Church and bring it with you on your travels this summer.  Take a photo and post it to social media or send it in and we will post it on our bulletin board. To print one from home, click here.

Read the new post on the organ restoration at the "Restoring Grace" blog.   

 

David E. Wallace & Co. has invited us to visit the organ and see the restoration in person!  The date is Friday, August 28th.  Gorham,Maine is near Portland, about two hours from Medford.  There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Wiles Parish Hall.  We will plan carpools once we know who is going.


Recently, for the first time since its installation, the organ was completely dismantled piece-by-piece and sent to David E. Wallace and Co. organ builders in Gorham, Maine for a complete restoration.

 The organ restoration project is the final project to be paid for by the 2011 Grace Church Capital Campaign along with additional fundraising being done to help support this effort. 

Outreach Corner 

 

The next opportunity to help at St. Luke's Community Dining is July 25. It is not just cooking. There are several other duties that go along with community dining, such as, serving food to people seated, clean up, washing dishes, cutting up vegetables, filling the plates with food before serving and so much more.  Please contact Lisa Carson with any questions or to volunteer to help on July 25th!

 

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 items for July 26 are coffee or cereal.  The items for August 2 are tuna or spam.

Kid's Corner  

 

Register for Fall youth education programs

Please register now for our September Sunday School and Wednesdays at Grace programs.  Your registration helps us to plan, group classes and order supplies.  Click here for the online registration form.

 

Summer @ Grace for kids

From now through September 13th, there will be a Children's Homily in the parish hall during the regular sermon time. Please contact Rev. Maggie at maggie@gracemedford.org if the Spirit might be calling you to participate in this fun ministry. Vin Maganzini will offer a children's homily on July 26. 

 

We'll be rolling out our first Scripture Explorer Backpacks this summer--filled with materials to help you explore a Bible story together at home or on the road! This is a great opportunity to grow in God's Word wherever you're roaming. Look for them after school ends...

 

When you're around, help us tend our vegetable garden! We always need help with weeding and watering. Talk to Rev. Maggie or Jane Hamel about putting your junior green thumbs to work.

 

Also, watch for a "Great Summer Reading for Kids" feature on our Facebook page.

Other Announcements

 

Diocesan Youth Leadership Academy(YLA)

Our parishioner, Alan Novaes heads off to El Salvador August 8 as part of the diocesan Youth Leadership Academy delegation.  Please pray for the Youth Leadership Academy and their adult companions, that their trip be safe, that they remain in good health, and that they be open to the transformational power of the Spirit of God.  If you want to follow the group's progress, check out their blog.  The group returns late in the evening August 15. 

 

Summer Service Schedule

From Sunday, July 5th until Sunday, August 30th we will be on our summer service schedule with one service at 9:00AM. This will be a chance for worshipers from the 8, 10 and 5 congregations to be together, and also allows us to beat the summer heat!  

 

Dining with Grace

We have more picnics scheduled! Cindy Scott will be hosting at her home on Saturday, August 29th at 4PM and Maria Fenn is hosting on Sunday August 30th right after church. Sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall.

 

Book Club

The Women's Book Club meets every third Thursday (except in August) at 7 pm. There is no meeting in August. On September 17th the book is The Given Day by Dennis LeHane For more information, see Genita at the 10 am church service or email her at  

pawleyslegacy@verizon.net. 

   

This is What the Church is Made For:

Embracing the Prophetic Tradition with Rev. Alexia Salvatierra Thursday, August 13 -- 9:00am-5:00pm at the Reggie Lewis Center at Roxbury Community College

 

On Thursday, Aug. 13, the Leadership Development Initiative, Life Together, Episcopal City Mission, the Mission Institute, the Congregational Development Team of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, and Episcopal Divinity School are excited to host the Rev. Alexia Salvatierra for a day-long training, "This is What the Church is Made For: Embracing the Prophetic Tradition." LDI is especially pleased to invite our alumni from all 6 years of our program to this thrilling training opportunity! Alexia is a long-time organizer, pastor, and trainer. Through teaching, storytelling, and small-group work, Alexia will inspire and equip participants to understand and be drawn into the Christian prophetic tradition of faith-rooted organizing.

 

Costs for the day, including breakfast and lunch, is $25. Free parking available. Please RSVP.  

 

Save the Date!

September 13: Fall Parish Picnic

September 20: Sunday school begins

September 23: Wednesdays at Grace Begins

 

Community Day Booth & Grace Parade Float
It's September 27th. You're watching the Medford 385th Anniversary Parade go down Winthrop Street when suddenly...HERE COMES THE GRACE CHURCH FLOAT!! 

If you just got really excited, have a brilliant design idea, a flatbed truck and/or a trailer, let Mia mia@gracemedford.org know!

We'll also be representing Grace to our community at Community Day on September 13th from 12:30-4:30pm. Possibilities for tying in the two events thematically abound! Community Day will especially be an incredible opportunity for explaining who Grace Church is and what "Love God. Love your neighbor. Change the world" really means to our wider Medford community. Let Mia know if this feels like part of your ministry at Grace and you'll like to be there at the booth.