Grace Episcopal Church  
In This Issue
Sunday Ministers
Birthdays

Connect with Grace!

Grace Church
 
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Sunday Services
9:00 AM

Celebrant: 
The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Preacher: 
The Rev. Noah H. Evans 
Musician: 
Nicholas Hayes  
LEM I:
Kate Woodward 
LEM II: 
Mia Benjamin 
 Lector I*:
Laura Duggan     
 Lector II*:
Margaret Smist 
Acolytes: 
Jaeda Hamel, Brianna Nwachukwu and Cassiday Sanders 
Usher:
Jane Scherban   
Altar Guild
Margaret Smist and Dottie Palladino  
Vestry Person of the Day:
Vin Maganzini   
Children's Homily: The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Coffee Hour Hosts:  
Steve Duggan, coffee 
Counters:
Jane Scherban and Steve Duggan   
 
*click on link to prepare for this week's readings  
Birthdays
 
Elaine Walters (8/30); Brenda Comeau and Acadia Cross-Choi (8/31); Karl Haas (9/1); Shirley Kountze, Charrese Murray, Mike Nickey, Solomon Nwachukwu, Sr., Ryan Pearson and John Zafiris III. (9/2); Sawyer Brown, Michael Fenn and Nicholas Gavrelis (9/4).
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.  We will begin our regular service schedule with services at 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM next Sunday, September 6.  The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold is the celebrant on Sunday.  The Rev. Noah H. Evans will preach.  The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold will offer a children's homily.

Blessing of the Backpacks  on Sunday

Kids!! Bring your backpacks to the 9 am service on Sunday, August 30, and we will have a special blessing for you as you head BACK TO SCHOOL!!

Adults!! Most of you have been spending time away from work this summer -- bring your cell phones and Blackberries to church for a blessing as you plunge back into the Fall routine. 
    #FlatGrace is well traveled this summer! 

Pick up a picture of Grace Church and bring it with you on your travels.  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 about the 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.   


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. We anticipate the return of a fully restored organ back at Grace Church by Christmas

 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. Please consider a contribution to help us reach our fundraising goal. 

Outreach Corner 


The next opportunity to help at St. Luke's Community Dining is September 26. 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 September 26!

 

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 August 30 is tuna.  The items for September 6 are coffee or tea.

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.

 

Sunday School begins on September 20 and Wednesdays at Grace begins on September 23.

 

On Sundays through September 13th, there will be a Children's Homily in the parish hall during the regular sermon time.  
 

Ask Maggie about our Scripture Explorer Backpacks --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 at the back of the church. 

 

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.

Other Announcements
 
Dining with Grace
Cindy Scott will be hosting at her home on Saturday, August 29th at 4PM and Maria Fenn is hosting on Sunday August 30th at 4:00 PM - 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 The meeting in October is a bit early, October 15. We're reading A Hope in the Unseen by Ron Suskind. For more information, see Genita at the 10 am church service or email her at  
pawleyslegacy@verizon.net. 
 
Save the Date!
September 13: Fall Parish Picnic
September 16: Columbia Fundraising Dinner 
September 20: Sunday school begins
September 23: Wednesdays at Grace Begins

Fundraising dinner for Church of our Divine Savior, Bogota, Columbia
On Wednesday September 16, 2015 there is a fundraising event. A Colombian meal will be provided and there will be a brief slide show followed by a Q&A session. There is no set ticket price as we would like to see everyone come and hear about our continuing partnership. Baskets will be available for all of your generous donations.

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 or have a brilliant idea, let Mia mia@gracemedford.org know! We'll be meeting quickly after the 9:00am church service, August 30th, to talk themes and decorations!
 
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.


"Sisters in Song" proudly present "A Beautiful Pair 4: What About Love"
October 2, 2015 at 7:30 PM at
Grace Church
The performance benefits the Ellie Fund which assists breast cancer patients while they undergo treatment. Tickets are $20 and are available at the door or at https://eventbrite.com. For more information visit the website at www.elliefund.org.

"The Virtue of Penelope: A Chinese Odyssey"
October 16-17, 7:30 PM
This multicultural and whimsical play adapts Homer's epic poems, "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey," into a Chinese theatrical translation including authentic Chinese
dance, kung-fu, and gorgeous costuming.  Premiering at Grace Church, this new play written by Laura Duggan takes you along for the adventures and journey of Odysseus as he tries to return to his virtuous wife, Penelope.  Tickets $16; available at Extreme Ninja Martial Arts & Fitness Center, 45 Riverside Avenue, Medford, and from Laura Duggan.  For more information, contact Laura.  Presented by Grace Episcopal Church and Remarkable Women Reenacted.

Women's Retreat
Grace Church Women: we are offering a Women's Retreat, October 9-11, at Rolling Ridge retreat center in North Andover. Join us for fellowship, beautiful fall scenery, and activities including tai chi, yoga, and meditation workshops, crafting & art classes, and Bible study. Staying for one or both nights (or just joining us for a day) is fine, so costs will vary. See Maria Fenn, fennways@verizon.net , to sign up.