Grace Episcopal Church  
In This Issue
Sunday Ministers
Birthdays

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Sunday Services
 
8:00 AM
Celebrant and Preacher:
The Rev.  Dr. Maggie Arnold 
LEM: Branwen Smith-King  
Usher:
Wes Foote, Sr. 
Altar Guild: June Pietrantoni

10:00 AM
Celebrant and Preacher: 
The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold 
Minister of Music:
Ruth Roper   
LEM I:
Mia Benjamin 
LEM II:
Rochenet Joseph 
Lector I*:
Ellery Klein   
Lector II*:
Lucia Page 
Acolytes:
Tim Lwanga, Catherine Woodbury and Elizabeth Woodbury  
Ushers:
Jane Scherban and Linda Foote 
Altar Guild
Margaret Smist and Dottie Palladino 
Vestry Person of the Day:
Sue Maltz   
Coffee Hour Hosts:  
Sundae Sunday, to celebrate the pledges Grace has received   
Counters:
Jane Scherban and Linda Foote 
 
*click on link to prepare for this week's readings
 
Birthdays

Chuck Brawley (11/23); Peter Brady, Isabelle Brazis, Darlene Ford and Melanie (Silva) Stewart (11/24); Wes Foote, Jr. and Helen Zhou (11/26); Conor Daly, The Rev. Sara Irwin, Brenda Pearson and Kris Plausky (11/27) and Allison Andrews (11/28).
 
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!
Services this week are Sunday at 8 AM and 10 AM.  Our Sunday School classes will be experimenting with a "one-room schoolhouse" on Sunday.  The children will meet together to learn about a special Thanksgiving project.  The children will join the service to celebrate the Eucharist.

There is no 5 PM service this week at Grace Church so that we can join The Medford Interfaith Clergy's Thanksgiving Service at 5:00 PM. Please bring a non-perishable food item to support the various food pantries working in the community.
Did you miss Noah's sermon on Sunday?  Were you inspired and would you like to hear it again?  The Rev. Noah Evans is using "soundcloud" to share an audio recording of his message. Listen here.
Grace Church parishoner, Oscar Greene, has been writing for many years.  At age 96, he is still writing.  His work has appeared in newspapers, magazines and anthologies. He is the author of several books:  House of Strangers, Hampton and the War Years, and From Homecoming to Twilight and Ruby: A Love Story.

Thanksgiving by Oscar H. Greene read more. 
This Sunday is "Sundae Sunday" and we celebrate pledges made to Grace Church for the coming year with ice cream at coffee hour!

You can fill out your pledge form online here.  Paper pledge cards are available in Sunday's bulletin or on the bulletin board in Wiles Hall.

Did you know that you could make a gift to Grace Church by credit card right from the website?  click here for online giving. Fill in a fund and the amount you would like to give to begin. 
We have now confirmed a  date of Tuesday, January 12, 2016 for the re-installation of the organ to begin.  The work will take 3-4 weeks to complete.  We are excited that this project is nearing completion, and that soon enough we will have organ again for our worship.  You can follow the organ restoration progress on the Grace Church restoration blog. 
Outreach Corner 
The next opportunity to help at St. Luke's Community Dining in Chelsea is November 28.  Please contact Lisa Carson with any questions or to volunteer to help.
 
Food is needed for the food pantries that Grace Episcopal Church supports.   The items for November 22 are coffee or tea.  The items for November 29 are cereal or tuna.

Look for the Grace Church "Giving Tree" in the Wiles Hall beginning November 22nd.  Celebrate our gifts by giving.

Wednesdays @ Grace
Toddler Godly Play class - 5:30-6:30
Godly Play 1-Preschool-Kindergarten,   5:30-6:15
Godly Play 2-Grades 1-2,   5:30-6:15
Dinner,   6-6:45
Child-care for children through 2nd grade, 6:45-8
Bible Class (grades 3-4), 6:45-8
Rite 13 youth group (grades 5-7), 6:45-8
J2A youth group (grades 8-9), 6:45-8
Adult Education classes, 6:45-8

December 2 at 6:45 PM
"The Genealogy of Jesus" led by The Rev. Noah H. Evans There is great interest in the study of genealogy right now - an interest in discovering our family roots and history.
read more

December 9 at 6:45 PM
Led by Mia Benjamin, Life Together intern
The Annunciation to Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25)
Who is Jesus's dad? What's up with the church teaching that Jesus is a direct descendant of David through Joseph and also claiming Joseph wasn't involved in his conception? Is Joseph Jesus's father? Or is God? read more

December 16 at 6:45 PM
The Annunciation of Mary in Art
led by The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Join us to survey some of the most beautiful images of the visual arts, as a young girl encounters the divine and learns of the role she will play in God's salvation for her people and all of Creation. read more 
Other Announcements

Book Club
The Women's Book Club meets every third Thursday at 7PM. On November 19 we discuss Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner.For more information, see Genita Johnson at the 10 am church service or email her at  
pawleyslegacy@verizon.net.

Join us for Advent Wreath-making!
On Sunday, Nov. 22: Join us after the 10am service and make a beautiful Advent wreath to take home for the holidays! Lighting the candles of the Advent wreath each night is a traditional Christian practice as we prepare for the coming of the Christ child. Feel free to bring greenery and decorations from home. We'll have wreath forms, greens, candles, and ribbon available.

Medford Interfaith Clergy Association Interfaith Thanksgiving Service 
"Medford Gives Thanks" will be held on Sunday November 22nd. read more 

Zumba on Thanksgiving morning. 
Come to a free Zumba class, open to teens and adults with all fitness levels welcome!
read more

Screening of It's a Wonderful Life
Come join us at 6:30 PM on "Black Friday", November 27for a showing of Frank Capra's Holiday Classic "It's a Wonderful Life" on the big screen in the Wiles Hall.
 
LaFarge Exhibit at Boston College
Grace is sponsoring a trip to this exhibit leaving Grace at 10:00 am on Wednesday, December 2. The exhibit, "John LaFarge and the Recovery of the Sacred" features 85 paintings, stain glass windows, and works on paper...  read more. 

Craft Fair at Grace Church 
Saturday, December 5 from 9 AM to 1:00 PM  
read more

KOKA Christmas Wreaths
Once again the Knights will be decorating Christmas wreaths for sale. Wreaths will be ready for pickup on December 3rd and 4th and will be $14 each. Look for the order blank in the newsletter or in Wiles Hall. Orders are due November 29, 2015.

Help Respond to the Refugee Crisis
The war in Syria is internally displacing millions of people and causing a wave of refugees to leave the country in desperate search for safety.  We need to help, but what should our response be?  If you are interested in shaping our response to the refugee crisis, please come to a meeting at Grace Church on Sunday, December 6 at 4:00.  You may also contact Catherine Smith at smith.viggiani@comcast.net.