Grace Episcopal Church  
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Sunday Services 
8:00 AM
Celebrant:
The Rev.  Dr. Maggie Arnold 
Preacher:  The Rev. Noah H. Evans
LEM: 
Mia Benjamin
Usher: 
John Schlesinger
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:
Mia Benjamin
LEM II:
Wes Foote, Jr.
Lector I *:
Laura Duggan
Lucia Page
Acolytes:
Tori Spence, Becca Spence and Elizabeth Woodbury
Ushers:
Vin Maganzini and Steve Duggan
Altar Guild
Olivia Bracken
Vestry Person of the Day:
Branwen Smith-King
Counters:
Wes Foote and Vin Maganzini
Coffee Hour:  Steve Duggan, coffee and Marjorie Affel, food 
 
5:00 PM
Celebrant and Preacher: 
The Rev. Noah H. Evans
Musician: 
Nicholas Hayes 
 
*click on link to prepare for this week's readings
Birthdays

Lucas Hamel (1/31); Stacy Sullivan (2/5); Grace Sullivan (2/6).

If we do not have your birthday, please contact the church office at 781-396-7215 or office@gracemedford.org  
The Diocesan Youth Council choir singing at Grace on Sunday.
Welcome.
Please join us at
 Grace Church!
We celebrate the Eucharist at 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM.  Sunday School begins promptly at 9:45 AM.  Nursery care is available.
by The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold

Our letters to the future have been sealed in behind our organ as it returns to its home. Take a last chance to check out some more selections of what we had to say to future generations at Grace Church!   

"I'm a 76 year-old woman who has worshiped at Grace since I was 6 years old...read more
by Mia Benjamin, Life Together Fellow 
It's okay if you look at me strangely for saying that Ash Wednesday is my favorite holy day. After all, it's not one particularly filled with joy. But I think that's why I like it. Ash Wednesday defies our cultural expectations in every way-and has resisted every cultural encroachment of commercialism and materialism...read more
Join us for Sunday School this week, and we'll hear the Parable of the Mustard Seed: from the tiniest seeds of our faith, God can grow great trees that give protection and shelter new life.
Save the date
Bishop Alan M. Gates will be at Grace on Wednesday, April 6 at 7:00PM for a Service of Dedication of our restored organ, and a celebration of the completion of our Capital Campaign project.  A festive community dinner will be held at 6:00 PM.

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 January 30, 2016. 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  The item for January 24 is tuna.  The items for January 31 are coffee or tea.
Wednesdays @ Grace will resume January 6 
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

Wednesday, February 3 at 6:45 
Thru-Hiking the Continental Divide Trail Last summer, Chris Pirrello, Beverly Convery's grandson, hiked the entire Continental Divide trail...read more 

Join us for Ash Wednesday Services on February 10.   There is no community dinner on the 10th.

There is no "Wednesdays at Grace" on February 17 due to school vacation.

Read the Bible! on Wednesday Nights
Wednesdays February 24 to March 16
The Christian scriptures can easily be seen as odd and strange, as well as beautiful and powerful, and sometime even indecipherable.  During this Lenten series we will explore a number of different ways to read and understand the bible.   Join us for one or all of this exciting series! 

How to Read the Bible: 
A Guide for the Perplexed
February 24 at 6:45PM
Led by Esther Brownsmith
As Episcopalians, our historical sources of authority are scripture, tradition, and reason.  Yet so often, scripture can feel intimidating, confusing, or just plain irrelevant.  This introduction to reading the Bible will equip you...read more.

Led by The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Reading the Bible as an Evangelical 
(It's not what you think!)
Wednesday March 2 at 6:45 PM
How do we understand the Bible? It's a collection of 66 books with different authors, written in various places, and even coming from two distinct religious traditions. Can we read this text  read more.

Lectio Divina
Wednesday March 9 at 6:45PM
Led by Mia Benjamin
Lectio Divina is a contemplative method of reading short passages of scripture that has its roots in the Benedictine monastic tradition.  read more

Living Close to Scripture
Wednesday, March 16 at 6:45PM
Led by the Reverend Noah H. Evans
How do we let scripture permeate our lives, and shape our daily experience of God...read more
Lent at Grace Church
What will your Lent practice be?  What will your family's be? We invite you to join Grace for Lent!  

Find more information about Maggie's walking meditation practice, Noah's lessons in developing our prayer life, and growing a Rule of Life with Mia and the monastic community Society of St. John the Evangelist on our website.

For Lent, Our Wednesdays at Grace Adult Education series is "Read the Bible!" an introduction to different ways of reading biblical texts, which may develop into a practice of reading scripture.

Starting with Ash Wednesday, Grace Church will also be holding special Lenten events, including children's activities and a town-wide scavenger hunt!  read more
Lent Madness began in 2010 as the brainchild of the Rev. Tim Schenck. In seeking a fun, engaging way for people to learn about the men and women comprising the Church's Calendar of Saints read more.
Other Announcements

Grace Episcopal Church Annual Meeting
Annual Reports are Due!
The Grace Episcopal Church Annual Meeting will be on Sunday, February 28 immediately following the 10AM service. Annual Reports are due to the office on February 10th.  You can email your report to office@gracemedford.org. 
 
Concert to Benefit the World Food Program
Join the Grace Church team in putting together a benefit concert to raise money for the World Food Program efforts in Syria on Saturday, February 27 from 2:00-4:00 pm. We're coordinating a homemade Syrian supper and silent auction as well as a children's program for the event. Contact Catherine Smith to join this ministry. If you have an idea for items to donate to the silent auction, contact Jeff Pietrantoni. Go to http://www.gracemedford.org/syrian-relief for more information on the event!
 
Medford Historical Society & Museum Tour
Sunday, January 31 following 10 AM service
MHSM invites Grace Church to come over for a tour.  Allison Andrews will introduce you to Medford artifacts and curiosities from the museum's collections.  Visit the website at medfordhistorical.org.  

Gather at Grace after the 10 AM service. Sign up sheet in Wiles Hall, there will be a light lunch so please sign up for planning purposes, but feel free to just show up.

Women's Lunch
The next monthly Grace Women's Lunch is scheduled for noon on Wednesday, 
February 3, at John Brewer's Tavern in Malden.
 
Adult Baptism, Confirmation 
and Reception in the Episcopal Church class
Sundays, 4-5PM, January 31 - March 13
Taught by: The Rev. Noah H. Evans and the Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Are you interested in being baptized or in exploring being confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church?  This class will explore some foundations of Christian faith, life and practice.  Candidates for Baptism will be baptized at the Easter Vigil on Saturday, March 26 at 7PM.  Please let Noah or Maggie know if you have questions of would like to attend.
 
Tentative topic schedule:
1/31       The Episcopal Way of Following Jesus
2/7         The Sacraments
2/14       Church History
2/21       Reading Scripture
2/28       Prayer
3/6         Christian Practice
3/13       Christian Vocation
 
Service of the Four Chaplains
Sunday, February 7, 2:00 PM - St. Raphael's Roman Catholic Church, 512 High St., Medford
This interfaith service is to commemorate the four chaplains (on Jewish, one Catholic and two Protestant) who died in 1943 saving the lives of many sailors as the USAT Dorchester was tragically sunk.   This service is organized by the Medford American Legion.  The Reverend Noah Evans, our Rector, will be participating again this year.  Please come and join this interfaith celebration of heroic cooperation and service. 

pancakes Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, February 9
Come join us for our annual parish tradition of the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper!  The Supper will be held from 5:30-7 pm in Wiles Hall. There will be fun activities for the kids... read more

Book Club
The Women's Book Club meets every third Thursday at 7PM.   For February 18 we are reading The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.  For more information, see Genita Johnson at the 10 am church service or email her at pawleyslegacy@verizon.net.