Grace Episcopal Church  
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Sunday Services 
8:00 AM
Celebrant:
The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Preacher:
Mia Benjamin, Life Together Intern
LEM: June Pietrantoni
Usher: 
John Schlesinger
Altar Guild:
June Pietrantoni

9:30 AM
Procession to Medford Square for Palm Blessing
10:00 AM
Celebrant: 
The Rev. Noah H. Evans
Minister of Music:
Ruth Roper 
LEM I: Mia Benjamin
LEM II:
Agnes Opara
Acolytes:
Timmy Lwanga, Brianna Nwachukwu and C.J. Nwachukwu
Ushers:
Jill Capuccio and Steve Duggan
Altar Guild
Margaret Smist
Vestry Person of the Day:
Agnes Opara 
Counters:
Jill Capuccio and Steve Duggan
Coffee Hour:  
Steve Duggan, coffee - Lisa, Louis and Shawn Piper Carson, 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

Jamie Higgins and Deb Smith (3/20);  Amy Haas (3/21); Eric Peloquin and Barry Silva (3/22); Olivia Bracken, Bailey Lee and Stephenson Lee (3/23); Daisy Leary (3/25) and Mary Muir (3/26).
 
Prayers of thanksgiving for Walter Ramsey Leiserson and Frederic Oliver Leiserson who were born on March 10th.

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!
Palm Sunday - March 20, 2016
8:00 AM - Liturgy of Palms and Holy Eucharist
9:40 AM - Liturgy of the Palms with St. Joseph's and First Baptist in Medford Square
10:00 AM - Holy Eucharist, Passion Play with music and choir
5:00 PM - Contemplative Service with Stations of the Cross and Holy Eucharist

 Nursery care is available during the 10 AM service. 
Celebrate Holy Week with Grace Church. The services during Holy week allow us, both adults and children, to experience the events of Passion Week as witnesses. read more
A Word to the Church: A message from Bishop Gates and Bishop Harris
On March 16, Bishop Gates and Bishop Harris commended the House of Bishops' "Word to the Church" to the people of the diocese with the following message:

Dear People of the Diocese of Massachusetts,

Your bishops have spent the past five days on retreat with the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church.  It has been an important time for the House, marking as it does the first time we have gathered under the leadership of our new presiding bishop, the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry.  

Much of our time has been spent in prayer, Bible study and conversation about how we will work together with our new leader.  However, we have also been mindful of, and gravely concerned about, the increasingly divisive tone in public discourse...read more
Grace Church parishioner, Oscar H. Greene, has been writing for many years.  At age 97, he is still writing.  His work has appeared in newspapers, magazines and anthologies. He is the author of several books...

Read his reflection: "A Song is Born"  here.
LOCAL GEM: Grace Episcopal Church welcomes back restored organ
Posted on the Medford Transcript's online site on Mar. 14, 2016 at 2:21 PM 

For nearly a year, there has been no organ music at Medford's Grace Episcopal Church. In April 2015, the church's 1885 Hook and Hastings organ was removed, piece-by-piece, for a complete restoration by David E. Wallace and Co. in Gorham, Maine. read more

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 by going to David E. Wallace's website or checking their Facebook page and checking the Grace Church restoration blog. 
Outreach Corner 
The next opportunity to help at St. Luke's Community Dining in Chelsea is March 26, 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 March 20 are cereal or rice.  The items for March 27 are coffee or tea.
Barbara C. Harris Summer Camp
Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center Summer Camp registration is now open! Noah will be a camp chaplain and at Camp, Sunday, June 26th - Friday, July 1st. Sign up for that week, or any week of the summer!  Talk to Noah or Maggie about scholarships.  More information at BCHCenter.org 
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
 
Learn about Parenting Journey Programs
Led by Joanne Bell
Wednesday, March 30 at 6:45 PM
Being a parent in today's busy society isn't easy. The demands of work and family often compete for our time and attention leaving little time to reflect. Join us to learn more about Parenting Journey read more 
 
Save the date!...Bishop Alan M. Gates will be at Grace on Wednesday, April 6 at 7:00 PM 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.  Please join us!
 
"In Memory of Her: Records of Women's Philanthropy through DIT
Led by The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Wednesday, April 13, at 6:45 PM
Rev. Maggie has been doing research in the archives of the Diocesan Investment Trust, for a presentation to the diocese's Parish Historians. Get a sneak preview read more
 
The Jury in America Triumph and Decline
Led by Dennis Hale
Wednesday, April 27 at 6:45PM
Grace Church parishioner, Dennis Hale will discuss his new book,The Jury in America Triumph and Decline  His book combines legal history, political analysis, and storytelling.
Other Announcements
Easter Flowers
You may order flowers for Easter during coffee hour on Sunday, March 20. You may also pay for flower orders online.  A copy of the order form is  here.

Woodbury vow renewal
Come and celebrate with Cheryl and Douglas Woodbury when they renew their vows on Saturday, April 2nd at 4 p.m.  Dinner and dancing will follow the service in the Wiles Hall.  Please RSVP by Friday, March 25th by contacting Cheryl at woodburyc@comcast.net
 
Book Club
The Women's Book Club meets every third Thursday at 7PM.   For April 22 its Life After Life by Kate Atkinson and May 19 the book is House Rules by Jodi Picoult.  For more information, contact Genita Johnson at pawleyslegacy@verizon.net. 

Cross-Parish Young Adult Hangout, April 22
Grace Church Twenties/Thirties will be meeting up with young adult fellowships from other parishes in the Boston area on Friday, April 22, starting at 6:00pm. Dinner will be sponsored by Life Together, the young adult service corps based in Boston, and hosted at our intentional community house in Brookline. Email Mia mia@gracemedford.org with questions about carpooling!

20s/30s Habitat for Humanity Build
Join folks in their 20s and 30s from local Episcopal parishes to learn and serve while partnering with families in need of housing! Together, we'll be practicing how to be God's hands and elbows at a duplex construction site in Wayland on Saturday, May 7, 8am-4pm. No equipment or prior experience necessary. Organized by the 20s/30s Group at St. Andrew's, Framingham. If interested, sign up on Facebook http://on.fb.me/1SCFen9 or contact Mia Benjamin