Grace Episcopal Church  
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Birthdays

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Sunday Services 

9:00 AM
Celebrant and Preacher: 
The Rev. Noah H. Evans
Minister of Music:
Ruth Roper 
LEM I: 
Wes Foote
LEM II:  Rochenet Joseph
Claudia Stumpf
 Lector II *:
Kate Woodward
Acolytes:

Ushers:
Steve Duggan and James Klasen
Altar Guild
Olivia Bracken
Vestry Person of the Day:
Dennis Hale
Children's 
Homilist:  
The Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Nursery: Catherine Woodbury and Elizabeth Woodbury
Counters:
Wes Foote and Jane Scherban
Coffee Hour:  
Vin Maganzini, coffee.  Food hosts needed
 
*click on link to prepare for this week's readings
Birthdays

Julia Kerans and Conor O'Leary (7/3); Samuel Cluggish and John Schlesinger (7/4); Daniel Egger (7/5); Lincoln Bell, Peggy Kerans and Faith Wilson,  (7/6); Eric Auner and Ruthanne Pearson (7/7); Sarah Gay and Fernando Novaes (7/9).

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!
On Sunday, July 3rd until Sunday, August 28th we will be on our summer service schedule with one service at 9:00 AM. 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! Weather permitting, we will worship on the front lawn. There will be a children's homily offered on Sunday. 
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael Curry and President of the House of Deputies the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings have written the following letter to the Episcopal Church.

Dear People of God in the Episcopal Church:
...some essential teachings are clear and incontrovertible. Jesus tells us to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves, and he tells us over and over again not to be afraid (Matthew 10:31, Mark 5:36, Luke 8:50, John 14:27).

There's no confusion about what Jesus is telling us, but it often requires courage to embody it in the real world. read more 
Grace Church parishoner, Oscar Greene, has been writing for many years.  At age 98, 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.

The Visit
By Oscar H. Greene

During July 1981, I was thirty days retired from General Electric Company and I was visiting our son in Londonderry, New Hampshire.

                At lunch, on his deck, he said, "Dad you're retired and you should visit Mr. Arthur Gordon at Guideposts.  He could have a writing assignment for you."read more
Church Away from Church Summer Fun
Take Jesus with you on your travels this summer! Last year we watched on Facebook as #flatGrace journeyed with parishioners from London to Maine and many points in between. 



In 2016, #flatJesus (carrying His own #flatGrace) is ready to go! Take a photo of #flatJesus wherever you find yourself this summer, from your backyard barbecue to Timbuktu, and share it with us on Facebook or send us a paper copy for our bulletin board in the Parish Hall. Make sure to bring along your  Summer Church Attendance card with you to every church service you attend in July and August--completed cards can be entered into a raffle for a prize at the end of the summer! Download #flatJesus and instructions and join us for summer fun.
Outreach Corner 
The next opportunity to help at St. Luke's Community Dining in Chelsea is July 30.  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 July 3 are coffee or tea.  The items for July 10 are cereal or rice.
The Grace Garden
The Grace Garden grows produce for the food pantry. Peas and chives have been harvested and donated, and we've got beets, radishes, tomatoes, and green beans coming. We need help to tend the garden through the hot summer months, when weeding and watering are regular needs. Please consider helping for a week this summer! Just use the sign-up sheet in the parish hall, or see or email jane.hamel@gmail.com. We would also love help with the weekly deliveries on Thursday afternoons! Use this signup or email Jane to help out with that.
Barbara C. Harris Summer Camp
Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center Summer Camp is here! Noah is a camp chaplain and at Camp, Sunday, June 26th - Friday, July 1st.  Talk to Noah or Maggie about scholarships.  More information at BCHCenter.org 
Other Announcements

Healthy Returns @ Grace

Parental Caregivers Support Group
We will use the book The 36 hour day: a Family Guide to Caring for People who have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias and Memory Loss by N. Mace and P Rabins as a third party reference. We will meet on Tuesday night, July 19 from 7:30-8:30 pm in the Common Room at Grace Church. For more information, email Day Farenga at dyf4@comcast.net or Hallie Lee at hallies.lee@gmail.com.

Medford Health Matters is presenting the first of a 3 part Wellness Series entitled: Wellness in a Busy World on Wednesday, July 13 at Medford City Hall. The series is designed to help you manage anxiety and stress in your hectic lifestyles. The July 13 event will start at 5:45 with 15 & 30 minute walking activity planned and lead by the WalkMedford group. It will be followed by a 6:30PM Panelist discussion with guest panelists who will discuss how to have a healthy lifestyle in a hectic world. 

Hiking in the Fells
As part of Grace Church's new health initiative, Catherine Smith will lead hikes in the Fells after the services on July 24 and August 28.  Bring a lunch, water, and sneakers!  The hikes will start at Medford High School.  Each will consist of two 1-hour loops, so you can walk one or both loops.  Bring a friend!

Blood Drive -- July 2nd
There will be an American Red Cross blood drive at Grace Church on July 2nd from 10AM-3PM in Wiles Hall. If you donate blood, or know anyone who does, please make an appointment by calling  the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS, or just show up that day!  If you're squeamish about blood or needles, we can still use your help! Please contact Kris Plausky at kris.plausky@gmail.com.

Women's Book Club
The Women's Book Club meets every third Thursday, but does not meet in August.  Here are the upcoming book selections.
July 21 - How to Be Good by Nick Hornby
Sept 15 - The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith. For more information, email Genita Johnson at  pawleyslegacy@verizon.net. 

Summer Service Schedule Begins 
July 3rd!
On Sunday, July 3rd until Sunday, August 28th 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! Weather permitting; we will worship on the front lawn on Sunday, July 3rd to kick-off the summer service season!

Parish Prayer List
We will be removing all names from the Parish Prayer list on July 3rd.  If you have names you would like to remain on the list, please contact Carol in the Parish Office at office@gracemedford.org or call the church office at 781-396-7215.
 
Grace Women's Lunch
The Women of Grace Church meet for lunch, year-round, at John Brewer's Tavern in Malden on the first Wednesday of every month, at noon.  Please join us - no prior sign-up required.

Parish Meeting on July 31
On July 31, after the service, there will be a parish meeting in the Wiles Hall to answer questions about The Rev. Noah Evan's candidacy for the post of Bishop of Central New York.  Noah will be available to answer questions.  Members of the Vestry will also be present.  Former Senior Warden Margaret Smist (who was also a member of the search committee that recommended Fr. Noah to the parish) will preside.

Dining With Grace returns this Summer!
The popular Dining with Grace returns this summer with parishioners opening their homes for summer picnics in July and August.    Scheduled picnics will be listed on the back wall near the parish office - sign up and your host/hostess will tell you what to bring to this pot-luck picnic!  If you are interested in hosting a picnic, please let Margaret Smist or Cheryl Woodbury know when and where!
 
We have two picnics scheduled so far:
Margaret Smist and Bill Smalley's home on Saturday, July 30.   This picnic is in Marblehead and they own two dogs.
 
Barbara and Dan Kennedy's home in West Medford on Saturday August 13 at 3pm.   They can host up to 30 people.

The Woodbury home in Revere on Saturday, August 27th at 3 p.m.  We can host many people.  We have a large deck, large yard with pool and very short walk to beach as well.  We have a pet bird and two small hypo-allergenic dogs.