Grace Episcopal Church  
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Sunday Service
 
9:00 AM
Celebrant: 
The
Rev. Dr. Maggie Arnold
Preacher:  The Rev. Noah H. Evans
Minister of Music:
Ruth Roper 
LEM I: 
Kate Woodward
LEM II:
Esther Brownsmith
Timmy Lwanga
Lucia Page
Acolytes: Ellie Hunt, Emma Maganzini and Isaiah Irwin Evans
Ushers:
Butch Edgecomb and Daniel Egger
Altar Guild
Adele Travisano and Marie Glynn
Vestry Person of the Day:
Cheryl Woodbury
Nursery:
Chioma Opara and Nzube Opara
Counters:
Vin Maganzini and Dennis Hale
Coffee Hour:  
Vin Maganzini, coffee.  Food Host needed
 
*click on link to prepare for this week's readings
Birthdays

Taylor Beebee, Michael Cox and Guesly Eugene (8/29); Brenda Comeau and Acadia Cross-Choi (8/31); Karl Haas (9/1); Shirley Kountze, Charrese Murray, Mike Nickey, Solomon Nwachukwu, Sr. and Ryan Pearson (9/2).

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!
Sunday, August 28th is our last summer service at 9:00 AM.
Kids!! Bring your backpacks to the service on Sunday, 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.
 
On Sunday, September 4 we return to regular service schedule with worship at 8 AM, 10 AM and 5 PM.
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry offers a video election message and encourages voting as "a Christian obligation"  See the video here.
 
"Voting and participation in our government is a way of participating in our common life," Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael Curry said in a video election message.  "And that is a Christian obligation.  Indeed, we who follow in the Way of Jesus of Nazareth are summoned to participate actively as reflections of our faith in the civil process."

Episcopal election engagement resources are available here.  

The Episcopal Church's and The Episcopal Public Policy Network's social media campaigns will be highlighting: state-by-state registration deadlines; information on voting rights; ways to support civil discourse; and historical fun facts of Episcopal political engagement through the centuries of our country. The EPPN Facebook page is here and Twitter account here.
Outreach Corner 
The next opportunity to help at St. Luke's Community Dining in Chelsea is September 24.  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 August 28 are coffee and tea. The item for September 4 is tuna.
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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.
Other Announcements

20s/30s Sunday brunch
A casual brunch and conversation following the 9am summer service hosted by the Grace 20s/30s Fellowship.  Email Karen at cata.lee.s91@gmail.com or Heather at h.louisethompson@gmail.com with any questions or to RSVP.   
   
Last Summer Dining With Grace Event
It will be held at The Woodbury's home in Revere on Saturday, August 27th at 3 p.m.  The Woodbury family can host many people.  They have a large deck, large yard with pool and very short walk to beach as well.  They have a pet bird and two small hypo-allergenic dogs. Contact Cheryl Woodbury to RSVP and to find out what to bring.

Healthy Returns @ Grace
Hike Followed by Tour of the  Brooks Manor
As part of Grace Church's new health initiative, Catherine Smith will lead a hike in the Fells and Brooks Estate after the service on August 28 Bring a lunch, water, and sneakers!  Meet at the main Medford High School parking lot at 10:45.  The hike will consist of two one-hour loops.  You may walk one or both loops, but this week there is a special incentive for hiking both loops because we're ending the hike with a treat.  The treat is a private tour of the historic Shepherd Brooks manor in the Brooks Estate, where we will learn about the manor, the Brooks family, and the family's connections to famous artists of the day. If you're not a hiker but want to join us on the manor tour, meet us at 12:50 p.m. at the manor. Find directions here.

Three Service schedule begins September 4
We return to service at 8AM, 10AM and 5PM on Sunday, September 4th.

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 Picnic 
September 11 following the 10AM service
Hot dogs, hamburgers and veggie burgers will be provided by the church.  Please bring a side salad, chips or dessert to share. A free will offering will be collected to cover the costs of the main meal.
 
Please bring the following if your last name begins with:
A-F: A dessert
G-J: Chips
K-Z: Sides and salads
Or just bring something you love to prepare and share!

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.
Sept 15 - The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith. For more information, email Genita Johnson at pawleyslegacy@verizon.net. 

Register for Children and Youth Programs 
Please register for Sunday School and for Wednesdays at Grace children's education classes.  Sunday School begins on Sunday, September 18th and Wednesdays at Grace programming begins on Wednesday, September 21.

Support Central American Families 
Fleeing Violence
As a result of our World Food Program benefit, Grace Church members made connections with several other churches that also are supporting refugees and asylum seekers.  One effort we are supporting is a fundraiser by the Irish International Immigrant Center and the United Universalist First Church in Belmont to help a group of 75 Central American asylum-seeking women and their children who have recently arrived in Massachusetts.  These families have experienced violence and trauma in their home countries and need our help!  The fundraiser, a benefit concert, will fund a case worker who can give these families the support they need to build better lives. The concert will be held at the First Church in Belmont, Sat., Oct. 1, at 7 pm. and feature The Loomers with The Blood Mountain Brothers and a special guest appearance by The Yellow Room (Jon Svetkey and Heather Quay). Tickets will be $25 at the door.  A Grace Church group is going, so if you want to join us, meet at Catherine Smith's house at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 1 for some soup and bread before carpooling to Belmont.  Catherine's address is 15 Monmouth Ave., Medford.  If you can't go but want to support the effort, you can donate on-line here or contact Beverly J. Freeman at
617-835-5187 to see how you can help.

Financial Peace University 
...coming to Grace Church this Fall!
We all need a plan for our money. Financial Peace University (FPU) is that plan! Through video teaching, class discussions and interactive small group activities, FPU presents biblical, practical steps to get from where you are to where you've dreamed you could be. This plan will show you how to get rid of debt, manage your money, spend and save wisely, and much more!  FPU classes will meet on Sundays from 12-1:30 PM each week for nine weeks, starting on 16 October.  The cost is $93 per family for the course materials. Scholarships are available.  Vin Maganzini (vincent.maganzini@gmail.com) and Sara Folta (sara@folta.net) will coordinate - just let them know if you have any questions.