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Weekend Planner: Old Broadway at Emerson Umbrella, WinterBlast and Cary Lecture Series

Rounding up some of this weekends happenings in Bedford, Concord and Lexington.

It’s Thursday, and you’ve got no idea what you’ll do this weekend. Patch is coming to the rescue. We’ve got the best bets for your done-work-outta-here time. Check our picks for the activities you'll want to take part in this weekend. 1. Artist Reception with Nan Hass Feldman Where/When: Artisans Way, 18 Walden St, Concord; 6 p.m., Friday, March 1 Why Go: Because there's wine and cheese and paintings from Feldman, who has taught or teaches at the Worcester Art Museum, the DeCordova Museum, and the Danforth Museum of Art (which she helped found) as well as at Framingham State University. Pricing: Free 2. WinterBlast at Grace Chapel Where/When: Grace Chapel, 59 Worthen Road, Lexington; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, March 2 Why Go: Because it'…

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The Story Behind Grace Chapel's Gravity-Defying, Upside Down Christmas Tree

Local church joins the Advent Conspiracy, flips the script on Christmas tradition.

Christmas trees in high traffic areas are always a bit of a spectacle. At malls and city commons, where they’re sometimes known as “Holiday Trees,” they’re big, bold and brightly lit. At churches and office buildings decorations often carry a theme of some kind. At Grace Chapel, they’re on the ceilings. That’s right: Christmas trees defy gravity to hang from ceilings at Grace Chapel’s Lexington and Wilmington locations. And, yes, they are meant to make people stop and stare. “People can’t get past that this icon of Christmas is upside down,” said Jared Willey, a church spokesman. “Our hope is that when folks walk in and see the tree they think that maybe their idea of Christmas has been upside down all along.” Each year, Grace Chapel …

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Patch Facts

Five Things: Blue Christmas, Soup Bowls for Hunger and More

A quick look at what you need to see, do and know on Dec. 11 in Lexington.

1. Blue Christmas at Grace Chapel: At 7 p.m. tonight, Grace Chapel will host "Blue Christmas: A Service of Hope and Healing for the Holiday Season," a nontraditional service that acknowledges the pain, and offers hope to those who are stressed or hurting during this holiday season. All are welcome. 2. Today in Public Meetings: According to the town website, public meetings posted for today include the Harrington School Site Council at 7:30 a.m. at the school, the Capital Expenditures Committee at 8 a.m. at the Town Office Building, the Lexington 300th Committee at 12:30 p.m. at Cary Hall, the Historic Districts and Historical Commission at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Office Building, the 2020 Vision's subcommittee on demographic change at 7:30 p…

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Huge Turnout for Grace Chapel's WinterBlast (PHOTOS)

Last Saturday, Feb. 11, more than 1,800 people attended Grace Chapel’s annual WinterBlast indoor family fun day, held for the first time at their Wilmington campus.

The following press release was provided by Grace Chapel. Last Saturday, Feb. 11, more than 1,800 people attended Grace Chapel’s annual WinterBlast indoor family fun day, held for the first time at their Wilmington campus. “WinterBlast far exceeded our expectations,” said Richard Rhodes, Grace Chapel’s Pastor of Outreach. “Previous WinterBlasts have always been at our Lexington campus, but as the ‘new church in town’ here in Wilmington, we wanted to do something for the local community that has been warm and welcoming since we opened last May. We simply wanted to throw a party, but we weren’t sure if people would come. We are delighted that so many stir- crazy families came by.” At this free event, kids enjoyed large inflatable obstacle …

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Celebrate, Celebrate

Celebrate Recovery is celebrating the beginning of a fifth year at Grace Chapel in Lexington.

The following is a press release provided by Grace Chapel. We’ve all heard the old expression "Time heals all wounds." But for many people, time doesn’t heal anything. They continue to live each day with the effects of past abuse or trauma. They struggle against a chemical dependency, co-dependency, or addiction. They live as an adult child of their family’s dysfunction. Or with persistent, unmanageable anger. They struggle to find hope, and with the constant feeling that life is filled with one defeat after another. If you are one of those people, there is a group at Grace Chapel that wants you to know that you are not alone. There is help, and there is hope. You’re invited to Celebrate Recovery. Celebrate Recovery is a national Christian…

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About Town

About Town: Random Acts of Kindness

Pieces of Grace Chapel help Haiti.

Sometimes, the most generous acts are done quietly and without fanfare Grace Chapel gets kudos, a gold star, and a place in heaven for the most recent act of kindness. The church, founded in 1946, is led by Pastor Bryan Wilkerson and has been for the last 10 or so years. Under his guidance, they're making a little easier for another church. Everyone knows the popular brick church off Worthen Road -- and the police details needed every Sunday morning to help herd the flock and Lexington residents in and out of Worthen Road.  Patrick and I met in the chapel's parking lot the other day and watched as workers put the finishing touches on the “Pew Project.” Two of those steel movable containers were already full and an 18-wheeler could barely …

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Trespassing Teens Arrested in Lexington

A group of local teens were caught after allegedly entering Grace Chapel after midnight on May 14.

Teens from Lexington and Bedford are facing trespassing charges after allegedly using a pass card to enter Grace Chapel around midnight Saturday, May 14. According to a incident report, a custodian working at the Worthen Road chapel fled the building and called 911 after getting spooked by the sound of footsteps overhead. Police arrived at the scene shortly after midnight and set up a perimeter, according to Lt. Robert Simmons, who said about 10 teens ran out of the building as police entered. Police apprehended and identified seven of the teens, including two minors. All seven are facing trespassing charges, police said. It appears the teens gained entry to the chapel “with an inappropriately used pass key,” according to Simmons, who said…

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