In this week's edition:

- Priest's Corner: When do we cancel worship over snow?

- Annual Meeting and Potluck Lunch rescheduled for NEXT Sunday, February 1

- Tomorrow, Jan 24: IONNE Live with Trevor Babb and Dylan Rowland

- News from the Wider Church: Clergy protest for immigrants, new book reviews, World Council of Churches Gaza update, and more

- This Sunday at St. PJ's

• Cycles of Prayer

- Support Loaves & Fishes and Sunrise Cafe during renovation

- Reach out to Rev. Nathan to schedule your household visit

- There's Always More...

Priest's Corner: When do we cancel worship over snow?

By the Rev. Nathan Empsall, priest-in-charge

There are few things I hate more than canceling a Sunday morning service, but sometimes when it comes to inclement weather and risky driving conditions, it just has to be done for the health and safety of our community. Anytime you wake up to freshly fallen snow on a Sunday morning, please check your email, our Facebook page, or our website before you head out the door for church.

If we have both a New Haven parking ban and a National Weather Service severe weather warning (not just a watch or advisory), worship will be automatically cancelled to protect our community's health and safety. I'll always try to share that announcement as early as possible.

What if there is inclement weather but these specific conditions are not in place? I seek input from the wardens and (when applicable) other worship leaders, then make a judgement call. I'll do my best to get the announcement out by 8:30 a.m., and ideally earlier. That's what happened this past Sunday: The weather itself wasn't actually that bad, but too many roads were unplowed or underplowed until early afternoon. Perhaps the towns were just caught off guard -- maybe if more plows had been in place ahead of time, it might have been a different story. Sometimes the forecasters simply get it wrong, like us all!

So what will happen this coming Sunday? For now, it's too early to call. We're likely looking at 8-14" of snow, with most of it coming Sunday night. However, there's still plenty of time for the storm to stall and arrive late, to weaken, or even to quicken or strengthen. If the requisite parking and NWS conditions are in place by Saturday (tomorrow), then I can make an announcement tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll make the decision on Sunday before 8. Just remember to check your email, the church Facebook page, or the church website before you head out, and you should be well informed.

Annual Meeting and Potluck Luncheon,

now next Sunday, February 1

After last week’s weather cancellation, the vestry has rescheduled our Annual Meeting and Potluck Luncheon for next Sunday, February 1, immediately following the 10:30 service.

With apologies for any repeat work, please bring a dish to share and stay to help clean up if you can! And thank you once more to Aggie Zichichi-Evans for setting up again.

Reports have been written and are provided below. Please read them before the meeting if you can, as the presenters will give only brief summaries and take questions so that we can spend more time in lively table conversation about what St. PJ's means to us. We will also elect vestry members and convention delegates.:

• Priest-in-Charge Report

• Wardens' Report

• Treasurer's Report

• Interim Music Director's Report

• Capital Campaign Committee Report

Tomorrow, Jan 24: IONNE Live with Trevor Babb and Dylan Rowland

WHAT: IONNE Live, with guest musicians

WHO: Maurice Harris, Trevor Babb, and Dylan Rowland 

WHERE: Lost In New Haven

80 Hamilton Street

New Haven, CT 

WHEN: Tomorrow, Saturday, January 24, 2026

Doors open: 6:30 p.m.

Performance begins: 7 p.m. 

Tickets: $12 - $25 General Admission (All Ages) 

Join New Haven-based electronica artist and St. PJ's member Ionne for an immersive evening that blends music, art, and storytelling!

This performance features guest musicians and St. PJ's members Trevor Babb (guitar) and Dylan Rowland (piano), fusing electronic soundscapes with live instrumentation and synchronized projections in a two-part set drawn from Ionne's 2025 dual releases, Pathos and A Light Untruth.

Guests will also have opportunities to explore Lost in New Haven, a whimsical new museum dedicated to celebrating New Haven memorabilia.

News from the Wider Church

- [WCC] World Council of Churches expresses concern over aid prohibition in Gaza: https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2026/01/20/world-council-of-churches-expresses-concern-over-aid-prohibition-in-gaza/

- [ENS] Episcopalians ‘protest faithfully’ against authoritarian abuses, bearing Christian witness: https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2026/01/20/episcopalians-protest-faithfully-against-authoritarian-abuses-bearing-christian-witness/

- [RNS] Hundreds of clergy descend on Minneapolis and go on lookout for ICE: https://religionnews.com/2026/01/22/hundreds-of-clergy-descend-on-minneapolis-and-go-on-lookout-for-ice/

- [Sojo] The God They Preach at the Pentagon: https://sojo.net/sojoshare/NTE5NTJ8MjM4MTY3fDE3NjkxODI3MDN8MTQ%3D

- [Christian Century] Book Review: Augustine’s African heritage: https://www.christiancentury.org/books/augustine-s-african-heritage

- [Christian Century] Book Review: The pastor behind the myth: When Bonhoeffer stops being a symbol, he can start being a guide: https://www.christiancentury.org/books/pastor-behind-myth

Come to worship this Sunday, January 25, at 10:30 a.m. for a service of Morning Prayer and children's Sunday School.

Serving this Sunday:

Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.

In person and online

Wednesday Prayer

12:30 p.m.

In person

Thursday Compline 8 p.m.

On Zoom

Cycles of Prayer and St. PJ's Prayer List

In the Episcopal Church in Connecticut's cycle of prayer, we pray this week for Christ & the Epiphany, East Haven; Christ Church, Easton; Holy Trinity, Enfield; the ECCT Arts Ministry Network; and all who help others to encounter the holy through creative expressions.

In the Anglican Communion Cycle of Prayer, we pray for Iglesia Anglicana de Chile (the Anglican Church of Chile).

On the St. PJ’s prayer list, we pray for: Rachel, Doug Parker, Anne Matthies, Calvin Griffin, Rev. Walter MacNutt, Kevin Gerbe, Leota Tucker, Edwina Johnson, Cynthia King, Paul D'Agostino, Richard Holcomb, Tiras Jaske, Uli Mackert, Charlie & Bridget Farrell, Alyce, Pam, Tommy, Beverly Lett, Stephen Lett, Vanetta Lloyd, Janea Barthle, Lydia Hamnquist, Rita Valenti-Piovane, Rev. Nihal de Lanerolle, Marietta D’Albero, Leonilda Sanchez, Maria Rodriquez, Marietta Coppola, Heather de Lanerolle, Paul Mangels, Alexandra Sanseverino, Dr. Milton Coke, Rev. Deacon Felix Rivera, Pam Yesner, Rev. Carl Scovel, Karl Mini, Patrick Reynolds, Margaret Perry, Ryan Welch, Jack Welch, Andy & Karla Codney, Kyle Park, Carol Brennan, Fr. Tom, George Moore, Nancy Lupi, A. J. Crosby, Molly Clayton, Adrienne Brady, Jeannie & Clemente Campos, Marilyn Bergen

Postulant for Ordination: Milton Gilder

Birthdays: Lynn Zelem (1/26), Emily Boyer (1/27), Nate Solberg (1/28)

VIDEO: Last Sunday's Service and Sermon

Worship was canceled last Sunday. To revisit other recent Sundays at St. PJ's, find the recorded videos on Facebook and/or YouTube. (Facebook automatically deletes videos after four weeks, but older archives remain on YouTube.)

Support Loaves & Fishes and Sunrise Cafe during renovation

The long-awaited replacement of the steps to the undercroft, right on the corner of Chapel and Olive, is underway! The old steps have been ripped up, and the work proceeds. This means that our front yard along Olive Street is fenced off while construction is underway. It is anticipated that the process will take about eight weeks total.

While we are disappointed that we are not able to include a ramp in the project, the new steps will be wider, safer and more welcoming to the community. Please direct questions to Brian Fillmore as Capital Campaign Project Manager.

Sunrise Cafe and Loaves & Fishes continue to operate, using alternate entryways to the undercroft. We acknowledge that this may be difficult timing for such an inconvenience -- first during the holidays, now with winter ongoing, and with some still reeling from the pause in SNAP benefits -- so please donate to either important organization if you can:

Reach out to Rev. Nathan to Schedule Your Household Visit

By the Rev. Nathan Empsall, priest-in-charge

By now, you've likely heard me say that I want to visit every St. PJ's household. I want to hear about who you are, what makes you tick, what you believe and love, your history at St. PJ's, and your hopes for the future of our common life together. Ideally this meeting would be at your home, where I can get to know you in your own environment and also offer a home blessing, but coffee shops and walks in the park are okay too.

These meetings are happening, and I have greatly enjoyed them -- but I am also realizing that I am my own bottleneck when it comes to scheduling, as I reach out to families one or two at a time. To try and speed things up, I invite you to reach out to me with some suggested times and dates we might meet.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are ideal, but Fridays and Saturdays are okay too. While weekday daytimes are certainly best, I understand that work schedules can necessitate evenings or Saturdays. Please email me at revnathan@stpaulstjames.org, and I hope to see you outside the church building soon!

There's always more...

Please remember that there is a blue Lost & Found bin in the church office.

If you would like to submit an item for consideration in the eNews or bulletin announcements, please let Rev. Nathan know at revnathan@stpaulstjames.org by next Wednesday afternoon.

Please contact Monifa Atkinson in the church office at office@stpaulstjames.org or (203) 562-2143 if you are interested in receiving more information about any of the following:

- Renting space at St. PJ's for your next party, meeting, concert, wedding, or other event. More info at the St. PJ's website here >>

- Volunteering with St. PJ's

- Adding a name, birthday, or anniversary to the St. PJ's prayer list

- Arranging pastoral care needs

- Purchasing grocery-store gift cards to benefit St. PJ's

- Reserving a place in the St. PJ's columbarium or purchasing a plaque on the Memorial Wall

St. PJ's Staff and Contacts

Administrative Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - Noon

Priest Office Hours: Tuesday - Thursday by appointment

office@stpaulstjames.org

(203) 562-2143

• Priest-in-Charge: The Rev. Nathan Empsall, revnathan@stpaulstjames.org, (203) 278-9199
• Administrative Director: Monifa Atkinson, office@stpaulstjames.org
• Sexton: Sammy Rodriguez
• Children's Ministry: Molly Clayton
• Director of Music: Will Cleary
• Associate Director of Music: Dylan Rowland
• Tech and Music Intern: Dontae James
• Seminary Intern: Kelly Park
• Priest Associate: The Rev. Steve Crowson
• Vestry: Bill Evans (co-warden), Juhani Jaske (co-warden), David Hill (treasurer), Maggie King (clerk), Roni Holcomb, Steve Crowson, Maurice Harris, Pam Sayre, Vanetta Lloyd, Lynne Severance