St. PJ's eNews: August 28, 2025 | | |
- This Sunday, we welcome the Rev. Cecil Tengatenga
- Meet our new seminarian intern, Kelly Park
- Successful "Margins and Movements" Kickoff
- Tips on Avoiding Scams
- Items of Note: Hymn Sing, Homecoming Sunday and Potluck, New Parish Directory
- News from the Wider Church: Episcopal Church responds to Minneapolis shooting, clergy continue to stand with immigrants, a priest comments on how hard it is to be a gentle parent, and more
- This Week at St. PJ's and Cycles of Prayer
- Video: Last Sunday's Service and Sermon
- Visits with Rev. Nathan
- Safe Church Training
- There's Always More...
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This Sunday, we welcome the Rev. Cecil Tengatenga
Rev. Nathan is limited to three Sundays per month. Because August has five Sundays, we will be joined by a supply priest this weekend, and we are delighted to welcome the Rev. Cecil Tengatenga!
Read this great article about Cecil on Yale Divinity School's website, from June 2024: "Alum combines education, healthcare, and spirituality in training future caregivers"
"Cecil “Ngoni” Tengatenga ’16 M.A.R., ’20 S.T.M. learned early in life the vital link between faith and social welfare. When he was growing up under a dictatorship in Malawi, his country relied on religious organizations to provide much of its health care, education, and other social services.
Today, as Associate Director of the Connecticut Area Health Education Center (CT AHEC) and an Episcopal priest, Tengatenga oversees programs that promote interdisciplinary education among the various health disciplines, programs he believes should be elevated by the inclusion of spiritual care."
Read more >>
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Meet our new seminarian intern, Kelly Park
As the new program and school year begins, we are delighted to welcome third-year Berkeley Divinity School at Yale student, Kelly Park, to serve as our seminarian intern! She will begin in the office next week, and her first Sunday with us will be September 7.
Kelly will focus primarily on adult formation and education, but you'll see her engage in other areas of community and parish life as well. Here is a biographical note from Kelly:
Hello St. Paul and St. James! I am your new seminary intern, Kelly Park. My family is my wife Melanie, sister Karmen, brother-in-law Phil, niece Frances (age 6) and nephew Otis (age 2). We all moved to New Haven in July of 2023 for me to begin seminary at Yale Divinity School. I’m a member of Berkeley Divinity School as well, and serve as one of their Hospitality Ministers.
Though I’m originally from Cleveland, Ohio, we moved here after spending four years in San Diego. I graduated from Marietta College in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and History. After undergrad, I worked for nine years as a nanny and three years as a housekeeper, which is work that I really love.
When I’m not doing school things, I enjoy cooking, embroidery and mending, museums and reading, taking pictures, and going for lots of walks. I am looking forward to spending this year in community with you all, learning about your congregational life and ministry and shaping our spiritual formation together.
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Successful "Margins and Movements" kickoff
The first gathering of our new social-justice book club, "Margins and Movements," was a great success. A dozen people gathered in the parish hall to discuss Timothy Snyder's "On Tyranny." Not bad for August, and not bad for a church with 51 folks on an average Sunday.
Best of all, the discussion included three people who had never been to St. PJ's before! Proof that inviting friends (thank you Kate!) and posting flyers in coffee shops can both be effective outreach methods.
The next gathering will be Tuesday, September 30, at 7 p.m. in the parish hall. Because September is the Season of Creation, we will discuss the 128-page book "The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World" by the Potawatomi botanist, Dr Robin Wall Kimmerer. From the publisher:
"As Indigenous scientist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth—its abundance of sweet, juicy berries—to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution ensures its own survival. As Kimmerer explains, 'Serviceberries show us another model, one based upon reciprocity, where wealth comes from the quality of your relationships, not from the illusion of self-sufficiency.'"
Get your copy from a local library or buy it at the church's shop on Bookshop.org, where a portion of the proceeds benefits St. PJ's and independent booksellers instead of complicit tech billionaires.
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Tips on Avoiding Scams
Scammers have once again targeted St. PJ's members, via both text and email, posing as our priest-in-charge. They're even getting smarter, making it look like they're sending from Rev. Nathan's church email address when they aren't.
Remember:
- All church email addresses end in "stpaulstjames.org" If there are any letters or numbers after stpaulstjames.org, it's a fake.
- If the email says "revnathan.stpaulstjamesorg@gmail," it looks real but it actually ends in Gmail, and it's a fake.
- Also, the only number Rev. Nathan will ever use to initiative a conversation is (203) 278-9199.
- If a text or email is vague and asks you to respond before you know what it's actually about, it's almost certainly a scam.
- Rev. Nathan will not ask you to do something for him or for the church without telling you the details. He will also not tell you that you can't call him back because he's in a meeting: He would have just waited until after the meeting to reach out. These are common scam tactics.
- No one at the church will ever ask you to buy gift cards for the church.
- We might sell you gift cards to local grocery stores, but we do not ask for you to read the cards back to us, we do not ask you to buy the cards from anyone but Kate Galambos and only in person, and the cards are only for grocery stores, not for Amazon or Visa or anywhere else.
- Rev. Nathan will never ask you to give him money directly. Any donations go directly to the church, not to Rev. Nathan, and are in the usual channels: Check, online via our website, or cash in the plate on Sunday.
- Do not share your copy of the parish directory, whether in print or online, except in person to someone you already know. Do not email a link: Let the church office handle that. (The scammers have an old copy of the directory. Let's be sure they don't get the current one.)
Bottom line: If it sounds like it might be a scam, it probably is! Nothing is ever too urgent that it can't wait until the next time you see Rev. Nathan in person to verify.
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Hymn Sing and Ice Cream Social
Monday, September 8
We have a new date for the Hymn Sing and Ice Cream Social: It will now be Monday, September 8, at 6:45 p.m. in the parish hall! Mark your calendars now to gather around the piano under the pretty lights in the parish hall, fill our hearts with song, have a sweet treat, and just simply be together.
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9/14: Homecoming Sunday Potluck
Food and Volunteers Needed!
Homecoming Sunday returns! Mark your calendars for a special service and potluck luncheon on September 14 -- and please consider bringing something for the potluck.
For this luncheon to be a success, we will need a few volunteers to help set up and take down, set tables, put food out, etc. Please let the church office know if you can help! Email office@stpaulstjames.org, or call (203) 562-2143 (office hours are M-F, 8-noon).
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Updating the Parish Directory
Speaking of Homecoming Sunday, we are updating the parish directory, and would like to have the new 2025-2026 edition ready to distribute that day. If there have been any changes to your contact information -- or if you are not in the directory and would like to be added -- please let Monifa in the church office know.
Simply email her at office@stpaulstjames.org, or call (203) 562-2143 (office hours are M-F, 8-noon).
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Come for Morning Prayer this Sunday, August 31, at 10:30 a.m. as we celebrate the 12th Sunday after Pentecost.
The Rev. Cecil Tengatenga will be our supply priest, preaching and celebrating the Eucharist.
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Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.
In person and online
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Wednesday Prayer 12:30 p.m.
In person
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Thursday Compline 8 p.m.
On Zoom
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Cycles of Prayer
In the cycle of prayer for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, we pray this week for all Episcopal schools, seminaries & campus ministries: Kent School; South Kent School; Pomfret School; Salisbury School; Wooster School; Rectory School; St. Thomas Day School, New Haven; Trinity Academy, Hartford; the Episcopal Church at UCONN, Storrs; Berkeley Divinity School; New Haven; The Episcopal Church at Yale, New Haven; and Trinity College, Hartford.
In the global Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for the Church of South India (United).
ST. PJ’S PRAYER LIST: Rachel, Doug Parker, Anne Matthies, Betty Hill, Tim Barnes, Calvin Griffin, Lenny Santarsiero, Rev. Walter MacNutt, Tom Caffelle, Kevin Gerbe, Leota Tucker, Edwina Johnson, Cynthia King, Paul D'Agostino, Richard Holcomb, Tiras Jaske, Uli Mackert, Charlie & Bridget Farrell, Alyce, Judi, Tom, Leslie, Andrew, Pam, Tommy, Beverly Lett, Vanetta Lloyd, Janea Barthle, Lydia Hamnquist, Kate Galambos, Rita Valenti-Piovane, Stephen Lett, Rev. Nihal de Lanerolle, Martin O’Brien, William Evans, Sr., Pam Sayre, Marilyn Bergen, Marietta D’Albero, Leonilda Sanchez, Maria Rodriquez, Brian Bussey
Birthdays: Trevor Babb (9/1), Judy Lhamon (9/2)
Faithful Departed: Douglas Reeder (brother to Susan Yates, uncle to Karen Yates)
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VIDEO: Last Sunday's Service and Sermon
If you either missed or want to revisit last Sunday at St. PJ's, you can find the recorded livestream on our Facebook and/or YouTube pages.
Last week, Bill Evans preached and Rev. Nathan celebrated the Eucharist.
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Visits with Rev. Nathan
As previously announced, I am now trying to meet with every St. PJ's member -- as families or individuals -- and get to know you and your dreams for our community life together.
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 this congregation's future. Through these meetings, I hope to get a better feel for who we are as a community -- and where the Spirit might be leading us!
Ideally this meeting would be at your home, where I can also offer a home blessing. If you prefer a coffee shop, your office, or a park bench on a nice day, those are fine options too -- anywhere but the church itself.
Because I am half-time, it will undoubtedly take several months to get through these visits. If you would like to meet sooner, please let me know. Otherwise, I'm going to use an Excel random-number generator to determine the order in which I'll reach out. But whether it's next week or in November, know that I can't wait!
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New Fall Dates for
Safe Church Training
In an important effort to build and protect community for everyone, the Episcopal Church requires that all church leaders (including vestry), staff, and anyone interacting with youth or pastoral ministries take Safe Church Training every three years.
The training is free and can be done in person or online. New fall dates have now been announced by the diocese, and you can find them (and more information) online here.
Bishop Jeff Mello says: "Safe Church Training, and our commitment to creating a church that is safe for all of God’s beloved children, is at the center of our commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Those most at risk for abuse are the very ones Jesus drew close; children, the frail, and those at the margins. To be made more and more into the likeness of Christ is to take seriously the safety and welfare of those Safe Church is meant to protect."
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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
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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
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Priest-in-Charge: The Rev. Nathan Empsall, revnathan@stpaulstjames.org
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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
- 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
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