✢ E-PISTLE WEEK OF SUNDAY, JANUARY 11th, 2026 ✢

WEEK OF SUNDAY, JANUARY 11th, 2026
✢ FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY ✢

The font at the Duomo in Milan where St. Augustine was baptized by St. Ambrose. Photo by Mtr. Kara.

Baptism of our Lord

I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live. – Deuteronomy 30:19

Dear Friends,

In the calendar of the Church year, we have just celebrated the feast of the Epiphany. This Sunday, we will commemorate the Baptism of our Lord. At Epiphany, Jesus is revealed as the Son of God to the Gentiles. The question of Epiphany is: Who is this one who is shown to the gentiles, and to all the world? He is none other than the Son of God. The question of the first Sunday after the Epiphany is: What is this baptism in which we’re united to the Son of God, and to each other?

Baptism is about our inclusion in the household of God, to be sure. It is about God accepting us, and about our accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior. But there are also things to be rejected: the powers of death, the forces that draw us from the love of God, all those things that corrupt the creatures of God. In baptism, we say “no” to death and “yes” to life, as we pass by God’s grace through death to life in Jesus’ cross and resurrection. This “no” and “yes” is the ground of our Christian lives.

The 20th century Episcopal lay theologian William Stringfellow wrote that “the vocation of the baptized person is a simple thing: it is to live from day to day, whatever the day brings, in this extraordinary unity, in this reconciliation with all people and all things, in this knowledge that death has no more power, in this truth of the resurrection. It does not really matter exactly what a Christian does from day to day. What matters is that whatever one does is done in honor of one’s own life, given to one by God and restored to one in Christ, and in honor of the life into which all humans and all things are called. The only thing that really matters to live in Christ instead of death.” In Jesus Christ, God has said “yes” to us, unequivocally. God calls each one of us to say “yes” to life, to live in Christ, and to walk in love.

Yours in Christ,

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STEWARDSHIP 2026

Greetings Friends,

As of January, we have received two-thirds of our $1.2 million stewardship goal. If each of you pledge, we will achieve our goal of over 300 pledges for 2026. We can do this!

Here are three easy ways to pledge:

Complete a hard copy form available in the narthex or at the front desk
Use the Trinity website link: https://www.trinityprinceton.org/giving

Our sincerest gratitude to those members below who have pledged to date.

Total # pledges = 213

Total $ = 825,304

Goal: 1.2m

Thank you so much,

Bill Hackett & Cynthia Westbrook, Co-Chairs of Stewardship

This Sunday’s Sermon:

The Rev. Cn. Dr. Kara Slade

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9:30am Adult Forum

Forum with Maureen Hunt of Arm in Arm Foundations class in the Thomas Room

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SUNDAY READINGS

First Lesson:

Isaiah 42:1-9

Second Lesson:

Acts 10:34-43

Gospel:

Matthew 3:13-17

Download Bulletin

January 11th

10:30 AM BULLETIN

LIVESTREAM

Music for Sunday | 11 January 2026

Holy Eucharist | 8 and 10:30 am

Prelude: Intrada - John Ireland

Choral Mass: Mass for Three Voices - William Byrd

Hymns: “On Jordan’s banks the baptist’s cry” (tune: Winchester New), “Wade in the water”

(Black Spiritual), “Songs of thankfulness and praise” (tune: Salzburg)

Service Music: (10:30) Surge, Illuminare - David Sinden; All things come from you, O Lord - Jeffrey Smith

Offertory Music: (8:00) Miniature, Op. 55, No. 1 - Flor Peeters; (10:30) A New Year Carol - Benjamin Britten

Communion Music: Adoramus te, Christe - Claudio Monteverdi

Postlude: Festival Voluntary - Flor Peeters

Choral Compline | 5 pm

Nunc dimittis: Short Service - Thomas Tallis

Motet: Christe, qui lux es et dies IV - Robert White

Marian Antiphon: Alma redemptoris mater - Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Trinity’s Children and Family Ministries

Happy Epiphany! This Sunday children ages kindergarten and older can meet in room 201 at 9:30 for a lesson. Parents, please pick up your kids at 10:15. Older children are also welcome to join us in Pierce for the Arm In Arm forum happening at the same time. Mother Kara will be preaching a child-friendly sermon during the second service so there will be no Children’s Chapel.

Upcoming Events

1/11 9:30 a.m. Joint Sunday School session, Child-friendly sermon/no Children’s Chapel, Youth Group

1/12 8:30 a.m. Move on Mondays

1/18 9:30 a.m. All-ages service project, Children’s Chapel, Youth Group

1/30 Fun Friday at Jadwin, Princeton University women’s basketball game

2/1 1:30-3:30 p.m. Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED training. Contact Anne if you’re interested in becoming certified.

REGISTER BELOW:

CHILDREN AND YOUTH RETREATS

Arm-In-Arm Forum

Please join us for the Forum next Sunday, January 11th, following the 8 am service.

We will welcome Maureen Hunt, the Executive Director of Arm in Arm for an interactive discussion about Arm in Arm, the services they provide, and how you can join volunteer to support these exciting opportunities.

Breakfast will be served.

Please do not hesitate to call me if you have any questions.

Volunteer with Arm in Arm on January 31

Arm in Arm is a long-time partner of Trinity Church, helping Mercer County residents in need with food and housing assistance.

Join fellow parishioners on Saturday, January 31, 2026 from 10 am to Noon as we prepare food packages for their pantry.

We'll be doing this at Arm in Arm's facility at 1 N. Johnston Ave, Suite A230 in Hamilton NJ. Families are welcome but this activity is not recommended for young children.

Please contact Melissa Scott at mebscott@comcast.net to register or for questions.

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Platinum Club

A shout out to all in our parish who are “older”! PLATINUM CLUB is for you. We gather on the third Monday of each month…January 19, Feb. 16 March 16, April 20, May 18, June 15, July 20, August 17…which takes us to the next academic year..

Bring your own lunch…we usually find some dessert had been made…I’m planning a carrot cake for January at Connie Escher’s request.

This is a no agenda group…we eat, we talk, we discuss…(no politics mostly) and we enjoy the memories shared. Our February meeting will be at the Rectory…same format, bring your own lunch, and chat with the Rector.

Questions? Sylvia Temmer…sbjornberg77@icloud.com

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The Blessing of the Plough

The Blessing of the Plough with songs and molly dances by Handsome Molly to mark the occasion will take place on Plough Monday, 12 January 2026, 6:30 pm, at the front entrance of the church.

Plough Monday is the first Monday after Epiphany. In medieval times, the ploughboys were to return to work on this day to start the new ploughing season, but the day provided one last day of festivity as the ploughboys would disguise themselves and go from house to house threatening to plough up the yard if the landowners did not provide them food and drink.

Trinity Church has been marking this day for many years now. Rev. Canon Dr. Kara Slade will serve as Officiant. Please come.

- Curtis

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Adult Formation Corner

Are you new to Trinity Church, new to the Episcopal Church, or just looking for a refresher course? The Foundations class continues for the second week THIS SUNDAY, January 11, at 9:30 AM in the Thomas Room (note the location has changed). RSVP here if you’re interested, or just show up!

See you there!

Adult Formation This Week:

Sunday, January 11 at 9:30 AM:

Forum with Maureen Hunt of Arm in Arm; Foundations class in the Thomas Room

Monday, January 12 at 7:30 PM at Yankee Doodle Tap Room: Pub Theology with Kara

Sunday, January 19 at 9:30 AM: Forum with Fr. Paul; Foundations class in the Thomas Room

CHOIR TOUR DEADLINE IS SOON!

Our choir will be touring the UK this August, spending the first week at Ely Cathedral and the second at Westminster Abbey. Trinity Church invites YOU to join the choir for the London week of the tour, August 8-17.

We will be traveling on British Airways and staying in London about 10 minutes from Westminster Abbey. In addition to supporting our choir at Evensong and Sunday services, we will have time to tour some historic sites in London as well as travel to Oxford and Canterbury for a day.

There will also be plenty of free time for shopping or your own activities. Thanks to some good group rates, the cost should be quite reasonable for a week in London.

We do need to make a commitment for the group airfare BY THE END OF JANUARY, so please indicate your interest on this Google Form: CLICK HERE

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Travel to the Holy Land

A couple of years back, some members of Trinity Church traveled with our Rector, Paul Jeanes, and The Rev. Keith Marsh and to the Holy Land.

It proved to be a marvelous and spiritually uplifting experience for all who made the pilgrimage! After retiring in June of 2023, Keith started Spirited Pilgrimages, a business devoted to planning, promoting and hosting unique, small-group pilgrimages around the world for people of faith.

Two pilgrimages have been planned for the fall of next year and you are invited to join:

The Footsteps of Paul – September 9-19, 2026 – travel through Turkey and Greece by land and sea - visit sites from the Book of Acts associated with St. Paul on his missionary journeys: Ephesus, Patmos, Corinth, Athens and more, including the islands of Crete and Santorini
Celtic Christianity – October 12-24, 2026 – follow the path of Christianity’s early years in the Celtic kingdoms, beginning in Ireland and expanding into Scotland and northern England – trace the spread of Celtic Christianity from its introduction by St. Patrick to its demise at the Council of Whitby.

These pilgrimages will be led by Keith, an experienced pilgrimage planner and host. To learn more about these two all-inclusive pilgrimages – expansive itinerary, roundtrip airfare, lodging and meal details, price and deadlines, as well as how to reserve your spot – visit the Spirited Pilgrimages website at: spiritedpilgrimages.com

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PRAYER LIST:

Please keep the following individuals in your prayers:

Susan Barry, Zoe Beaton, John Bertalot, Gordon Brooks, Peter Brown, Peter, Karen D, Chip Dongara, Daryll Eatmon, Gus Escher, Amy G., Pat Grabiec, Reverend Dana Hall, Ellen Jane, Patricia Killian, Edwin Metcalf, Nancy Metcalf, Billy Mitchell, Dorothy Morin, Joan Nester, Bob Pietrucha, Cornelia Jane Reeder, Carol Reynolds, Jennifer Sanborn, Nancy Slade, Clive Muncaster, Dulcie Muncaster, Dianne Senko, Samantha Seto, Isaiah Stevens, Gary Sykes, P.A. Tippett, and

Please pray for the following souls who have recently passed:

Larry Evans

Amber Schuppan

Individuals will remain on the prayer list for one month, unless we are otherwise notified.

➨ If you want to add someone to the list, please email Annie Bryson at brysona@trinityprinceton.org.

RECOVERY MEETINGS: Looking for recovery meetings? See our list of recurring meetings here.

ZOOM EVENTS: Join all Zoom meetings, unless otherwise advertised, at ZOOM.US/J/2859819016 [By phone: 1 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 285 981 9016 Password: 1979].

ABOUT US: Trinity Church ➨ Est’d 1833 ➨ An Episcopal Church in the Diocese of New Jersey ➨ 33 Mercer Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 ➨ (609) 924-2277 ➨ The Rev. Paul Jeanes III, Rector; The Rev. Cn. Dr. Kara N. Slade, Associate Rector ➨ Website: trinityprinceton.org

“We believe God’s love is expansive and unconditional and that through Christ, God has called us to love one another as God loves us. We welcome all people of every gender, race, age, culture, ethnic background, sexual orientation, economic circumstance, family configuration, or difference of ability. We celebrate the worth, dignity, and gifts of every person as a child of God.”

PARISH CARE

Please know that we are here for you, to support you and pray for you however best we can. Feel free to reach out to the clergy.