CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Saturday, January 14

10:00 am Food Pantry Open 10:00 am to 12:00 Noon

Sunday, January 15

9:00 am Sunday School

10:30 am Worship Service – Sanctuary

Monday, January 16

6:00 pm Education Team – Lounge

Tuesday, January 17

9:30 am Ladies Bible Study – Lounge

4:00 pm Food Pantry Open 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm

7:15 pm Worship Team Design - Multi-Purpose Room

Wednesday, January 18

9:00 am Staff Meeting - Multi-Purpose Room

Thursday, January 19

10:00 am Prayer Shawl - Lounge

6:30 pm Bell Choir Practice – Bell Choir Room

7:30 pm Choir Practice – Sanctuary

Sunday, January 22

9:00 am Sunday School

10:30 am Worship Service – Sanctuary

Click on this button to view the full calendar

Additions and updates for prayer list or calendar of events are welcome by contacting the church office.

Special note for all Ministry Teams: Please notify the church office with any upcoming meetings or events for your team so we can add these dates to the calendar.

Sunday School News

Children's Sunday School Classes

9:00 AM in Rooms 151, 152, and 155. Children grades PreK (age 4) and up will have class lessons, with singing included as well. Children ages 3-4 and younger are welcome to attend nursery care.

Youth Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in the Youth Room 149. Teacher Dave Witkovsky. This class is for youth in grades 6-12. A new series from the "Generation Why?" curriculum will begin.



Vine and Branches Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 154. Teacher Joel Gibbel. The class will begin studying the new "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum, this winter's series entitled "From Darkness to Light."

Lamplighters Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 145. The class is studying Lee Strobel's "Case for Christmas".

Homebuilders Sunday School Class

8:00 AM by conference call, holding class remotely. To join, contact Mike Martin at 717-840-4184 or [email protected] and leave a phone number. The class studies lessons from the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum. 

2023 OFFERING ENVELOPES

Are available for pickup on the counter in the narthex.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING

1.   Some envelope numbers have changed for 2023.

2.  If you are using Online Giving, your envelope number is in the 200 range, and you will not receive a box of envelopes. See the listing located with the boxes of envelopes.

3.   TO ASSURE CORRECT RECORDING OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS, DO NOT use your old (2022) envelopes after DECEMBER 31, 2022.                                                                 

DO NOT use your new (2023) envelopes before JANUARY 1, 2023.

4.   If you would like to receive envelopes, please inform the church secretary and she will see that they are provided.

Thank you

We need your help with the 2023 Directory.

We have placed the Members and Friends pages in the gathering area.

Please make any necessary updates to your family's information on these pages. We want to have all current information before we print the directory.

You may also email your information to [email protected] ~ Thank you!

MESSENGER SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

It's time to renew your Messenger subscription. The cost is $14.50 and you can pay thru on-line giving or mail a check to church (payable to First Church - put Messenger on the memo line). Payments are needed by the end of January. If you have any questions, please contact Carole Bradfield.

York First COB

Sponsorship of Flowers for Worship

Happy New Year! And with a new year comes a chance to begin something new or to begin again something we have done and loved in the past. The Worship Ministry Team would like to bring back the practice of having live flowers in worship again in memory, honor or celebration of special persons or events in our lives. We understand that this was a valued and appreciated practice in the past but Covid interrupted the flow so we are trying to revive it again in 2023!

There is a Flower Chart with all the Sundays in 2023 listed on the bulletin board across from the family bathroom near the church office. If you are interested in sponsoring flowers on a particular Sunday, please list your name under that date and write beside your name if you will provide your own flowers (from another location or your own garden) or you would like Karen Bowman, Administrative Assistant, (717-755-0307) to order them from Lincolnway, the florist we have dealt with in the past. If you list Lincolnway (the cost runs about $40), Karen will contact you to gather more information and then place the order for you. You can just let her know if you want them delivered by the florist ($10 delivery fee) or you will be picking them up.

You may choose another florist or source and see that the flowers arrive at church Sunday morning since the church is usually locked on Saturdays. If you are providing your own flowers, there is no need to contact Karen unless you have questions about the process. Or you can share flowers from your own garden – what a treat for all! We would just appreciate it if you would let Karen know no later than the Wednesday prior to the Sunday the flowers will be presented the wording for your sponsorship, so she has the correct information for the bulletin.

Also, we want you to know that, depending on what the design is for the Worship Center on the Sunday you sponsor flowers, they may appear on the worship center or on a small table in the front of the sanctuary. We request that you pick up your flowers immediately following the worship service. If you are not interested in keeping them, please consider sharing them with one of our homebound members or reach out to the deacons so they can do the same on your behalf.



We are excited to bring back this celebration of live flowers as part of our worship experience and hope you can be a part of it in some special way. If you have any questions, please refer them to Karen Bowman (see contact info above). Thank you in advance for your part in creating a beautiful and meaningful worship experience for all!  

Online Giving is safe, easy, and convenient. Sign up by going to our church website at: www.yorkfirst.org and click on the Online Giving Link or go directly to the Online Giving website at: http://www.osvhub.com/york-first/funds.

For assistance setting up your account,

call Donor Support at:  800-348-2886 – Option 2 – Online Giving Questions? Contact Sheryl Leaman - Thank you for your support!

NOTE: Online giving can be used for regular weekly or monthly offerings, special offerings (e.g. Christmas Eve), and capital campaign contributions, as well as many other specific outreach ministries that we sponsor.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Wednesday January 18, 7:00 PM - Prayer for Christian Unity Service, St Joseph Church

Sunday January 22, 10:30 AM - Receiving New Members within Worship

Wednesday January 25, 3:00 and 6:30 PM - Worship Leader Orientation, Sanctuary

Friday-Sunday January 27-29 - Winter Camp, Camp Eder

Sunday February 5, 10:30 AM - Service Sunday

Saturday February 18, 8:00 AM - Man2Man Event, Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren

CAMP EDER WINTER CAMP 2023

JANUARY 27th - 29th

For Grades 1st - 12th & Shining Stars Campers

REGISTER SOON!

Arrive 7:00 PM Friday - Pickup 2:00 PM Sunday

Grab your sleds and strap on your snow boots and join us for a weekend of winter fun at Camp Eder!

Click below to register online or

contact Camp Eder at [email protected] or (717) 642-8256

Man 2 Man Men's Spiritual Leadership Summit

Building Bridges: Embracing Diversity and Facing Division

Guest Speaker: Dr. Jeffrey Carter, Bethany Seminary President

He will be sharing about recent experiences with the World Council of Churches and their Assembly in Germany that he attended last September, representing the Church of the Brethren there. Expect an excellent presentation and much to learn about the church worldwide.

Saturday, February 18, 2023

Held at Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren, 301 Gale St., Mechanicsburg, PA

Registration Deadine: February 1, 2023

Please click on button befor complete brochure and registration form.

This information is also posted on the bulletin board in the narthex.

Denominational news and information is always available by visiting brethren.org

Click on the button for current

Church of Brethren News

CKV/TBHC thanks you for your prayers and financial support this past year. Thanks for your used stamps that benefits the residents at the home, please keep them coming! That project goes all year long.

Thanks again. God Bless you all.

~ Keyperson, Anna Miller

Lehman Center "Wish List"

Items for donation to the Lehman

Center are being collected in the

basket in the Gathering Area.

Due to changes in the food pantry

operations, these must be

collected separately from food

pantry supplies.

Here are some items that are needed at Lehman Center.

Instant pudding (chocolate, banana)

Instant jello (orange, blue, green, grape, cherry)

Can fruit (pears, pineapples, fruit cocktail)

Applesauce (individual or jar)

Can vegetables (lima beans, peas, green beans) Baby food - all stages

Baby snacks 

Since 2011 our Witness Team has sponsored the Cash for Causes program by selling Giant & Weis gift cards. The church receives 5% of sales to support various ministries. For 2022 the gift card sales will support The Lehman Center (Children’s Aid Society), New Community Project, Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry, and LifePath Christian Ministries (formerly York Rescue Mission). You may purchase the cards in amounts of $100, $50, $25, or $10. The cards make great gifts, especially at holidays. Consider donating cards to the Food Pantry or using them yourself any time you shop at Giant or Weis.

If you’d like to support this program, please see Becky Wenger before/after worship service OR mail your check (paid to York First Church) to 3011 Bedford Pl, York, PA 17408 and your cards will be mailed to you.

The Education Team would like to share free monthly video links from Teepa Snow. Hoping you will get a chance to watch them and learn something that may be helpful when dealing with those you come in contact with who have dementia.

Teepa Snow’s care strategies and techniques look at what is known about brain function and changes that happen with various conditions and integrate that information with therapeutic approaches. January's link is:

Brain Changes: https://youtu.be/mkRvK26bkTQ

LAST WEEK IN WORSHIP

If you need to reach the pastor outside of office hours, his home phone number is

(717) 318-5442, and his mobile number is (717) 271-4888 . You can also email him at

[email protected]. Note that laws prevent hospitals from contacting a pastor without your permission when you are admitted, so you will need to contact the church if you desire a visit or to request prayer.