SUNDAY, JULY 20TH - FOOD PANTRY COLLECTION  

Donations to our food pantry outreach will be gathered during worship this Sunday. Please bring along items below or monetary gifts as you are so led. Thank you!

We have been busy at the Food Pantry. We can use the following items: 



•Canned chicken •Pasta sauce •Spaghetti •Elbow macaroni •Salad dressing •Cooking oil •Cheese and crackers •Granola bars •Boxed cereal •Bags of sugar •Rice •Pickles

•Pancake mix •Pancake syrup •Canned chili & beans •Canned corn •Onions

•Ketchup •Mayonnaise •Fruit juice •Toilet paper •Grocery gift cards are also welcome.

Thank you for your generosity! Mary Esther Anderson, Witness Team

CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Sunday, July 20

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary, Jan Glass King preaching

Wednesday, July 23

11:30 am Lunch Bunch - IHOP Restaurant (Pauline Dr.)



Friday, July 25

6:00 pm  Christmas in July – Back Courtyard/Gathering Space

(sanctuary if inclement weather)

Saturday, July 26

10:00 am   Food Pantry - 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Sunday, July 27

9:00 am   Sunday School

10:30 am   Worship Service – Sanctuary, Warren Eshbach preaching

Summer Fun Events at York First COB – JULY

This summer the Worship and the Fellowship and Hospitality Teams are once again “teaming up” to sponsor some fun events to help us stay connected and throughout the summer months and to build relationships as we enjoy each other’s company! Below is what the month of July holds in store for those who join in for the fun and fellowship…

Wednesday, July 23 11:30 -1 p.m. Lunch Bunch at the IHOP Restaurant (Pauline Drive)

Friday, July 25 6-8 p.m. Christmas in July – Caroling/Cookies/White Elephant Gifts (more details to follow in a separate article/announcement)

Wednesday, July 30 11:30-1 p.m. Lunch Bunch - restaurant to be announced

Please contact your deacon or the church office if you need a ride to any event.

Click on this button to view the full calendar

Contacting the Interim Ministries Coordinator

Pastor Joel is observing sabbatical leave from May 24 until August 23 this summer. Our church will continue strongly in ministry during this time!

Kim Witkovsky is serving as the Interim Ministries Coordinator during Joel's absence.

Her hours will be posted in the newsletter and bulletin weekly. Please feel free to contact her at (814) 599-7055 (mobile) with texts or calls or by email at witkovskyks@gmail.com

If you would like a visit from Kim, please contact her directly or call the church office.

Weekly office hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:30-10:30am

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.

In addition to this prayer request list contained within each Friday's e-newsletter, we also have a "prayer chain" email list. We occasionally send immediate prayer requests to those who have opted in to receive the prayer chain and are committed to praying for each concern as they come. If you would like to be added to the prayer chain list, please notify the church office by email at secretary@yorkfirst.org or by phone (717) 755-0307. If you have a prayer request and desire it to be sent to this group, feel free to contact the church office anytime. Thank you!

Sunday School News

Children's Sunday School Classes

9:00 AM in Rooms 151, 152, and 153. Children grades PreK (age 4) and up will have class lessons. Children ages 3-4 and younger are welcome to attend nursery care.

Youth Sunday School Classes

9:00 AM in Room 155. Teacher Dave Witkovsky. Youth grades 7-12 are welcome.

Vine & Branches Class

9:00 AM in Room 154. The class is studying the "Wired Word" - a news curriculum that guides us with scripture, prayer and news information and how our faith calls us to respond in the Way of Jesus the Christ.

Lamplighters Class

9:00 AM in Room 145. We will begin a 5 week session from Max Lucado,

“Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World.”

Session 3: July 20 – Present Your Requests to God

Homebuilders Class

Mondays - 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM by conference call. To join, contact Mike Martin at

717-840-4184 or Caretaker@TwinBrookFarm.com and leave a phone number. The class studies lessons from the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum.  

Upcoming Events

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER:

Saturday, July 19 - Church Work Day 9:00 AM

Wednesday, July 23 - Lunch Bunch - IHOP Restaurant (Pauline Dr.)

Friday, July 25 - Christmas in July 6:00 PM

Wednesday, July 30 - Lunch Bunch - Location TBD 11:30 AM

Friends,

This Saturday, July 19th, the Facilities Care Team is planning to gather at the church at 9:00 AM for an all church workday and would like to invite you to come and help.  

We will work until about noon or until our tasks are completed. The more hands we have the more we can accomplish to beautify the church.

We are planning to do some outdoor trimming of shrubs and tree branches as well as mulching and a variety of indoor projects involving moving things around and possibly some painting. 

We would appreciate all the hands we can gather and would also welcome any hedge trimmers, string trimmers, wheel barrows, or rakes that people might be able to bring along. Feel free to just join us as you are able for an hour or more.  If you have any questions, please let me know.  

Thanks, Dave Witkovsky -Facilities Care Team

York First Church of the Brethren

Christmas in July!

In the midst of the summer’s sweltering heat and humidity and the torrential downpours we have been experiencing, we want to wisk you away to a time of cheer and good wishes, of sugar plums and fairies, a time of joy and celebration – Christmas in July!



On Friday, July 25 from 6-8 p.m. the Worship Team in collaboration with the Fellowship and Hospitality Team are sponsoring a time of celebration of God’s greatest gift to us, Jesus Christ, with a few of the traditions we have come to love and enjoy! We invite you to come dressed in your best Christmas colors (traditional red and green - be creative) and join us for a fun, family-friendly evening together! Why wait until December 25 when we can celebrate on July 25 with Christmas in July!

We will begin with an outdoor Christmas Carol songfest at 6 p.m. in the back yard (where the playground is and where we have our Easter Morning Watch service) – weather permitting (hopefully no snow!). If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we will hold all our festivities in the Gathering Space. Please come prepared to sing your favorite Christmas carols together! Following our singing, we will enjoy a time of light and delicious refreshments as we sample a variety of our favorite Christmas Cookies and festive punch/hot beverages. Please feel free to bring along a batch of your family’s favorite cookies/holiday snacks to share (with recipes included)!

And, to add to the festivities and to honor the tradition of gift-giving, (this is an optional activity but we hope many will choose to bring a gift and join in the fun), we invite you to bring along a “white elephant” gift - something fun for any age whether new ($5 or less if purchased) or slightly used, wrapped up beautifully, but with no name on it. We will offer guidelines for the gift exchange that evening. Lots of fun to anticipate!



Please join us for a time of celebration and joy as we join together in singing about the birth of Jesus, good will and cheer, generosity and delicious treats! You won’t want to miss this unique and fun-filled event! The more, the merrier! Please contact

Kim Witkovsky or Ruoxia Li if you have any questions and your deacon or the church office if you need a ride. 

OUR DAILY BREAD/SOUP KITCHEN - Friday, August 8, 2025

Sign up by calling Sandi Bowser at 717-825-7203 to make a casserole for

Our Daily Bread/Soup Kitchen on Friday, August 8, 2025 (10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)

PLEASE contact Sandi to add your name and number of casseroles, so we can let

Our Daily Bread/Soup Kitchen know how many casseroles to expect.

The pans are located in the church lounge. Thank you! 

Church of the Brethren News

Southern PA District/Denomination

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

Read news updates by clicking the link below

Please subscribe to receive COB Newsline via email if you wish

SOPA DISTRICT PICNIC

July 27, 2025

Please join your brothers and sisters of our

District to share and worship together!

Little Buffalo State Park -

Pavilion #2 - (near the pool and playground)

Potluck Picnic at 4:30 - Please bring a side dish or dessert to share

Vesper Service lead by Chris Elliott at 5:30

Music by Cody and Ali Toms

RSVP: SOPA District Office 717-778-2264 or sopadistrict@brethren.org

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, and capital campaign contributions, as well as many other specific outreach ministries that we sponsor.

I want to thank EVERYONE for helping me celebrate my 39th birthday (this is now the 51st time I celebrated my 39th birthday). All the "cards", the "wishes", the "smiles", coming to the "drop-in" at my house and everything you all did, was greatly appreciated and enjoyed. God has been real good to me for which I'm forever thankful. I'm also very thankful for all of you being my friends. Jay Crist 

Directory Change:

P. 15 - Alex Leair - Add phone number (717) 542-0640

Patricia Carey is the Witness Team appointment for the Cash for Causes program. Please see Patricia before or after worship to purchase your Giant or Weis gift cards. Patricia will be at the table under the bulletin board in the Gathering Space.

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.

Since 2011, through the Cash for Causes program, the church has received 5% of sales to support various COB and local ministries. In 2024 the gift card sales supported The Lehman Center, New Community Project and the Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry with each receiving $233.08. For 2025, the Witness Team will review past giving and determine which agencies we will support this year. 

LAST WEEK IN WORSHIP