TIME CHANGE

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2025



REMINDER:

Turn clocks back one hour on Saturday Night

FALL CONGREGATIONAL FORUM - Sunday, November 2, 2025 at 11:00 AM

This is a meeting for all church members to attend and we will be looking to see you all there. We will be voting on proposed amendments to our church structure/constitution, approving a budget for 2026, affirming a slate ballot for church leaders, and receiving reports from various leaders of of congregation.

The Congregational Forum Booklet, Moderator's Report and Treasurer's Reports are available for pick up in the gathering area.

Please take one per family and review them in advance of the meeting.

CULTURAL PICNIC Scheduled for November 1, 2025



THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Sunday, November 2

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:15 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

11:00 am  Congregational Forum – Sanctuary

4:00 pm  Youth Group/Dodgeball – FH

Monday, November 3

6:45 pm  Worship Design Team – Multi-Purpose Room

Tuesday, November 4

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

Wednesday, November 5

9:30 am  Staff Meeting – Multi-Purpose Room

11:30 am  Lunch Bunch – Round the Clock Diner - East

Thursday, November 6

6:30 pm  Chancel Choir Practice – Sanctuary

Saturday, November 8

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

Sunday, November 9

9:00 am    Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service/CDC Recognition – Sanctuary

4:00 pm  Youth Group/Dodgeball – FH

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.

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

*Junior High Youth Membership Class*

9:00 AM in the Multi-Purpose Room. Teacher Pastor Joel Gibbel. The class will be learning about the beginnings and history of the Church of the Brethren this week.

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.

Senior High Youth Sunday School Class

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

Vine & Branches Class

The class will be joining with the Lamplighter's Class for the fall season. Please see below.

Lamplighters Class

9:00 AM in Room 145. Teacher Pat Carey. The class is now studying

“12 Daring Women of the Bible," this week - Proverbs 31 woman

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:

Sunday November 2 - Congregational Forum - 11:00 AM (Worship begins 10:15)

Sunday November 9 - CDC Celebration Sunday

Don't be caught off-guard this holiday season! Whether the visit is expected or not, treat your guests to famous Naylor Butter Mints or delicious nut treats.

Order you hand-made candies today!

Buttermints, Butter Toffee Cashews, Butter Toasted Peanuts, Cashew Crunch

Orders Due : November 8th



Pick up: November 24th 10:00 am - 2:00 pm - Garden Room

Order Forms can also be found

on the counter in gathering area.

OUR DAILY BREAD/SOUP KITCHEN - Friday, November 14, 2025

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

Our Daily Bread/Soup Kitchen on Friday, November 14, 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!

________________________________________________________ 

Special Note from Sandi Bowser:

Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, 331 S. George St. York

I understand that our church was one of the first in York County to volunteer.

We provide spaghetti casseroles the second Friday of each month. Usually our church donates 13 to 15 casseroles each month. However, this past October I only had 10 donations. I had made 4 and a friend of mine had made 2.

I’m not asking all people to make that many. I’d like to have 12 more volunteers to commit to one or two times a year. I’m going to California to be with a relative during his surgery in November. (My phone # is 717-825-7203) If you want guidance, call me. You will find recipes in the Anna Mow Room in a box with the casserole holders. When your casserole is finished, we place them in the church kitchen freezer on the top 2 shelves.

Our second contribution – three volunteers and I serve the spaghetti, a small salad, bread or rolls, dessert, and either tea or water from 11am till 12 noon on the second Friday. 99% of the “customers” are friendly and respectful as are we.

Paula is the person in charge. She runs a tight ship. Both our guests and we respect her.

Please offer to join us. Consider joining by either making one or two casseroles a year and/or serving the food once or twice a year. I think you’ll realize as I did and still do how blessed you are. Don’t hesitate to call me 717-825-7203.

ADVENT WILL BE HERE IN NO TIME AND THAT MEANS IT IS TIME FOR POINSETTIAS AGAIN!

2025 Christmas Poinsettia Orders

6 1/2” pot (5+ blooms) - Cost per flower: $10.00

Deadline for Orders is November 23rd

We will begin taking orders for poinsettias this Sunday. You may purchase them “in honor, in memory, or in appreciation” of loved ones. Orders can be received in the offering plates during the worship or in the church office any time. Payment must accompany the order form (unless paying online).

Flowers will be displayed in the sanctuary on Sunday morning, Dec. 21 and during the Christmas Eve service on 12/24. Please pick up your flowers no later than the evening of 12/24 after worship. You may also take them before then if necessary or you can leave them for Sunday, Dec. 28 worship and then pick them up.

Thank you for your order which will contribute to the beauty of the sanctuary this Advent season! Blessings!

LUNCH BUNCH – Here We Come!

“¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience… ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.

And be thankful.” Colossians 3:12,14-15 NRSVUE



The Lunch Bunch has been meeting every other week on a Wednesday since the beginning of June. We started gathering for lunch together during Pastor Joel’s sabbatical time as one way to stay connected to each other over the summer with food, fun and fellowship! Lunch Bunch is open to all ages and stages of life and has been meeting at different local restaurants from 11:30 am – 1 pm biweekly on Wednesdays until now. 

In an effort to make it easier for folks to keep track of when we are gathering, we have decided to meet on the first and third Wednesday of each month as of November and going forward into 2026. So, we will be meeting on November 5 and 19 and December 3 and 17. We will continue to include information about the Lunch Bunch (dates/times/locations) on the church calendar and in the bulletin on a weekly basis. There is no signup sheet or reservations needed – just show up! Each person pays for his/her own meal and if you need transportation, please contact your deacon or the church office for assistance. Or you can invite a friend or family member to join you who may provide your transportation!

We usually have between 4 and 8 friends around the table (once we had 4 generations together) but there is no limit to the number or fun we have together! We always enjoy each other’s company and stories! There is no ongoing commitment – some folks come almost every time, and others have only come once or whenever they are available. It’s a great way to meet new friends and to renew old acquaintances at York First COB as well as to share our interests and lives together! We hope you will consider joining us sometime soon!



For questions or more information, please contact Kim Witkovsky at witkovskyks@gmail.com or 814-599-7055 or the church office. We would love for you to join us - all are welcome! Shalom!   

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

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.

New Community Project - Shelter Me

As announced in Worship Service on Sunday, Oct. 19th, our congregation has been invited by New Community Project to help raise funds to keep a shelter open for Nepali girls imperiled by sex trafficking. Funding for this shelter was cut by an international aid organization, and it now faces closure. To make a donation, please click on this link https://www.newcommunityproject.info/donate-funds

The shelter is one of six run by the anti-trafficking group Shakti Samuha, NCP's partner in Nepal. It is especially critical, as it is near the border with India, and intercepts hundreds of girls every year who are at risk of being trafficked, or have been rescued and need healing from their trauma. NCP has chosen this as their fall campaign, named Shelter Me.

"This is a crisis" Shakti staff wrote. This is a key shelter and having to close it will subject girls aged 10 - 24 to being abandoned in their time of need."

Needed: $15,825 as the minimum to employ a   housemother and cook, and provide food for them and the girls for the coming year. Any extra funds raised will support additional staffing. 100% of donation go to the project. 

LOOK WHO'S

CELEBRATING

THIS MONTH

03  Barb Wueschinski

04  Dolly Furst

06  Ruoxia Li

08  Jill McCracken

08  Brad Striebig

10  Dianne Hollinger

10  Jess Dietrich

14  Diane Replogle

15  Greg Klinedinst

17  Rebecca Soyke

18  Dolores Mann

If your birthday is in NOVEMBER

and is not on the list below or is listed incorrectly, please contact the church office.

20  John Copenheaver

20  Melanie Miler

20  Bob Fitzkee

21  Elizabeth Eisenhart

21  Dan Snook

22  Charles Innerst

22  Bernadette Snook

24  Pat Paules

25  Laura (Thomas) Lash

27  Michelle Sauder

28  Eric Miller

29  Tammy Stehr

29  Luke Baldwin

DIRECTORY CHANGES:

P. 13 - Elizabeth Eisenhart - New Address:

Normandie Ridge - Personal Care

1700 Normandie Drive, Room 143, York, PA 17408

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

P. 19 - Judy Yingling - Delete cell phone # 717-893-3384 and

add her landline phone # for Autumn House (717) 757-7039

P. 21 - Michael & Danielle Kovacs - New address: 34 Eagleton Drive, Jacobus, PA 17407

Gathering Area Quilt

Every month the quilt in the gathering area is changed to another beautiful quilt. The November quilt is named 

"Diamond Double". These quilts are made by Sid Innerst.

Sid is a very talented quilter and we want to thank her for sharing her beautiful work. As you are walking through the gathering area, please take a moment to enjoy the beauty and details of these quilts. 

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. 

Elizabethtown College’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies presents “Living Our Song: The Music of Andy and Terry Murray” by Rachel Bucher Swank on Tues., November 11, 7 pm, in the Bucher Meetinghouse. Join us for an evening exploring the rich theological and storytelling legacy of the Murrays’ music.

Rachel Bucher Swank is the editor of Living Our Song: The Music of Andy and Terry Murray, a new songbook collection featuring many of their original compositions. She is a 7th grade music teacher at Manheim Township Middle School and music coordinator at Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren.

Andy and Terry Murray are best known within the Church of the Brethren as a singer/songwriter duo who compose songs about Brethren history and theology. Andy has worked as a minister, chaplain, and college professor, and he was the founding director of the Baker Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at Juniata College. Terry, a professional organist, has worked as a composer, arranger, and piano and organ professor at Juniata College.

For more information, visit www.etown.edu/youngctr/events or call 717-361-1470.

LAST WEEK IN WORSHIP