CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Saturday, December 9

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

Sunday, December 10

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

Tuesday, December 12

9:30 am  Ladies Bible Study – Anna Mow Room

6:30 pm  Leadership Team – Room 154

Thursday, December 14

5:30 pm  CDC Christmas Craft Night – Fellowship Hall

5:45 pm  Bell Choir Practice – Bell Choir Room

6:30 pm  Choir Practice – Sanctuary

Sunday, December 17

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:30 am  Choir Cantata with Worship – Sanctuary

*with food pantry donations*

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 Room 149. Teacher Dave Witkovsky. This class is for youth in grades 7-12. Youth will begin a new series in the Shine curriculum.

Vine and Branches Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 154. Teacher Joel Gibbel. The class is using the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum entitled "Faith that Pleases God." This will be the first week of our study, beginning this new series with a lesson from the book of Ruth, and possibly a portion from the story of David and Goliath as told in 1 Samuel.

Lamplighters Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 145. Teacher Beth Anne Bahn. The lesson series is entitled "Christmas Through the Eyes of Joseph" with Adam Hamilton. 

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 DATES TO REMEMBER

December 8&9 - Camp Eder Christmas Tree Festival

December 14 - CDC Christmas Craft Night, Fellowship Hall 5:30 PM

December 17 - Christmas Cantata (Sunday 10:30 AM Worship)

December 20 - Longest Night Service, Chapel (Wednesday 3:00 PM)

December 24 - Morning Worship 10:30 AM and Christmas Eve Service 7:00 PM

CAMP EDER

CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL

December 8th and 9th, 5 - 9 PM

Come join us for an evening of family festive fun! The Woods will be illuminated with lots and lots of Christmas lights, warm fires, hot cocoa and children activities will be happening each night. This is beautiful festival you most certainly will not want to miss!

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life,

and this life is in his son." - John 1:5 - 11

• Christmas Lights & Music

• Hay Rides - Friday and Saturday Night 5-9 PM

• Tree Decorating Contest

• Delicious Turkey Dinner & Soup (per donation)

• Luminary Garden (honoring our loved ones)

• Decorated Trees

• Warm Drinks and Lots of Cookies (free)

• Bake Sale

• Kid's Activities

• Cozy Fires & S'mores

• Live Music

Longest Night Service

Wednesday December 20 at 3:00 PM in the Chapel

The Christmas season is often marked by expressions of joy, excitement, and happiness. It’s a time for family to gather and for churches to worship, pointing to the hope that is found in the coming of the Christ child. However, this time of joy and expectation can often overshadow the pain and hurt many experience during this season, when the world's merriment can make grief and sorrow even more intense and difficult to bear.

One of the greatest acts of care and compassion we can share with each other in the Advent Season is to offer an experience called the Service of the Longest Night. It is a worship service scheduled around the winter solstice (the longest night of the calendar year) which always occurs around December 21 every year. It acknowledges that, for many people, Christmas is a time of loneliness, sorrow, sadness and loss. This service offers a way for people to claim those feelings and still feel surrounded by the compassionate love of God. In some churches it is also known as "Blue Christmas."

Come and join us for a time of meditation and remembrance. It is our time to be together with those who experience a difficult time during the holidays or need to acknowledge some pain, grief or loss they are carrying in the midst of this season of celebration. This brief gathering provides a sacred space for reflection, meditation and comfort through word, scripture, song and prayer in a way that offers peace, hope and light in the midst of darkness.

We hope you will worship with us and invite others to join you as together we affirm the darkness of our sorrow and sadness and then celebrate the light of Christ in our lives. Please contact the church office if you need transportation to attend the service. 

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

Read news updates by clicking the link below

You may also subscribe to receive 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.

2024 OFFERING ENVELOPES

Are available for pickup on the counter in the gathering area.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

1. Some envelope numbers have changed for 2024.

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 (2023) envelopes after DECEMBER 31, 2023.

DO NOT use your new (2024) envelopes before JANUARY 1, 2024.



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

FOOD PANTRY WISH LIST - for Sunday December 17!

Thank you very much for all of the donations to our food pantry during Harvest Feast. As mentioned before we are starting a new tradition of collecting for the food pantry the third Sunday of the month during the Children’s time. Our next collection will be Sunday December 17. Below is a wish list for the pantry.

Pancake Mix                                                  Cooking Oil

Syrup                                                              Bottles of Fruit Juice

Small canned hams                                      Strawberry Jelly                                       

Canned Tuna and Chicken                         Cake mix and Frosting

Any donation is greatly appreciated. All donations must be non-perishable. Donations can also include monetary donations and items for our extended outreach such as laundry detergent, cleaning products, dish soap, and personal hygiene products.

Click on button to

“Check out” these books that are new to

The First Church Library!

Directions for borrowing a book can be found on the countertop to the right after entering through the library door. We kindly ask that you take a maximum of two (2) books at one time and return at least one (1) before selecting a new one. Please sign and leave the white card in the blue flowerpot. When finished reading your book(s), return the book(s) to the multilevel shelf labeled “Book Return”.

Cross Keys Village/The Brethren Home Community thanks you for your prayers, financial support this past year. Thanks for your used stamps that benefits the residents at the home, keep them coming! That project goes all year long. Thanks again. God Bless you all.

Key person, 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 2023 the gift card sales will support The Lehman Center (Children’s Aid Society), New Community Project, and Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry. 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.

LAST WEEK IN WORSHIP

December 3, 2023

SCRIPTURE LESSON:

Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-24

MESSAGE:

"Nazareth: Mary and Joseph"

If you need to reach the pastor outside of office hours, his mobile number is (717) 271-4888. You can also email him at pastor@yorkfirst.org. 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.