CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Saturday, November 9

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

Sunday, November 10

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service - CDC Sunday – Sanctuary

4:00 pm  Youth Group -Dodgeball – Fellowship Hall

Tuesday, November 12

6:30 pm  Leadership Team – Room 154

Thursday, November 14

6:00 pm  Chancel Choir Rehearsal – Sanctuary

7:30 pm  Bell Choir Rehearsal – Bell Choir Room

Saturday, November 16

10:00 am  “Fall Into Winter” Craft Show – Fellowship Hall

11:00 am   CDC Children’s Pageant – Sanctuary

Sunday, November 17

9:00 am   Sunday School

10:30 am   Worship Service – Sanctuary

4:00 pm  Youth Group -Dodgeball – Fellowship Hall

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

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. 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.

The class is studying a series on Women of the Bible.

Vine and Branches Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 154. Teacher Kim Witkovsky. The class is following the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum entitled "Worship in the Covenant Community."

Lamplighters Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 145. This Sunday, we will be starting a 3-week session on “Gratitude: Giving Thanks in Life’s Ups and Downs” by Dale & Sandy Larsen.



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.  

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

2024 Christmas Poinsettia Orders

Burgundy Color – 6 1/2” pot (5+ blooms)

Cost per flower: $10.00

Deadline for Orders is November 24th

We will begin taking orders for poinsettias this Sunday. Because we have decided to have burgundy flowers this year our deadline is earlier. 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. 22 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. 29 worship and then pick them up.

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

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER



Saturday, November 16 - "Fall Into Winter" Craft Show and Pageant

Sunday, November 17 - Food Pantry Collection within Worship

Sunday, November 24 - Thanksgiving Sunday

Saturday, November 30 - Advent Decorating

Sunday, December 8 - Advent Breakfast

Friday & Saturday, December 13 & 14 - Camp Eder Christmas Tree Festival

YOUTH GROUP ACTIVITY

Youth and School Age Children join us for Dodgeball fun!

Please feel free to invite friends and neighbors as you wish.

Sunday at 4:00 pm from Oct 13 to Nov 17 in Fellowship Hall

Saturday November 16 – “Fall Into Winter” Craft Show

in the Fellowship Hall, 10 AM – 2 PM

Join us for this fundraising event to benefit

our Child Development Center.

Many vendors, snacks, and people to meet!

Children from the CDC will also be offering a musical pageant at 11 AM in the sanctuary, so please join us for that time if you wish!

CAMP EDER CHRISTMAS

TREE FESTIVAL

December 13th & 14th

5pm-9pm

JOIN US IN CELEBRATING THE KING 

> Christmas Lights & Music

> Hay Rides -Friday & Saturday Night 5-9pm

> Tree Decorating Contest (you vote)

> Delicious Turkey Dinner & Soup

(per donation)

> Luminary Garden (honoring our loved ones)

We will be lighting luminaries to honor our loved ones. Luminaries are $5 each and one dedicated person per luminary.

> Decorated Trees

> Warm Drinks & Lots of Cookies (free)

> Bake Sale

> Kid's Activities

> Cozy Fires

DECORATE A CHRISTMAS TREE

Have some fun decorating a tree at Camp Eder. Everyone is invited to compete in the tree decorating contest. Voting will be during the Christmas Tree Festival December 13-14. The Christmas Tree Festival is a great opportunity to get involved with Camp Eder and our surrounding community.

Trees are limited, so you will want to sign up soon.

Please fill out the form and we will get back to you on your assigned tree. Trees are assigned on first come first serve basis and we must receive your Christmas tree sponsor form to reserve your tree. 

Anabaptist Community Bible

A special opportunity is before us, as a new resource called the Anabaptist Community Bible is set to be published by January, a project to which our own church contributed. It

is in celebration of the 500^th anniversary of the Anabaptist movement, to which our tradition belongs. The Bible is in the Common English Bible (CEB) translation and will include over 7,000 study notes from over 600 groups as well as Anabaptist scholars. Our church plans to purchase these study Bibles in bulk, hoping to place one in the hands of every active participant in our church who desires (one per household) with the hopes for reading portions together in 2025.

If you wish to receive a Bible (everyone should!) we ask you sign up in the Gathering Area before worship or contact the church office. Do not delay, as we will be ordering soon! Anyone who wishes to sponsor this project is welcome to contact the church office as well. Thank you!

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.

Directory Change:

P. 18 Rebecca Wenger - Remove phone # (717) 793-9320, she no longer has this line.

Gathering Area Quilt

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

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 2024 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 of the Brethren) to 3011 Bedford Pl, York, PA 17408 and your cards will be mailed to you.

Elizabethtown College’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies presents “Open to the Spirit: On Writing a New History of the Brethren in Christ Church in the Twentieth Century,” by Devin Manzullo-Thomas on Tues., Nov. 19, 7:00 p.m., in the Bucher Meetinghouse. Manzullo-Thomas is assistant professor of American religious history at Messiah University, where he also serves as director of the E. Morris and Leone Sider Institute for Anabaptist, Pietist, and Wesleyan Studies and as director of archives. For details about the talk, visit www.etown.edu/youngctr/events or call 717-361-1470.

LAST WEEK IN WORSHIP

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.