CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Saturday, September 13

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

Sunday, September 14

9:00 am  Combined Sunday School – Rm 154

10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

Monday, September 15

6:45 pm  Worship Team – Anna Mow Room

Tuesday, September 16

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

6:00 pm  CDC Ministry Team – Anna Mow Room

Wednesday, September 17

9:30 am  Staff Meeting – Multi-Purpose Room

Thursday, September 18

10:00 am  Prayer Shawl – Anna Mow Room

6:30 pm Chancel Choir Practice – Sanctuary

Sunday, September 21

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

12:00 pm  Deacon Meeting - Anna Mow Room

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 153. Children grades PreK (age 4) and up will have class lessons. Children ages 3-4 and younger are welcome to attend nursery care.

Combined Sunday School Class for Adults and Youth

9:00 AM in Rm 154 Combined Sunday School Classes

Nancy Jones will share a presentation about her spring volunteer experience

with Brethren Disaster Ministries in Kentucky

York First Church of the Brethren

Education Team Upcoming Events – September

As we prepare for back-to-school time and the fall season, the Education Team has several special events and milestones to celebrate! Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for these congregational events!

September through December Sunday School Hour – Pastor Joel will be leading a 12+ week church membership class for youth (dates/location to be announced)

Sunday morning Sunday School, September 14 –

▪Youth and Adult combined Sunday School in Room 154 – Nancy Jones’ presentation about her spring volunteer experience with Brethren Disaster Ministries in Kentucky

Sunday morning Sunday School, September 28 –

▪Youth and Adult combined Sunday School – Pastor Joel and Dave Witkovsky, delegate, will share information and lead a discussion about the business and work of the COB Annual Conference 2025, along with a report from District Conference delegates

Upcoming Events

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER:

Sunday, September 14 - 55th Annual Dunker Church Service - 3:00 PM

Friday-Saturday September 19-20 - District Conference, Hanover COB

Friday-Saturday September 26-27 - Brethren Disaster Relief Auction, Lebanon Expo

Sunday, October 5 - Love Feast - 4:30 PM

55th Annual Dunker Church Service

to be held September 14

SHARPSBURG, MD – On Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025 at 3:00 p.m., the 55th Annual Dunker Church service will be held at the Dunker Church, located on the Antietam National Battlefield. Often noted as one of the most remarkable landmarks on this battlefield, the church has long stood for peace and love even during one of the most brutal confrontations of the Civil War.

The afternoon will begin with a tribute to Reverend Edward Poling who passed away in January 2025. Rev. Poling pastored several Church of the Brethren churches in the area, was a board member for the Hagerstown Area Religious Council (HARC) and was a past chair of the Dunker Church Service Planning Committee. The service also will include a traditional call to worship, hymns, sharing of scripture, special music and readings, prayers and a message brought by Steve Longenecker. Steve is a professor of history, emeritus, at Bridgewater College. He taught there for thirty-two years, served as a department head, and chaired the college's Forum for Brethren Studies.

NEIGHBORS

UNITED

Neighbors United focus groups,

hosted by United Way of York County,

give residents a chance to share their

experiences and hopes for their families and community.

Everyone is welcome, and participation is completely anonymous. Insights are shared in reports, but no personal details are ever included.

Questions: Contact Samira Sankaran at

ssankaran@unitedway-york.org OR

call 717-843-0957 Ext. 808

Please join us on

September 16 at 4:00 pm

at York First Church of the Brethren



Your voice matters.

Be a part of the conversation.

Location: 2710 Kingston Road, York, PA 

Time: 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Parking: Parking is available on site

Attendees will receive a $25 gift card for participating.

Light food and refreshments will be provided.

BRETHREN DISASTER

RELIEF AUCTION



Held at Lebanon Valley Expo

80 Rocherty Rd

Lebanon, PA 17042

Friday & Saturday

September 26 & 27, 2025

Auction booklets with complete information are located in the gathering area.

Please click on the button

to view the events for

both days.

Camp Eder Needs You 

Our 47^th Annual Fall Fest is camp’s biggest fundraiser of the year. The proceeds go to our camp’s monthly expenses, summer camps, programs throughout the year and most importantly camp scholarships (for those children whose families cannot afford to send them to camp to hear God’s word.)

When: Saturday, October 18, 2025 10AM-4PM

Where: Camp Eder (914 Mount Hope Rd Fairfield, PA 17320)

Silent Auctions: 10:00-10:45a & 11:00-11:45a

Live Auction: 12:00 noon - Turkey & Pork Lunch: 11:00a-3:00p - Food Court: 10:00a-4:00p

Fall Fest is quickly approaching and we need your help to make it a success. Your attendance and donations to the auction are two of the best ways to help raise $$ for camp. We will again we accepting donations for gently used or new items as well as basket donations to be sold at the silent and/or live auction.

If you are a designer of furniture, art work, quilts, wood products, etc., or know someone that is, please consider donating one of your creations. Please drop off all donations at Camp Eder before Thursday, October 16^th. If you need to have any items picked up, please call me. Thank you for your support, Deona Schmittel (717) 451-3797

Click on button for a few basket suggestions…… or use your imagination and come up with a unique theme, packed with goodies, that you think would sell. No limits as to the number of baskets that you can contribute.  If you wrap your basket, be sure to use CLEAR wrap, so the items inside are visible to the bidder.  Please complete the “Basket Form” (attached,) and deliver with the Basket.  This will help the committee assign a reasonable starting bid for your basket. Note:  Please do not include any tobacco or alcoholic products in the basket(s.)  All baskets should be delivered to Camp Eder during the week of October 13th and no later than Thursday, October 16th.  Camp hours for that week are 8:00a-4:00pm.  If you have difficulty getting your basket(s) to Camp during those hours, please call Deona Schmittel (717) 451-3797 and perhaps we can arrange someone to pick it up or a meeting place somewhere in between.

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

2025 ANNUAL CONFERENCE - WRAP UP

There are copies of the Wrap Up on the table in the Gathering Space. Please feel free to take a copy!

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.

Gathering Area Quilt

Every month the quilt in the gathering area is changed to another beautiful quilt. The September quilt is named "Watermill County". 

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. 

September Gathering Space

Bulletin Board was

designed by Jayne Baldwin



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

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