SUNDAY SCHEDULE
MORNING WATCH 8:40 AM
Outdoors Behind Fellowship Hall
EASTER BREAKFAST 9:00 AM
Fellowship Hall
WORSHIP 10:30 AM
In the Sanctuary and Online
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THIS SUNDAY IN WORSHIP
April 17, 2022
SCRIPTURE LESSON:
Matthew 28:1-10
MESSAGE:
“Raised from the Dead”
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Contents:
This Week
Prayer Requests
and Calendar
Sunday School News
Children's Ministry Schedule
Online Giving
Upcoming Events
COB News
Last Week
Contacting the Pastor
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Christ Crucified, Christ Resurrected
This weekend we remember and celebrate the church's highest and most meaningful holidays: Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This year we have a host of opportunities to gather and be enriched in spirit and remember what God has given us all, an undying message of forgiveness and love, the defeat of sin and death forever, and a vision of peace for those who would follow in the way of Christ.
Our Good Friday Service is at 7:00 PM this evening, an Easter Morning Watch Service outdoors at 8:40 AM Sunday. In place of our usual Sunday School hour, come and feast together at our Easter Breakfast starting at 9:00 AM, and our Easter Worship will begin at 10:30 AM in the Sanctuary.
Come prepared to worship, celebrate, and remember what God has shown us with a willingness to boldly respond. Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
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Live Stream Worship
Although many of us will gather in person, our worship services will be continue to be presented "live stream" through YouTube for those who wish to join that way. Please subscribe to the channel if you haven't already for simpler access to previous videos.
Good Friday Service
Click the link below shortly before the service begins at
7:00 PM on Friday, April 15th to join with us in worship.
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Easter Sunday Service
Click the link below shortly before the service begins at 10:30 AM on Sunday to join with us in worship.
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The video will be available to view after the worship hour in case you miss the 10:30 AM time or wish to watch it again.
*Please note: if anyone is unable to view the videos online, we have DVD copies of the services that can be picked up in the church lounge any weekday. Sermon manuscripts are also available upon request.
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ORDER OF SERVICE
10:30 AM, April 17, 2022
EASTER SUNDAY
Gathering Music “The Power of the Cross with When
I Survey the Wondrous Cross”
Welcome And Announcements
Introit “The Wonder of All Wonders”
Call to Worship
Unison Invocation Prayer
Hymn “Low in the grave he lay”
Children's Time
Anthem “Was It a Morning Like This?”
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
Call to Prayer
Joy and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer
GIFTS AND OFFERING
Offering Invitation
Offertory “There is Power in the Blood”
Offering Response “Praise God from whom”
Prayer of Dedication
Anthem “Crown Him!”
RECEIVING GOD'S WORD
Gospel Reading: Matthew 28:1-10
Hymn “Thine is the glory”
Message: “Raised from the Dead”
Hymn of Response “Christ the Lord is risen today”
Sending Prayer
Choral Benediction “May the God of Grace & Power”
Music for the Journey “Lift High the Cross”
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Listening Assistance Devices are here for those worshiping in person!
Anyone is welcome to visit the AV booth each Sunday and request a hearing-assistance device for use during worship. You may also use your own smartphone and download the iPhone app here or the Android app here and bring your own headphones. Please note, you need to be connected to the church wifi (SimplePeace2gether) to listen.
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Dear Members and Friends of First Church of the Brethren, York
The Leadership Team, based on feedback from our Staff Relations team, is responsible for evaluating the performance of Pastor Joel. Pastor Joel has asked for direction in how the church would like to direct his energies. So, the Leadership Team went on a fishing expedition to find documents that we could use to evaluate Pastor Joel but also get feedback on your opinion on the church’s functions and programs.
You may find copies of the a survey on the counter in the Gathering Area.. Copies of the Survey will also be e-mailed to your e-mail account. Please fill out the survey as completely as you can. If you have any questions, please direct them to any Leadership Team members as found in the 2022 Church directory. Please return completed survey to the church office or box in the Gathering Area by April 30, 2022. Thank you. Your opinion is important. Please make sure you place your name on these surveys. If names are not on the surveys, they will not be considered for the complete results. Please note that these results will only be reviewed by a few select persons from the Leadership Team.
We have placed a box in the Gathering Area to return your completed survey.
Please place your survey in the envelope that is provided and seal it prior to placing them in the box.
Thank you in advance for your participation.
~ Leadership Team
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THE FOLLOWING ITEMS CAN BE PICKED UP IN THE NARTHEX
- 2022 CHURCH DIRECTORY (In the wall holder)
- PASTOR AND CONGREGATIONAL EVALUATION FORM
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Click for Friends to Remember in Prayer |
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Click for Weekly Calendar of Events |
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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.
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Classes will not meet this Sunday. Please come to our Easter Breakfast at 9:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall.
Food and beverages will be provided by Fellowship & Hospitality Team. All are welcome!
Children's Activities will be provided.
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Children's Ministry Schedule |
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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!!!!!
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Easter Egg Hunt Wrap-Up
Thank you to all those who participated in some way with the Easter Egg Hunt on Wednesday, April 13th. The gym was HOPPIN’ with energy as families from the CDC, our congregation, and Soccer Shots enjoyed dinner, games, and crafts. The youth from our congregation shared a meaningful and well-presented re-enactment of the Easter Story. The evening culminated with the highly anticipated egg hunt.
· Over 40 families attended
· Over 70 children ages 0-10 hunted for eggs
· Over 140 meals served
· Countless Smiles, Giggles, and High Fives Shared
A special thank you to those who helped with planning, food service, the drama, set-up and clean-up, and funding. What a joy to work with each and every one of you. Praise God for perfect weather and the opportunity to be together!
Happy Easter,
- Michele Gibbel
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ATTENTION LADIES’ BIBLE STUDY MEMBERS
We decided to take a break next week, so we will not meet on Tuesday, April 19th.
On April 26th we are starting a new study of the Gospel of Mark. We will be using another of the Good Ground series entitled All Heaven Breaks Loose by Kathleen Kern. See Mary Esther for your copy, or pick one up in the Lounge. This would be a good time to join us if you have been thinking about attending our Bible Study. We meet every Tuesday, 9:30 – 11:30 am in the Lounge, and are happy to have new members.
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UPCOMING EVENTS / DATES TO REMEMBER:
April 14-16 - Prayer Labyrinth - Fellowship Hall
April 15 - Good Friday Service - 7:00 PM
April 17 - Easter Sunday - Early Service 8:40 AM, Breakfast 9:00 AM, Worship 10:30 AM
April 26 - Lehman Center 31st Annual Auction
May 1 - Youth Sunday, Afternoon Session with Greg Laszakovits
June 11 - Yard Sale
July 31 - August 4 - Vacation Bible School
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Walking the Prayer Labyrinth: A Devotional Opportunity
April 14-16 in the Fellowship Hall
The prayer labyrinth is a unique approach to prayer that dates back thousands of years. Labyrinths are found in some of the great cathedrals of Europe and in recent decades have become very popular in a variety of settings in the United States as well. While there are a number of different versions of labyrinths, the version we are using for Holy Week is known as the Chartres Labyrinth styled after the labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France. It is made up of 10 “circuits” or loops that wind slowly to the center. The flow of the prayer labyrinth is an experience of walking from the entrance at your own pace until reaching the center as an experience of prayerful centering, followed by remaining in the center if desired, and then moving back out as a way of taking this new founded centeredness back out into your daily life.
You can walk with a prayer in mind, a prayerful thought, a question for God, or other means of focusing in the moment. Our prayer labyrinth experience will be available in the Fellowship Hall with ideas to provide focus beginning at 6:00 pm on Thursday, April 14 through noon on Saturday, April 16. There will also be two special sessions available on Thursday at 6:00 pm or Friday at 6:00 pm in which Dave Witkovsky will give some history and prayer resources prior to walking the labyrinth. May this provide us with one more resource to strengthen us as we walk through this season of Lent.
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Good Friday Service at York First Church of the Brethren
Friday, April 15, 2022 at 7 pm in the Sanctuary
“Witness at the Cross”
Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, is the Christian holy day to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus and His death at Calvary. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, and Black Friday. On Good Friday we remember the day Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins
(1 John 1:10). Good Friday marks the day when wrath and mercy met at the cross. That’s why Good Friday is so dark and so Good.
Amy-Jill Levine, in her book “Witness at the Cross” helps us understand the perspective of Christ’s crucifixion from those who were witnesses to this horrible event. She writes, “Each saw something different. Each needed something from Jesus, and in turn, he needed them as well, for that is what it means to so love the world (John 3:16). Each witness presents a distinct picture of the death of Jesus.” A few of the individuals that the author brings to life in her writing are the bystanders, a holy leader, the two men crucified with Jesus, the centurion, the beloved disciple John, the women at the cross and Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. What was it like for them?
Our Good Friday service will begin at 7 pm. We will gather in the sanctuary as we remember, lament and worship together through scripture, song, silence and prayer. We will hear from some of the witnesses of the cross and experience the events of the day through their eyes. Together we will grieve the loss of our Savior as we prepare for what is yet to come!
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Easter Morning Watch at York First Church of the Brethren
Sunday, April 17, 2022 8:40 am behind the Fellowship Hall
In 1773, America's first Sunrise Service — an Easter Mass held early enough for congregants to witness the dawn's first rays together — was held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, organized by the Moravians. The service is held to mark the empty tomb that greeted Mary and the other women as dawn broke on Easter morning. The ritual celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, which speaks to Christianity’s most fundamental belief: The Lord has risen, defeating death and bringing salvation and eternal life to everyone who puts their faith in him. The agony of the cross is replaced by the ecstasy of the Resurrection.
We will gather behind the Fellowship Hall outside (inside if inclement weather) at 8:40 a.m. to remember and celebrate the discovery of the empty tomb by the early morning witnesses to this miraculous event. We will come together for a brief time of scripture, story and song. Seating will be provided but you are welcome to bring along your own lawn chair as well. Following the service, all are invited to our annual Easter Breakfast at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.
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Special Congregational Workshop:
Sunday May 1 at 4:00 PM
Attention all members! Please mark your calendars for Sunday May 1 at 4:00 PM until approximately 7:00 PM for a two-session workshop led by Greg Davidson-Laszakovits. Greg has studied our congregation in depth and is providing leadership consulting for our "Aligning with God's Purpose" process, an initiative of the VITAL Team.
We will hold 2 sessions on May 1, with dinner provided in between, entitled "Tame the Bear of Conflict" and "Getting Everyone on the Bus of Congregational Change." Expect healthy dialogue, learning how to best handle and be transformed by conflict, and guidance for the daunting but inevitable process of change that our church must enter.
We will meet in the sanctuary for both sessions and have a dinner break in between. Everyone please come. We'll likely have child care provided in the form of supervised outdoor play. Seriously everyone - this is a wonderful and important event for our church's life together. Please make every effort to be there. Thank you!
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WE'RE BACK!
YARD SALE WILL BE HELD SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2022 AND....we are in the planning stages and will begin to collect good, used items on Monday, April 18.
NO CLOTHING or ELECTRONICS will be accepted this year. This is your chance to clean out all those left over things from the past two years, and make someone else happy.
See Kathy Kovacs with questions.
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APRIL SENIOR DAY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20TH
Cost: $ 18 per person, RSVP by calling 717-642-8256 or
Email: mkovacs@campeder.org
9:30 am Gathering/Morning Program - Join us as we make various chocolate clusters, peanut butter balls, and chocolate dipped pretzels.
12:00 pm Lunch Baked Chicken, Rolls Broccoli, Brownies and Ice Cream
1:00 pm Afternoon Program - Trail Mix Creations
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The Lehman Center Auxiliary Presents: 31st Annual Auction
Benefiting: Children's Aid Society, The Lehman Center
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Location: New Fairview Church of the Brethren
1873 New Fairview Church Rd., York, Pa
Auction Preview & Food 12:00 pm
Live Auction 5:00 pm includes Art Collectibles, Sports Items, New Merchandise
Silent Auction including Art Collectibles, Theme Baskets, Gift Certificates
Kitchen will be open & serving: Homemade Soup, Bar-B-Que, Homemade Pies
For more information call 717-845-5771 or at www.cassd.org
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have artwork or any items to donate to
the auction please contact Diane Gibble.
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2022 VOLUNTEER WOOD CUTTING DAY - APRIL 30TH, 8:00 AM
We need your Help!
Call or email to register for free (lunch provided)!
Phone: 717-642-8256, Email: campeder @campeder.org
Bring your chain saws, gloves, and safety goggles as we clean up the forest and split lots of wood for Camp. Ask about other equipment that you might bring.
We'll also need to prepare lunch for our lumberjacks. Lunch will be served at noon.
Camp Eder, 914 Mount Hope Rd., Fairfield, PA 17320, www.campeder.org
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2022 CAMP EDER GOLF OUTING
Friday, May 6, 2022
Carroll Valley Golf Course at Liberty Mountain
78 Country Club Trail, Fairfield, PA 17320
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Click on the button for the Registration and Sponsorship Form - Also posted on the bulletin board. |
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Church of the Brethren Denominational News |
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Denominational news and information is always available by visiting brethren.org
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Church of the Brethren
Newsline Digest - April 2022
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Concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and church operations:
Given the recent very low rates of covid in our region, the church Leadership Team's policy on face coverings for our gatherings has been updated: following with CDC guidance, masks are optional for all attendees. So long as local case rates are low, we believe that we can gather safely and worship fully as usual.
Worship will be live streamed on our YouTube channel and recorded each Sunday morning at 10:30 AM indefinitely for those who are unable to be present, but it is not intended to replace physical attendance long-term.
Thank you all for understanding and for your faithful participation in our life together. Please do your part to prevent the spread of contagious disease, as conditions may change in the future, as a holy expression of loving our neighbors as ourselves.
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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 2022 the gift card sales will support The Lehman Center (Children’s Aid Society), New Community Project, Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry, and LifePath Christian Ministries (formerly York Rescue Mission). 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.
I plan to attend our in-person worship services and will have the gift cards available
for your purchase before or after the service. However, if you will not be attending our in-person worship services, I will continue to send cards in the mail if you want to support this outreach ministry. Send your check to Becky Wenger, 3011 Bedford Pl, York, PA 17408. The Giant or Weis cards will be mailed to you. Make your check out to York First Church.
Thank you for supporting this program - Becky Wenger, Cash for Causes representative
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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
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2021 BABY BOTTLE BOOMERANG
A big THANK YOU to all who participated in a Baby Bottle Boomerang campaign in 2021!
Together, churches, groups, and individuals raised over $17,000.00 last year - WOW!
Participating churches included: Cityview Community Church,
Cornerstone Bible Church, First Church of the Brethren, Grace Baptist Church,
Grace Community Church, Genesis Church, Greenmount UM Church,
New Life Presbyterian Church, Stewartstown Baptist Church,
Susquehanna Grace Community Church, York Bible Church
For more details about organizing a Baby Bottle fundraiser at your church or other group, call Heather or Alison at (717) 854-7615 or email at Office @humanlifeservices.org
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SCRIPTURE LESSON:
Exodus 11-12
MESSAGE:
“Passover Forever”
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Pastor Joel Gibbel can be reached most mornings in the church office Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM to noon, and usually well into the afternoon as well. Afternoons and evenings may be set aside for visiting those in need, for meetings, and for other pastoral duties. Pastor Joel is also available for pastoral counseling by appointment. |
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If you need to reach the pastor outside of office hours, his home phone number is
(717) 318-5442, and 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 let hospital staff know that you would like the hospital to contact your pastor.
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Our Mission Statement:
“People dedicated to Spiritual Growth, Loving Relationship, and Sacrificial Service”
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Our Vision Statement:
“To become a community of committed Christians who Love God, Share Christ, and Serve the World”
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