Click here to view the bulletin for this Sunday

Pastor Joel will be out of the office February 23-27.

Pastoral care needs can be directed to Kim Witkovsky, Deacons, or the church office.

The 2026 Church Directory is available to be picked up in the Gathering Area. All church members and friends, please take one. 

CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Saturday, February 28

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

Sunday, March 1

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

Anointing Service within Worship

4:00 pm  Dodgeball – Fellowship Hall

Monday, March 2

6:15 pm   Education Team – Anna Mow Room

6:45 pm   Worship Team – Multi-Purpose Room

Tuesday, March 3

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

Wednesday, March 4

9:30 am   Staff Meeting – Multi-Purpose Room

11:30 am  Lunch Bunch – Yorkshire Diner

Thursday, March 5

6:30 pm   Chancel Choir Rehearsal – Sanctuary

7:30 pm   Handbell Choir Rehearsal – Handbell Room

Sunday, March 8

9:00 am   Sunday School

10:30 am   Worship Service – Sanctuary

4:00 pm   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.

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.

Youth Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 155. Teacher Dave Witkovsky. Youth in grades 6-12 are welcome.

Vine & Branches Class

9:00 AM in Room 154. The class will gather to share our hopes and vision for the coming season and discuss what we will study beginning in March and beyond.

Lamplighters Class

9:00 AM in Room 145. The class will have an informal discussion about the three bible studies we viewed. We will review materials and choose a study for Lent. 

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 March 1: Anointing Service within Worship

Sunday March 29: Palm Sunday

Wednesday April 1: Egg Hunt 5:00 PM

Thursday April 2: Love Feast 6:00 PM

Friday April 3: Good Friday Service

Sunday April 5: Easter Sunday, Breakfast 9:00 AM

Thursday April 16: Photo Directory Pictures

Anointing Service March 1

click button for more information

OUR DAILY BREAD/SOUP KITCHEN - Friday, March 13, 2026

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

Our Daily Bread/Soup Kitchen on Friday, March 13, 2026 (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!

Lunch Bunch – Here We Come!

^“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Acts 2:42 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! And since it was such a hit and folks enjoyed our time together we decided to keep it going once Pastor Joel returned! Lunch Bunch is open to all ages and stages of life and began by meeting every other week on Wednesdays from 11:30am-1 pm at different local restaurants.  

In an effort to make it easier for folks to include it on their calendars, we began meeting on the first and third Wednesday of each month. In March we will be meeting on Wednesday, March 4, at the Yorkshire Diner on East Market St., next to Hoss’s and on Wednesday, March 18, we will meet at the Village Green Family Restaurant on Eastern Blvd. Bob Walker has agreed to be our host and greeter in the month of March – thank you, Bob! 

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! You never know who you will see – a very pleasant surprise! Each person pays for his/her own meal and if you need transportation, please contact your deacon or the church office for assistance. All are encouraged to bring a friend or family member along with you – the more, the merrier!

On February 18 we gathered at Cracker Barrel (see photo) for a delicious meal, great fellowship and to celebrate Doris Plymire’s birthday (that very day)! We had 10 in our “party” that day and even did a little shopping in the gift shop (of course)! We always enjoy each other’s company and stories! 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 a few laughs together! 

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!    

LOVE FEAST PREPARATION

This year the Deacons are trying something new for Love Feast on April 2^nd. We would like to offer a variety of soup and are inviting the congregation to participate. If you enjoy preparing soup or baking bread, we welcome your participation. There will be a sign-up sheet in the gathering area until March 15^th. Any questions contact Jeff Miller

EASTER FLOWERS - order now until March 22

As we enter into the season of Lent, we may look forward to the beautiful Easter flowers which will adorn our church sanctuary on Easter Sunday morning! This year the Worship Ministry Team is again offering non-fragranced flowers in a variety of colors from Hueter's Greenhouse – 6 inch pots of daffodils and tulips for $10 each and 4.5 inch pots of gerbera daisies for $6 each. Deadline for orders is March 22.

Purchases can be made in honor, in memory or in appreciation of whomever you wish. Order forms will be available in the gathering area, from the ushers on Sunday mornings, or contacting the church office.

Payment (in the form of cash or check made out to the church) for orders must accompany the order form and can be placed in the offering plates or submitted to the church office. You may also order and pay for your flowers through online giving. 

Please list your name (s) and sentiments on the order form as you wish them to appear in the Easter Sunday bulletin.

The flowers can be taken home following Easter Sunday Worship on April 5.

Thank you for your participation in this colorful Easter tradition!  

Church Service Project Opportunity! - Meat Canning Project, April 9th

Our district meat canning project is upon us! We are looking for a group of 5-6 volunteers to participate in this project on April 9 from 9 AM-2PM in Ephrata. No prior experience necessary. Tasks range from participating in direct canning of the meat to placing labels on cans. Our own food pantry benefits greatly from this effort with canned chicken being donated for our own community and neighbors. Please consider taking part in this important service project. Sign up in the gathering space and plan to bring a packed lunch if you volunteer. Carpooling can likely be arranged, if needed. More information can be found on brochures in the gathering space. 

If you are not able to attend and would still like to participate, please consider a financial donation using either the church website or designating “meat canning” on your offering envelope. Please contact Ralph Miller or Jess Jasitt with any questions. 

2026 LENTEN DEVOTIONAL

“The Wondrous Works of God” by Carol Davis

Lenten devotional books are available for pick up in the gathering area. Please take one per household and let it guide you this Lenten Season.

This devotional invites you to stop and consider the wondrous works of God—mystery and magnificence, intentionality of worlds without end—and to discover that all things are possible because of our connection to the Creator through the natural world. Through exploring specific aspects of nature, Old Testament stories and prophesies, Jesus’ ministry and passion in the Gospels, and other Biblical references as they relate to the wondrous works of God, we can discover personal and universal relevance to our own lives.

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.

YEAR END STATEMENTS

are available for pick up in the gathering area.

**Special Note - If you paid your total Capital Campaign pledge before 2025, it will not be indicated on your 2025 statement. This statement will only show contributions made in 2025.**

Do you have a collection of old pairs of eyeglasses lying around with outdated prescriptions that you are not using anymore?

Well, we have a solution for you! Consider donating them, so someone else might be able to make use of them. There will be a box in the Gathering Space for ongoing glasses donations for the Lions Club Recycle for Sight program.

Thank you in advance for your donations and willingness to give.

Please contact Dan Snook or Jess Jasitt with any questions. 



LOOK WHO'S

CELEBRATING

THIS MONTH

02  Zoë Grace Miller  

05  Edward Sweigard 

06  Kevin McCracken

08  Jason Wolf           

10 Chris Baldwin

11 Jacob Boogher     

If your birthday is in MARCH

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

13  Gail Rutland

14  James Baldwin

22  Audrey Ginder             

25  Sheldon Markel      

26  Kim Witkovsky     

28  Seth Brickner 

Gathering Area Quilt

Every month the quilt in the gathering area is changed to another beautiful quilt. The March quilt is named "Fantastic Fans".

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. 

Become a Friend in 2026!

The purpose of The Friends of Cross Keys Village is to benefit the lives of residents and team members of Cross Keys Village - The Brethren Home Community.

To accomplish this objective, funds are raised through an Annual Membership Drive, donations, and various fundraising events throughout the year. Membership in The Friends of Cross Keys Village is open to all residents and friends of Cross Keys Village.

Funds raised used to support Good Samaritan Fund, Tuition Assistance Program, and The Memory Care Education Program.

Community Aid Partnership

First Church has initiated a partnership with CommunityAid, a source for donating gently used clothing and goods. This organization accepts donated items in good condition and offers them back to the community at affordable prices.



Making a donation is easy. CommunityAid currently has seven centers in central PA, with the York area store/donation location at 2001 Springwood Rd, site of the former Bon Ton store in the Queensgate Shopping Center. Simply drive up to the side of the store and employees will assist in unloading your items. In turn, by supplying partnership number 50344 (assigned to: First Church of the Brethren of York) to the CommunityAid employee, our church will periodically receive a monetary reimbursement based on the accumulated weight of donations.

A long list of acceptable items, along with hours of operation and other related information can be found on the display rack located on the wall in the Gathering Area at First Church. If you wish to receive a mailed copy, please contact the church office. 

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 “Church and Culture: A Shaking of the Foundations...Again” on Thurs., March 12, at 7 pm., in the college’s Susquehanna Room. In the lecture, Jeff Carter will discuss what distinguishes this moment of institutional change in American religion from earlier periods of religious transition and how the church might engage contemporary culture in response. Cater is president of Bethany Theological Seminary.

On Fri., March 13, 9:30 am to noon, in the Bucher Meetinghouse, Jeff Carter will facilitate “Church and Culture: Finding Promise Amid Change,” a panel discussion about the shared challenges facing religious leaders, the points of divergence shaped by context, and the forms of promise that emerge in each case. The panel members are Brian Messler, lead pastor, Ephrata Church of the Brethren; Amy Shorner-Johnson, chaplain and director of spiritual and religious life, Elizabethtown College; Lexi Aligarbes, co-pastor, Harrisburg First Church of the Brethren; and Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey, pastor of discipleship ministries, Oakton Church of the Brethren, and director of the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center. 

LAST WEEK IN WORSHIP