Anabaptist Community Bible: A New Testament Reading Plan

Winter-Spring 2025

The newly-published Anabaptist Community Bibles have arrived and most of you have them already! We are setting a goal for this season that we all might commit to reading the entire New Testament together between now and Easter.

A full plan for this reading is attached below and can be picked up in the Gathering Area for your use, giving specific assigned portions to read each day, normally 3 chapters. We can do this! Set a time each day to read keep at it. The book introductions and articles at the back of the Bible are excellent as well. Let us study the Christian scriptures and talk about them together this season, trusting that the Holy Spirit is at work as we seek the mind of Christ.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19TH - FOOD DRIVE COLLECTION

 

We have been busier than usual at the Food Pantry this month. We have several families we see each month, but we also served more new families so far this month. 

Our shelves are bare so we can use the following items:

•Canned chicken •Canned tuna •Boxes of cereal •Boxes of Granola bars

•Bags of dried beans and/or rice •Canned beef stew •Canned mixed veggies

•Canned potatoes •Pasta sauce •Salad dressing •Cooking oil •Bags of sugar

•Bags of onions •Bags of potatoes    

 We open the onions and potatoes so they can take what they can use.

•Salt and pepper •Boxes of raisins, cookies, pretzels 

Grocery gift cards are also welcome.

Thank you for your generosity, Mary Esther Anderson, Witness Team

CALLING ALL HANDBELL RINGERS

Practice begins January 23rd at 7:30 pm in the bell practice room.

We accept all interested and enthusiastic persons. Even if you've never rung a bell before, you are welcome.

Contact John Gibble with any questions.

CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Sunday, January 19

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

12:00 pm  Deacons Meeting – Anna Mow Room

Monday, January 20

6:15 pm  Education Team – Anna Mow Room

6:45 pm  Worship Design Team – Multi-Purpose Room

Tuesday, January 21

2:00 pm  Prayer Shawl – Anna Mow Room

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

6:00 pm  CDC Ministry Team – Anna Mow Room

Wednesday, January 22

6:00 pm  Women’s Bible Study – Anna Mow Room

Thursday, January 23

6:30 pm  Chancel Choir Rehearsal – Sanctuary

7:30 pm  Bell Choir Rehearsal – Bell Choir Room

Saturday, January 25

   8:00 am  Leadership Team – Room 154, Kitchen

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

Sunday, January 26

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

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.

Youth Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 155. 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 Eric Miller. The class is following the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum, this season's series entitled "A King Forever and Ever."

Lamplighters Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 145. Teachers Pat Carey and Deb Klinedinst. This Sunday, we will continue an Advent curriculum "Down to Earth" by Mike Slaughter.



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

January 21 - Service of Prayer for Christian Unity, St Joseph Church 6:30 PM

January 24-26 - Camp Eder Winter Camp 2025

Winter Camp

2025

January 24-26

For Grades 1-12 &

Shining Stars Campers

Pack your snow suit and strap your sled to the car because winter camp 2025 is right around the corner.

Register for a weekend

full of great food, camp games, new and old

friends, and a closer relationship with God. 



To register go to: www.campeder.org/winter-camp

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 GIVING STATEMENTS are available for pick-up in the gathering area (in envelopes) on Sunday mornings or in the church office Monday through Friday during office hours. Please pick up your statement so that we do not need to mail them all. Thank you!

WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH THE 2025 DIRECTORY

We have placed the Members and Friends pages in the gathering area. Please make any necessary updates to your family's information on these pages. We want to have all current information before we print the directory. You may also email your updates to secretary@yorkfirst.org ~ Thank you!

MESSENGER RENEWAL INFORMATION

It's that time to renew your Messenger subscription. If you have no changes and wish to continue receiving the Messenger you don't need to do anything. If there are changes, you wish to discontinue, or anything else...please email me @ carole513@verizon.net

You will not owe anything this year as a generous donor has offered to cover the cost of the subscriptions for 2025. Please let me know by the end of January.

Thanks, Carole Bradfield 



Thank you for the cards and prayers as I continue my therapy.

~ Gail Rutland

York First Church of the Brethren

Worship Ministry Team

Dedication of Flowers and Bulletins

The Worship Team is happy to announce that we will continue with our Flower Dedication process in 2025 using a new flower chart OR the sponsorship of Sunday bulletins. Each of the sign-up/reservation charts are located on the bulletin board in the hallway across from the church office.

You will follow the same procedure for signing up for flowers as you did this past year. If you are interested, please list your name on a specific date and Karen, Administrative Assistant, will contact you the week before your Sunday to ask about your message for the bulletin. You may use the florist the church works with or make arrangements to bring your own flowers. If there is a special Worship Center arrangement that week, your flowers will still be displayed in the front of the church, just not on the Worship Center.

Our additional opportunity to celebrate or remember special people or events in your world is to sponsor/dedicate a Sunday bulletin. The donation to dedicate a bulletin is $25 and you can see that the church office receives that monetary donation prior to the event. The $25 covers the cost of printing our own regular bulletins - paper, colored and black ink, copier maintenance, etc. When you sign up, Karen will contact you early in the week to obtain the message you would like printed in the bulletin. No fuss with ordering flowers or finding a home for them once Sunday is over – just a bulletin with a dedication in it that you can pass along to that special someone or remember them by!



Please feel free to contact Karen in the church office or Kim Witkovsky, Chair of the Worship Team, if you have questions or need more information. Thank you for participating in both of these special ways we can honor those who deserve recognition and remembering!     

Beginning in January 2025, Patricia Carey will be 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.

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.

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.