Memorial Gathering for Darrell Gipe this Saturday

Darrell Gipe, a long-time member of our congregation, passed away on December 10, 2024. We are hosting a time of fellowship to remember Darrell in the church Gathering Area from 2-4 PM on Saturday January 11.

There will be no formal service, but all are welcome to join us for a teim of sharing and fellowship. Refreshments are provided and Darrell's family appreciates your support and love during this time.

Anabaptist Community Bibles

The newly-published Anabaptist Community Bibles have arrived! All who signed up to receive one last fall, please see that you receive a Bible following worship this week if you are able. We will have people distributing them according to the the list, one per family. They are yours to keep in your home and use often, especially this year. Look for further direction next week for a reading plan, as we hope to read the entire New Testament together as a church this winter-spring season. 

Anabaptism at 500

A special 4-week series of worship commemorating the 500th Anniversary of Anabaptism will begin on January 19. Please plan to join us as we recall its story and the distinct witness and values that we carry from this tradition.

CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Saturday, January 11

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

2:00 pm  Remembrance Gathering for Darrell Gipe – Gathering Area

Sunday, January 12

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service with Leadership Consecration – Sanctuary

Tuesday, January 14

6:30 pm   Leadership Team – Rm 154

Wednesday, January 15

9:00 am   Staff Meeting – Multi-Purpose Room

Thursday, January 16

10:00 am   Prayer Shawl – Anna Mow Room

6:30 pm   Chancel Choir Rehearsal – Sanctuary

Sunday, January 19

9:00 am   Sunday School

10:30 am   Worship Service – Sanctuary

12:00 pm   Deacons 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.

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 Joel Gibbel. 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 10-11 - Youth Retreat, Lancaster COB

January 11 - Memorial Gathering for Darrell Gipe, 2pm

January 12 - Leadership Consecration Sunday

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.

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!     

Gathering Area Quilt

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

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

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.