CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Saturday, January 13

9:00 am CDC Board – Anna Mow Room

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

Sunday, January 14

9:00 am   Sunday School

10:30 am   Worship Service – Sanctuary

12:00 pm   Deacon’s Meeting – Rm 154

Tuesday, January 16

9:30 am   Ladies Bible Study – Anna Mow Room

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

Wednesday, January 17

9:00 am   Staff Meeting – Multi-Purpose Room

Thursday, January 18

10:00 am   Prayer Shawl – Anna Mow Room

4:30 pm   CDC Craft Show - FH

6:30 pm   Choir Practice – Sanctuary

Saturday, January 20

8:00 am     Worship Design Team Retreat – Anna Mow Room

Sunday, January 21

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.

Sunday School News

Children's Sunday School Classes

9:00 AM in Rooms 151, 152, and 155. Children grades PreK (age 4) and up will have class lessons, with singing included as well. Children ages 3-4 and younger are welcome to attend nursery care.

Youth Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 149. Teacher Dave Witkovsky. This class is for youth in grades 7-12. Youth will continue their series in the Shine curriculum.

Vine and Branches Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 154. Teachers Alicia and Sam Weyant. The class is using the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum entitled "Faith that Pleases God."

Lamplighters Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 145. Teacher Beth Anne Bahn. The lesson series is entitled "In the Footsteps of the Savior" with Max Lucado. 

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.  

We need your help with the 2024 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 information to secretary@yorkfirst.org ~ Thank you!

MESSENGER subscriptions are due for renewal soon.

There is NO MONEY DUE. We have a generous donor who will pay for all the subscriptions for 2024.

I would ask that if you do not want to receive the Messenger, please let me know; also email me before January 31st if there is a change in your mailing information.

Thanks, Carole Bradfield

carole513@verizon.net

HELP WITH A VEHICLE:

Church members require a vehicle for transportation while their car is being assessed and repaired from an accident. Please contact Greg Klinedinst if you have a vehicle or know of someone who could help with this project. Thank you. 

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

January 21 - Food Pantry Collection Sunday and Child Consecration in Worship

January 19-21 - Youth Retreat, Lancaster

January 28 - Deacon Installation in Worship

January 26-28 - Winter Camp, Camp Eder

Camp Eder WINTER CAMP 2024

Jan. 26 - 28, 2024

Grades 1st - 12th & Shining Star Campers

Join us for our exciting annual winter camp, taking place from January 26th to 28th. We extend a warm invitation to have your camper participate! Winter Camp is designed for students in grades 1-12, promising an action-packed weekend starting on Friday, January 26th, at 7 pm and concluding on Sunday, January 28th, at 2 pm.

Click on button for additional information and registration details.

Denominational news and information is always available by visiting brethren.org

Read news updates by clicking the link below

You may also subscribe to receive 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. Please pick up your statement so that we do not need to mail them all. Thank you!

2024 OFFERING ENVELOPES

Are available for pickup on the counter in the gathering area.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

1. Some envelope numbers have changed for 2024.

2. If you are using Online Giving, your envelope number is in the 200 range, and you will not receive a box of envelopes. See the listing located with the boxes of envelopes.

3 . TO ASSURE CORRECT RECORDING OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS:

DO NOT use your old (2023) envelopes after DECEMBER 31, 2023.

DO NOT use your new (2024) envelopes before JANUARY 1, 2024.



4. If you would like to receive envelopes, please inform the church secretary and she will see that they are provided. Thank you!

York First Church of the Brethren

Worship Ministry Team

Dedication of Flowers and Bulletins

Blessings to all in this New Year! The Worship Team is happy to announce that we will continue with our Flower Dedication process in 2024 using a new flower chart and we have added another option, that of sponsorship of  Sunday bulletins. Each of the sign-up/reservation charts are located on a new 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 new 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 join us in this new initiative and 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!     

Click on button to "Check out" these new books that

are available in

The First Church Library!

Directions for borrowing a book can be found on the countertop to the right after entering through the library door. We kindly ask that you take a maximum of two (2) books at one time and return at least one (1) before selecting a new one.



MESSAGE FROM SANDI BOWSER ABOUT OUR DAILY BREAD/SOUP KITCHEN

Dear Church Members,

We are in need of Volunteers, who are willing to prepare baked spaghetti casseroles for the soup kitchen in York city. Presently, we have some very generous people who prepare 1, 2, or 3 casseroles once a month. I, for example, prepare 2 casseroles each month. You know if I can do it, it’s not that difficult. The recipe is easy, and the foil baking pans are provided for you, the schedule is not difficult. Contact Sandra Bowser for more details, and scheduling (contact information below). It is a very rewarding experience. I have to say that 95% of the people are very appreciative. It would be greatly appreciated if you could volunteer your time.

Thank you. Contact information: Sandra Bowser 717-825-7203 

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 2023 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.

If you’d like to support this program, please see Becky Wenger before/after worship service OR mail your check (paid to York First Church) to 3011 Bedford Pl, York, PA 17408 and your cards will be mailed to you.

LAST WEEK IN WORSHIP

January 7, 2024

SCRIPTURE LESSON:

Matthew 2:1-12

MESSAGE:

“Far and Wide: Seeking a King”



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.