Also This Week:

Our Youth Group will be participating in a Youth Retreat at the Lancaster Church of the Brethren, alongside youth from other churches, this Friday and Saturday. The event is led by the Inter-district Youth Cabinet from Bridgewater, Virginia. Please hold them in prayer for an inspiring and memorable weekend together.

This coming Thursday, January 25, Our neighbors at St. Joseph Catholic Church are hosting a service of Prayer for Christian Unity at 6:30 PM. Pastor Joel will be participating, and anyone is welcome to attend. We are grateful to see ecumenical cooperation in our community and support this occasion for mutual affirmation and prayer among Christ’s people. 

Sunday January 21st - FOOD DRIVE

The Witness Team has been serving increasing numbers of people through our church’s food pantry ministry. We are having a Food Drive this Sunday. Please plan to bring non-perishable food items to share and/or make a special donation to your food pantry, online or in-person! We’ll receive a special collection within worship and celebrate our commitment to serving one another.

Thank you all in advance for your willingness and enthusiasm for this outreach.

Here is a list of items needed:

Canned tuna, Pasta sauce

Small canned hams, Canned beef stew, Spam

Granola bars, Jelly or Jam, Cooking oil

Small bags of rice, Crackers - saltines, Ritz, etc.

Pancake mix, Pancake syrup

Ketchup / Mustard

CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Saturday, January 20

8:30 am  Worship Design Team Retreat – Anna Mow Room

Sunday, January 21

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

Monday, January 22

6:00 pm  Education Team Mtg. – Anna Mow Room

Tuesday, January 23

9:30 am  Ladies Bible Study – Anna Mow Room

Thursday, January 25

6:30 pm Choir Practice – Sanctuary

Saturday, January 27

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

Sunday, January 28

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

12:00 pm  Deacon Meeting – Rm 154

4:00 pm  Youth Group – 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 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 Rob and Christine Wuhrman. The class is following 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.  

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. 

TRANSPORTATION NEEDS

At the last Deacon’s meeting the Deacons signed up to help with transportation for those in the congregation that would need a ride for any reason. It was suggested at that time that we should offer this option to the whole congregation who might want to help in this outreach.

Please sign the sheet in the gathering area as you are inclined to help in this ministry. Thanks!

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

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

January 19-20 - Youth Retreat, Lancaster

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

January 25 - Prayer for Christian Unity Service - St. Joseph Church 6:30 PM

January 28 - Deacon Commissioning 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.

OUR DAILY BREAD/SOUP KITCHEN - Friday, February 9, 2024

Sign up by calling Sandi Bowser at 717-825-7203 to make a casserole for Our Daily Bread/Soup Kitchen on Friday, February 9, 2024 (10:30 a.m. to 1:00 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!

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 (in envelopes). Please pick up your statement so that we do not need to mail them all. 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.



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 14, 2024

SCRIPTURE LESSON:

     Psalm 25:1-14, John 15:9-17  

MESSAGE:

  “Jesus, Our Friend”



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.