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SUNDAY SCHEDULE


SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:00 AM

Classes for All Ages


WORSHIP 10:30 AM

In the Sanctuary and Online



THIS SUNDAY IN WORSHIP

January 28, 2024


SCRIPTURE LESSON:

Isaiah 43:1-7, Luke 2:8-14


MESSAGE:

“Jesus, Our Savior”

Contents:



This Week


Prayer Requests

and Calendar


Sunday School News


Children's Ministry Schedule


Upcoming Events


COB News


Online Giving


Birthdays


Last Week


Contacting the Pastor 

Happening This Week

"Freeing Jesus"

The Savior: Knowing Christ as His Disciples Knew Him


This week in worship we continue with a series of messages intended to lead us to rediscover the many ways that Jesus has been viewed by his followers: Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence. The series theme is based on the book "Freeing Jesus" by Diana Butler Bass.


Building on recent messages, this week's focus is on Jesus as savior, a most popular descriptor for him today among Christians, but not as much within the Gospels. The title evokes questions that we should not shy away from: How exactly does Jesus save, and what does that term exactly mean? Who and what receives salvation, and who most needs to be saved? Not only that, what are we saved for, and what does God desire, having sent a savior to us all? Come and see.


We will also have a time of Deacon commissioning and recognition within the service this week, a meaningful time of affirming the ministry of many of our church members. Please be sure to attend! Worship begins at 10:30AM as usual, and all are welcome.

Live Stream Worship

Our worship services are available via YouTube for those who wish to join that way. Click the link above shortly before the service begin to join in 10:30 AM on Sunday or anytime afterward. DVD copies of the services are also available.

Click here to view the bulletin for this Sunday

This Sunday's Bulletin

YOUTH GROUP ACTIVITY


Youth and School Age Children join us for Dodgeball fun!! Please feel free to invite friends and neighbors as you wish.


Sunday at 4:00 pm from Jan. 28 to March 3 in Fellowship Hall

CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES


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/Deacon Commissioning – Sanctuary

12:00 pm   Parents of Youth Meeting – Multi-Purpose Room

12:00 pm  Deacons Meeting – Rm 154

4:00 pm  Youth Group – Fellowship Hall


Tuesday, January 30

9:30 am  Ladies Bible Study – Anna Mow Room


Thursday, February 1

6:00 pm Bell Choir Practice - Bell Choir Room

7:00 pm  Choir Practice – Anna Mow Room


Sunday, February 4

9:00 am Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

4:00 pm  Youth Group – Fellowship Hall


Church Calendar


Click on this button to view the full calendar


Click for Friends to Remember in Prayer

Prayer Requests

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. Teacher Kim Witkovsky. 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.  

Children's Ministry Schedule

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 Events

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER


January 28 - Deacon Commissioning in Worship

February 14 - Ash Wednesday

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!

Church of the Brethren Denominational News

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

Church of the Brethren News
Southern PA District Newsletter
Online Giving

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.

Church Website
Online Giving

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!     

FEBRUARY IS SHARE THE WARMTH MONTH


If you have a blanket to share, or materials for making one, please bring to York First and leave in Anna Mow room with my name on package. 

I currently have a long list of those needing a way to stay warm.

If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Carson.

I greatly appreciated everyone's prayers, cards, phone calls, etc. God is good! ~ Loretta Bachman


Thank you to everyone who comforted me with words of sympathy in person, phone calls and cards following the sudden death of my brother Frank Warner on January 14. I would appreciate continued prayers for our family, especially his wife, children, and grandchildren, as we grieve his passing. ~ Becky Wenger

02  Lori Beuschlein

02  Christopher Jon Baldwin

04  Christina Snook

05  Sarah Markey

06  Becca Miller

08  Sidney Innerst

09  Calla Michelle Stehr

10  Darrell Gipe

14  Patricia Carey

16 Barry Hollinger


LOOK WHO'S CELEBRATING

THIS MONTH


If your birthday is in FEBRUARY and is not on the list below or is listed incorrectly,

please contact the church office.



17  Joshua Kovacs

18  Doris Plymire

21 Judy Yingling

22 Becky McCracken

22 Ava Soyke

23 Pat Trimmer

23 Justin Drawbaugh

23 Luca Ferro

26  Jayne Baldwin

26  Sandy Yeager

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.



First Church Library

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.


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.

THE YOUNG CENTER FOR ANABAPTIST AND PIETIST STUDIES AT ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE presents an opening reception and artists’ talk for “Before Baptism: Growing Up Amish,” THURSDAY, FEB. 8th, at 7 pm

A photography exhibit in the Hess Gallery, Zug Memorial Hall. Gail Nogle and

Ellen Sabin will describe their project of photographing the lives of the Nebraska

(“white-topper”) Amish of central Pennsylvania.

For details, visit www.etown.edu/youngctr/events or call 717-361-1470.

LAST WEEK IN WORSHIP


January 21, 2024


SCRIPTURE LESSON:

Matthew 7:24-29


MESSAGE:

“Jesus, Our Teacher”



CONTACTING THE PASTOR

Pastor Joel Gibbel can be reached in the church office most weekdays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Some afternoons and evenings may be set aside for visiting those in need, for meetings, and for other pastoral duties. Pastor Joel is also available for pastoral counseling by appointment.

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.

Our Mission Statement:
“People dedicated to Spiritual Growth, Loving Relationship, and Sacrificial Service”
Our Vision Statement:
“To become a community of committed Christians who Love God, Share Christ, and Serve the World”