The 2025 Church Directory is available to be picked up in the

Gathering Area. All church members and friends, please take one. 

EASTER FLOWERS - order now until April 6

As we enter into the season of Lent, we may look forward to the beautiful Easter flowers which will adorn our church sanctuary on Easter Sunday morning! This year the Worship Ministry Team is again offering non-fragranced flowers in a variety of colors from Hueter's Greenhouse - 6 inch pots of daffodils, tulips and florist mums for $10 each and 4.5 inch pots of gerbera daisies for $5 each (same size and cost as last year).

Purchases can be made in honor, in memory or in appreciation of whomever you wish. Order forms will be available as bulletin inserts (or you may contact the church office as well) with the deadline for orders being April 6.

Payment (in the form of cash or check made out to the church) for orders must accompany the order form and can be placed in the offering plates or submitted to the church office. You may also order and pay for your flowers through online giving. 

Please list your name (s) and sentiments on the order form as you wish them to appear in the Easter Sunday bulletin.

The flowers can be taken home following Easter Sunday Worship on April 20.

Thank you for your participation in this colorful Easter tradition!  

CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Sunday, April 6

9:00 am Sunday School

10:30 am Worship Service – Sanctuary

Monday, April 7

1:00 pm Constitution Committee - Multi-Purpose Room

7:00 pm Worship Design Team – Multi-Purpose Room

Tuesday, April 8

6:30 pm Leadership Team – Room 154

Wednesday, April 9

6:30 pm Women’s Bible Study – Anna Mow Room

Thursday, April 10

1:00 pm Sabbactical Planning Team – Multi-Purpose Room

5:30 pm Lent Potluck Dinner – Rm 154

6:30 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal – Sanctuary

7:30 pm Bell Choir Rehearsal – Bell Choir Room

Friday, April 11

8:30 am Soup Kitchen – (Casseroles due at church by 8:30)

Saturday, April 12

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

Sunday, April 13 - Palm Sunday

9:00 am Sunday School

10:30 am Worship Service – Sanctuary

1:00 pm Deacon Team – Kitchen

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

*Adult Church Membership Class*

9:00 AM in Room 154. Pastor Joel is leading a church membership class for adults considering joining our church or simply want to learn about Brethren history, beliefs, and practices. The class series began March 2 and concludes April 27.

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.

*Combined Classes - Lamplighters, Vine & Branches, and Youth*

9:00 AM in Lamplighters Classroom. We will be following the “Animate: Practices” Curriculum. The series will be 7 weeks beginning March 2 and ending April 13.

“Animate: Practices” is an introduction to the central practices of the Christian faith, why they are important, and how we can take part in them today. Sessions feature perspectives from Christian thought leaders on topics such as prayer, worship, money, and service. They each include a brief video presentation.

Session 6 will be taught by Deb Klinedinst. The subject is with Service: The Needs Right Around You, with Enuma Okoro.

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 Events

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Thursday April 10 - Lent Potluck Dinner, 5:30 PM

Wednesday April 16 - Easter Egg Hunt, 5:00 PM

Thursday April 17 - Love Feast, 6:00 PM

Friday April 18 - Good Friday Gathering, 7:00 PM

Sunday April 20 - Easter Sunday: Morning Watch 8:40 AM

Breakfast 9:00 AM, Worship 10:30 AM

We will be having Lent Fellowship Potluck Dinner on April 10 - 5:30 PM

You are welcome to bring a dish to share and reflect on the season that is before us. Anyone in our church family is invited.

Sign-up sheets are available in the gathering area.

OUR DAILY BREAD/SOUP KITCHEN - Friday, April 11, 2025

Sign up by calling Sandi Bowser at 717-825-7203 to make a casserole for Our Daily Bread/Soup Kitchen on Friday, April 11, 2025 (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! 

________________________________________________________________________

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

Volunteers are welcome to assist with the Egg Hunt! Please visit the sign-up sheets in the Gathering Area if you can do so. We also welcome sponsors to defray costs of the event, to which we will invite and feed a meal to as many as 150 people! Thank you in advance.

The Lehman Center Auxiliary Presents

34th ANNUAL AUCTION benefiting

Children's Aid Society - The Lehman Center

Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 5:00 PM

Location: New Fairview Church,

1873 New Fairview Church Rd., York, Pa 17403

We are excited to invite you to our upcoming Auction, where we aim to make a significant difference in the lives of those who need it the most.



• Silent Auction including

Art Collectibles, Theme Baskets, Gift Certificates, Autographed Sports Items

• Live Auction Featuring 

New Merchandise, Household goods, Handmade items, Unique items

• Delicious food starting at 12:00 pm

(Includes homemade soups, Bar-b-que, homemade pies)

Live Auction & Virtual available – Some of our items will be available “Virtually” prior to the Live Auction starting Saturday, April 26^th til Monday, April 28^th!

Visit our website for the Auction catalog at www.cassd.org/casauction.html

CAMP EDER & SOPA DISTRICT - MEN'S OUTDOORSMAN DAY, MAY 3RD ONLY

Devotional Theme: Provide and Protect, Genesis 2:15

8:30 am to 3:00 pm, $50 Lunch Included! Clay Shooting and Fishing

Join us on May 3rd for a day filled with Adventure! Together, we'll delve into the world of clay shooting, mastering gun safety protocols and honing our skills to become proficient clay target shooters.

Secure your spot by registering on the Camp Eder website by clicking on the button below or by contacting the camp office via phone at 717-642-8256.

Lodging also available at additional cost (contact camp office)

*If you would like to help sponsor this event by donating ammo or financially please contact Denny Turner at (717) 829-1166.

Save the Date

JOIN US FOR VBS 2025

SAVE THE DATE!

Location: York First COB

Dates: June 22-26^th 2025

Time: 6:00 to 8:00 pm

Ages: 4 yrs to 5^th grade

We need volunteers to make VBS 2025 a success! There are many tasks to do before, during, and after VBS. Prayerfully consider how you can support the children of our congregation and the local community. This year’s director is Diane Gibble and can be reached by dmgibble1001@gmail.com phone 717-668-1252. Below is a list of volunteer opportunities. Thank you!

▪ Crew Leaders – stays with children at stations

▪ Drama participant 

▪ Snack leader

▪ Registration volunteers

▪ Nurse on call

▪ Decorate Saturday June 21st 9:00am 

▪ Tear down Sunday June 29th after worship 

▪ Photographer

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.

Gathering Area Quilt

Every month the quilt in the gathering area is changed to another beautiful quilt. The April quilt is named

"The Wooden Cross". 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. 

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. Patricia will be at the table under the bulletin board in the

gathering area.

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.

Since 2011, through the Cash for Causes program, the church has received 5% of sales to support various COB and local ministries. In 2024 the gift card sales supported The Lehman Center, New Community Project and the Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry with each receiving $233.08.    

For 2025, the Witness Team will review past giving and determine which agencies we will support this year. 

Elizabethtown College’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies presents “Negotiating the Kingdoms: Pluralism, Plain Communities, and State Power in the Twenty-First Century” by Corey Colyer on Tues., April 15, 7 pm, in the Bucher Meetinghouse. Colyer is an associate professor of sociology at West Virginia University whose research examines how individuals and communities negotiate institutional power in modern pluralistic societies.

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

Anabaptist Community Bible: A New Testament Reading Plan

Winter-Spring 2025

We hope you are all devotedly reading scripture these days in the new Anabaptist Community Bible. Our goal as a church this season is to read the entire New Testament together by Easter. A full plan for this reading is attached below and copies can be picked up in the Gathering Area. We are nearly half way through already, let's keep going!

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.