Come to hear a preview of Soulful Singing lead by Ruth Fitz at the start of our worship service Sunday, February 23. Then the following Sunday March 1st at 3:30 PM, Ruth will be back to lead us in more Soulful Singing. All are welcome to come and enjoy about an hour of singing with Ruth. Soulful Singing includes different songs with spirited music and simple instruments. It can be a joyful, soothing, and healing means of worship. This fellowship together will be fun, and ice cream will be provided.

Bring cookies if you wish---no signup needed---no talent needed---just join in!

Meet in the lounge, Sunday March 1st at 3:30 PM

SUBS! SUBS! SUBS! COMING - Sunday, March 1, 2020

We will have Ham & Turkey Subs for sale in the Narthex. 

NO ORDERS WILL BE TAKEN. This is "First Come - First Served".  

So if you are interested, bring your cooler, or cool bag and see us in the m orning for your sub(s). We also plan to have a bake sale that day. So please bring your sweet tooth along!

All proceeds from June Yard Sale will go to benefit First Church Youth this year.   

The following resources are available on the table in the Gathering Area:

LENTEN DEVOTIONAL GUIDES are available in the Gathering Area –

“Holy Manna" by Paula Bowser, Devotions for Ash Wednesday through Easter. We will all endure a wilderness experience at some point in our lives. Yet, we are never alone. God is always present, feeding us on the way. Partake of this holy manna, spiritual food which nourishes as we follow Jesus into the wilderness and beyond.

 From the author: "My prayer is that each page will nourish, comfort, and inspire as we follow Jesus into the wilderness, and into ministry where he continues to be tested. And from there, to Jerusalem, to the cross, to the grave, and even to the skies! May God bless you on this journey." Please take one this Sunday and begin to use it during the season that is before us. They are yours free of charge, along with Lenten calendars for children.

Click for Calendar of Events, Friends to Remember in Prayer, & Sunday School

Upcoming Events

SOUP KITCHEN - Friday, March 13, 2020 - Sign up in the narthex to make a casserole or to work at the Soup Kitchen on Friday, March 13, 2020 (10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) PLEASE add your name and number of casseroles, to the SIGN-UP sheet, so we can let the Soup Kitchen know how many casseroles to expect. 

BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE CHOIR CONCERT - Sunday, March 14, 2020

Mark your calendars now and plan to attend an evening of song and handbell music. First Church will be hosting the Bridgewater College Choir on Saturday evening March 14, at 7:00 PM as part their tour in the area. The Choir will perform a hymn titled "Communion: Peacefully, Simply, Together" that was recently written by Greg Bachman.

**Volunteers are needed** to host students overnight on the 14th following their performance, returning them to the church on Sunday morning March 15th. If you live nearby and have a spare bed to offer, please see John Gibble and let him know how many people you can host. Thank you!

Children's Ministry Schedule

Thank you to all who assist with Children's Ministry. Your time, energy, and dedication are appreciated. If you need to make a schedule change or would like to serve as a teacher or in the nursery, please contact Michele Gibbel (717)318-5442 or [email protected]     

Nursery Caregivers Needed!

In the recent weeks we have experienced a boom of young ones in the nursery during both Sunday School and Worship. This is so exciting! But to care for these little ones, we need more help. There are between 16-20 volunteer slots to fill each month. How can you help out?  

        Qualifications:  

        * A love for children 

        * A desire to support and encourage parents of young children 

        * An interest in seeing our congregation grow 

         * Background checks are required.  

Please contact Michele Gibbel ( [email protected] ) to be added to the rotation or with any questions. Thank you. 

J.A.M. Choir News

Children ages 4 to 6th grade J.A.M. (Jesus And Me) Choir is practicing Sundays from 9:50 am to 10:10 am in the basement choir room. For those children in Sunday school you will be escorted to the choir room and return to the Sunday school room to meet your parents after practice each week. J.A.M. Choir is scheduled to sing in worship every 2nd Sunday of the month. We will be singing, moving, using puppets, and playing musical instruments. Join us every Sunday as we make music for our Lord!

ONLINE GIVING ~ If you wish to begin contributing to the church using online giving, please visit our website at: yorkfirst.org and click on the Online Giving link or go directly to the Online Giving website t:  www.acionlinegiving.com/4706 .

For assistance setting up your account, call Donor Support at:  800-348-2886 – Option 2 – Online Giving Questions? Contact Sheryl Leaman if necessary, and thank you for your support!

Save the Date

MEAT CANNING PROJECT - April 13, 14, 15, 16, & 20

More Details Will Follow



SUGGESTIONS FROM THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN STEERING COMMITTEE

“Catch the Spirit, Build for the Future” has been chosen as the theme for our Capital Fund Campaign. Campaign visits are ongoing, and we hope you will prayerfully consider making a pledge to support our church's future.

As the campaign advances, we want to share with you two tax saving options that may be available to you as you consider your pledge to the campaign. These options are qualified charitable distributions and donation of appreciated securities.

Qualified Charitable Distribution

If you are age 70½ or older, IRS rules require you to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) each year from your tax-deferred IRA’s. This additional taxable income may push you into a higher tax bracket and may also reduce your eligibility for certain tax credits and deductions. For example, your taxable income helps determine the amount of your Social Security benefits that are subject to taxes. Keeping your taxable income level lower may also help reduce your potential exposure to higher Medicare premiums. To eliminate or reduce the impact of RMD income, you may want to consider making a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from an IRA custodian, payable to a qualified charity. Amounts distributed as a QCD can be counted toward satisfying your RMD for the year and can also be excluded from your taxable income. This is not the case with a regular withdrawal from an IRA, even if you use the money to make a charitable contribution later on. In this scenario, the withdrawal would be counted as taxable income. You must be at least 70½ years old at the time you request a QCD. If you process a distribution prior to reaching age 70½, the distribution will be treated as taxable income.

Funds must be transferred directly from your IRA custodian to the qualified charity. This is accomplished by requesting your IRA custodian issue a check from your IRA payable to the charity. You can then request that the check be mailed to the charity, or forward the check to the charity yourself.

Donation of Appreciated Securities

With the stock market setting all-time record highs, many investors are holding securities in their taxable accounts that have appreciated in value. Appreciated securities are investments that have increased in value from the time they were purchased, and can take the form of publicly traded stock, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), closely held stock, or mutual funds. For example, if a stock was purchased for $30 per share and sold for $50 per share, the stock has appreciated by $20 per share. When appreciated stock is sold, the owner generally realizes capital gains equal to the appreciation and may be liable for either short-term or long-term capital gains taxes. With a charitable gift of appreciated securities, the donation you make and the deduction you get are greater than they would be if you were to sell the shares and donate the cash proceeds instead. That is because when you donate shares, you avoid paying the capital gains tax. The church will receive the full market value of the securities donated.

We encourage you to take advantage of these tax saving measures as you consider giving.

Elizabethtown College’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies presents a symposium on Pietism on Saturday, March 7, from 9 am to 3 pm , in the Bucher Meetinghouse . Scholars Craig Atwood, Jeff Bach, and Devin Manzullo-Thomas will provide input and invite conversation from audience members about their understandings and questions about Pietism and its influences today. Cost is $15 and reservations are required by February 28. For details and to register, visit www.etown.edu/pietism2020 or call 717-361-1470.

"Notes from the Console," Article 31, By Mike Frock

In Memory of Larry Gibble

 

This Sunday, February 23 ^rd , I will be playing a Special Music piece on the organ in memory of Larry Gibble. The piece is called “Toccata in Seven” and was composed by John Rutter. This past summer, after I had played Widor’s “Toccata,” Larry had asked me what I was going to do next. I told him that I was already looking at two other pieces—Percy Fletcher’s “Festival Toccata” and John Rutter’s “Toccata in Seven.” On more than one occasion, Larry had given me words of support and encouragement, and I think he was looking forward to hearing the toccatas. I played “Festival Toccata” at the end of September, but my schedule got busy the next couple of months and “Toccata in Seven” got put on the back burner. Unfortunately, Larry never heard this piece. So, this piece is being played for him.

 

John Milford Rutter (1945-Present) is an English composer of mostly choral music, including many carols and sacred anthems. He was born in London. From 1975-1979 he was the Director of Music at Clare College, and in 1981 he founded his own internationally renowned choir called the Cambridge Singers. In 2011 he was commissioned to write a new anthem, “This Is the Day,” for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. With all his choral accolades, I was surprised to learn that he had written music for organ. As far as I can tell, this piece is one of only three pieces he wrote for solo organ, with a fourth piece written for organ duet. The piece gets its name from the fact that the entire piece is in a 7/8 time signature. In a 7/8 time signature, there are a couple of different ways that the eighth notes can be beamed together to represent different beat patterns. This piece varies between 2-2-3 and 3-2-2 with two measures being beamed as 5-2 (which I guess could be conducted as 3-2-2). Anyway, while I do think the piece is catchy, unless you really know the piece, it would be hard to tap your foot to the beat, since the beat pattern is always changing. The bad news is that the piece is short (less than two minutes). The good news is that I might play it again in the future as a postlude.

LAST SUNDAY IN WORSHIP

Scripture Lesson:  Matthew 5:21-37

Message:     “You Have Heard”

Worship Attendance: 98

If you need to reach the pastor outside of office hours, his home phone number is

(717)318-5442, and his cell number is (717)271-4888 . You can also email him at [email protected]. Note that laws prevent hospitals from contacting a pastor without your permission when you are admitted, so you will need to let hospital staff know that you would like the hospital to contact your pastor.