YOUTH GROUP ACTIVITY

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

On Sundays, February 16th to March 23rd in Fellowship Hall, 4:00 to 5:00pm

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 between now and Easter.

A full plan for this reading is attached below and copies can be picked up in the Gathering Area for your use, giving specific assigned portions to read each day, normally 3 chapters. We can do this! Set a time each day to read and keep at it. The book introductions and articles at the back of the Bible are excellent as well. Let us study the Christian scriptures and talk about them together this season, trusting that the Holy Spirit is at work as we seek the mind of Christ.

CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Sunday, February 16

9:00 am Sunday School

10:30 am Worship Service – Sanctuary

4:00 pm  Youth Group Dodgeball – Fellowship Hall

Monday, February 17

6:45 pm  Worship Design Team – Multi-Purpose Room

Tuesday, February 18

10:00 am  Prayer Shawl – Anna Mow Room

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

6:00 pm  CDC Ministry Team – Anna Mow Room

Wednesday, February 19

9:00 am Staff Meeting – Multi-Purpose Room

Thursday, February 20

   6:30 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal – Sanctuary

7:30 pm  Bell Choir Rehearsal – Bell Choir Room

Saturday, February 22

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

Sunday, February 23

9:00 am Sunday School

10:30 am Worship Service – Sanctuary

  4:00 pm Youth Group Dodgeball – 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.

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*

Pastor Joel is hoping to begin leading a membership class soon for adults considering joining our church. Sunday at 9:00 AM during most of March and April. All are welcome. Please contact him pastor@yorkfirst.org soon if you wish to participate. Thank you!

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.

Youth Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 155. Teacher Dave Witkovsky. This class is for youth in grades 7-12.

The class is studying a series on Women of the Bible.

Vine and Branches Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 154. Teacher Eric Miller. The class is following the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum, this season's series entitled "A King Forever and Ever."

Lamplighters Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 145. Teacher Leonard Stoner. The class will be studying the "Doctrine of Discovery."

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.  

Save the Date

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.

I want to thank all the people at First Church that spoke encouraging words and well wishes to me as I prepared to move to MD. It was a mix of joy and sadness that I made the decision to move. Joy that I would be closer to family members. Sadness after being a member of York First Church of the Brethren for 46 years. I will miss all of you greatly. Thank you A/V team members that I will be able to keep in touch remotely by "attending" your worship service. My new address is 2502 Shelley Circle Unit 1C, Frederick, MD 21702. ~ Becky Wenger

Gathering Area Quilt

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

"Solstice Dawning". 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. 

Lehman Center "Wish List"

Items for donation to the Lehman Center are being collected in the basket in the Gathering Area.

Due to changes in the food pantry operations, these must be collected separately from food pantry supplies.

Here are some items that are needed at

Lehman Center:

Instant pudding (chocolate, banana)

Instant jello (orange, blue, green, grape, cherry)

Can fruit (pears, pineapples, fruit cocktail)

Applesauce (individual or jar)

Can vegetables (lima beans, peas, green beans)

Baby food - all stages

Baby snacks

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:

“Welcome to ‘America’s Refugee Capital’: An Exploration of the Role of Brethren Identity in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania” by Naomi Kraenbring on

Tues., February 18, 7 pm, in the Young Center’s Bucher Meetinghouse. Kraenbring serves as full-time pastor at Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, teaches religious studies and peace studies courses at Elizabethtown College, and is pursuing her PhD from the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University.

Even though it’s not an exact address, if using GPS, enter 450 Campus Rd, Elizabethtown, PA 17022, which brings you near the entrance of the parking lot. This event is fully accessible from the parking lot and throughout the building. For more information, visit www.etown.edu/youngctr/events or call 717-361-1470.

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.