Pastor Joel will be out of the office September 21-27.

Please contact the church office for any pastoral needs.

FOOD PANTRY COLLECTION - SEPTEMBER 20, 2026

This is the 3^rd Sunday- we will be collecting for our very active Food Pantry.

We appreciate any items that you give. 😊

These are some high priority items that our clients often seek:

• Cereal – especially children’s varieties
• Caned spam/meat
• Canned beef stew
• Canned mixed vegetables, corn or carrots (no green beans please)
• Cooking oil
• Soup
• Feminine hygiene products
• Granola or snack bars 

If you prefer to make an on-line purchase that is delivered to the Pantry- try our Amazon wish list.

We are sharing a story about the $5 seed money from the Youth, that has helped our clients:



One of our church members used

the $5 to buy:

• 8 oz water bottles
• Tuna pouches and cans
• Cans of Baked beans
• Jars of Apple sauce
• Seaweed sticks
• Assorted cans of beans
• Beef vegetable soup
• Frozen ground beef
• Granola bars
• Instant oatmeal packets

Wow! Almost like multiplying loaves and fishes. 

CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Sunday, September 20

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:30 am Worship Service – Sanctuary

Monday, September 21

6:00 pm  CDC Ministry Team – Rm 154

Wednesday, September 23

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

7:30 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal – Sanctuary

Saturday, September 26

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

Sunday, September 27

9:00 am   Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

The November Congregational Forum date has been changed

from November 1st to November 15th

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 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. Youth in grades 6-12 are welcome.

Vine & Branches Class

9:00 AM in Room 154. Teacher Pastor Joel.

We continue new curriculum, "Salt & Light: A Guide for Biblical Studies," in the series called "The Soul of the Nation." Lessons from Joshua, Judges, and Samuel will lead us unto discussions of faithful living, leadership, and relationships.



Lamplighters Class

9:00 AM in Room 145. Teacher - Kim Witkovsky

Bible Study: Sabbath God's Call to Peace; Lesson #9 - "Sabbath as Peace and Freedom"

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:

September 18-19: Southern PA District Conference, Chambersburg CoB

Saturday September 19: PeaceFest Lititz CoB, 11am-4pm

Sunday September 20: Dunker Church Service at Antietam 3pm

September 25-26: Brethren Disaster Relief Auction, Lebanon Expo

Sunday October 4: Love Feast

56th Annual Dunker Church Service at the

Antietam National Battlefield - September 20, 2026

On Sunday, Sept. 20, at 3 p.m. (Eastern time), the 56th Annual Dunker Church Service will be held at the historic Dunker Church on the Antietam National Battlefield in MD—one of the most hallowed and iconic landscapes of the American Civil War.

Set against the backdrop of the bloodiest single day in US history, this annual gathering offers a striking and hopeful counter-witness: a testimony to peace, reconciliation, and the enduring call to shalom.

The Annual Dunker Church Service is sponsored by the Church of the Brethren’s Mid-Atlantic District. The service is free and open to the public. The service will include a welcome, call to worship, a capella congregational hymns, scripture readings, special music, prayers, and a featured message from Denise Kettering-Lane, associate professor of Brethren Studies and director of the Master of Arts Program at Bethany Theological Seminary. 

York First COB will be sponsoring a trip to the event, providing transportation. Those interested in attending are asked to bring a bag lunch to church on Sunday, Sept. 20 and following worship we will gather to eat together and then leave directly from the church for the event by 12:30 pm - it is a 2 hour trip. We are planning on carpooling unless we have enough to take our church shuttle. 

If you want to attend, please register no later than Wednesday, September 16 on the signup sheet in the Gathering Space or contact the church office. Please indicate on the sheet if you are willing to drive. We hope you will consider joining us for this annual pilgrimage honoring our peace heritage in the midst of the Civil War.



Please contact Dave or Kim Witkovsky with any questions at 814-599-4734 or

814-599-7055. We would love to have you join us! 

BRETHREN DISASTER

RELIEF AUCTION

Held at Lebanon Valley Expo

80 Rocherty Rd

Lebanon, PA 17042

Friday & Saturday

September 25 & 26, 2026



Auction booklets with complete information are located in the gathering area.

Please click on the button

to view the events for both days.

If anyone is planning to go and willing to provide a ride for

someone else, please contact the church office.

CAMP EDER WORK DAY - OCTOBER 3, 2026 - 9:00am to 3:00pm

There will be pastries, coffee and juices in the morning along with prayer and then we will divide up into groups and go at it. We can use anyone and everyone because we have a lot of things to get done and any skill set will be appreciated!

Click on button to see the work day projects.

Lunch will be provided, but no napping afterwards! We could also use monetary donations and/or material for ongoing camp projects. If you have any questions or wish to help, please contact me, Kevin Meyers, at 717-465-7108

OUR DAILY BREAD/SOUP KITCHEN - Friday, October 9, 2026

Casseroles are due 2nd THURSDAY before 8:30 AM 

Sign up by calling Sandi Bowser at 717-825-7203 to make a casserole for

Our Daily Bread/Soup Kitchen for Friday, October 9, 2026 (10:30 a.m. to 12:00 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!

Camp Eder Needs You - 48th Annual Fall Fest

When: Saturday, October 17, 2026    10AM - 4PM

Where: Camp Eder (914 Mount Hope Rd Fairfield, PA 17320)

Silent Auctions: 10:00 - 10:45a & 11:00 - 11:45a --- Live Auction: 12:00 noon

Turkey & Pork Lunch: 11:00a - 3:00p Food Court: 10:00a - 3:30p

Our 48^th Annual Fall Fest is camp’s biggest fundraiser of the year. The proceeds go to our camp’s monthly expenses, summer camps, programs throughout the year and most importantly camp scholarships (for those children whose families cannot afford to send them to camp to hear God’s word.)

Fall Fest is quickly approaching and we need your help to make it a success. Your attendance and donations to the auction are two of the best ways to help raise $$ for camp. We will again we accepting donations for gently used or new items as well as basket donations to be sold at the silent and/or live auction, (click on the button below

for a basket suggestion list with ideas.) Note: Please do not include any tobacco or alcoholic products in teh basket(s). If you are a designer of furniture, art work, quilts, wood products, etc., or know someone that is, please consider donating one of your creations. Please drop off all donations at Camp Eder before Thursday, October 15^th.   

If you need to have any items picked up, please call me.

Thank you for your support, Deona Schmittel (717) 451-3797



All of this information will be posted on the bulletin board.

Church of the Brethren News

Southern PA District/Denomination

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

Children's Aid Society, Inc. - Notice of Annual Meeting

September 18, 2026

Please click on button to view the notice.

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.

Facility Care Team Announcement:

The Facilities Care Team wishes to share that our custodian for the past several years, Debbie Lewis, has recently resigned. We are grateful for her years of service to York 1st COB. And we are excited to announce that Michelle Sauder has been hired to perform our custodial duties moving forward. We are looking forward to Ernie and Michelle caring for our facility as Facility Director and Custodian, dividing the responsibilities as works best for them each week. We are grateful for this new team and what they will bring.

The Facility Care Team is looking for a used electric typewriter for use in the church office. If you have a typewriter you would like to donate, please contact Dave Witkovsky.

Thank you!

LOOK WHO'S

CELEBRATING

THIS MONTH

01 Diane Gibble

02  Christopher Logue

07  Jarret Stehr

08  Winnie Fickes

08  Jane Lookenbill

11  John Anderson

14  Terry Wueschinski

14  Marty Reigle                            

15  Michael Carey

If your birthday is in OCTOBER

and is not on the list below or is listed incorrectly, please contact the

church office.



17  Anna Elise Stoolmaker

19  Helen Stoner

21  Marjorie Schardt

21  Jared Beuschlein

23  Barry Stehr

25  David Gibble

26  Cathy Carson

29  Dylan Sauder

31  Jennifer Smart

Thank you to everybody for the cards, phone calls, texts and

concern for me as I am recuperating. A special thanks to

Kim Witkovsky for her help and visits to me and also thanks

for a visit from Pastor Joel. ~ Jolene Zeigler

In September, we are grateful for the care and creativity that

Jayne Baldwin has shared and displayed on the colorful Gathering Space bulletin board and in the beautiful fall arrangement which warmly welcomes us into the main entrance of our church home. Thank you, Jayne, for sharing your artistic gifts and talents with us in so many ways!  

Elizabethtown College’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies presents:

Tuesday, September 29, 2026 • 7 pm • Bucher Meetinghouse

GUEST LECTURE - Making It Plain: Why We Need Anabaptism and the Black Church

Mainstream American Christianity is in crisis, largely because it has repeatedly aligned itself with social, political, economic, and cultural domination. In this talk, Rev. Dr. Drew G. I. Hart will explore why salvaging a faithful Christian witness benefits from a convergence of the prophetic stream of the Black Church and the radical discipleship wing of the Anabaptist tradition. By engaging both of these centuries-old traditions, we can move towards becoming a liberative “shalom church” that pursues holistic liberation and peacemaking while embodying the way of Jesus as the church in society.

Rev. Dr. Drew G. I. Hart is an Associate Professor of Theology at Messiah University, where, since 2021, he has directed the Thriving Together: Congregations for Racial Justice program in central Pennsylvania. Drew is an active member of the Harrisburg First Church of the Brethren and joined the Bethany Theological Seminary Board of Trustees in July 2021. He lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and is married to Renee, with whom he has three sons.

LAST WEEK IN WORSHIP