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SUNDAY SCHEDULE 9:00 AM - Sunday School Classes for all ages - click here for more information  10:30 AM - Worship, Sanctuary THIS SUNDAY IN WORSHIP December 22, 2019 Fourth Sunday of Advent Chancel Choir Cantata and Worship Service

Contents :  This Week  Upcoming Events Children's Ministry Schedule J.A.M. Choir News Online Giving Thank You Notes from the Console   Last Week Contacting the Pastor

Happening This Week CHANCEL CHOIR CANTATA - Sunday Dec. 22, 2019 at 10:30 AM during Sunday morning worship service. The chancel choir, along with some guest musicians, will share eight anthems, interspersed with some brief readings and commentary, all in lieu of a sermon. Do not miss this wonderful morning of worship as we observe the final Sunday of the Advent season! CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE - Tuesday Dec. 24, 2019 at 7:00 PM in the sanctuary, celebrating the birth of Jesus, Son of God and Savior of the World. Come and worship with song, word, and our tradition of candle-lighting at its conclusion. Our Christmas Eve Offering will go entirely to the Brethren Disaster Ministries and its Rebuild Program for hurricane and flood recovering sites in NC, SC, FL, and the Midwest. Please click here http://www.brethren.org/bdm/rebuild/ for information about this offering project. ADVENT DEVOTIONAL BOOKS are available in the Gathering Area : “Ready” by Frank Ramirez. Please take one and use it this Advent Season. Pastor Joel will not be available from Dec. 25 to Dec. 30th. While Pastor Joel is away, you may contact Melinda Carlson for any pastoral care needs: Home (717)792-9511, Cell (717)891-4699 The Church Office will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 25th and Thursday, Dec. 26th

The following resources are available on the table in the Gathering Area: This week's e-news and the December calendar, which can also be viewed here December Church of the Brethren Newsline Digest

Events, Prayer Requests, and Classes

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

Upcoming Events

BREAD AND CUP COMMUNION - Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020 during worship (Epiphany Sunday). There is a place for you at the Lord's table. RECEIVING NEW MEMBERS BY BAPTISM - Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020 during worship. Please plan to attend this very special time of welcoming new members into our church, recalling and affirming our own baptismal vows as we do so.

SOUP KITCHEN - Friday, Jan. 10, 2020 -  Sign up in the narthex to make a casserole or to work at the Soup Kitchen on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020 (10:30 AM to 1:00 PM) 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.

WINTER CAMP at Camp Eder - Jan. 24-26, 2020 ​ - Children and Youth Grades 1-12 Join us for an action-packed weekend full of camp fun, great food, friends, and most importantly grow your relationship with God. Grab your sleds and pack your bags, because we are going to have an absolute BLAST! Arrive 7 pm Friday and dismiss 2 pm Sunday Read more and register online at campeder.org/winter-camp

2020 OFFERING ENVELOPES ~ Your box of 2020 Offering envelopes is available in the narthex. Please pick yours up at your earliest convenience. If there is none with your name and you would like a set, let the office or John Minnich know and they will get a set for you. Please continue using your 2019 envelopes thru the end of this year and start using the new ones in 2020 to assure proper credit. 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 mgibbel@yahoo.com

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 ( mgibbel@yahoo.com ) 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!

Blood Donation: Giving Life Due to his recent Leukemia diagnosis, Larry Gibble has required numerous blood transfusions this week and will need many more in weeks to come. It has been suggested that a donation of blood would be a helpful way to let Larry and Pat Gibble know that you are remembering them during Larry’s illness and treatment. Information on making a donation at the Wellspan Blood Donor Center is listed below. Blood donations made at the WellSpan Donor Center stay in York. Please see the Information below for details and a phone number If you have questions. Thanks in advance for your support of Pat and Larry. https://www.wellspan.org/offices-locations/wellspan-blood-donor-services (717) 741-8307 WellSpan Blood Donor Services Apple Hill Medical Center 25 Monument Rd. , Suite 198 York, PA 17403 (717) 741-8307 Get Directions * Please note that the Donor Center closes temporarily on Wednesdays at 2:30 pm and re-opens at 3:30 pm. Monday 12:00pm - 7:00pm Tuesday Please call for hours Wednesday 8:00am - 7:00pm Thursday 8:00am - 3:00pm Friday 8:00am - 3:00pm Saturday 8:00am - 10:00am Sunday Closed  Blood Donor Services invites you to give the gift of life by donating blood. Apple Hill Medical Center is a member of the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank. A donation of blood received here stays within the central Pennsylvania area to be used by patients who have an emergency or who have surgery, cancer, or some other condition where they need blood.

A WISH LIST for Heather Gibson and her 5 children that have been displaced due to a failed electrical inspection where they were told to leave quickly and was only able to take a few things from the house. These are the children that come to church with Diane Gibble.  If you have any of the small items new or used you can give them to Diane. Thank you so much for helping and showing God's love. Pray they will find affordable housing. Please click on the tab for what they will need once they get housing.

Wish List

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!

Church Website

Online Giving

Thank you for your many cards and emails that we’re received over the past few weeks as we continue our new journey with Leukemia. At this point, we do not know what is right around the corner, but our faith and your support are helping us along.  Thank you so much for being so supportive a congregation, and for which we are very deeply indebted. Larry and Pat Gibble

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. As we prepare to launch the campaign, we want to share with you two tax saving options that may be available to you as you consider your pledge to the campaign. You will need to complete these transactions prior to December 31 st for the 2019 tax year. 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 finalize your year-end giving.

"Notes from the Console," Article 22, By Mike Frock "What are all those little numbers?" Part 10-Older Version and Abbreviations There are two different versions of the Metrical Index—an older version and a newer version. They give essentially the same information, just formatted a little differently. Everything I have written about the Metrical Index up to this point has been using the newer system of formatting. If you know the newer version, then you can apply your knowledge and figure out the older version. The black 1901 Brethren Hymnal uses the older version. In it, one will find notations like “8s & 7s” which in the newer formatting would be 87.87. Therefore “8s & 7s Double” would be 87.87.87.87 or 87.87D. Another notation is “7s 6 Lines” which would be 77.77.77. Now, where this system gets fuzzy is when it lists “8s, 7s, & 4s” because, of the nine tunes listed under that section, if you look up those hymns you will find that there are actually five different meters (87.447, 87.87.47, 87.87.447, 87.87.47.47, and 87.87.447.447). Ignoring the fact that 87.447 would probably be listed today as 87.87, the newer version would list 87.87.47 and 87.87.47.47 separately and not lump them together as in the older version. So, the older version has some drawbacks, mainly clarity. Back in the first Metrical Index article, I mentioned six abbreviated notations that had fallen into disuse: HM (Hallelujah Meter, 66.66.88), CHM (Common Hallelujah Meter, 86.86.88), SHM (Short Hallelujah Meter, 66.86.88), CPM (Common Particular or Peculiar Meter, 88.68.86), SPM (Short Particular or Peculiar Meter, 66.86.68), and LPM (Long Particular or Peculiar Meter, 88.88.88). Rarely, one might also find some unusual abbreviations like CMH (Common Meter Half, 86), LMH (Long Meter Half, 88), MT (Meters Twelve, 12.12.12.12), or a PM (Psalm Meter, 87.87). The problem with having PM stand for Psalm Meter is that PM also stands for Particular Meter or Peculiar Meter. (It is worth noting that the words “Particular” and “Peculiar” are used interchangeably, and that their use in the Metrical Index reflects the older connotation of “idiosyncratic" or “not standard” instead of the more modern connotation of “odd” or “unusual.”) Also, some hymnals listed HM Hallelujah Meter as 66.66.88, while some listed it as 66.66.86. These confusions and discrepancies, coupled with the facts that this was a lot to memorize and some of these were used infrequently, were probably what led to their disuse.

LAST SUNDAY IN WORSHIP

Scripture Lesson: Isaiah 35:1-10, Matthew 11:2-11 Message:    “Go and Tell” Worship Attendance: 94

CONTACTING THE PASTOR Pastor Joel Gibbel can be reached most mornings in the church office Monday - Thursday from 9:00 AM to noon. Afternoons and evenings are often 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 home phone number is (717)318-5442, and his cell 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 let hospital staff know that you would like the hospital to contact your pastor.

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”