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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 August 18, 2019 SCRIPTURE LESSON: Hebrews 13:1-8,14-16     MESSAGE:   “Jesus Christ is the Same”

Contents :   This Week Summer Music  Upcoming Events Children's Ministry Schedule J.A.M. Choir News Online Giving Thank you Save The Date Notes from the Console Last Week  Contacting the Pastor

Happening This Week SPECIAL COMBINED SUNDAY SCHOOL HOUR PRESENTATION: Annual Conference Report August 18, 2019, 9:00 AM in the sanctuary Come and hear a series of reflections from the 2019 Church of the Brethren "big meeting" this year, which was held in early July in Greensboro, NC and carried the theme "Proclaim Christ, Reclaim Passion" (2 Cor 5:17-18). We will present the official AC Wrap-up video and Church of the Brethren Report. Our delegate Bernetta Kile will share about the work of the Compelling Vision process and her experiences working alongside others in discernment and conversation related to the church's work and vitality. Pastor Joel and several other conference attendees will share reflections as well, and time for Q&A will be available. All are welcome, and no regular Sunday School classes will meet on this date.  2019 Annual Conference Wrap-up DVD will be available in the church office on Monday, August 19th. The DVD can be checked out to view and return. Please contact the church office to make sure it is available when you want to sign it out. You may view the Wrap-up by clicking on the button below. There is also a printout of the Wrap-up on the table in the narthex for you to pick up. Annual Conference Wrap Up GERMANTOWN TRIP: Saturday August 17, 2019 Registration is complete, and we expect a great trip this weekend! If you are going, please plan to be at the church before 8:00 AM so that we can depart on time.

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

Events, Prayer Requests, and Classes

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

SUMMER MUSIC AT YORK FIRST The choir had the month of February off this 2018-2019 season. To make up that time we sang through the first 3 Sundays in July. It was a welcome change for our summer season due to the fact that the choir was not absent for so much of the summer. Soloists for the remainder of the summer are practicing their music to inspire you through the end of the summer season. Aug 18 - Guest Soloist Caroline Wolfe will be singing. Caroline has blessed us with her voice on Christmas Eve with her "O Holy Night" and she has joined us for our cantatas in recent years. Caroline will be starting her junior year at Oberlin Conservatory.  She directed and performed Miss Havisham's Wedding Night" written by Dominic Argento in York this summer. Some of you attended that performance. Aug 25 -York Symphony violinist and our dear sister Nonie Detrick will be playing her violin. She will be doing contemporary arrangements of familiar hymns. Sept 1 - Dan Snook, our choir member and wonderful storyteller will be blessing us with some music from the piano. I am excited to hear him play the offertory. Also, our baritone Chancel Choir soloist Barry Hollinger will be singing for us. Sept 8 - Our 2019-2020 choir season begins. David Diehl

Upcoming Events SPECIAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING - September 8, 2019 (Sunday) The Master Planning Team invites the whole church to attend a presentation and meeting featuring proposed facility improvements and associated fundraising. Lunch will be provided following worship, and the meeting will follow. More information will be forthcoming, but get it on your calendars now and plan to attend!

Sanctuary Chairs Video

Click here to view the video about upcoming improvements to sanctuary seating

FAITH MARKERS - September 8, 2019 (Sunday) As a congregation, we desire to see our children grow in their walk with Jesus. To celebrate with them and to walk along side them, the Education Team will be presenting our children and youth with age-appropriate "Faith Markers" during the worship service on Sunday, September 8th. Those who will be receiving a Faith Marker will receive a letter in the mail this week. However, to avoid missing anyone, please feel free to contact the church office if a letter is not received. Faith Markers will be given to those entering Kindergarten, 3rd, 5th and 9th grades.

PEACE DAY - September 22, 2019 (Sunday) The Spiritual Enrichment Team invites everyone to a special service and meal to mark International Peace Day this year. We will host Pastor Belita Mitchell as our preacher during worship and speaker for a program following the lunch hour. Mark your calendars for this important time of witness and prayer for peace in our world.

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

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT AND REQUEST FOR TEACHERS: Beginning in September, we will be starting a second Sunday School class for our children. This means that we are in need of additional teachers and helpers.  Our plan is to have a class for PreK-1st grade and a class for 2nd-6th grade. Ideally we would like teachers to serve several weeks in a row to allow for continuity and to provide the best for our children. Helpers can be that extra set of hands and eyes and could be part of a more rotational schedule.  If you would like to teach or be a helper, please contact Michele Gibbel or Diane Gibble. Thank you!

J.A.M. CHOIR NEWS Calling all children ages 4 to 6th grade J.A.M. (Jesus And Me) Choir will begin practicing Sunday Sept. 29th at 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 will 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!

What’s new at Online Giving? 5K Run – Brethren Disaster Relief Auction Go to our church website at: www.yorkfirst.org and click on the Online Giving Link or go directly to the Online Giving website at:  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 - Thank you for your support!!!!!

Church Website

Online Giving

I just wanted to thank everyone for their donations for the Baby Bottle Boomerang. We raised over $ 200.00 for Human Life Services to help young families. - Dan Snook

YOUTH WORKCAMP   UPDATE Sharing our Portland, Oregon work camp experiences during the Sunday School hour last week was amazing! We appreciate all the people who came to see and hear about our time there. A big thank you again to our Sunday School teacher, Deb Klinedinst, our Prayer Partners, everyone who sent notes of encouragement, and those who kept us close in prayer.  As an update to our “Pennies for Portland “ project, $32.68 was generously donated to ship items needed at Snow CAP. We were able to collect and send 95 paperback books, 116 greeting card fronts (volunteers create and sell cards by combining the fronts with scrapbook materials), 5 sandals, 10 child sized plastic hangers, 2 fabric book covers, and a few clothing items. By shipping these items at the media mail rate, we still have about $15.00 left over. We want to use that money to send more items to help meet the needs of the homeless residents of Portland. Look for updates in the near future as to what we will be collecting so you can be part of the process. Thank you and blessings to all! ~ Anna, Ashley, Emma, Sara, and Stephanie You can still view photos at www.Brethren.org that have been submitted from various work camp participants.

Witness Team will be collecting School Supplies again this year.  Place your items in the bin marked school supplies just outside of the sanctuary from now until Aug 18. We will deliver the much-needed supplies to Bell Socialization. The shelter houses people for 30 days so they see a lot of families come and go within the year. For this reason, we will keep a school supplies bin there throughout the school year for donations.  Thank you for your donations!

Back Packs (new item for this year) Pencils and Erasers Composition Books Individual tissues packs Crayons Colored Pencils Glue Sticks Dry Erase Markers with Erasers Pencil Boxes Note Books Markers

Save the Date     BRETHREN DISASTER RELIEF AUCTION - Friday and Saturday, Sept. 27 & 28, 2019 Held at the Lebanon Valley Expo. More information will follow.

"Notes from the Console," Article 5, By Mike Frock "Why all the Bach?"             Well, for several reasons.  Bach is considered one of, if not the, greatest composer of all time. It seems appropriate then to study and learn from the greatest. Many organ pedagogues advocate the study of Bach to learn the techniques embodied in his music.  Bach worked as a church organist, and while he was not the only great composer to be an organist, his quantity of organ compositions vastly outnumbers any other great composers. Bach wrote about 250 compositions for solo organ. By comparison that is about equal to the next 7 major composers combined: Buxtehude (90), Liszt (72), Saint-Saens (28), Handel (23), Brahms (15), Elgar (12), and Mendelssohn (10). No other major composer breaks double digits. Don't quote me on these numbers, but they give you a ballpark idea. The point is that Bach just wrote more for the instrument than any other major composer, and his work therefore constitutes an important part of organ literature, in terms of quantity, quality, compositional techniques, and playing techniques.             The main reason, though, is that for more than a year now, I have been working through and playing out of a book called "Bach for Beginners in Organ Playing" to teach myself how to play the organ. While the book specifically says that it is not a method book, the 41 pieces are arranged in a progressive order from easiest to hardest, and the book uses the pieces to systematically introduce various organ techniques. The first 12 pieces are manualiter (manuals only, no pedal), and they introduce different manual techniques. The pieces start with playing everything on one manual, then playing with hands on separate manuals, introducing Bach's ornaments, finger substitutions, switching manuals while playing, etc. Then the pieces slowly introduce playing with feet. The pieces start out with only two notes (one for each foot), then slowly adds more and quicker notes in the pedal line, foot substitutions, then moving the intervals of a third, fourth, and fifth with one foot, etc. By programming these pieces as my Prelude each week, it has forced me to stay focused on practicing. While there are several other Bach pieces that I would like to explore, I am just about finished with this book. In conclusion, I would like to thank everyone for attending my organ lessons every Sunday morning at 10:27!

LAST SUNDAY IN WORSHIP

Scripture Lesson:  Hebrews 11:1-16 Message:  "Seeking a Homeland" Worship Attendance: 112

View Message (YouTube)

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”