GREETERS NEEDED - Now that summer is coming, our doors to the church are continually open to guests and members and welcomed each Sunday to our worship service. With that thought, we are looking for people who enjoy smiling and greeting people at our front doors on Sunday morning. You would not need to greet every Sunday. You make your own schedule. This ministry is an important reminder that a greeting in the morning is a bit of sunshine for the soul, and people who are greeted by name, and made to feel welcome are more often than not, to return. As a note, we will continue to follow CDC guidelines with 6 ft distancing, the wearing of a mask as you stand at the front doors. So if you think you would be interested and feel comfortable enough to participate in this important ministry, I would love to hear from you.

Please see or call Dolly Furst at 717-244-8218 or email her at furstdol@aol.com

The Homebuilders Class is continuing to meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00 am to 10:00 am by conference call. All are welcome to join. To be included, contact Mike Martin either by calling 717-840-4184 or by emailing Caretaker@TwinBrookFarm.com, leaving the phone number at which you would like to be called. You will receive a phone call in the vicinity of 9:00 am. The class continues to examine lessons from the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum.

The Lamplighters Class meets on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm until 8:00 pm by zoom (video) conference. If you wish to be included and haven't received an email already, please contact Pastor Joel at pastor@yorkfirst.org, and he will forward you the link. The class lesson this week will begin a video series entitled "The Case for Easter" by Lee Strobel, and Beth Anne Bahn will be serving as discussion leader.

The Vine & Branches Class is continuing to meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00 am to 10:00 am by zoom (video) conference. If you wish to be included, please contact Pastor Joel at pastor@yorkfirst.org, and he will forward you the link. The class will be studying the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum, "Prophets Faithful to God's Covenant." This week the lesson explores the life and ministry of Joshua, specifically his role in the "battle" at Jericho. Come and join us! Time for catching up and fellowship is always part of this class, in addition to the lesson.

Children's Sunday School meets at 12:00 noon each Sunday via zoom, with a lesson lasting approximately 20 minutes. Parents may of course participate alongside, but the time will be tailored to children. For the zoom link and to be included, please contact Pastor Joel at pastor@yorkfirst.org. Thanks, and we look forward to this special time together!

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Although in-person worship gatherings are small and events are suspended for a time, the church's ministry continues in many important ways. Please continue to give as you are so led, whether by mail or through online giving. Thank you.

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.

LENTEN DEVOTIONAL GUIDES are available to be picked up in the church lounge. “The Wild Way of Jesus” by Anna Lisa Gross. Devotions for Ash Wednesday through Easter. This Lent, walk with Jesus along his wilderness way. Look to birds in the air, taste mustard growing along the path, and greed people deemed outcasts. Follow Jesus through the world’s wild edges and experience life-giving good news. Please pick one up and use it during the season that is before us. From the author:

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: A DEVOTIONAL OPPORTUNITY - The Spiritual Enrichment Team is preparing to host a "Stations of the Cross" display in our sanctuary during the two weeks leading up to Easter. This will be an opportunity to come to the church sanctuary during a weekday and spend time in devotion and prayer, recalling the journey of Jesus to the cross and reflecting on its meaning for us all.

We are inviting our church family and friends at 4:30 PM for children ages 1 to 12 for an Easter Egg Hunt on Wednesday 3/31. We are also planning to have an Easter Egg Hunt for the CDC children on Wednesday at 3:30 PM the same day. Each classroom will hunt for eggs separately, in the afternoon. There will not be a meal served this year. Please call or email the church office to sign up your egg hunters. We need to know the age of each child who will be attending. Masks are a requirement for children over age 2. We can also use volunteers to help hide eggs on March 31. Watch for more information in future newsletters.

Denominational news and information is always available by visiting brethren.org

Please note that the district office prior phone number will no longer work. To reach the district office, the new phone number is 717-778-2264.

York First Church is hosting this year's District Conference in September, a one-day conference this year, Saturday September 18th only. We will need many volunteers to prepare, attend, and assist with serving the many gathered delegates and leaders. More information will be forthcoming in the months ahead, but please mark your calendars now and plan to assist that weekend, as we graciously welcome our sisters and brothers in faith. Thank you.

Church of the Brethren - Newsline Digest

That said, staying home remains the safest option, and we commend doing so to prevent spread of contagious disease. Worship will be live streamed on our YouTube channel and recorded each Sunday morning at 10:30 AM whether anyone is in attendance or not. We remain a committed body of Christ's faithful disciples whether we gather in person or apart. We are simply allowing in-person attendance for those who desire to do so. Thank you all in advance for choosing wisely how and where you will worship.

We have every intention of continuing to provide worship, teaching, and encouragement while maintaining “physical distance” for the safety and well-being of the vulnerable among us. The pastor and secretary continue to be available and in the office most of the week, so please feel free to call or email as you wish. We discourage in-person visits, however. Visitation to nursing homes and hospitals continues to be restricted, and pastoral visits will be minimal.

Please recognize that your church will require funds to continue basic operation of property and facility, fulfill pledged outreach giving, and maintain staff who will continue to minister whether in-person gatherings happen or not. Online giving is a simple and easy way to support your church and those it serves during this time, and it is accessible through our church website www.yorkfirst.org. Mailing your gifts and offerings to the church office is also welcome. Thank you to all who have given generously! We have been able to maintain our many outreach commitments thus far this year, and for that we give thanks!

Look for other announcements on our website and facebook page, and as always you may read current and/or recent newsletters through our website for other updates (and past sermons if you have spare time). **Note that you do not even need a facebook account of you own to view the church's page there. If you do have a facebook account, please "like" our church's page to view updates there. The more you "like" and "comment" and "share" our content, the better it "travels" and will be seen by others. Do your part to freely spread our messages of ministry during this time. Thank you!!**

Concerning the spread of COVID-19, here is a good resource with helpful links to other sites as well: https://covid19.brethren.org/ Be careful to pay attention to public health experts, rather than every news headline or comment from your neighbors. We must act responsibly for the well-being of all, not merely ourselves. This disease is real and a genuine threat to the lives of many.

Thank you all for understanding and for your faithful participation in our life together. Stay apart from each other in body but close together in spirit. Talk to each other often, by phone especially. Please stay home and do your part to prevent the spread of contagious disease. That is how we can best love one another for the time being. God's comfort and peace be with you.

Elizabethtown College’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies presents “Weapons Transfers as Foreign Policy: Theological Ethics, Economics and Strategy,” by Nathan Hosler on Thurs., March 25, 7:00 p.m., via Zoom. Hosler is director of the Church of the Brethren's Office of Peacebuilding and Policy and a pastor at the Washington City Church of the Brethren. He will describe the US foreign policy practice of selling or giving weapons and related systems to strengthen diplomatic relations and further national interests, and he will argue that such transfers cannot be separated from war-making and must be subject to ethical reasoning. For details and the link to the Zoom presentation, visit www.etown.edu/youngctr/events.

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.