CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Friday, April 7

9:00 am  Prayer Labyrinth – FH (until 6:00 pm)

2:00 pm  Holy Communion – FH (until 4:00 pm)

Saturday, April 8

9:00 am  Prayer Labyrinth – FH (until 6:00 pm)

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

2:00 pm  Holy Communion – FH (until 4:00 pm)

Sunday, April 9 – Easter Sunday

8:40 am  Morning Watch Service – Behind FH

9:00 am  Easter Breakfast – FH

10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

Monday, April 10

7:30 pm  Worship Design Team Bible Study – Multi-purpose room

Tuesday, April 11

9:30 am  Ladies Bible Study – Anna Mow Room

  6:30 pm Leadership Team – Rm 145

Thursday, April 13

6:30 pm  Bell Choir Practice – Bell Choir Room

7:30 pm  Choir Practice – Sanctuary

Friday, April 14

8:30 am  Soup Kitchen – (Casseroles due at church by 8:30)

Saturday, April 15

9:00 am  Choir Cantata Rehearsal – Sanctuary

Sunday, April 16

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service, Easter Cantata – Sanctuary

11:30 am  Congregational Forum – Sanctuary

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

Classes will not meet this Sunday.

Please come to our Easter Breakfast

at 9:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall.

Food and beverages will be provided by

Fellowship & Hospitality Team as well as those who signed up and any who wish to bring along a dish to share.

All are welcome!

Children's Activities will be provided.

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.

Spring Congregational Forum will be held on

Sunday, April 16th following worship service.

The Congregational Forum Booklet and Treasurer's Report

are available for pick up in the gathering area.

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Friday & Saturday April 7 and 8 - Prayer Labyrinth, Holy Communion

Sunday April 9 - Easter Sunday, Easter Breakfast

Sunday April 16 - Easter Cantata in Worship, Congregational Forum

Saturday April 22 - District Women's Spring Luncheon

HOLY COMMUNION AND WALKING THE PRAYER LABYRINTH

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 7-8

Holy Communion

For those of you who will miss the Love Feast on April 6, 2023, we are going to try to accommodate you who want to partake in Holy Communion. On Friday and Saturday April 7 and 8, 2023 between the hours of 2 PM to 4 PM a Deacon or Deacon team will be in the fellowship hall attending to the bread and cup. If you want to partake in Holy Communion, please stop by during these times. If you have questions, please contact Greg Klinedinst. 

Walking the Prayer Labyrinth: A Devotional Opportunity

The prayer labyrinth is a unique approach to prayer that dates back thousands of years. Labyrinths are found in some of the great cathedrals of Europe and in recent decades have become very popular in a variety of settings in the United States as well. While there are a number of different versions of labyrinths, the version we are using for Holy Week is known as the Chartres Labyrinth styled after the labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France. It is made up of 10 “circuits” or loops that wind slowly to the center. The flow of the prayer labyrinth is an experience of walking from the entrance at your own pace until reaching the center as an experience of prayerful centering, followed by remaining in the center if desired, and then moving back out as a way of taking this new founded centeredness back out into your daily life.

You can walk with a prayer in mind, a prayerful thought, a question for God, or other means of focusing in the moment. Our prayer labyrinth experience will be available in the Fellowship Hall with ideas to provide focus beginning at 9:00 am on Friday, April 7 through 6:00 pm on Saturday, April 8. Dave Witkovsky will be available for a session at

3:00 pm on Friday and Saturday to give some history and prayer resources prior to walking the labyrinth. May this provide us with one more resource to strengthen us as we walk through this season of Lent.

OUR DAILY BREAD/SOUP KITCHEN - Friday, April 14, 2023 Sign up by calling

Sandi Bowser at 717-825-7203 to make a casserole for Our Daily Bread/Soup Kitchen on Friday, April 14, 2023 (10:30 a.m. to 1:00 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!

This information will also be

posted on the bulletin board.

Ladies of the Church - You are invited to the

District Women's Spring Luncheon promoted by

the Southern Pennsylvania District

Church of the Brethren

This is a women’s conference being held at our church.

Saturday, April 22, 2023, 9:00 am

Featured Speaker: Ruoxia Li

Ruoxia was born and grew up in Schouyangm the location of another past Brethren mission post in Shanxi Province, China. She met her husband, Eric Miller, in Beijing and moved to the United States in 2005, where she earned her masters degree in Theology. Ruoxia and Eric are members of York First Church of the Brethren.

The cost for this luncheon is not correct on the brochure. The cost is $ 13.00.

Please click on the button for the brochure/registration form for this event.



This information will also be posted on our bulletin board.

Registration Deadline: April 15, 2023, No refunds after deadline date.

WE NEED MANY GOOD MEN – As announced by Pastor Joel last week in worship service, York First is hosting The Southern District of the church of the Brethren’ women’s conference.



We need 6 men to set up tables and chairs on 4-21-23 5:30 to 6:30 PM.

On 4/22/23 we need the following:

•4 men to work as greeters at the two main entrances.

•4 men to set up food and drink, serve food clean up between 7:30 and 11:30 AM

in The Gathering Area.

•5 men set up, serve lunch and clean up in the kitchen and fellowship hall

between 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM.

•6 men to tear down tables and clean up from 1 PM to 3 PM.

Please all men in the congregation check your calendars and see if you 

can help in any or all these times.

See a sign-up sheet in the gathering area to sign up and let us know how much you can help support this effort.

The 32nd Annual Auction Benefiting The Lehman Center is Tuesday, April 25th at New Fairview COB. The food and auction preview starts at 12:00. The live auction starts at 5:00.  



Thank you for your continued support of the Lehman Center.

CAMP EDER EVENTS

THE EDER RETREAT - APRIL 28TH-30TH

Want to enjoy a weekend of camp fun with your family?

Well then The Eder Retreat is for you!

We are going to have different workshops throughout the morning that include Pinterest Palooza where we create different crafts, a wood workshop where you get to build in our very own woodshop, a backpacking 101 class where you get to learn the basics of backpacking and take a guided hike, & MORE! You will also have the chance to climb our climbing wall, complete challenges on our challenge course, enjoy a campfire, and many more classic camp activities! For more information or if you have any questions call (717)642-8256 or email mschmittel@campeder.org Click on button for registration form. This information is also posted on the bulletin board.

2023 CAMP EDER GOLF OUTING

Friday, May 12, 2023

Carroll Valley Golf Course at Liberty Mountain

78 Country Club Trail, Fairfield, PA 17320

Click on button for registration and sponsorship form.

This information is also posted on the bulletin board.

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

Click on the button for current

Church of Brethren News

MESSAGE FROM SANDI BOWSER ABOUT OUR DAILY BREAD/SOUP KITCHEN

Dear Church Members,

We are in need of Volunteers, who are willing to prepare baked spaghetti casseroles for the soup kitchen in York city.



Presently, we have some very generous people who prepare 1, 2, or 3 casseroles once a

month. I, for example, prepare 2 casseroles each month. You know if I can do it, it’s not that difficult.

The recipe is easy, and the foil baking pans are provided for you, the schedule is not difficult. Contact Sandra Bowser for more details, and scheduling (contact information below).

It is a very rewarding experience. I have to say that 95% of the people are very appreciative. It would be greatly appreciated if you could volunteer your time.

Thank you.

Contact information: Sandra Bowser 717-825-7203

Ed Sweigard and family would like to thank the congregation for their thoughts, prayers and support during this difficult time following Julia's recent passing.

This time of recovery following ankle replacement surgery has been one of hurdles, hops and hiccups. The procedure on March 16 was my third skin graft. People have commented on my positive attitude. Through difficult circumstances in my life I have discovered glimmers of hope that I have recognized as God’s presence. I identify these glimmers as “God Provides!” The faith community of York First has blessed me with support and encouragement. Thank you for your cards, phone calls, meals and prayers.  Your love, attention and caring have sustained us. God Provides! Steve and Nancy Jones

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

Since 2011 our Witness Team has sponsored the Cash for Causes program by selling Giant & Weis gift cards. The church receives 5% of sales to support various ministries. For 2023 the gift card sales will support The Lehman Center (Children’s Aid Society), New Community Project, and Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry. 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.

If you’d like to support this program, please see Becky Wenger before/after worship service OR mail your check (paid to York First Church) to 3011 Bedford Pl, York, PA 17408 and your cards will be mailed to you.

The Education Team would like to share free monthly video links from Teepa Snow. Hoping you will get a chance to watch them and learn something that may be helpful when dealing with those you come in contact with who have dementia.

Teepa Snow’s care strategies and techniques look at what is known about brain function and changes that happen with various conditions and integrate that information with therapeutic approaches. April link is:

Connecting through music: https://youtu.be/m-lckAgnVQw

Young Center Lecture and Seminar Announcement

Tuesday, April 18, 2023 • 7:00 pm • Susquehanna Room of Myer Hall - DURNBAUGH LECTURE

Anabaptists and Secular Politics: Reflections on the Shifting Paradigm over Seven Decades

During the 49 years since his baptism into the Mennonite Church, Berry has closely followed changes in American politics and its impact on American Christians. He will consider these developments, including the effect of single-issue voting or the influence of talk radio and cable news, and will reflect on how social and political changes have impacted contemporary Anabaptists, perhaps resulting in the church losing some of its ability to be salt of the earth, as described in Matthew 5:13.

Curtis R. Berry is professor emeritus of political science at Shippensburg University, where he taught for 32 years. Berry was a founding board member of Work Team Partners, Inc. and has served on the boards of directors of Eastern Mennonite University, the Mennonite Publishing Network, and Menno-Haven Retirement Communities in Chambersburg, Pa. During his professional career he was active in the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties local and statewide organizations. Free and open to the public. For further information, visit etown.edu/youngctr/events 

Wednesday, April 19, 2023 • 10:00 am to noon • Bucher Meetinghouse at the Young Center - DURNBAUGH SEMINAR

This panel discussion explores how Anabaptists should assess political issues and opportunities; the connections between local, national, and international policy choices; and the ways in which Anabaptist values might motivate authentic engagement and principled dissent. Panelists also consider how Anabaptists can talk across lines of political difference, including within their own churches.

Panel members include Curtis Berry, professor emeritus of political science at Shippensburg University; Nathan Hosler, the director of the Church of the Brethren’s Office of Peacebuilding and Policy based in Washington, DC, and a pastor of the Washington City Church of the Brethren; Heather Wolf, an experienced political campaign advisor and mentor with the Women’s Campaign School at Yale, and active in Lititz (PA) Church of the Brethren; and Nathan Zook, a professor of political science at Montgomery College, Rockville (MD) Campus, and the pastor of Hampden Mennonite Church, a congregation in Baltimore affiliated with Keystone Mennonite Fellowship. Free and open to the public. For further information, visit etown.edu/youngctr/events

LAST WEEK IN WORSHIP

April 2, 2023

SCRIPTURE LESSON:

Zechariah 9:9-10, Matthew 21:1-16

MESSAGE:

“The Children’s Praise”

If you need to reach the pastor outside of office hours, his home phone number is

(717) 318-5442, and 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.