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SUNDAY SCHEDULE

 

SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:00 AM

Classes for All Ages


WORSHIP 10:30 AM

In the Sanctuary and Online


THIS SUNDAY IN WORSHIP

January 26, 2025


SCRIPTURE LESSON:

2 Chronicles 7:12-22, Mark 1:14-15


MESSAGE:

“Renewal through Repentance”

Contents:



This Week


Prayer Requests

and Calendar


Sunday School News


Children's Ministry Schedule


Upcoming Events


Save the Date


COB News


Online Giving


Thank You


Last Week


Contacting the Pastor 

Happening This Week

Anabaptism at 500

Week 2: Renewal through Repentance


In worship this Sunday, we continue a 4-week series in recognition of the 500th Anniversary of the movement called "Anabaptism" to which our church tradition belongs. This week's theme is repentance, a necessary turning from our former ways toward the will of God that Jesus has made known. The journey we walk is one of penitence, with an attitude of willingness to be changed. Scripture lessons from 2 Chronicles and Mark 1 will frame our message. Join us for our Sunday morning gathering starting at 10:30 AM, and for classes which gather at 9:00 AM.


**Some of our children and youth will be attending Winter Camp at Camp Eder this weekend. Let us all pray that they have a fun, safe, and enriching time of ministry and building friendships together!

Sunday Morning Worship

Live Stream Worship

Our worship services are available via YouTube for those who wish to join that way. Click the image above shortly before the service begin to join in 10:15 AM on Sunday or anytime afterward. DVD copies of the services are also available.

Click here to view the bulletin for this Sunday

This Sunday's Bulletin

Anabaptist Community Bible: A New Testament Reading Plan

Winter-Spring 2025


The newly-published Anabaptist Community Bibles have arrived and most of you have them already! We are setting a goal for this season that we all might commit to reading the entire New Testament together between now and Easter.


A full plan for this reading is attached below and can be picked up in the Gathering Area for your use, giving specific assigned portions to read each day, normally 3 chapters. We can do this! Set a time each day to read and keep at it. The book introductions and articles at the back of the Bible are excellent as well. Let us study the Christian scriptures and talk about them together this season, trusting that the Holy Spirit is at work as we seek the mind of Christ.

New Testament Reading Plan

CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES


Saturday, January 25

   8:00 am  Leadership Team Retreat – Room 154, Kitchen

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

     

Sunday, January 26

9:00 am  Sunday School

9:00 am   Fellowship/Hospitality Team - Multi-Purpose Rm

10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

12:00 pm   Deacon’s Meeting – Anna Mow Rm

        

Thursday, January 30

1:00 pm  Sabbatical Planning Team – Multi-Purpose Rm

6:30 pm  Chancel Choir Rehearsal – Sanctuary

7:30 pm  Bell Choir Rehearsal – Bell Choir Rm


Sunday, February 2

9:00 am  Sunday School   

10:30 am Worship Service – Sanctuary

Church Calendar


Click on this button to view the full calendar



Click for Friends to Remember in Prayer

Prayer Requests

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.

In addition to this prayer request list contained within each Friday's e-newsletter, we also have a "prayer chain" email list. We occasionally send immediate prayer requests to those who have opted in to receive the prayer chain and are committed to praying for each concern as they come. If you would like to be added to the prayer chain list, please notify the church office by email at secretary@yorkfirst.org or by phone (717) 755-0307. If you have a prayer request and desire it to be sent to this group, feel free to contact the church office anytime. Thank you!

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. This class is for youth in grades 7-12.

The class is studying a series on Women of the Bible.

 

Vine and Branches Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 154. Teacher Kim Witkovsky. The class is following the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum, this season's series entitled "A King Forever and Ever."

 

Lamplighters Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 145. Teachers Pat Carey and Deb Klinedinst. This Sunday, we will continue an Advent curriculum "Down to Earth" by Mike Slaughter.



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.  

Children's Ministry Schedule
Upcoming Events

OUR DAILY BREAD/SOUP KITCHEN - Friday, February 14, 2025

 

Sign up by calling Sandi Bowser at 717-825-7203 to make a casserole for Our Daily Bread/Soup Kitchen on Friday, February 14, 2025 (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! 

YOUTH GROUP ACTIVITY

 

Youth and School Age Children join us for Dodgeball fun!! Please feel free to invite friends and neighbors as you wish.

 

On Sundays, February 16th to March 23rd in Fellowship Hall, 4:00 to 5:00pm

Save the Date

Church of the Brethren Denominational News

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

Church of the Brethren News
Southern PA District Newsletter
Online Giving

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.

Church Website
Online Giving

YEAR-END GIVING STATEMENTS are available for pick-up in the gathering area (in envelopes) on Sunday mornings or in the church office Monday through Friday during office hours. Please pick up your statement so that we do not need to mail them all. Thank you!

WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH THE 2025 DIRECTORY

 

We have placed the Members and Friends pages in the gathering area. Please make any necessary updates to your family's information on these pages. We want to have all current information before we print the directory. You may also email your updates to secretary@yorkfirst.org ~ Thank you!

MESSENGER RENEWAL INFORMATION


It's that time to renew your Messenger subscription. If you have no changes and wish to continue receiving the Messenger you don't need to do anything. If there are changes, you wish to discontinue, or anything else...please email me @ carole513@verizon.net


You will not owe anything this year as a generous donor has offered to cover the cost of the subscriptions for 2025. Please let me know by the end of January.


Thanks, Carole Bradfield 




Thank you for the cards and prayers as I continue my therapy.

~ Gail Rutland


LOOK WHO'S

CELEBRATING

THIS MONTH



02  Lori Beuschlein

02  Christopher Jon Baldwin

04  Christina Snook

05  Sarah Markey

06  Becca Miller

08  Sidney Innerst

09  Calla Michelle Stehr

14  Patricia Carey

16  Barry Hollinger

17  Joshua Kovacs


If your birthday is in FEBRUARY

and is not on the list below or is listed

incorrectly, please contact the church office.



18  Doris Plymire

21  Judy Yingling

22  Becky McCracken

22  Ava Soyke

23  Pat Trimmer

23  Justin Drawbaugh

23  Luca Ferro

26 Jayne Baldwin

26 Sandy Yeager


York First Church of the Brethren

Worship Ministry Team

Dedication of Flowers and Bulletins

 

The Worship Team is happy to announce that we will continue with our Flower Dedication process in 2025 using a new flower chart OR the sponsorship of Sunday bulletins. Each of the sign-up/reservation charts are located on the bulletin board in the hallway across from the church office.

 

You will follow the same procedure for signing up for flowers as you did this past year. If you are interested, please list your name on a specific date and Karen, Administrative Assistant, will contact you the week before your Sunday to ask about your message for the bulletin. You may use the florist the church works with or make arrangements to bring your own flowers. If there is a special Worship Center arrangement that week, your flowers will still be displayed in the front of the church, just not on the Worship Center.

 

Our additional opportunity to celebrate or remember special people or events in your world is to sponsor/dedicate a Sunday bulletin. The donation to dedicate a bulletin is $25 and you can see that the church office receives that monetary donation prior to the event. The $25 covers the cost of printing our own regular bulletins - paper, colored and black ink, copier maintenance, etc. When you sign up, Karen will contact you early in the week to obtain the message you would like printed in the bulletin. No fuss with ordering flowers or finding a home for them once Sunday is over – just a bulletin with a dedication in it that you can pass along to that special someone or remember them by!



Please feel free to contact Karen in the church office or Kim Witkovsky, Chair of the Worship Team, if you have questions or need more information. Thank you for participating in both of these special ways we can honor those who deserve recognition and remembering!     

Beginning in January 2025, Patricia Carey will be the Witness Team appointment for the Cash for Causes program. Please see Patricia before or after worship to purchase your Giant or Weis gift cards. Patricia will be at the table under the bulletin board in the

gathering area.


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.

 

Since 2011, through the Cash for Causes program, the church has received 5% of sales to support various COB and local ministries. In 2024 the gift card sales supported The Lehman Center, New Community Project and the Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry with each receiving $233.08.    

For 2025, the Witness Team will review past giving and determine which agencies we will support this year. 

LAST WEEK IN WORSHIP


January 19, 2025


SCRIPTURE LESSON:

1 Corinthians 3:11,16

Galatians 3:26-27


MESSAGE:

“The Story of Anabaptism:

Another Reformation”


Click on the image to view the service.

CONTACTING THE PASTOR

Pastor Joel Gibbel can be reached in the church office most weekdays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Some afternoons and evenings may be 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 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.

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”