SUNDAY SCHEDULE
WORSHIP 10:30 AM
In the Sanctuary and Online
Please See Below for Sunday School Class Information
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THIS SUNDAY IN WORSHIP:
April 11, 2021
SCRIPTURE LESSON:
Hebrews 10:1-25
MESSAGE:
“Saved from Sacrifice”
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Contents:
This Week
Sunday School News
Prayer Requests
Online Giving
Upcoming Events
COB News
Directory Change
Last Week
Contacting the Pastor
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No Sacrifice Remains
This week we begin a series on the meaning of Christ's death and resurrection, as Easter season continues, examining several notions of what Jesus saves us from and what we are saved for. This week we'll engage with the matter of sacrifice and how such practices found their end with Jesus. We'll consider how we ought to use language of sacrifice when speaking about our faith and when using it for other reasons in our present culture.
While Jesus death is indeed considered a "sacrifice" according to several New Testament letters, we need to realize that it also intended to put an end to sacrifice, once and for all... moving humanity past its need for blood offerings by revealing that God never needed them either. This is a bit of a weighty subject with broad-reaching implications, but this week's message will attempt to focus on what it leads us to do in response to Jesus' final act. Will we continue to believe that God needs to be appeased, or will we walk in light of a new covenant in which there is no longer an offering required?
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Live Stream Continues!
Our worship services will be presented "live stream" through our YouTube channel - please subscribe to the channel it if you haven't already for simpler access to previous videos. Click the link below shortly before the service begins at 10:30 AM on Sunday to join with us in worship.
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The video will be available to view after the worship hour in case you miss the 10:30 AM time or wish to watch it again.
*Please note: if anyone is unable to view the videos online, we have DVD copies of the services that can be picked up in the church lounge any weekday. Sermon manuscripts are also available upon request. We hope no one is missing out!
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ORDER OF SERVICE
10:30 AM, April 11, 2021
Prelude "Ricercar in C Major"
Welcome And Announcements
Invocation Prayer
Hymn “Come, let us all unite to sing”
Children's Time
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
Call to Prayer
Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer
GIFTS AND OFFERING
Offering Invitation
Offertory/Anthem “An Easter Hallelujah”
Prayer of Blessing
Offering Response “Praise God from whom”
RECEIVING GOD'S WORD
Scripture Lesson: Hebrews 10:1-25
Message: “Saved from Sacrifice”
Hymn “Wonderful grace of Jesus”
Sending Prayer
Postlude "Nature from Her Sleep Awakes"
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**Note: Following the guidance of the church's Leadership Team, our church remains open to in-person gathering. However, due to present public health concerns, we encourage remaining at home as the most responsible option if you are willing and able to join in worship via live stream video. If you have been fully vaccinated, please feel free to attend in person.
So long as our attendance remains modest, we believe that some of us can gather safely, provided that face coverings are worn and distancing is observed. Thank you all for understanding and doing your part to mitigate risk of disease.**
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SPRING CONGREGATIONAL FORUM - SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 2021
The meeting will be held Sunday, April 11th following our 10:30 AM worship service, and all church members are encouraged to attend - either in person or via live stream video.
Click the video link here following the service to join the forum:
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Congregational Forum Packets are available to be picked up in the Narthex, and they were emailed to members two weeks ago. Feel free to contact the church office if you would like an email copy. There are two sections: the forum booklet and the treasurer’s report. |
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Sunday School News
Homebuilders Sunday School Class
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.
Lamplighters Sunday School Class
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 series entitled "The Color of Compromise" by Jemar Tisby, studying connections between the church and racism. Diane Gibble will be leading.
Vine & Branches Sunday School Class
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 will be on Ezra and his impassioned preaching and repentance before the people, insisting on serious changes upon return from exile. Come and join us for this lesson and opportunity for conversation!
Children's Sunday School Class
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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Click for Friends to Remember in Prayer
and Event Announcements
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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.
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!!!!!
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2021 Camp Eder Golf Outing
Saturday, May 22 2021
At Gettysburg National Golf Course, 4099 Bull Frog Rd, Fairfield, PA 17320
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72nd ANNUAL WOMEN'S CAMP RETREAT
JUNE 7 & 8, 2021
Camp Eder, 914 Mt. Hope Rd., Fairfield, PA
Registration forms must be received
no later than Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
Click on tabs below for the brochure and registration form.
Brochures are available at the church office as well.
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Cookie Sale
See the video for information about purchasing Girl Scout Cookies through the Klinedinst grandchildren. Since they have taken on recent projects to improve our facilities and property, we are glad to invite their annual fundraising efforts among us. You can pick up forms here at the church anytime or call the number as noted in the video. Thank you!
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Opportunities to Help Families in Need
The current need for the 3 Lehman Center Families we are supplying household items for is twin beds with mattresses.
Please contact Diane Gibble if you have any to donate.
Continue to keep the families in your prayers as they hunt for affordable housing.
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Summer Workcamps: FaithX
**Please complete by this Sunday**Attention all youth and adults who may have interest in participating in a week of service, faith formation, and outreach this summer! The program formerly known as "Church of the Brethren Workcamps" is now called as "FaithX: Faith Outreach Expeditions" and they are planning for many weeks this summer in creative and pandemic-adaptive ways. Read more about it at https://www.brethren.org/faithx/
We would love to send a group to one, which would be "close to home" and most likely the last week of July. Click the link below to complete a survey so that we can gauge interest in preparation. The program is open to youth grade 6 and above, as well as adults of all ages. Registration must happen very soon, so please do not delay. Thank you!
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Church of the Brethren Denominational News
Denominational news and information is always available by visiting brethren.org
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SOUTHERN PA DISTRICT CONFERENCE - SEPTEMBER 18
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.
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APRIL
Church of the Brethren - Newsline Digest
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DIRECTORY CHANGE:
Pat Gibble and Julie Poland new information:
Address: 1715 Fountain Rock Drive, Dover, PA 17315, Landline: (717) 347-7866
Pat's cell: (717) 968-6707
Julie's cell: (717) 881-9015
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Concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and church operations:
Since video live-streaming is fully functional and despite COVID-19 cases rising in our area, we believe that we can responsibly continue worship gatherings, so long as they are small and well-distanced.
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.
Sunday School classes will not resume in person until a later date, and several elements of worship will be adjusted such as seating arrangements, no passing of offering plates, and restricted singing. Handshake greetings should be avoided and masks must be worn within the building. Please know that all of these measures are for our collective wellness.
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.
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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 2021 the gift card sales will support The Lehman Center (Children’s Aid Society), New Community Project, Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry, and LifePath Christian Ministries (formerly York Rescue Mission). 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.
I plan to attend our in-person worship services and will have the gift cards available for your purchase before or after the service. However, if you will not be attending our in-person worship services, I will continue to send cards in the mail if you want to support this outreach ministry. Send your check to Becky Wenger, 3011 Bedford Pl, York, PA 17408. The Giant or Weis cards will be mailed to you. Make your check out to York First Church.
Thank you for supporting this program - Becky Wenger, Cash for Causes representative
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The Young Center and Elizabethtown College’s Bowers Writers House present Traveling through the National Dark: Poet and Pacifist William Stafford, as they welcome poet Fred Marchant for an evening celebrating William Stafford (1914-1993), a Library of Congress Poet Laureate with significant ties to the Church of the Brethren. Marchant and Jesse Waters, director of the Bowers Writers House, will discuss Stafford’s life and legacy and read some of his poems. Young Center Interim Director Steve Nolt will review the World War II context in which Stafford declared his conscientious objection to war and the Civilian Public Service program in which he served for four years.
The virtual presentation is Tuesday, April 13 at 7 pm.
Fred Marchant is the author of several books of poetry, including his most recent, Said Not Said (Graywolf, 2017), which was named an Honored Book by the Massachusetts Book Awards. He is the editor of Another World Instead: The Early Poems of William Stafford (Graywolf, 2008) and Professor Emeritus of English at Suffolk University in Boston. For details and the link to the Zoom presentation, visit www.etown.edu/youngctr/events or call 717-361-1470.
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RESURRECTION DAY
SCRIPTURE LESSON:
Mark 16:1-8
MESSAGE:
“He Has Been Raised”
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Pastor Joel Gibbel can be reached most mornings in the church office Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM to noon, and usually well into the afternoon as well. 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. |
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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.
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Our Mission Statement:
“People dedicated to Spiritual Growth, Loving Relationship, and Sacrificial Service”
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Our Vision Statement:
“To become a community of committed Christians who Love God, Share Christ, and Serve the World”
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