Fall Congregational Forum - This Sunday, October 8th

Congregational Forum will immediately follow worship this Sunday.

All church members are expected to attend.

The Forum Booklet, Treasurer's Reports, and Affirmation of Leaders - Slate Ballot are available for pickup in the Gathering Area.

CALENDAR OF CHURCH EVENTS/ACTIVITIES

Sunday, October 8

9:00 am  Sunday School

10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

11:30 am   Fall Congregational Forum – Sanctuary

Tuesday, October 10

6:30 pm   Leadership Team – Room # 154

Thursday, October 12

6:30 pm   Choir Practice – Sanctuary

Friday, October 13

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

Saturday, October 14

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

Sunday, October 15

9:00 am  Sunday School

   10:30 am  Worship Service – Sanctuary

4:00 pm  York First Youth Group – FH

HOME COMMUNION

For anyone who could not attend Love Feast and desires to have home communion, please contact Pastor Joel or your deacon.

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

Children's Sunday School Classes

9:00 AM in Rooms 151, 152, and 155. Children grades PreK (age 4) and up will have class lessons, with singing included as well. Children ages 3-4 and younger are welcome to attend nursery care.

Youth Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 149. Teacher Joel Gibbel. This class is for youth in grades 7-12. A condensed "refresher" series on church membership will begin this Sunday and continue through the month of October.



Vine and Branches Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 154. Teachers Ralph and Lyn Miller. The class is using the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum entitled "God's Law is Love."

Lamplighters Sunday School Class

9:00 AM in Room 145. Teacher John Anderson. The lesson series is entitled "Where Christians get it Wrong" with Adam Hamilton.

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.  

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

October 8 - Congregational Forum 11:30 AM, Sanctuary

October 21 - Camp Eder Fall Festival, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

October 25 - Trick or Trunk Event - 5:30 PM, Parking Lot

OUR DAILY BREAD/SOUP KITCHEN - Friday, October 13 2023 Sign up by calling

Sandi Bowser at 717-825-7203 to make a casserole for Our Daily Bread/Soup Kitchen on Friday, October 13, 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!

CAMP EDER FALL FESTIVAL

914 Mount Hope Rd., Fairfield, PA 17320

Saturday, October 21st

10 AM - 4 PM, Meal Served 11 AM - 3 PM

Live Auction 10:30 AM

Pork Meal - Barrel Train Rides - Hay Rides - Live Auction - Kid's Activities

Craft Vendors - Eder Made Apple Butter - Yard Sale Vendors - Live Music

**This information will also be posted on the bulletin board**

LADIES BIBLY STUDY start time is CHANGED

from Oct 10 to Oct 24, 9:30 am in church lounge.

All women... all ages ...WELCOME!

We will be exploring several studies that interest everyone. If you are available and think you would enjoy a social gathering sharing God's Word and prayer support each Tuesday with one another, then please plan to join us. 

All are welcome and church membership is not a necessary. Invite a friend to attend with you. Questions or comments can be made to Dolly Furst at furstdol@aol.com or

call 717- 891-1419 or Kim Witkovsky at witkovskyks@gmail.com or call 814-599-7055. 

TRICK or TRUNK

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

5:30 to 7:00 pm

It’s that time again to decorate your car trunk for our annual Trick or Trunk event. Cars will be parked in our parking lot so children can walk by, view the decorated trunks and receive a treat. We ask those bringing their car to also provide the treats.

If you want to decorate your vehicle, please place your name on the sign up sheets that are located on the counter in our gathering area.

Car owners should hand out the treats instead of little hands all reaching into the treat bowl. Cars need to be in place by 5:30 pm. Trunk owners may also dress up if you wish.



CDC, Church and neighborhood families will be invited to come starting at 5:30 until 7:00 pm. The Fellowship Hall will also be open to all with treats and surprises and a place for warming up if it’s cold. Come and enjoy the fun!

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Training 101



Saturday, November 18^th             9:30-12:00                    Hosted by the Education Team

Georgie Stanley with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing will be leading a Mental

Health and Suicide Prevention Training at our church on Saturday, November 18^th. We are all familiar with Basic First Aid skills. But what if the person in need is struggling with anxiety or suicidal thoughts? Come learn about what you can do to help. We will look at the basic signs and symptoms of different diagnoses, how to spot if someone may be in distress or in need of support, how you can respond in the moment and how to support the person to get the help they may need. 

Please contact Michele Gibbel if you are in need of childcare.  

The Witness Team Needs Volunteers

Our food pantry continues to serve many families and individuals in our community. Many people have needs beyond food, and the Witness Team at York First will be expanding our community outreach. We will be temporarily using some of the available space in the former parsonage to collect and store home goods to further meet the needs of people in our community.

  Our next step is to enlist the help of several volunteers. The only requirement is the desire to help others. This group of volunteers will assist in developing the details and operating this program. We ask you to prayerfully consider serving with us in this outreach ministry. Thank you for your consideration. If you have any questions or desire to volunteer, please contact Melanie Miller. 

Food Pantry Needs

Our Food Pantry continues to serve people needing food and we have seen an increase in recent months. This past Tuesday we served over 20 people. 

If you would like to donate to the pantry we can always use gift cards to the local grocery stores. I know some people like to give food items, so here is a list of items we can always use.

Thank you for your support of the Food Pantry.

A big thank you to the Food Pantry volunteers who make it all work: Melanie and Jeff Miller, Jeanette Brickner, Sandi Bowser, Cathy Carson,

Arden Kile, John Anderson.

Thank you, Mary Esther Anderson

Items Needed

Pancake mix

Pancake syrup

Peanut butter

Grape Jelly or Strawberry Jam

Small cans of tuna or chicken

Instant mashed potatoes

Bottles of cooking oil

Bottles of fruit juice

Crackers-Ritz type or saltines

Canned corn, canned pineapple

Canned baked beans

Small canned hams

Fresh fruit and vegetables -apples, oranges, onions, carrots, potatoes

CAMP EDER

APPLE BUTTER - APPLE BUTTER -

APPLE BUTTER!

We have JARS and JARS of APPLE BUTTER,

for SALE, for SALE, I did not stutter.

Fall round-up is here before new batches are made, So, we need to sell last year's before they fade.

A DONATION is all that we are asking for, Half pints and quarter pints are left for sure.

Place on toast, bagels or any type bread, Delicious when used as a tasty spread.

Check out the hospitality center which is near, And get this bargain while they are still here.

Sale ends Oct 15 or until they are gone. 

Questions?  Please contact Kathy Kovacs - 717-309-0678

WANTED USED EYEGLASSES! 

The Witness Team from York First Church is collecting eyeglasses to be donated to Katallasso Family Health Center in York. They run a health clinic for people who are not insured or underinsured. It operates from the old First Church building on Belvidere Avenue.

On November 5th during the Sunday School hour, we will learn more about their mission. Please put your lightly used eyeglasses in the box on the table in the gathering space by November 5th. Thank you.

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

Current Church of Brethren News

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.

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 Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College presents “Balthasar Hubmaier and Anti-Judaism in the Reformation: Reexamining Regensburg,” by Breanna J. Nickel on Thurs., Oct. 12, 7:00 p.m., in the Bucher Meetinghouse. Nickel is an assistant professor of Bible and religion at Goshen College. For lecture details and directions, visit www.etown.edu/youngctr/events or call 717-361-1470.

LAST WEEK IN WORSHIP

October 1, 2023

SCRIPTURE LESSON:

Revelation 2-3

MESSAGE:

“Letters to the Church”

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.