Weekly News
Vol. 9-No. 22 Friday, May 29, 2015
Karen Bowman, Editor, secretary@yorkfirst.org

Our Vision Statement: “To become a community of committed Christians who Love God, Share Christ, and Serve the World”
Our Mission Statement: “People dedicated to Spiritual Growth, Loving Relationship, and Sacrificial Service”

SUNDAY, May 31, 2015
9:00 am – Sunday School
10:30 am – Worship Service
Sanctuary: Christian composer and singer, Ken Medema will present our morning worship service and Parent & Child Dedication Service

Sunday, June 7, 2015 – Graduation Recognition, New Member reception, & Communion

WORSHIP ATTENDANCE – May 24, 2015, 10:30 a.m. – 94

HELP IS NEEDED for the Food Pantry. A volunteer is needed for the food pantry team for the second Tuesday of each month. You will have to come to the church at 9:00 and get the food ready for pick up. If anyone is interested, please contact Dan Snook.

THIS WEEK….

BABY BOTTLE BOMMERANG IS “ON” – Starting May 10, Mother’s Day. Pick up baby bottles in narthex (lobby), fill bottles with change, and return to church office by June 21, Father’s Day. Funds will help young families at Human Life Services of York.

MAY 31, 2015 – PRAISE AND WORSHIP – Madison Avenue Church of the Brethren will be hosting a benefit event to raise funds for EYN. Come for an evening of Praise and Worship led by the Madison Avenue Praise Team and Friends on Sunday, May 31, 7:00 p.m. at Madison Avenue Church of the Brethren. We will lift our voices to praise our Lord and Savior, and we will join together in prayer and giving generously in a free will offering for our Brothers and Sisters in Nigeria

JUNE 7, 2015 – TEACHER APPRECIATION BREAKFAST – 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. The Christian Education Ministry Team would like to thank those individuals who have shared their time and talents to benefit the Sunday School Program at York First church during the past year. To show our appreciation, we would like to invite all Sunday school teachers, children’s church, and Nursery Care Providers, to a Breakfast held in their honor. We would like members of the Sunday School Classes to help provide the food such as casseroles, fruit, breads, and muffins. Sign-up sheets will be placed in your rooms. Thank you! Questions: see Nancy Gipe or Vivian Hubbell

YARD SALE! YARD SALE! YARD SALE! Did everyone hear First Church is having a yard sale? Oh yes, and it will be held June 13 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., in our air conditioned Fellowship Hall. Very convenient for everyone. No rain and no hot sun. Just lots of fun shopping and eating lunch. Bring in your good used items from home that you either no longer want, don’t need, or just want to get rid of. We are open in the garage for more things. We need to keep Jeanette and Kathy pricing all the wonderful treasures coming in. Don’t forget! we will have chicken corn soup again to take out and eat for lunch- (bring your own containers). Also Ham bean soup just for lunch – no take outs and Brian LeGrand’s awesome chili. So come out for a great day of fun, and fellowship and lunch. All proceeds benefit the Youth Fund for NYC 2018.

FOOD ITEMS NEEDED FOR YARD SALE: HOT DOGS – “Ball Park” , HOT DOG ROLLS, HAMBURGER ROLLS, SODA (Pepsi, Coke, Mountain Dew, Sprite), CASES OF WATER, PLASTIC BOWLS (please no styrofoam), SALTINES or OYSTER CRACKERS, LUNCH SIZE BAG CHIPS, BAGELS, DONUTS, and USED GROCERY BAGS. Please indicate on sign up sheets in Narthex items what you can donate. Items may be dropped off on June 10 – 12 and placed in the lounge. Any questions – contact Kathy Kovacs.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL TRAINING
For all those who are helping with Vacation Bible School this year, we will have a short training session immediately after church on June 14th. Please plan to attend.

DONATIONS NEEDED FOR VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Scraps of cotton, fiber fill, batting, or other items that would make good puffy clouds can be brought into the church office for VBS decorations. Donation sign up sheets are posted for other supplies. More will be added as we get closer to Bible School. Thank you!

LADIES BIBLE STUDY will continue to meet once a month on the following dates noted below during the summer months and we will continue our study “Traveling Light” with Max Lucado.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015 – Lesson #7 – “It’s a Jungle Out There”
Tuesday, July 14, 2015 – Lesson #8 – “A Heavenly Exchange”
Tuesday, August 11, 2015 – Lesson #9 “Get Over Yourself”
BEGIN NEW YEAR –
September 15, 2015 – Lesson #10 “I will Lead You Home”

First Church is beginning an effort aimed at strengthening marriages. To start, we are establishing a new couples small group called “Two to One” . This is meant to be for couples intending to be married and those married for short or long times. Our purpose is to develop friendships and support among couples as well as learn about ways to strengthen the marriage relationships we have. We are pretty excited about this and hope we can communicate that excitement to everyone! Our first meeting is set for Friday, June 5 at 7PM at Carol and Ken Gordon’s house- 1250 Gardenia Drive, Windsor, PA. We’ll add more information between now and then, but hope to see you. Questions/comments/suggestions can be directed to Carol and Ken via phone or email.

Marriage Thought for the Day: Depending on what we read or to whom we listen, we’ll find many “keys” to a good marriage. Different “keys” will be meaningful to some couples but not meaningful to others. In this space each week, we’ll write these with the hope that every once in a while one will strike a chord! This week, the quote below is Chuck Swindoll concerning our attitudes. Our view of things, like the people in our relationships, especially marriages, is affected by our attitude. Attitude can reflect the state of our love and prayer life.
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company….a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embark for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you….we are in charge of our attitudes.

THANK YOU –
Thank you to Pastor Don for the beautiful service for my mom. Also, thank you to all for your cards, thoughts, and prayers since she’s passed. To know so many people care really means a lot to me and my family.- Bev Raney and family

SYMPATHY AND CONDOLENCES:
To the family of Jay Striebig, Jay passed away on May 15, 2015. Please keep his wife Carolyn, his son Brad & his wife, Lisa, and grandchildren in your thoughts and prayers.

DIRECTORY CHANGES:
Changed: Greg & Deb Klinedinst’s new address is: 2636 Fairway Drive, York, PA 17402
Changed: Erika Bergmann now resides at Rest Haven, 1050 S. George St., Rm 767, York, PA 17403
Added: Samuel Weyant & Alicia Hilley, 439 Woodland View Dr., York, PA 17406 (571) 232-4057

Thank you notes received from our Ministry Partners:
The Brethren Home Foundation gratefully acknowledges your generous gift.
Don Wilkinson
$200.00 Witness Commitment

Thank you for your support of the mission and ministry of the Church of the Brethren. It is through your generosity that ministries grow and lives are changed.
Stanley J. Noffsinger, General Secretary
$1208 Witness Commitment

We gratefully acknowledge receipt of your gift for the work of the Church of the Brethren to further the cause of Christ.
Stanley J. Noffsinger, General Secretary
$1472 One Great Hour of Sharing

With commencement at the end of this week, Bethany Theological Seminary is moving toward completion of its 110th academic year. We are pleased to share this update on the support your endowment has provided during this 2014-2015 year for Bethany students.
Funding of Endowment – December 1982 $5300
Ending Balance – June 2014 $47,818.89
Assets released for use $1813.01
Recipient of aid for 2014-2015 ($1813.01) – Duane Crumrine
Lowell Flory, (Now Retired) Executive Director, Institutional Advancement and Gift Planning

LOOKING AHEAD…….

JUNE 11, 2015 ~ OWLS NEWS – The OWLS (Older, Wiser Loving SENIORS) will gather on Thursday June 11at NOON in the Homebuilders Classroom 154 for lunch, games and conversation. No specific activity is planned but join us for a relaxing time together for the afternoon. Bring your bag lunch and a game or two to share. DRINKS AND DESSERT will be provided by Susanne Gray. PLEASE SIGN UP BY JUNE 7 so we know how many to prepare for.
Upcoming events: July 9 – Melinda will take us on a trip to Africa – August 13 – Indoor picnic – September 10 – Bingo

JUNE 12, 2015 – SOUP KITCHEN – PLEASE BRING CASSEROLES TO CHURCH BY 8:30 AM ON FRIDAY.
Sign up in the narthex to make a casserole or to work at the Soup Kitchen on Friday, June 12, 2015, (10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) PLEASE add your name and number of casseroles, to the SIGN UP sheet, so we can let the Soup Kitchen know how many casseroles to expect.

JUNE 13, 2015 – 2015 KICKOFF BANQUET FOR THE BRETHREN DISATER RELIEF AUCTION. SATURDAY, JUNE 13 — 6:00 P.M.
FAMILY STYLE DINNER AND CONCERT AT YODER’S RESTURANT, NEW HOLLAND, PA. FEATURING THE TRIBUTE QUARTET.
FOR TICKETS AND INFOMATION, CONTACT SALLY BINGAMAN OR JOLENE ZEIGLER

JUNE 19 – 21, 2015 – National Junior High Conference 2015, Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA ~ LIVING THE CHANGE: Our offering to God, Come for a weekend packed with powerful worship, fun workshops, music and recreation! For junior high youth (those who have completed grades 6 – 8) and their advisors, www.brethren.org/njhc ~ $185.00 per person and First Church will pay half the cost.

JULY 3, 2015 – The Women’s Fellowship Choir of EYN (Ekklesiyar Yan-uwa, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) will perform on Friday, July 3, at 7:00 pm in the Nicarry Meetinghouse on the campus of CKV-TBHC. This free, public concert is in appreciation of the support Nigerians have received from American Brethren during the recent persecution, violence and hardship related to the Boko Haram jihadist group, which is estimated to have killed 10,000 civilians in Nigeria last year. The choir is part of a larger group touring the U.S. in June and July, concluding at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Florida. Come and hear the inspirational sounds of these women at their only appearance in South Central Pennsylvania.

Information on the bus trip to the Annual Conference July 11-15, Tampa, Florida This is to inform you that I will be hosting an Elite Coach to the July 11 – 15 Annual Conference in Tampa, Florida this summer. People have been inquiring about this possibility.
With a minimum of 35 participants, the cost will be $789 per person double occupancy and that is all inclusive, conference lodging, enroute lodging, ,transportation and driver gratuity. It does not include meals (except breakfasts along the way) while traveling or at conference.
Since reservations for lodging open in late February, I cannot assure A.C. lodging, but I have requested and am assured that our conference stay will be at the Marriott Hotel which is across the street from the convention center. This trip of approximately 1100 miles will take two and one-half days with stops along the way. We will leave July 9 from Brethren Village at 7:30 a.m., pick up people along the way and return on July 17 around 6 p.m. We will take appropriate breaks but it will not be much of a sightseeing tour. We hope to stop at one or two interesting sites along the way. The minimum participants will be 35 persons to stay within the above price. Happy New Year and God bless! Earl K. Ziegler (See letter on the bulletin board)

AUGUST 3 – 7, 2015 – Basketball Camp- This will be held here at York First Church of the Brethren. Sign up now! Register online, mail or bring information to: Emmanuel Christian Fellowship, 2309 East Philadelphia St, York, PA 17402 OR register online at http://registration.upward.org/UPW58041, Camp for 1st through 5th grade will be held Monday, August 3 through Friday, August 7, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. each evening. Flyers are available at York First COB office. For more information contact Betsy Rubadue, ecfyork@comcast.net, 717-840-0840

JUNE BIRTHDAYS:
If your birthday is in JUNE and it is not on the above list or is listed incorrectly, please call the church office.
1 Lauren Poland
2 Ryan Sauder
Brian LeGrand
3 Dorothy Lehman
5 Jeffrey Gipe
James Godfrey
7 Tanya Raney
Suzanne Gray
Jonathan Soyke
9 Mary Minnich
10 Becky Wenger
11 Michael Kovacs
12 Shannon McCracken
Michelle Yingling
Deb Martin
13 Kevin & Kyle Hubbell
Trey Bradfield
16 Nancy Gipe
19 Helen Lehman-Fay
20 Justin Stehr
21 Dale Campbell
22 Nancy Snyder
Amanda Hubbell Jan
Benjamin Miller
24 Wayne Brant
28 Roy Rollman
29 Marie Bachman
30 Arden Kile

Contacting the Pastor: Pastor Don can be reached most mornings in the church office Monday-Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The pastor reserves afternoons and evenings for visitation, meetings, and other pastoral-related activities. If you need to reach a Pastor Don outside of office hours, please call him at home at 792-4090, or cell phone 818-6266, and leave a message on his home answering machine. He will return your call at his earliest opportunity.If you would specifically like a pastoral visit, please contact the pastor. HIPA laws prevent the hospital from contacting the pastor when you are admitted. You MUST specifically note to hospital staff that you would like the hospital to contact your pastor.