York First Church of the Brethren Weekly Newsletter, Vol.10, No.5

Weekly News
Vol. 10-No. 5 Friday, February 5, 2016
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, February 7, 2016
9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
10:30 a.m. Worship Service
– Sanctuary: “The Wonder of the Word”
– Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-12

Thoughts on the Word: I always enjoy a visit with an old friend! Since the beginning of the new year we have been visiting with the Old Testament person, Nehemiah. I have always felt that he has had very valuable things to say to the people of God from his day to ours. Things like, the importance of prayer in our lives. The challenge to risk everything for the sake of the kingdom of God. Our not being afraid to ask for the things that are needed to carry on the work of ministry. Seeing and being broken over the ruins that we see all around us. And everybody getting involved and using the God given gifts for the sake of sharing the Gospel message. I hope and pray that you have been blessed by or visit with our friend Nehemiah and that we will all take to heart the things he has taught us.

Weather Related *CHURCH CANCELLATIONS
A. Cancellations will be announced through our church phone system.
Please use the following process:
1. Call the church office at 755-0307.
2. When answering machine message begins, press 6
3. A recorded message will indicate the status of church services/activities.
B. Cancellations will be announced on the church’s web site at www.yorkfirst.org, and when possible, emails will be sent to all online mailing list members and added to our Facebook page and Twitter, and in that 1, 2, 3, 4 order. *Weather related cancellations will not be announced on radio or TV.

WORSHIP ATTENDANCE – January 31, 2016, 10:30 a.m. Worship Service – 87

THIS WEEK….

FEBRUARY 10, 2016 – W.E. GATHER – Begins Feb. 10th and continues through March 16th. We will begin at 6 pm with a carry-in supper and then a study time starting at 7 pm. The subject is Survey of Isaiah, the evangelical prophet themes >impending judgment >coming of the Messiah > establishment of Messiah’s Kingdom.

FEBRUARY 11, 2016 – OWLS NEWS ~ It’s a NEW YEAR and time to check out the OWLS (Older, Wiser, Loving, Seniors). The OWLS met in January to plan the activities for 2016, and more information about these plans will soon be shared. In the meantime, PLEASE JOIN US AS WE TRAVEL WITH BRAD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN via colorful slides. This will be a good time of the year to enjoy those warmer climes! We will meet in the Homebuilder’s classroom (room 154) at noon on Thursday February 11. Bring your bag lunch. Drinks and dessert will be provided (I believe I heard “CHERRY PIE & ICE CREAM” for dessert!) PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGNUP SHEET IN THE NARTHEX BY SUNDAY FEBRUARY 7 so we know how much pie to bake!

FEBRUARY 11, 2016 – Linguist and hymnologist Hedda Durnbaugh presents “The Schwenkfelder Hymnal of 1762 and Its Unique Place in German Hymnody,” on Thurs., Feb. 11, 7:00 p.m., at Elizabethtown College’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. For more information, call 717-361-1470 or visit www.etown.edu/youngctr/events.

FEBRUARY 12, 2016 – 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, February 12, 2016 (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.

DIRECTORY CHANGE:

Judy Yingling’s new address: 41 Camelot Arms, York, PA 17406 REMINDER…SIMPLY PRAYER – A small prayer group will meet every Tuesday in the Lounge at 1:00 (except for every 2nd Tues. of the month we will meet at 2:00) Anyone is welcome to join us in prayer. The sessions will be about 30 minutes in length. You can contact Pat Gibble if you have questions.

YORK FIRST WEBSITE: We are excited to announce the York First website is being updated to a new design! The new website design will be “mobile friendly” meaning that it will adjust to the screen of your computer, tablet or smartphone.
The new design can be viewed here, http://dev.yorkfirst.org/home/ and will switch over near the end of February with announcements. The original website will be live until further notice and will be the one with the most updated information.
Please note the new design is most compatible with Internet Explorer 8, 9,10, 11, Firefox, Safari and Chrome browsers.
If you have any questions or suggestions about the new design, please contact Tim Beckwith at timothy.a.beckwith@gmail.com or 717-304-6405.

SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: We at First Church look forward to our 2nd Spiritual Renewal Congregational Luncheon. It will be held on February 21st following worship (snow date is the 28th). The youth will be preparing lunch for us and we want to extend the invitation to everyone to stay and be a part of this uplifting event in the life or our church. The emphasis will be on “Spiritual Appreciation.” In preparation for that Sunday, we can begin our thinking now by asking the following question, “How many of the four inward spiritual disciplines can you name?”
The answers to last week’s questions are Meditation, Prayer, Fasting and Study.
Medication is spending time hearing god’s voice and being aware of God’s presence in our lives. We may meditate on a passage of scripture or ponder a truth of the gospel.
Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. Prayer involves listening as much as speaking.
Fasting is refraining from eating for spiritual purposes. Fasting helps one focus on God and listen to God.
Study: In the Christian life, we study the bible and time-tested authors of the Christian life.
We will be learning more about these four disciplines as we proceed. –The Spiritual Renewal Team

MESSENGER RENEWAL: It is time to renew your Messenger subscription or you may also begin subscribing to it. The cost through First Church is $14.50 which is a savings of $3.00. Messenger envelopes will be available in the narthex beginning on Sunday, January 24, through Sunday, February 7, for you to complete and put your payment in. They can be placed in the church offering plates OR given to the person manning the Messenger table that Sunday. You can also place it in the box marked Messenger on the counter in the church office. Checks NEED to be made payable to First Church of the Brethren because we need to send one check from the church for the total amount. If you have any questions contact Elizabeth Eisenhart.

REMINDER – YEAR END STATEMENTS are available for pick up on the table in the narthex.

MEN’S BIBLE STUDY GROUP…..Men Mentoring or Fellowshipping other Men….Growth and Study through Topics: *The Armor of God *Fruits of the Spirit *Men of Honor *Dad’s of Destiny or Grand Dads or Uncles *Support/Adopting/Mentoring of Youth of the Church *Other Suggestions….Possible Missions at Local Nursing Homes – “African Missions” – “Men’s Missions” &….New Life Tribes…. Helping at Habitat for Humanity … Outings of Interest that promote Growth and Friendship within and without the FCOB!!
Contact Brian LeGrand. ~ Brian LeGrand, Spiritual Enrichment Team Member

BHA Position Opening: Opening for Brethren Housing Association Executive Director – This position focuses on providing strategic direction and vision consistent with BHA – a mission. You may contact BHA at BHA_Search@dasherinc.com. See letter on bulletin board.

LOOKING AHEAD…….

FEBRUARY 17, 2016 – CAMP EDER SENIOR DAY, Wed., Feb. 17th, 9:30 am Welcome and Breakfast Bar, 10:00 Morning Program – Alan Patterson singing love songs of early 1900’s, 12:00 Lunch – Lasagna, salad, garlic bread, broccoli, & dessert, 1:00 Afternoon Program – Elva’s Chalk Art – Cost: $17 per person. Reserve your spot by Feb. 12th by calling 717-642-8256 or emailing campeder@campeder.org See flyer on bulletin board or contact Kathy Kovacs with any questions.

FEBRUARY 17, 2016 – NEW WINDSOR WORK DAY ~ A work day in SERRV is scheduled for Wednesday, February 17TH. An email from SERRV indicated that they are looking for workers to process items for the gift shop and catalog sales. Our volunteer hours assist the program in a meaningful way. We will meet in the church parking lot at 7:15 a.m. and Marvin Gibble will drive us to New Windsor. Lunch is provided by SERRV and time in the gift shop is allowed for shopping. We return to First Church by 5:00 p.m. Hope you can join us. Sign the sheet in the narthex. If you have questions, call Helen Stoner, 624-3398.

FEBRUARY 27, 2016 ~ MAN 2 MAN Workshop 2016 – 8:00 am -12:00 noon-Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren, 301 Gale St, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055, $ 16.00 Registration Fee~ Men’s Spiritual Leadership Summit and Breakfast, DEEDS & DESTINY, Understanding the Times and Knowing What to Do. Attributes of a Decision-maker. Man UP! Guest Speaker: Ron Hostetler-Author, Educator, and Speaker – Sponsored by: Southern Pennsylvania District Church of the Brethren (See Bulletin for registration information and more details)

FEBRUARY 27 AND MARCH 5, 2016 – Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve’s Camp Eder Mount Hope Maple Madness! Saturdays: Feb 27th and March 5th. Pancake Breakfast 7:30 – 11:30 am, Maple Sugaring Tours 9 am – 12 pm (last tour begins at 12pm) Tree to Table: learn the origins of maple sugaring and today’s tricks of the trade (and practice tapping a tree!) with a 90-minute tour. Perfect Pancakes for drizzling with real maple syrup, plus sausage, eggs, and more! Local Art & Craft Vendors showcase a variety of homemade goods. Pennsylvania Maple Syrup available for purchase while supplies last. “Sweet Deal” Package Best Price: Breakfast & a Tour $ 12. Adult, $ 7 Child (under 3 Free) **Visit StrawberryHill.org for single admission fees. See flyer on bulletin board or contact Kathy Kovacs with any questions

MARCH 4 & 5, 2016 – District Youth Event – Held at Mechanicsburg COB, 301 Gale St. Mechanicsburg, PA 17055, 7:00 PM on Friday, March 4th and Saturday, March 5th, $ 15.00 per person – Come join us for a night of fun and fellowship! This will be an overnight event filled with games, worship, and plenty of time to meet new friends! What to Bring: sleeping bag & pillow, card games, board games, snacks to share. Sign up online: www.campeder.org, (717) 642-8256, or email: campeder@campeder.org

MARCH 13TH through 16th, 2016 – REVIVAL SERVICES – New Fairview Church of the Brethren with Pastor Stafford Frederick of the Summerdean Church of the Brethren. See bulletin board for the schedule and message titles for these days. For More Information call 755-3836.

SAVE THE DATE ~ APRIL 26, 2016 ~ THE 25TH ANNUAL AUCTION BENEFITTING THE LEHMAN CENTER will be held Tuesday, April 26th at the York County 4-H Center, 771 Stoverstown, Rd., York PA. Doors will open for auction preview, silent auction and food an Noon. Live Auction begins at 5:00 pm.

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.