Weekly News
Vol. 12-No. 51 Friday, December 22, 2017
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, December 24, 2017 – Christmas Eve
9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
10:30 a.m. – Worship Service
– SANCTUARY: “Let it Be”
– SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:26-38
7:00 p.m. – Family Christmas Eve Candlelight Service – The Christmas Eve offering will be donated to the Church of the Brethren Disaster Relief Fund.
– SANCTUARY: “Light into Darkness”
– SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 9:2-7, Luke 2:1-20
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ATTACHMENTS: Calendar of Events, Friends to Remember in Prayer, & Sunday School Schedule
Tax Free Charitable Giving Letter – A copy is also available on the table in the narthex.
ATTENDANCE – December 17, 2017, 10:30 a.m. Worship Service – 159
COPIES OF this week’s e-news, the December calendar, and December Newsline Digest are available to be picked up on the table in the narthex and at YorkFirst.org
2018 OFFERING ENVELOPES: Please pick up your 2018 offering envelopes in the narthex. If there is no envelopes with your name, please advise the church office and one will be provided.
DO NOT USE your 2017 envelopes after DECEMBER 31
DO NOT USE your 2018 envelopes until JANUARY 1. ~ Thank you
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“DONATIONS TO THE HEIFER PROJECT can be made using the envelopes in the pew racks. Include your name and designate for Heifer Project. Donations in Honor or Memory of loved ones can be made the same way, and will be acknowledged December 31, 2017. Thank you.”
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THANK YOU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Our deepest gratitude for everyone who baked all the cookies for Andrew to take to Lighthouse to celebrate his 42nd birthday. There were 150 cookies! Thank you for those who came to help out at our house and to help put up the donated Christmas tree.
Deepest gratitude, David, Joan, Andrew, and Jonathan Young
I just wanted to thank everyone at First Church for your support, prayers, and concerns for my husband’s recent health issue. It is greatly appreciated. Thank you for all of the cards, gifts, and best wishes for the holiday. My family and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas -Karen Bowman
We have received blessings in abundance from the congregation of York First as I go through my journey with lymphona. For all the kind words and thoughtful ways you have reached out to me/us, we are so grateful. Wishing all a Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year!
Jim and Judy Deitch
THANK YOU to all the people that have made casseroles each month for Our Daily Bread in 2017. Many people in York are thankful for the delicious spaghetti that we provide the second Friday of each month.
If you would like to help…pans and a recipe are provided. You can make it any time of the month and place it in the church freezer. I also appreciate those who deliver and serve the food every month. Thank you. ~ Audrey Ginder
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DECEMBER SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT:
It is Advent season again, that time of the year we look forward to celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus. It can be both a joyous and stressful time. Many of us have a long “to do” list to insure every task is completed to make this Christmas special and memorable. Wouldn’t it be great if we could make it special and also help someone else in need?
Heifer International can help you provide a helping hand to someone in need while removing a task or two from your “to do” list.
Here are some facts you may not know about Heifer International.
Heifer International’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth.
Heifer International has set a goal to help 4 million families achieve living incomes by 2020.
Since 1944, when it was started by Dan West, they have helped more than 31 million families.
Heifer has been ranked in the top four most trusted nonprofit organizations in the past four years by Harris Poll Equitrend.
Passing on the gift, or giving away a portion of what you have been given, is at the heart of Heifer’s value based development.
Heifers are just one of many types of livestock given to families in need. Also given are water buffaloes, llamas, goats, sheep, pigs, rabbits, chicks and bees.
Families are given extensive training on how to care for their Heifer provided animals and agree to pass on an offspring to neighbors also in need.
As little as $20 buys a flock of chicks – with each hen able to lay 200 protein-packed eggs a year.
$60 buys a tree that can produce fruit, nuts or fodder to feed a family and their livestock in a sustainable way.
$250 buys a water buffalo that allows a family to plant four times more crops than by hand and then transport their harvests to market.
The Spiritual Enrichment and Witness teams are joining together this Advent season to offer you a chance to be a part of the good works of Heifer International. Our goal is to send an Ark through Heifer by raising $5000 by the end of the year. Your gift to Heifer is tax deductible and will appear on your church giving statement if given through an envelope placed in the offering plate. Your gift can be given in honor of a family member or friend. See a team member at the Heifer International table in the narthex for an honor card you can send to your honoree. Let’s make this a truly memorable Christmas.
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LOOKING AHEAD . . . . . . . . . . .
JANUARY 9, 2018 – Ladies, we are going to start a new Bible Study after the holidays on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. If you are interested in joining us………. we would love to have you. If you know a friend or relative who you would feel would benefit from this study, by all means, please invite her.
Our new study is entitled KINGDOM WOMAN and is a DVD study series by Dr. Tony Evans and his daughter Chrystal Evans Hurst. Now don’t let the title scare you. A Kingdom Woman is not the “perfect woman” as it may sound. But is a study to acquaint or re-enforce your value as a woman who God has created. The world will tell you are valueless. Sometimes your friends will make you feel devalued – and many times today, domestic abuse is one that totally devalues a woman’s self-esteem. But this study wants you to know how valuable you are. Some questions that are asked in this study are: What can you do if you feel devalued? How can you develop hope that brings joy? What will your spiritual legacy be? Do you know your potential?
The cost of the study guide is $8. I will have a sign-up sheet for the book if interested. Money will not be due until January 9.
Please put this study on your prayer list. Many of us need the Word of God to drown out the world’s view of who we are. You are the daughter of a King – You are a Kingdom Woman!!!
Any questions, please see Dolly Furst
JANUARY 12, 2018 ~ 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, January 12, 2018 (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.
JANUARY 12-13, 2018 ~ SOUTHERN PA DISTRICT-WIDE YOUTH ACTIVITY ~ Swim Upstream -Where We Will Begin to Explore Jesus’ Love & What it Means to Live Counter Culturally -for Youth grades 6-12, Contact Pastor Joel for registration information.
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CAMP EDER ~ LIFE OUTDOORS ~ LIFESKILLS WORKSHOP, Free and open to the public RSVP @ 717-642-8256, Workshops will fill fast. Please R.S.V.P. – Register online now
First Thursday of every month. 6:30p – 8p at Camp Eder
January 4, 2018 – Knit & Crochet ‘woven together’
February 1, 2018 – Terrariums ‘warm in Winter’
March 1, 2018 – Outdoor Survival Skills ‘no problems’
April 5, 2018 – Beekeeping ‘bee ready for Spring’
Come hang out & learn the basics of some awesome life skills.
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Eshbach Railroad ~ All are invited to the annual Model Train Show at the home of Theresa & Warren Eshbach, 3885 Lauer Lane, Dover, PA 17315. No admission charge, but contributions received will support Children’s Aid Society.
Call (717) 292-4803 or Email: eshbachmodelrailroad@gmail.com to schedule a visit for:
Friday, Dec. 22nd, 7:00 pm
Friday, Dec. 29th, 2:00/7:00 pm
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JANUARY BIRTHDAYS:
If your birthday is in JANUARY and it is not on the above list or is listed incorrectly, please call the church office.
6 Ruby Nicholas
Tom Klinedinst
7 Greg Minnich
9 Jeffrey Yingling
11 Nathan Beuschlein
14 Beth Drawbaugh
Clarence Sauder
15 Ron Horner
Steven Fitzkee
16 Cathy McCracken
18 Melanie Schaefer
19 Greg Bachman
20 Spencer Ginder
Dana Stump
23 Danielle Gibbel
25 Valerie Sauder
27 Larry Gibble
31 Mikel Kile-Flickinger
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CONTACTING THE PASTOR: Pastor Joel can be reached most mornings in the church office Monday—Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Afternoons and evenings are 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 home phone number is (717) 318-5442, and his cell number is (717) 271-4888 . You can also email him at pastor@yorkfirst.org. By the way, HIPA laws prevent the hospital from contacting the pastor when you are admitted, so you will need to let hospital staff know that you would like the hospital to contact your pastor.
