Weekly News
Vol. 9-No. 10 Friday, March 6, 2015
Karen Bowman, Editor, secretary@yorkfirst.org

Our Vision Statement: “To Love God, Share Christ, and Serve the World”

SUNDAY, March 8, 2015
9:00 am – Sunday School
10:30 am – Worship Service
Sanctuary: “Put your hand in the hand”
– Scripture: John 2: 13 – 22

Thoughts on the Word: The very nature of God’s word is far beyond all human understanding. How can we possibly comprehend the act of creation when God spoke and all that exists everywhere came into being? Yet for all its mystery and majesty, God’s word is equally personal and intimate, and is to be lived out in our lives: law and wisdom (Exodus 20 and 1 Corinthians 1), action and power (John 2 and Psalm 19), treasure, life, and ultimately love!

REMINDER: TIME CHANGE, SUNDAY MARCH 8TH – Move clocks ahead one hour.

MARCH 15, 2015 – TWO EVENTS BEING HELD AT YORK FIRST COB:
Immediately following Worship Service: 3rd ANNUAL ST PATRICK’S DAY BAKED POTATO BAR – On Sunday March 15th, the youth will be holding another baked potato bar lunch. Join the youth for steamy baked potatoes with all the fixin’s like chili, cheese, broccoli and more. You will also enjoy salad and dessert while socializing in the fellowship hall, so bring your family and friends. Your donations will support the youth fund. Tickets are not required.

2:00 pm: Join us for a “Celebration of God’s Power and Glory” Benefit Concert for our fellow Nigerian Christians. Featuring the musical talents of : Dr. Cathy Carson & Dr. Jacqueline LeGrand (Both Waynesboro COB natives)

ALSO FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 15TH – ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING ~ One Great Hour of Sharing is a Christian effort to aid those in need by providing water, supplying food, and giving relief from disasters. The Church of the Brethren is one of eight denominations that work together in these global ministries. Gifts given through this special offering empower ministries like the Church of the Brethren’s Global Mission and Service, Congregational Life Ministries, Brethren Disaster Ministries, Brethren Volunteer Service, work camps, the Global Food Crisis Fund, and many others. One Great Hour of Sharing reaches those near and far, sometimes changing the life of someone in distress in our own community, while at other times impacting the lives of those we may never meet but who are in need of our compassion. God provides the resources so that we can give back. It’s not the size of the gift that matters; it’s that we give of what we have, and that means everyone has a gift to bring!

Weather Related Church Cancellations: Cancellations will be announced through email, posted on facebook and on the website. We apologize for this inconvenience, however, at this time, the church phone system is not working properly for us to post a message by phone. You can also contact Pastor Don at OR Bernetta Kile, Melinda Carlson, or Roy Rollman.

WORSHIP ATTENDANCE – March 1, 2015, 10:30 a.m. – 58

THIS WEEK….

W.E. GATHER – WED. EVENINGS – MARCH 11 TO MARCH 25 – Dinner: 6:00 pm / Study: 7:00 pm / Room # 145 – If you were inspired Kyle Idleman at Christmas and Advent, you will also be inspired by him for Lent and Easter through “The Easter Experience”, what if what happened then changes everything now? Make Easter more than a holiday. The Easter Experience is a study with the power to change lives with the message of God’s loving plan for us. Using dramatic story-telling and challenging teaching by Kyle Idleman, the six-episode series brings the passion and resurrection to life. (1) My Life Has a Purpose (2) My Life Can Change (3) My Pain is Understood (4) My Life Has a Plan (5) I Have the Promise of Eternal Life (6) My Hope is Secure

FMARCH 7th – Mount Hope Maple Madness, Festival of Fun sponsored by Strawberry Hill and Camp Eder and will be held at Camp Eder. Pancake Breakfasts – 7:30 – 11:30 am, Warm up with indoor arts and crafts vendors, music, sugaring supplies, gifts and fun! Maple Sugar Programs 9:00 – 3:00 pm – No reservations necessary! See flyer on bulletin board for prices and package prices or contact Kathy Kovacs.

MARCH 8TH – First Church is interested in starting a ministry focused on supporting and strengthening marriages, from engaged/young married couples to those that have been married a long time. Sunday, March 8 following church at @11:30AM we will have an initial get-together in room 154 to discuss ideas in more detail. There will be an easy buffet lunch with hoagies and chips. Meeting will not be long, so children are welcome too. This ministry will encompass things like having a group or groups meet during the Sunday School hour, or after church, or at another time when folks can get together. While we want to grow as couples, fun is also to be included. Meeting and enjoying fellowship with other couples is a prime goal of how we want to design this program. Come join us! See or email Carol and Ken Gordon (momfornine@aol.com, dadofnine@aol.com) for details, and please let us know of your interest.

MARCH 9, 2015 – An Ad Hoc team, called by the Leadership Team to work on the theme of renewal for York First will hold it’s first meeting Monday, March 9th in the lounge at 7:00 pm. This Is an open meeting for any interested persons. Renewal will be a theme for York First in the coming years.

MARCH 12, 2015 – OWLS NEWS ~ The OWLS (Older, Wiser Loving SENIORS) will gather in the Homebuilder’s Classroom 154 on Thursday March 12 at NOON for the program provided by Brad Nicholas – either pictures or a guest speaker. Bring your bag lunch. DRINKS AND DESSERT will be provided by Jeanette Brickner! PLEASE SIGN UP BY MARCH 8 so we know how many to prepare for.

MARCH 13, 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, March 13, 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.

MARCH 13 – 15th – Scrapbook Retreat- Join us at Camp Eder as we gather for another wonderful weekend of Scrapbooking and relaxation. Hostess, Jen Coale will be with us as we work late into each night making memories that will last a life time. Arrive on Friday anytime after 6pm. Head home on Sundayafter lunch. Two nights lodging and five meals included in one low price of $ 125/person. See flyer on the bulletin board how to register or contact Kathy Kovacs.

MARCH 14, 2015 – CAMP EDER – We need your Help!! – 2015 Lumberjack Work Day – 8:00 am – 3:00 pm. Bring your chain saws, gloves, and safety goggles as we clean up the forest and split lots of wood for Camp. Ask about other equipment that you might bring. We’ll also need help to prepare lunch for our lumberjacks. Coffee & donuts will be available for breakfast. Lunch will be served at noon. Pastor Don would like to attend this event, if anyone else is interested, please contact him. Call or email to register for free, phone:717-642-8256 or email:campeder@campeder.org

DONATIONS & VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – Donations of the following will be greatly appreciated for the April 1, Easter Egg Hunt: plastic eggs; monetary donations to help with the expenses; and/or volunteers to help that evening or to fill the plastic eggs with a surprise. There will be a carton in the narthex marked: Easter Egg Hunt in which you can put your donations. Monetary donations can be put in the offering plate on Sundays or given to Elizabeth, Stephanie Stoolmaker, or Audrey Ginder. Please mark it Easter Egg Hunt. We would like to have all donations by Sunday, March 15. If you wish to volunteer, please tell one of the persons listed above. Thank you!

Parents and Grandparents of First Church – Plan now to bring your child/children to the First Church Easter Egg Hunt on Wednesday, April 1st, rain or shine. It begins at 5:30 PM with a light supper. Enjoy this fun event with those special children in your life! Your children may bring friends. Each child is to bring his/her Easter basket. In order for the committee to know how many to plan for, please sign up on the sign up sheet in the narthex by Sunday, March 22.

MESSENGER RENEWAL – Renew your Messenger subscription this Sunday, March 8. Look for the Messenger table in the narthex.

LOOKING FORWARD TO EASTER MORNING? April 5th – Plan for the Easter Breakfast during Sunday School hour. Look for signups in the narthex and inSunday School classrooms OR talk to the Beuschleins or LeGrands.

The Hospitality Team is creating a 5-minute video that describes First Church. It is aimed at visitors to our website and to our place of worship. A DVD will be placed in our Visitor’s Packets, which will be addition to a number of other items in the packet that describe First Church. To create this video, we need a group of volunteers; script writers, videographers (using cell phones with video capabilities), video editors, and technicians to burn the DVDs.
If you have any interest in serving in one of these capacities, please contact Larry Gibble, Hospitality Team member at larry@gibbble.org or by phoning 755-0019 ASAP. We will hold a meeting in mid to late March to refine all of the details. Thank you for your consideration – Larry Gibble

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT:
Erin & Tanner Ferro are very proud to announce the birth of their son, Luca Alexander Ferro on February 23rd. He weighed 6 lbs. 11 oz and is 18.5 inches long. Proud grandparents are Tom & Jill McCracken and great-grandmother is Rebecca McCracken.

SYMPATHY AND CONDOLENCES:
Barry Stehr’s mother passed away on Sunday, March 1, 2015. Please keep Barry, Tammy, and their family in your thoughts and prayers.

The Southern PA District Office has an opening for an Office Manager. The position is a full-time, 40 hr/week job. This is an at-will position. Salary and benefits will be negotiable dependent on experience. This is an exempt position for purposes of all state and federal labor laws. Desired skills are: Team player, Able to work unsupervised, Organizational skills, Word Processing, Basic Microsoft Excel, Proficiency with office technology, Secretarial and Writing Skills, Social Media/ Website knowledge preferred.
The Office Manager supports the District Executive, District Board and Commissions as needed. This position entails often being the first “face” of the District when answering the phone, greeting visitors to the office and communicating with various members and agencies of the District. This position requires a combination of management and secretarial skills. Time management skills and the ability to prioritize tasks are also essential. Because the office deals with sensitive issues, confidentiality is a must.
Interested persons should send their resumes and references to Bill Waugh, District Executive by email at bwaugh@brethren.org by February 13, 2015. (This information is posted on the Bulletin Board)

LOOKING AHEAD…….

MARCH 25, 2015 – CAMP EDER SENIOR CITIZEN’S DAY – 9:30 am Meet & Greet – 10:00 am: Tom McPherson will present and demonstrate his fabulous artistic ice sculptures.- 12:00 pm Lunch $ 15/Person (Covers all food & activities – 1:00 pm: Ruthmary McIlhenny presents a program on Camp David which has served as the weekend refuge for Presidents since 1942. See flyer on the bulletin board for more information. RSVP by March 18th to reserve your place 717-642-8256 or email Lori Jackson at ljackson@campeder.org OR contact Kathy Kovacs.

MARCH 27 & 28, 2015 – NEW FAIRVIEW COB will be holding their Annual Spring Yard Sale/Bake Sale (Fellowship Hall) on Friday – March 27, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday – March 28 from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. There will be a variety of yard sale/ bake sale items available. The proceeds will benefit the New Fairview Women’s Ministries. Call Ruth Chronister at 858-2350 for more details.

APRIL 18, 2015, Saturday at 3:00 PM – The Friends of Cross Keys Village – The Brethren Home Community presents “OPERATION HELPING HANDS” A Fundraising Event Featuring “The National Christian Choir”
New Oxford High School Auditorium – All seats assigned. Ticket Prices: VIP seats $ 100. Helping Hand seats $ 25. www.crosskeysvillage.org/friends and click on Purchase Tickets button or Phone 717-270-2112

APRIL 25, 2105 – WOMEN’S SPRING LUNCHEON – BERMUDIAN COB (The Gathering Place), Guest Speaker: Ruth West (Praise Unlimited) – The Bermudian 2015 Spring Luncheon Committee is excited to announce that Ruth West will be this year’s speaker. As some of you may remember from Ruth’s previous District speaking engagements, her style combines practical insights and ideas with inspiration, encouragement and wit. SAVE THE DATE and watch for more details as they become available.

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)

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.