26 May 2021

Good day Yorkshire!

This has been an event-filled week for our family as we are celebrating our son Brayton’s graduation from Northeastern High School. I know several folks are having the same type of week as Sarah Berman, Jacob Wingard, and Michaela Monticchio are also graduating from high school this week or in the next week or so, as well. For us, tonight was Baccalaureate, tomorrow is an awards function, and then Friday morning (yes, 9AM), is graduation. We are very proud of our son and all of those that will be graduating with him- especially with what they have had to persevere their year in completing this final year. I am looking forward to our Graduate Recognition Sunday on June 6th, during our 9AM Worship hour where we will also be recognizing our students that are graduating from college this year.

We are still in need of Preschool Teachers and Teacher Aides for our Joyful Noise Christian Preschool. We are extending our recruiting efforts in as many ways as we can. So, if you know anyone that may be interested, please let Director Julie Mann know. She and Barb Snare are working hard in screening and interviewing prospective candidates, but have not yet found the right folks. Keep this effort in prayer as we have an ever- growing enrollment of students seeking a Christian preschool experience! Thank you for your assistance!

This weekend, we will be celebrating Memorial Day. We often look forward to Memorial Day as the official start of summer, an opportunity for a three-day weekend. But the observance of Memorial Day is so much more than hotdogs, hamburgs, and the opening of the pool. Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

The gospel writer John records Jesus’s own words in speaking about dying for a cause- specifically the cause of one’s friends. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13, NIV). The American military is known as the only military in the world where men and women voluntarily serve their country, and are willing to die not only for their friends, but for the rights of their fellow citizens and the freedoms that we still cherish. What also differentiates the American Soldier is that they do this willingly to protect the sovereign rights of other nations, as well.

As we remember the great men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for others, we also have to remember that the greatest interest of those who enter the portals of combat is peace. The American Soldier trains very hard, not in hopes to go to war, but for the purpose of being prepared in case such services are

required to preserve the freedoms we hold so dear. It is also the high level of training that keeps our enemies at bay, as they know the formidable force that they represent.

As the church, I often wonder what the impact would be if we trained as hard in our faith, as the soldier does for potential combat. What if we knew the Scriptures so well that the enemy dared to confront us, knowing that our strength existed not only in our individual preparedness, but the power of our united fellowship, as well. What if we, the church, were willing to commit hours of effort in preparing to serve the Church of Jesus Christ, seeking to not only preserve our freedoms as Christians, but to be willing ambassadors for Jesus on the spiritual battle fields of this world? The American Soldier trains so that if needed, he/she is ready, willing and able to confront the enemy, and die for the cause of a nation. Is the church so prepared for the cause of Christ?

The good news is that I don’t believe that many of us will be called to make the ultimate sacrifice in our effort to serve the church. But what a difference we can and will make through our training–meaning our study of the scriptures, daily devotions, and time in prayer, right! Jesus commanded us to carry out some specific tasks to further His Kingdom here on earth, and as we have been studying in our worship on Sunday mornings, He will be with us in all that we do. The training we receive comes at the hand of the Holy Spirit who resides within our heart – there is nothing that we can’t accomplish, there is no enemy that we can’t stand down.

Joshua 1:9 states, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

A tradition that I learned from a veteran in my former church was that we are to take a moment at 3PM on Memorial Day, a minute to be exact, to specifically honor and remember, in silence, the fallen. My challenge is this, take this moment at 3PM, and spend it in prayer- prayer not only for our historically fallen veterans, but for those veterans and families that are facing such sacrifices even as we celebrate on this day.

Peace and Blessings to each of you on this Memorial Day!

-pastor dave.

dkominsky@susumc.org

125 Edgewood Road, York, PA 17402 • (717)755-4952 • www.yorkshirechurch.org

20 May 2021

Greetings to each of my fellow Yorkshirians!

I hope that this day finds each of you well! Spring is really flying along and momentum at Yorkshire continues to grow. I have looked at my calendar many times this week to verify that next weekend is really Memorial Day. How can it be? But, officially or unofficially, Memorial Day brings a change of season with it. We move from activities that we align with springtime to activities that are “summertime” based. We will take this opportunity to launch some new initiatives at Yorkshire, as well.

I am very excited about the new Education Programming that will be starting on June 6th, which we discussed last week. I am looking forward to meeting with our team later today (May 20) to meet with our Education Team leaders and teachers. Stepping up to teach in the church is a noble endeavor. The Gospel of Matthew shares the words of Jesus where he is giving his disciples instructions on what they are to do to carry on his mission. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV, emphasis mine). One of our basic responsibilities as the church is to teach. I believe it is also one of our most important roles. It has to be a core competency. As we move forward, we will need more teachers to accept this important role in our church.

Another part of our church that is moving forward is our Missions efforts. You will see in this week’s announcements a meeting that will be occurring on Tuesday, June 8th at 6:30 for all folks interested our new Missions efforts to meet another of Jesus’s last instructions to his disciples. “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, emphasis mine). During this discussion we will explore opportunities to engage our church in the support of local and overseas missionaries, become more involved in inner-city outreach, and look at our current outreach programs to expand them and gain more involvement through improved communications and education about just what it is that fellowship-Yorkshire does!

So, some great things happening! Communication for these things is important and that is my responsibility. But involvement is the only way that the things that we communicate can happen – and that, is your responsibility. But this is not a plea or a begging endeavor to get folks to do more. It is simply what happens when a church is alive- not because of expectation, but because of desire. It’s something that is really cool that God does in His church when we are a church that prays together, fellowships together (both in person and on- line as situation permits), communes together, and cares for one another. (Take a look at Acts 2:42-47).

Here is something to put on your calendars and all of your friends and neighbors’ calendars as well. On Friday, July 30th, Yorkshire will be hosting an outdoor concert event with our good friend Matt Baird’s band, Spoken. As you know, Matt Baird has led our Sunday morning worship twice over the past year, and each time, the feedback that you provided was very positive. A few weeks ago, he threw out an idea for a parking lot event to draw folks to our church environment. I shared this with the Sunday School fellowship and your response was a resounding, “we need to do this!” As a result, (I heard your voices loud and clear) we are doing it! You will be getting a great deal more information on this, but it will include food trucks (thanks Rachel Fry!), and an additional local artist who will perform prior to Spoken. It will truly be a great night of outdoor food, fun, and fellowship at Yorkshire Church!

By the time that I write this communication next week, we will have a new Custodian on staff-praise God! Finalizing some details today and tomorrow, but as long as everything goes well, we’ll have a new team member at Yorkshire! We continue to search for Preschool Teachers and Teacher Aides, though. If you know anyone that may be interested, please share this opportunity with them. Our enrollment continues to grow! Our preschool programming is so incredible. Our students are enjoying a VBS-type experience every single day at Joyful Noise. They are learning life skills, inter-personal skills, and best of all, they are hearing Bible stories and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Church happens every day at Joyful Noise Christian Preschool, so we are in prayer that God provides Christ-minded staff to support our ministry! I trust that He will provide but as in all things, it may be through you that He answers our prayers! The Bible is full of stories where God uses His church to provide for the needs of the people- either directly or indirectly. That thought that is hiding in the back of your mind, that person that you are thinking about, could be an answer to Director Julie Mann’s prayers! I’m not going to say that she is “stressed” about the recruiting process, but…(don’t tell her I said this),

I think she might be getting stressed about the recruiting process. Let’s help Julie not be stressed!

Well, that’s about it for today, I probably should get to work! We have some awesome things happening at our church this day as the Joyful Noise students will be performing their graduation celebration and getting their diplomas. Our sanctuary will be filled with the joy of the students and their families (Thursday, May 20).

I hope that you have a great day and are enjoying some of this weather.

Peace and Blessings to each of you!

-pastor dave.

dkominsky@susumc.org