What’s Brewing, December 29, 2021
29 December 2021
Greeting Yorkshirians!
It is my hope that each of you had a Merry Christmas and an opportunity to share the peace, joy and love of what this season is truly about. We had a very nice Christmas and it is always a special blessing to have all of the kids and grandchildren together.
I enjoyed our Christmas Eve services. What a blessing it was to have the musical talents of Steve Fieldhouse Jazz Ensemble during our 5PM service and the Choir, Brenna Richard and both of our organists Jackie and Beth for the 7PM service! I thoroughly enjoyed sharing the message with Pastor Megan as we had a great time working through both the preparation and the presentation of the Christmas story.
This week, we have enjoyed some time with reduced hours at the church as we take a quick breather from the hustle bustle of the Advent Season and get ready for the kick-off of a new year. There is a great deal to look forward to in 2022 while we reflect on all of the accomplishments of 2021. Some of the more noteworthy ones are our new entrance doors to the sanctuary, kitchen and office/preschool entrances. We have made significant improvements to our exterior lighting including improved LED lighting in our north parking lot area. Of course we have begun a major transformation of the fellowship hall following flooding issues that have been many years in the making. This has included significant effort and work to repair damaged drainage pipes, pumps, and rain gutters on the exterior of the building.
The Joyful Noise Christian Preschool has experienced significant growth resulting in the transformation of old office space into new Preschool teachers ’offices and expanded JNCP support rooms (old Preschool office). This, of course was to support more than double registrations and growth from one teacher to four.
Our finance team has successfully implemented a new financial system with new levels of detailed reporting, a culmination of two years of hard work by this team. This is so important as we now look for ways to finance necessary facility repairs, upgrades, and improvements in ways that don’t put financial stress on our church.
We have added three missionaries to our list of dedicated support- two overseas and one in local campus ministry. Our mission’s team is looking forward to growing this ministry not only in the number of missionaries that we support, but also in the amount that we can pledge to support them. This is great as Jesus told us to “make disciples of all nations,” and this is one small way that we can make an impact!
The education team has developed and implemented a curriculum-based Sunday School program that has expanded to four adult classes, a youth class, and two elementary and preschool level classes. This is supported by a dynamic children’s church program for young children during our times of worship. This is an exciting part of our ministry and continues to grow on a monthly basis. I have always believed that a growing Sunday School program is a sign of a healthy church. I am certain that this is at least one of the validating points that Yorkshire is vital church!
Our adult Bible Studies have also seen significant growth this year with both our women’s and men’s fellowships. I have personally been overwhelmed by the support and commitment from the Men’s Fellowship
on the Sixes that began last year during Lent. I truly believed that we would do an eight-week study and then plan to do another one this year. Well, that eight-week study is still going on- over forty-five weeks later! It has been exciting to see the women’s Bible study group grow and include other fellowship activities as well.
New outdoor activities this year have let our neighborhood and community know that we are here for them. From our Spoken rock concert in July, to our Rally Day activity day in September and then the Trunk or Treat in October, we introduced ourselves to hundreds of our neighbors and offered a time of fun and fellowship for all to enjoy. This was a benefit to not only our community, though, as it also offered our church family great times of interaction and fellowship.
As we look back, the key to our vitality is not the events or the accomplishments of facility improvement. The key is in our spiritual growth as the body of Christ. It has always been my belief that when a body of believers prays together, communes together, breaks bread together, and worships together that their love for one another grows together. It is when we love one another as Christ loves us, that He will add to our numbers. And this is not indicated by attendance, but in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:42-47, John 13:34- 35). Of course to support our fellowship, all of the accomplishments and activities are a necessary part – but they are not the key. Looking forward, we need to ensure that our priorities remain our focus on making disciples of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).
In 2022, I would like to see continued growth in our existing Sunday School and Small Group activities. To me, this is where we can really dig into God’s Word and not only listen to it as in the weekly sermons, but we can discuss it, question it, and share in our learning with our brothers and sisters. I would also like to see continued growth in our missions’ programs, as mentioned, and our efforts within our local community as we have enjoyed this past year.
I would also like to focus on visitation and support to those that do not worship within our facility for various reasons. We have been dedicated to rebuilding much of our logistics infrastructure and ministries which has been of tremendous importance. But now we need to wean off of that focus as new leadership and teams are now self-sufficient and can manage these areas effectively. It has been wonderful to take part in a few visitations and Communion visits over the past few weeks, but we need to establish this as a regular part of our ministry activities. I have found my recent visitations to be most rewarding. It is my goal to set aside time each week to continue to do this- either in person, or at least through phone calls. I have not done a very good job of this since beginning my service to this church – but I will do better.
I look forward to what God has in store for us over the next twelve months and beyond. It has been a great year for Yorkshire which was made possible by our dedicated staff, leadership and all of you as we navigated many difficult challenges. I am sure 2022 will continue to give us things we are not expecting, but I know that God is Good, All the Time! Holly and I are very thankful to have the opportunity to be a part of Yorkshire Church. You have been a blessing us!
Here’s to 2022…
Happy New Year!
-pastor dave.
dkominsky@susumc.org
125 Edgewood Road, York, PA 17402
• (717)755-4952
• www.yorkshirechurch.org
- Published in What's Brewing
What’s Brewing, December 22, 2021
22 December 2021
Merry Christmas Yorkshire Church!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. There is truth in this statement. It qualifies as “most” because it is simply the time of year that we focus “most” on the arrival of our Messiah, Emmanuel, God with us! This focus results in a great deal of wonderful activity for us in addition to a couple of weeks or months of hearing music on the radio proclaiming the Newborn King!
I am reminded of this each day when I get home as there are several Christmas cards on the counter that arrived in the mail that day. This time of the year is wonderful in that we think a little bit more of others- even to the extent that we mail them a specific message- often proclaiming our love of God and the blessing of having Jesus in our life. Many cards come with a personal note of sharing good tidings and cheer-if not a reflection of the sender’s joy, often a wish for our own.
We share gifts. For us, it may not always be extravagant gifts or major awards. The gifts may simply be a box of Christmas cookies, fudge, a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup snowman, or maybe a wrap to put around your evening cup of tea. Each represents the thoughts and love of others, and their efforts to share with those around them; which is a blessing of Christmas. It is wonderful to see a focus on giving to others in need during this time of the year. Yorkshire Church’s Angel Tree tradition exemplifies our willingness and desire to share the Holy Spirit of God. This is wonderful.
We often take time during this wonderful time of year to partake in additional fellowship with one another. This may be at the church, or maybe in a gathering room where you live, or even on a group phone call with family members. Many of you have shared travel plans to see friends and family- in each case to share the holiday; share the sentiments of a season that generates a desire to experience time with folks that you don’t get to see on a regular basis. Each of you that have shared such plans, have done so with an extraordinary twinkle in your eye- because you know it will be wonderful.
I felt tremendously blessed a week or so ago to have dinner with our church and preschool staff as we gathered together in a simple time of fellowship, a time of reflection and conversation about where each of us were in the cycle of Christmas preparation; it was a time of sharing in who we are in our daily lives with no focus on the responsibilities of our work or the tasks that were at hand. It was simply a time for us, to be us, and celebrate a
common bond for which God has brought us together. This wonderful time of year seems to remind us to do this- we should do it more often.
During this wonderful time of the year, I look back at the previous 12 months and assess all that has occurred, all that has been accomplished, and all of the goals and objectives that have been fulfilled. At Yorkshire, this brings many great reflections for me; but not of the accomplished tasks, but of the teamwork and comradery that brought about the results. Hours of discussions with our leadership team, staff, and members of our preschool board, Boy Scout leadership, and the sharing of ideas with many of our fellowship are now manifested in my heart as wonderful elements that God is bringing together to carry out His plans for our church. (OK, so some of the “hours” are not quite as wonderful as others, but they are still wonderful!).
This is a wonderful time of year as it also finds a way to heighten our awareness and memories of those who are no longer with us. This can be difficult and one might challenge how it can be considered wonderful in any such way. But it is through the difficult emotions that we understand how wonderful our time with our loved ones were. And we remember that it is in Him that we know that our love lives on, both in our hearts as well as those that we love that are now with Him. It is in the difficulty of loss that we find new ways to lean on the wonderful love of our Heavenly Father.
As we celebrate the pinnacle of this Christmas season on Friday evening, we will hear in our scriptures validation of why we consider this the most wonderful time of the year. Our Father in Heaven personally sent an angel to make the following announcement, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Then He sent an angelic choir that filled the sky to proclaim, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Of all of the elements of wonderful that I have discussed, there is one constant. Jesus Christ. He is present in all of our activities, our fellowships, ministries, gatherings, outreaches, and even our meetings. He is present in our hopes, joys, and even our sorrows. He has been central to all that we have done over this past year, and we know He will be present in all that is to come. He has led us to tremendous restoration in all aspects of our lives, and He continues to provide us with Hope for what lies ahead. He is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and our Prince of Peace. And this is why when we keep Him at the center of all that we do throughout the year, and our reflections on it are nothing short of wonderful.
Holly and I, on behalf of our entire family, wish each of you a Merry Christmas. We consider being a part of the fellowship of Yorkshire Church to be a wonderful blessing and we thank each of you for that!
Merry Christmas!
-pastor dave.
dkominsky@susumc.org
125 Edgewood Road, York, PA 17402 • (717)755-4952 • www.yorkshirechurch.org
- Published in What's Brewing
What’s Brewing, December 9, 2021
9 December 2021
Advent Greetings to Yorkshire Church!
I spent some time this morning reflecting on the various traditions of the Advent wreath and candles throughout history. We have become very familiar with the focus of Advent as a season of expectation as we celebrate the first coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, yet look forward to His second coming ushering in His new Kingdom.
I was planning on writing about each of the candles and how their focus meaning came to be. At Yorkshire, we are celebrating the four weeks of Advent with the lighting of the Advent Candles reflecting on Hope, Love, Joy and Peace. Each week we are discussing these terms and how they are important to today’s church. As I researched the history of the celebration of Advent, I found that for me to write about my findings, would require something more than a two-page letter. But this week’s worship focus will be on the topic of Joy.
One of my go-to verses for the joy that we feel as Christians is Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” This sums up so much of what we have discussed during our messages this year. Our God is a God of hope and Paul is stating that as we trust in Him, he will fill us with all joy and peace. As we give our lives to God through His Son Jesus Christ, He sends His Spirit to be in our hearts. This is a gift from God. We no longer have to seek Him; he is with us. When we begin to understand this, we begin to trust Him in new ways, learn to lean on Him, and to walk confidently knowing that we are not alone. The result of our trust in Him is an unexplainable, inexplicable joy. So, in this one verse, we see that the love of God, provides us with hope, joy, and peace- the same things we celebrate during the Season of Advent.
I am looking forward to our time of worship together this week. On Sunday, our Youth Group will the 9AM and 11:15AM services. This includes the word and the witness that will be shared. We are blessed with a great group of students here at Yorkshire! We are also blessed to have Pastor Megan, Claudia Mingora, Joe Blackwood, and Linda Feeser who work to support them in Youth Group activities, Sunday School, and one- on-one support. Holly and I are blessed that we get the opportunity to host this group at our home from time to time and simply enjoy our interactions with each of them! So, this is a Sunday you won’t want to miss- either in person or on the livestream.
As a church and as a community, we are experiencing an increase of Covid cases, including some within our fellowship. So far, each case has been quickly isolated and we are most thankful that in all cases, illness has been mild for those dealing with it and additional spread has been effectively avoided. We continue to allow those who choose to attend in-person worship, to act in their own discretion in regards to various safety protocols, and we honor one another’s choices. Pastor Megan and I do our best to refrain from any type of physical contact with the congregation including hugs and handshakes, but expect that a few slip in here and there as it is simply natural for all of us to share such affections and greetings with those that we are close to. We regularly use the hand sanitizers located throughout the facility and generally try to keep a distance as we discuss and interact with each of you. As I have stated before, we do this because we interact with about 120 of you each week! I just ask that everyone simply take an extra step of caution during this time of elevated sickness. With the weather recording 60-degree temps one day, and 30 degree temps the next, even the
common cold becomes a normal element to deal with. (This is why I pray for cold weather and snow – its healthy!)
I would like to share our Year-to-Date financial information with you.
Yorkshire financial picture including Joyful Noise Christian Preschool: January 2021 thru November 30, 2021:
Income: Expenses: Working Capital:
$379,794.00 359,396.00
$ 20,398.00 (Positive Working Capital)
These numbers reflect that the total of all of our offerings and gifts supports the expenses of operating our church and preschool in a manner that leaves about 5% to cover things above and beyond what we might expect or foresee. So, the question is, what have or are we doing with the $20,398 extra dollars shown above? Well, let me share that with you. So far, we have spent $54,485 dollars on repairs and improvements to our facility. We received a payment from our insurance company for $25,000 toward that amount, so the net money we have spent so far on the needs of our building is $29,485.00. This is a little over $9,000 more than we have to spend from our Income minus Expenses this year.
Our Finance team has done an incredible job in 2020 and 2021 in stabilizing our church’s financial standing. By evaluating all of our expenses, re-managing our cost of operations, and renegotiating several service-type contracts, the church has funds available to cover the necessary things that we need to do. The funds that they manage are a reflection of your generosity with your gifts and offerings. The combination puts us in a financial situation that allows us to operate our church effectively.
Although we continue to operate effectively, the repairs, investments, and work that we have done in our facility this year have reduced our “General Operating Fund” by about $26,000 since June. So, in effect, we are using our “savings” to finance much of the work around the church as well as to buffer our cash flow during months that have increased expenses. But we have not begun to reconstruct any of the damaged portions of the fellowship hall or improved access plans for the building as of yet. By the end of this month, we will pay out an additional $10,000 for our Shares of Ministry to the United Methodist Church, as well as an additional 6- 8,000.00 for the tree removal along Edgewood Road.
So what does all of this mean? It means that your gifts and offerings have allowed us to not only manage our day-to-day functions, ministry, missions and preschool, but also to invest in the repair and functionality of where we do these things. We are anticipating significant increases next year in many different expense areas, though, and we know each of you are anticipating the same in your households. So, we need to continue to be diligent in the management of our expenses as well as praying for continued generosity among our fellowship in your giving of offerings and gifts. We are growing all facets of our ministry, preschool, missions and worship attendance and we have faith in God’s provision to allow us to continue to support the additional expenses that come along with growth.
It is a joyous time to be a part of God’s church. It is a joyous time to be a part of the fellowship of Yorkshire Church. It is a joyous time to be part of God’s family through our fellowship at Yorkshire Church!
With all Joy and Peace!
-pastor dave.
dkominsky@susumc.org
125 Edgewood Road, York, PA 17402 • (717)755-4952 • www.yorkshirechurch.org
- Published in What's Brewing
What’s Brewing, December 2, 2021
2 December 2021 Good day Yorkshire!
I write this week’s rendition of What’s Brewing with a particular joy as we have completed our last few meetings of 2021. Of course this includes our church Charge Conference which occurred on Sunday evening, but the highlight of that evening was the Hanging of the Greens which followed the conference! As you read this, you may think to yourself that my “particular joy” is the result of not having any more meetings. And although there is an element of truth to that, the joy that I feel is actually a result of the meetings that we had.
In the past two to three weeks, we have had Finance, Staff Parish, Missions, General Staff, and several other meetings that were in preparation for the church conference. If these were simply meetings, then anyone would feel joy to be finished with them. But, for our various teams, these meetings have become times of great fellowship. Sure, we are working through the business stuff of the church, but in each case, it is a gathering of brothers and sisters in Christ, in fellowship, to work together seeking God’s will for how our church is being called to serve Him for a time such as this. In these times of fellowship, we have not only worked through the tasks at hand, but we have laughed together, sometimes to tears, and we have shared a joy in our relationships with one another.
I have learned a few things during this period of time, as well. I have learned that the church has “squishy- things” from which we serve coffee. You pour coffee into these “things” and then “squish” the top which then pumps the coffee from inside the container, out of the spout, and into your cup. We also have variations of these things known as “flippy things…” from which the coffee is dispensed by the pulling of a lever (In other churches that I have served, these were known to me as carafes.) I have learned that when purchasing socks for our mission’s outreaches, we should never buy “jicky-jack” socks, but only cotton or wool as they wick moisture away from the skin. Although I don’t personally purchase socks often (because I get
them as Christmas gifts on Christmas morning), I don’t recall ever making a decision between “jicky-jack” types and any other type of sock. I’ll look closer next time I am at Kohl’s.
In addition to critical-minded thinking through the elements of “squishy, flippy, and jicky jack” discussions, a great deal of business has been discussed and decisions made that bring value to our fellowship. We will be publishing our 2022 Financial Budget shortly so that you can see how we are planning to use your gifts and offerings in support of our church operations, worship, facility, and missions’ outreach over the next year. There is still a great deal of work to do on our facility to not only repair the issues of our flooding this past year, but also to update the space with improved ADA access, restroom equipment, many other general maintenance concerns. The finance team has considered rising costs in energy and other areas that will impact our financial resources and will continue to not only look at how we are spending our finances, but also in seeking places where we can operate more efficiently- even while we are experience growth in our attendance, and our preschool enrollment.
Two goals of the Finance team are to improve our participation in our Online giving platform in 2022 and to simplify the giving categories in both the online program and our envelope giving. You will hear more about this in the near future, but the concept is to have four major areas of giving; 1) General Fund, 2) Missions Fund, 3) Joyful Noise Christian Preschool Fund, 4) Building Fund. Through these various “funds,” the church
leadership will be able to manage the needs of each area more effectively. Online giving through the website or what many know as Stripes, benefits us as it significantly simplifies our counting processes on Sundays and the beginning of the week. This change in fund focus will NOT eliminate any preferred giving methods.
From a Staff Parish perspective, we will continue to support our staff and personnel resources while continuing our search for a Worship Leader. Discussions were held with each of our staff members on their goals and objectives for next year- with every member of our team focusing diligent efforts on seeking God’s will in their areas of responsibility in serving Yorkshire Church.
Our Missions team is continuing to look at ways to serve our fellowship. We discussed the overwhelming success of this past year’s community outreaches starting with the Spoken Concert in July, the Rally Day program in September, and our most recent event, the Trunk or Treat in October. The team wants to grow our support of our missionaries in 2022. The Finance Team has supported this goal by at least doubling the amount that we contributed in 2021 to Henry Hauser in Africa, Rebecca Jacobs in the Dominican Republic, and James Reacher, in our college campus ministry support at West Chester University (Cru). The Casserole ministry remains strong and there are so many that support this great community outreach. If you would like to learn more about how you can participate in this ministry, please reach out to Mary Beaverson who can get you connected to this program. You may even learn a new recipe – Zippy Beef. (I am beginning to see a very unique Yorkshire trend here… “squishy, flippy, jicky, and yes, Zippy- you can’t make this stuff up!).
In other news, it looks like our new member induction service will be held during the services of 19 December. We will be welcoming 12 new members into the Yorkshire family membership. Membership is a personal choice for each person and does not change any status in worship participation. Some will choose to “join” a church, and others will simply choose to worship at a church and participate in its services and ministries. All are equally valuable and important. All folks that enter our portals, regardless of their “membership” choices, are part of our Yorkshire family. The important thing to celebrate is that we have many people choosing to be a part of our family. Jesus tells us that this will happen when we are a family that loves one another and our neighbors, just as He does. (John 13:34-35, Acts 2:42-47). Jesus also tells us in John 15:11-12,
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Love each other as I have loved you.” -Jesus.
So, how can we find joy, even in our meetings? Well, I believe it is the result of our love for one another. And it is this joy that the world will see and experience as we witness to those around us and share with those that God leads through our doors. The joy is you, Yorkshire Church, through God’s presence within you.
Peace and Blessings!
-pastor dave.
dkominsky@susumc.org
My command is this:
125 Edgewood Road, York, PA 17402 • (717)755-4952
• www.yorkshirechurch.org
- Published in What's Brewing
What’s Brewing, November 24, 2021
24 November 2021 Greetings and Happy Thanksgiving!
I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;
I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High. -Psalm 7:17
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and times of the year. In reality, it is probably because it is the beginning of the Advent Season, or as I was most familiar with it most of my life, the start of the Christmas Season. I love the lights, the music, and the hustle bustle that always just seemed to be what Christmas was all about. The essence of cinnamon apple candles mixed with the smells that were emanating from the kitchen as a stack of vinyl records were producing the sounds of Nat King Cole and Perry Como singing various holiday favorites are sensory things that I can feel just as much today as I did when I was growing up.
When I reflect on why these memories have left such an indelible imprint in my mind, the emotions that are triggered are far more powerful than any smell or musical genre would be capable of. These were the things that were present during times of family fellowship and just generally great times. As a child, it was about seeing my grandparents, aunts and uncles and fun with cousins. There was always the trip to the King of Prussia Mall to do Christmas Shopping and hear whatever musical group was performing at the base of the spiral ramp that was the centerpiece of the mall. There was, of course, the opportunity to sit on Santa’s lap and share what my desired gift(s) may have been…(not an “official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle, with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time.” -Ralphie, A Christmas Story), HO, HO, HOHHHH….
Great memories and I’m thankful that I have them. Today, we are making memories that are similar, but different. It is still about family, though. Now it is having the kids home for a few days, our annual Black-Friday-First-Gift-of-Christmas outing, and a new tradition, decorating the tree (on Thanksgiving). This year we have taken a difficult step and migrated to an artificial Christmas Tree so that we can all decorate it together and it is not dead by Christmas. Last year, to accommodate our children’s schedules, we decorated the tree at Thanksgiving and by Christmas morning, ornaments were actually falling off of the tree- was somewhat entertaining, but the tree simply looked sad! So now, our tree will last all season long!
This year we are thankful for so much. We are thankful for Yorkshire Church and the many relationships that we are building. We are thankful that God is blessing this church and leading us into new areas of growth in ministry. We are thankful that even with many of our challenges, which are mostly building related, that He continues to provide for us so that we can do what needs to be done to make the necessary repairs and improvements. We are thankful for all those team members that are going above and beyond in evaluating the issues, spending countless hours on remediating them, and working with many contractors in getting the work completed. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
In regards to the building, the new rain gutters have been installed on the roof of the sanctuary and parts of the education wing. This will go a long way in improving our rain water management around the foundation of the church. They also look very nice as they add a nice white accent to the roof line. The trees will be removed within the next week or so. We are continuing the work on the repairs and renovations to the fellowship hall as we rebuild and replace the areas that have been damaged over the years from what they officially term, “ground water intrusion.” We are waiting for design drawings and estimates before those repairs can continue.
Other events that are happening include our Church Charge Conference which will be at 4PM this Sunday, 21 November and will be facilitated by the Rev. Chuck Sprenkle who serves as one of the assistants to the District Superintendent. This will be a positive meeting where we will review required elements of our administrative processes and approve our leadership selections for next year. Immediately following this conference on Sunday evening is the “Hanging of the Greens.” So following the conference, we will decorate the church and enjoy a time of fellowship with the sounds of live Christmas music presented by Steve Fieldhouse. And in great United Methodist fashion, there will be pizza and snacks. I am inviting anyone that would like to bring their favorite batch of Christmas Cookies to please do so! Just think, someday, one of our children who are present for this function will write some version of What’s Brewing to their church and talk about the great memories of Thanksgiving, including the “Hanging of the Greens” and all of the varieties of Christmas cookies! Please help contribute to their memories!
In our preschool news, the children are beginning to prepare for their Christmas program that will be coming up in a few weeks on Thursday, December 16th. We will have more info forthcoming on this event and we will livestream it so that each of you can enjoy the blessings that these children bring. Another thing the children are doing during Advent is that they are drawing pictures of something that they think of that represents our worship theme. Last week, they drew something they were thankful for. This week, they were asked to draw something about “Hope.” The staff then chooses one of the images for the cover of our weekly bulletin. Now, this is a very difficult decision as we have some incredibly talented kiddos and artists! Make sure to take notice of the bulletin each week and enjoy the contributions of our Joyful Noise Christian Preschool!
Well, that’s about it for this Thanksgiving version of “What’s Brewing.” There is so much to share about all that is going on at Yorkshire that Holly and I are thankful for. But please know this. We are very thankful for our opportunity to be a part of this church family. We are very thankful for the support that you give to us and the blessings we receive as we worship God together. I am thankful for those that I work with- both staff, and leadership, and your patience in dealing with me during this time of year where the challenges of logistics and paperwork sometimes seem a bit overbearing. Most of all, I am thankful that we serve a loving God who sees us for who we are, and loves us just the same.
Happy Thanksgiving Yorkshire Church! Peace and Blessings!
-pastor dave.
- Published in What's Brewing
What’s Brewing, November 11, 2021
11 November 2021 Good Day to all of you!
Thursday, November 11th is the day on which I am writing this week’s What’s Brewing. For today, it is a day not unlike any other day, it has the same requirements, expectations, and ordinary to-do’s as yesterday and tomorrow. But, today is Veteran’s Day, a day that we celebrate our nation’s veterans. As a veteran, it is a day not necessarily about me, but it is a day that I reflect on a period of time that I basically gave up life as I knew it to go to foreign places and serve our nation’s principles and ways of life. We could say that “giving up life as I knew it” was in itself a sacrifice, but the sacrifice presented an opportunity for me to experience some things that I will never forget. It was a time where I developed deep relationships with the folks in
my unit. I developed friendships with men from various parts of Southwest Asia. I specifically remember Suresh, Karti, Ghandi, and Mumtaz. The relationships that we built and the experiences that we shared live on to this day as we gather together for reunions every five years.
The truth is that during our time of deployment, we did not cherish every day as wonderful,
nor did we realize at that time the value that living for such a purpose would have on the rest
of our lives. Most days were simply anything but enjoyable, we missed home, we missed
doing the simple things that we otherwise take for granted, we missed good food, and we
missed our loved ones. But we knew that our service was necessary, and we knew that our
efforts served the greater good of our nation. We witnessed the impact of our efforts on the
lives of those who lived in places that do not have the luxury of living in a nation such as ours. We knew we made a difference.
I served in the area of logistics, so my service in Desert Storm did not put me in the direct line of fire. I honor those men and women who have served and do serve in capacities in our military where their lives are at risk each day. They may or may not be able to look back as I can to memories and experiences in a positive light. But I know that every veteran shares the experience of comradery, fellowship, and the rewards of being a part of something larger than oneself for the cause of something other than self.
With Maj Zang , in Kuwait City, 1991
The purpose of Veteran’s Day is to honor all of those who have served in defense of our nation. And it is always good to recognize service. But, when you consider what we have accomplished, the ramifications can
Ghandi, Suresh, Mumtaz, Karti, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
With COL Zang (retired), Aug 2021 30 Year reunion
and will be measured in years. The output of the efforts of all of our nation’s conflicts will impact the next hundred or hundreds of years. We can measure our gratitude in what we think of as “lifetimes.”
Think about the same type of service for the church. We have been speaking about the church in the context of the result of the Gospel. Jesus said, “On this rock I will build my church.” (Matt. 16:18). In building His church, He has set out a course for us to serve His church, share His Gospel message, and reach out to those in harm- specifically the harm of not knowing the Gospel, or understanding what it means to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We don’t often think of our participation in church as serving a purpose. We don’t look at it as being a part of something larger than ourselves to serve a purpose for the Greater Good.
Often, we look at making a commitment to the church as a sacrifice- it will take us out of our comfort zone. Our daily routines may be shaken up a bit to make space for the responsibilities of such a calling. We see this as not desirable in comparison to the alternative, after all, we need to live our lives, right? What many miss with this train of thought, though, is the relationships that will be built and the joy of seeing people served in new ways. It is through the church that we make the single largest impact on those around us that do not yet know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is through the comradery of fellowship and communal worship that a lifetime of memories and experiences will be cherished. This is the church. Compare this thought with the efforts of veterans who have made a succinct impact on all of those that they have been called to serve. Entire nations are free today because of our veterans- special shoutout to our Greatest Generation veterans!
This is how it is to be with the church. Yet the efforts of God’s freeing Grace do not impact us for years, or hundreds of years, it impacts those who we serve for eternity. For eternity. That’s our purpose and it is why God is so adamant in the scriptures about our calling as His children. He is building His church not to be monuments to His glory, but He is building His church to be an active participant in His Glory and sharing it like a beacon, or a lighthouse to all of those that do not yet understand it, or have had an opportunity to witness it. There is an ongoing battle in the world and the Church is God’s army to serve in it. And, we know that we win!
This Sunday, we will speak about how the church reveals the presence of God in the world today. We will contrast this with how God’s presence was revealed in the Old Testament to the Israelites, how His presence was revealed in the incarnate Christ, and how today, His presence is still seen in His people, Christians, the Church; us.
When we began our series on the Gospel, we discussed that the Greek word for gospel, euangelion, was a term used for good news received from the battlefield. In ancient days when soldiers went out to battle, people waited breathlessly for a report from the battlefield about the outcome. And these soldiers were celebrated. Today, we celebrate the efforts of our modern soldiers for their efforts and accomplishments.
What would it look like to have a Euangelion Day to recognize churches and those who have served them for their efforts on today’s battlefields? What differences are we making in the lives of others and how many are we saving and keeping out of harm’s way because of our service? On Veteran’s Day, it is important to remember that it is not the Armories or military bases that make a difference- it is the soldiers who serve within them. So it is with the church. Our victories are in direct correlation to our commitment and our service. And the memories and experiences will not only last a lifetime- but eternity! Thanks Vets!
Peace and Blessings! -pastor dave.
dkominsky@susumc.org
125 Edgewood Road, York, PA 17402 • (717)755-4952 • www.yorkshirechurch.org
- Published in What's Brewing
What’s Brewing, November 4, 2021
4 November 2021 Greetings Yorkshire!
It is November. I don’t know what happened to October. I remember something about September. I am sure many of you feel the same way. Although I love each and every season of the year, there is something about fall and this time of year that is my favorite. I appreciate the changing colors on the trees against the backdrop of dark clouds as the sun lights them from a seasonally lower angle. I love the sounds of leaves swirling on the ground in the autumn breeze. And I love walks in the park with my wife and my dog in this theater of color, light and sound that is pulled together and orchestrated by God himself. And there is one other thing that I really enjoy. And that is Christmas music on my car radio. Yes, it starts on November 1st, often to the dismay of my passengers. But my car is my space, and if you enter that space, you will hear the sounds of the season!
Something new for me this year was the celebration of Halloween with Yorkshire’s first Trunk or Treat Church and Community event. This was the brain-child of Jared Smith who attends our first service with his wife Jessica and their family. He put together, planned and led the event with the support of Susan Workinger and the missions outreach team. I didn’t know what to expect for this event, just as most of you didn’t know what to expect before Spoken began playing their music at our outdoor concert this summer. But, when I came out of the church after our second service to see what had developed in our lower parking lot, I was overwhelmed. There were 17 cars decorated in creative Halloween displays, folks dressed in festive costumes and attire, a fire truck, police cruiser, food truck, and the sounds of Steven Courtney’s Band of Friends was in the air. Someone asked me before the event began what I expected as far as a turnout and my response was, “well, it will probably be somewhere between 10 and 300 folks. Over the course of the afternoon, well over 300 folks came through our Trunk or Treat. The comments that I received from friends, family, and many, many folks from our community were very positive. Some came with a parade of children, other couples from Penn Oaks and Haines Acres simply came to walk around and enjoy the festivities. Families came from all over York County. I spoke with folks from Mount Wolf, Wrightsville, Hallam, York City, Red Lion and most commented on how well organized our event was and how much fun they were having here. I answered several questions as to what time our services were and a few commented that they were seeking a church home.
But this event could not have occurred without the support of the church. So many came out to volunteer to help with logistics, providing candy, dressing up in costumes such as Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head (Frank & Susan Herron) and even running around York County trying to procure additional pumpkins for our pumpkin painting activity as we painted over 50 pumpkins in the first 45 minutes of the event! (Thanks Steve Coates). Not only were children wearing costumes, but most of them had beautiful art added to their faces, handiwork of Jamie and Alexis Strange, also adorned with fire hats provided by Springettsbury Township fire department. It was a festive event that not only blessed our church, but blessed our community. I would have to say, though, my favorite part of this particular event was that there was no dunk tank– oh the relief!
Now we turn our focus on the season of Thanksgiving and Advent. With that comes some logistical things such as our Church Charge Conference which will be on Sunday, 28 November at 4PM. This involves a great deal of logistical effort leading up to it with the requirement of countless forms and reports needing to be completed and submitted prior to the event. Never an enjoyable task, but something we simply need to work through. I appreciate the leadership team’s efforts in their efforts in this undertaking. I appreciate Alison’s work on pulling much of the data together and in the administrative work required for this endeavor.
In our announcements this week, you will see a host of events and activities that are planned for the Advent season. This includes the “Hanging of the Greens” and a dynamic Advent Worship program based on Max Lucado’s “God Came Near” series. This will include a church-wide Sunday School program involving all classes 6th Grade through adult.
I would like to report on our financial picture this week. These number represent the first three quarters of this year, January through the end of September. Overall, the numbers are very positive. We have seen a reduction in gifts and offerings over the past three months, which could be attributed to normal trends based on the summer months, but we will continue to monitor these trends.
Yorkshire Financial Picture including Joyful Noise Christian Preschool: January 2021 thru September 30, 2021:
Income: Expenses: Working Capital:
$309,167.00 300,533.00
$ 8,634.00 (Positive Working Capital)
During this time period, we have spent well over $20,000.00 in capital improvement projects that are not fully reflected in the numbers above as much of that funding came out of our retained earnings or savings account funds. As our finance team manages our income, much is put into these accounts to address maintenance and other non-recurring expenses such as the new doors and the ongoing expenses that are being incurred for the repair of the fellowship hall flooding issues. Although it looks at times as though we are bringing in much more than we are spending, this fiscal management is allowing us to have the funds (savings) we need when we need them. Therefore, we have actually spent more this year than we have brought in which has reduced the balances that we have in the bank.
We will be facing significant expenditures over the next few months as we continue to bring our fellowship hall back into being a functional entity within our church. The current work that has been completed or is in the works; flooding damage removal including stage, asbestos abatement, rain gutters, drainage system repairs, and the forthcoming dead tree removal exceeds $35,000.00 in expenses. We received $25,000.00 from our insurance company which has been a significant help, but we will be facing ongoing expenses in the repair and restoration process. At this time, we have design and engineering work in progress to determine how the room will be reconstructed and as I have mentioned previously, our hope is to include a ramp for ADA acces- sibility as well as new ADA compliant bathrooms where the stage used to be. So your continued financial support and gifts are welcomed and needed! If you would like to contribute to the restoration process in addi- tion to your regular weekly giving, just designate your gift to “Building Fund.”
Well, there’s so much more that I could talk about- Joyful Noise Christian Preschool continues to grow, we continue to see new faces and families in worship, our choir is awesome, our greeting ministry is developing, Sunday School is growing-teachers are doing an incredible job, and the Spirit of Joy is ever present in all that we are endeavoring upon. It is an honor and a joy to be a part of this great fellowship! It is a joy to be a part of the church that God is blessing at Yorkshire!
Check out the pictures at the end of newsletter of the Yorkshire Trunk or Treat provided by Barbara Hudock’s daughter Jordan! She did an absolutely awesome job catching the joy of the event!
Peace and Blessings!
-pastor dave.
dkominsky@susumc.org
- Published in What's Brewing
What’s Brewing, October 14, 2021
14 October 2021 Good Day to each of you!
I really enjoyed our men’s retreat this past weekend at Heritage Hills with David Dusek, the author of the Amazon #1 Best-Selling “Rough Cut Men: A Man’s Battle Guide To Building Relationships with Each Other, And With Jesus” and “The Battle: Tactics for Biblical Manhood learned from the 7th Cavalry in Vietnam.” David presented great content and challenged us all to new considerations for our walk of faith- and our walk-in faith with each other.
There were a few takeaways that I thought were of exceptionally great value that I would like to share. Colonel Hal Moore, the focus of David’s book “The Battle,” had some great principles that he lived and led by. Although this was a men’s retreat, the content is applicable to everyone:
- Three strikes and you’re not out. You’re never out unless you quit.
- There’s always one more thing you can do to influence any situation in your favor—and after that one more thing, and after that…. The more you do the more opportunities arise.”
- When there’s nothing wrong, there’s nothing wrong … except there’s nothing wrong! This is when a leader must be most alert! Danger lurks.
- Trust your instincts. They are the product of your education, your reading, your personality, and your experience. When seconds count, this is all you have. Learn to trust them and act on them.
Colonel Hal Moore was remembered for these principles, not only on the battlefield, but in the way that he lived his life. As I listened to our speaker on Friday and Saturday, I considered the relevance of these points to our lives, and the life of the church. To the first point, I think the easiest point to take away is that in our faith, God never turns His back on us. We can mess up (and do) time after time after time, and yet He is always there to grant us grace and forgiveness. In God’s love, we are never finished, so unless we quit, He will always be there, as a loving Father, willing to give us another at bat.
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).
To the second point, the point of “in your favor” is relating to the battlefield, not personal gain. Sometimes in life, we get frustrated with whatever it is that we may be dealing with or working through and the tendency is to stop trying, do nothing, or sometimes quit. But, if we continue to move forward, even with little steps, it will reveal new realities for us, give us vision for new possibilities and directions that we would never see if we stay where we are. It is hard in any battle to move forward. But, even if your steps are small, it is still progress.
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…” (Philippians 3:12-14).
The third point brings to mind the fact that we live in a world that will challenge us as Christians. For me, this is a tongue-in-cheek saying, “When there’s nothing wrong, there’s nothing wrong … except there’s nothing wrong!” We often say “things are going well,” and then look for a piece of wood to touch (as if touching wood provides protection from negative things happening as a result of our enjoying good times). The problem with this quote is that it may lead some to thinking that there will always be some negative thing going to happen to us if we enjoy the good things in life. But much of what we enjoy are blessings bestowed upon us by God! Why would he give to us to only later punish us? This would reveal a co-dependent trait of God- meaning he blesses us to then only inflict pain, or vice versa. But what I find positive about this quote is that although we may be enjoying positive times, blessings of God, or simply the joys of those that God gifted to our lives, that there is an enemy out there that is always seeking to bring us down. NOT God, but the enemy, even our own human nature. Therefore, it is good to be on guard to the existence of evil in the world, and not prepare for the worst, but always be strengthened to ward off its onslaught against us. (Safety Tip: Spend time in the Word of God and in Prayer!)
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)
The final point is regarding the trusting of your instincts. This is so important as we live in a world where truth of any type is difficult to discern. Today, we often base truth and what we believe on the network we watch (or don’t watch). I have realized that in these cycles, the only “consistent” is inconsistency. But as Hal Moore stated, we have knowledge and experience that is a gift from God that we can count on. It seems to me that much of what I used to know as true is no longer true. We live in a world where being confident about our actions is difficult. But we also have to keep in mind that the doubt that we have has been delivered to us not by the Word of God, but by man. Therefore, sometimes we may just need to fall back on our instincts- what we know in our hearts to be right based on what we have read, been taught, and experienced. When in doubt, a prayer for wisdom and discernment from the ultimate Truth will never hurt! The following verse is in regards to our faith, and not the events of the world, but I believe the scriptures are clear that we will lose our focus, and an implication is that we will tend to be deceived by what we hear, what we want to hear, and especially that which others want us to believe.
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Tim. 4:3)
As a church, our strength is growing through our relationships with one another and the joy that we bring to our times of worship and fellowship. What a blessing it is to be a part of this church, and this body that God has brought together for a time such as this!
Just a quick update on the Fellowship Hall and flood remediations: Thanks again to everyone who was able to help clear out the stage and fellowship hall. The stage has been removed and the asbestos remediation is in progress as I write this. The rain gutters will be repaired and upgraded in the next two weeks. Spangler & Boyer in conjunction with Roto-Rooter have bored out, jet-cleaned and opened up our drain pipes and are repairing areas that are not currently serviceable or broken completely. Engineers are developing plans for restoration and renovation of the fellowship hall area which may include improved ADA access to the space and new interior drainage considerations. The dying trees out front will be addressed in November. So, stuff is happening and I am very appreciative of everyone’s efforts in getting us back in business! Your efforts, plans and visions will ensure that we come out of all of this in a better place with an updated facility!
Put on your calendars October 31st, 1-3PM for our Trunk or Treat Community Fellowship event. You will see much more information on this next week!
Peace and Blessings!
-pastor dave.
- Published in What's Brewing
What’s Brewing, October 8, 2021
8 October 2021 Greetings Yorkshire!
It is my sincere hope that this day finds you well and finding opportunities to spend some time with God in His Word or in prayer! It is important!
As some of you may know, I am completing some course work at Lancaster Bible College/Capital Seminary as part of my continuing education requirement as a pastor in the United Methodist Church. The course that I am completing my finals for this week focused heavily on our spiritual relationship with God as it works into growth in our discipleship. I initially wasn’t really excited about this class as I much prefer some deep scriptural study or even leadership studies which has been the focus of my post-graduate work. But, as I look back on the course content, it was really about ensuring that we take time out of our day, and spend it with God. This can look different for each person. The purpose for this course as part of a ministry leadership program is that we need to ensure that our life has balance, and for most people, including me, it doesn’t.
I want to share a simple exercise that we did that I found to be of great value. In the graphic below, you see a barrel that represents us. The pipe at the top represents things in our life that fill us, or give us strength, motivation, pleasure, and contentment. This is our source of energy to accomplish life in a positive manner.
At the bottom of the barrel is a drain, which represents things in our life that take energy from us, exhaust us, or dominate our time in ways that tend to “empty” us emotionally.
The concept of the model is that we need to ensure that we have more positive elements of our life filling us than those things that empty us. The lines on the barrel represent our emotional levels meaning that the lower the barrel gets as a result of those things that drain us, the more stress, anxiety, tension, or fatigue we will have in our being. Less fill = less energy.
The balance is that we only have so much time in a day. We will spend our day doing things that fill us in a positive manner, or drain us. Most folks tend to focus on stuff that drains us, like work, filling our schedules with things to do, places to be, shopping to be done, meetings that we are asked to attend. We often don’t have as much time to do the things that fill our tanks. We live our life in a manner where our “cups are only ever half full.” I suggest that you make a list of the things that fill your tank, and the things that currently drain your tank. You may find that the list of “drains” exceeds your “fills.” And each time we add a “draining” item to our list, we make time for it by eliminating one of the things that “fill” our tank. And if you are often feeling tired, overwhelmed, or burnt out, this may be why.
____________________________________________________________ |
“Fills” |
____________________________________________________________ |
“Drains” |
One of the areas of life which is of critical importance to our relationship with God is the time we spend with Him. Time which includes reading and studying His Word, doing devotions, time in small group fellowship, Sunday School, worship, and of great importance, prayer. Many times folks will ask me a biblical question to seek an answer for which they don’t have time to research or read in the Bible themselves. Folks often don’t understand elements of the scriptures, yet spend little or no time studying them or reading them.
Years ago, when I worked in a corporate position that required a level of financial knowledge that I did not possess, I went out and purchased basic accounting text books and I studied them. I learned the terminology and the basics of financial spreadsheets, balance sheets, and profit and loss statements. I learned a great deal that gave me a foundation to at least understand what I needed to know. I referenced these books whenever something would come along that I did not understand.
In the same manner, we need to spend time in the Word of God. This is where God reveals Himself to us. So often I hear comments like, “I don’t think that God would…” or “I believe this or that about God…” But when I ask what in the Scriptures, they are basing their thoughts on, they can’t answer and often state that this is just what they believe based on what they feel is right. When I was in the corporate world, and our financial auditors would ask me about something we were doing, I could not answer with, “well, I just think that this is the right way to do it,” or “it just seems that this should be OK.” If I had an answer, it needed to be based on sound principle.
As Christians, we find our sound principles in the Word of God. This is the bedrock for all that we do. In John 1:1 we see that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God. Verse 4 states, “In him (the Word) was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” Later, in the 14th chapter of John, Jesus said, “I am the Truth, the Way and the Life.” So, it is in the Word that we base our life principles. It is in the Word that we find life. I suggest that it is where we find the strength, hope, fortification and life principles that fill our tank, give us the ability to get through life. It is a source of light and we know that light brings life.
Yet spending time in the scriptures, reading and studying the Word of God is often one of the things that we eliminate to make room for something that is often a draining element of our life. We are so busy at work or with responsibility, that we just don’t have time to simply read the Bible, let alone study it and learn what it says; letting God reveal Himself to us (See 2 Timothy 3:16, Psalm 25:14, Hebrews 4:1-16, Matthew 7:21-23).
My challenge to you today is that instead of eliminating something from your life that can fill your tank, such as spending time in the Word, that you take a look at the list of those things that drain your tank. To live a balanced life, we need to make sure that our inputs outweigh our outputs. If you need to tip the scales in one way or another, why not tip them in a weigh that benefits you. The results will be amazing- and this I can promise… see, I bought the textbooks, I studied and am studying, and I unequivocally believe what it says. But just like the accounting text books, I needed to read more than a chapter here and there to draw my conclusions. Yes, I needed to study the entire book. I needed to hash out those things I didn’t understand with folks who spent their lives and careers in the field of study. And it made a difference. And I’m still studying!
Have a great and blessed day- and yes, find some time today to open your Bible. It will make a difference!
Peace and Blessings!
-pastor dave.
- Published in What's Brewing
What’s Brewing?, September 24, 2021
24 September 2021
Good Day and Greetings to Everyone!
We have officially graduated into the Fall season this week. Although I love the summer season and really love a good snow storm, Fall is my favorite time of the year. The cool, crisp air of morning and the mild temperatures of afternoon are almost perfect conditions to enjoy the outdoors. The lower path of the sun through the sky provides a lighting effect that seems to have been perfectly designed to compliment the colors of the trees, often highlighted by a darker sky and big magnificent clouds. There’s nothing quite like the Fall breeze that swirls and scatters the fallen leaves along the ground and walkways. For me, it triggers thoughts of from my past, almost as if every leaf that is kicked up and swirled around is a wonderful memory of my life, each one a different color and a different shape. Each year adds new leaves and new colors to this mosaic of life. I really love the Fall! We serve and love an awesome God!
It has been a great week at Yorkshire church. Our administrative council met on Tuesday and, as you all know, I love a great meeting. This meeting did not disappoint! We discussed many great things that are happening within our church and have begun to set plans and goals for the future. Preschool is firing on all cylinders and our Scouts are back in action. In Education news, our classes are up and running, BUT, this past week, we had some challenges. Get this…we had too many children for the allotted number of teachers in both children’s church and our children’s Sunday school! Many thanks to Kristin Berman and Lexi Morrow who jumped right in to provide the necessary support to these programs. Your vision and awareness on Sunday morning to these needs and your willingness to step up, before any of us knew of the challenge, is greatly appreciated! What a blessing! So, if you are reading this, and feel that you would like to be involved in teaching, or helping a teacher support our students, let Rick Focht or the church office know. We will work with you to get you plugged into an area that meets your interests and callings.
In the area of missions, there is also some great things in the works. This week, one of the missionaries that we are supporting will be speaking to our fellowship and sharing her work in the Dominican Republic. It is great to hear how our fellowship is able to be a part of God’s work throughout the world. Rebecca Jacobs will speak to both the 9AM and 11:15AM services. Our mission’s team is also putting together a Fall fellowship event; Trunk or Treat. The event will be held outside on Sunday, 23 October from 1-3. There is a great deal of info that you will see in the very near future, but the gist of it is that we will offer a safe and fun opportunity for the children in our church, preschool, scouts and community to interact with members of our church and fill their bags with candy and treats in our parking lot(s). Expect great music, games, face painting, et al! I also will go on record here and make the following proclamation. There will be NO dunk tank. I want the team that is coordinating this event to read that again… there will be NO dunk tank!
Our Trustee’s report was focused primarily on the upcoming and required work to get our fellowship hall back in action. The necessary repairs to this flooding issue continue to be evaluated by Steve Spangler and Josh Strange. They are working with contractors and engineers to not only fix damaged portions of the fellowship hall, but also to ensure that the cause of the flooding is repaired. Yesterday (Thursday, the 22nd), we flooded again in significant fashion. Although frustrating, it gave us an opportunity to see just how the flooding developed over the course of the morning storm. It also revealed some elements that will require additional evaluation. The fellowship hall is an essential part of our church operations as it hosts our larger Sunday School
classes, Preschool activities throughout the week, and Scouts several nights a week. All of these activities have been displaced. We are moving forward with as much of the repair work internally that we can while final solutions are being engineered. As a result of yesterday’s rain, we once again have a mini-lake under the stage area. Beginning on Monday, October 4th, a team will begin removing the stage and current storage areas that are behind the current wall. This will open up the room to the walls and potential areas where water is entering the facility. Then, on October 11th through the 20th, a special team will be in to remove the current flooring, which includes the abatement of old asbestos tile which is underneath. This will be a complex process, but a necessary one. These are just the first steps of the repair process that can be completed while the water source issues are being addressed. During this time, our rain gutters, which contribute to our issue, will be upgraded also. So, there will be much going on at our church as we are doing all we can to get our fellowship hall back in operation as soon as possible.
Our Finance team report was very positive. The efforts to restructure our financial platforms and processes are providing great benefit to our fellowship as we grow in our worship, education, and outreach efforts. Our year to date (Jan – Aug 2021) financial picture continues to be positive:
Yorkshire Financial Picture including Joyful Noise Christian Preschool: January 2021 thru August 30, 2021
Income: Expenses: Working Capital:
$282,492.00 250,659.00
$ 23,752.00 (Positive Working Capital)
Our balance sheet also remains strong going into the fourth quarter. With this said, we will be incurring significant expenses to repair our facility as stated above. This year, we paid our insurance premiums in full and early. This has paid off as our insurance will be providing us $24,000.00 towards our expenses. But we anticipate the repair and restoration costs being well more than double this number. The good news is that because of your generosity, we can manage and cover any costs we incur. Our finance team is working to evaluate the best means to fund these expenses and will be reviewing financing options as part of their plan. The church has strong balance sheet, which allows us to have some good options in this area. But, it is also a time to state that if you are feeling called to participate in helping us navigate this situation from a financial perspective, any additional gifts to the “Building Fund” would be of tremendous benefit to our situation.
There were many other great discussions and meetings this week. I am blessed to serve with an incredible team of dedicated leaders here at Yorkshire.
In closing, I want to emphasize what a blessing it was to hear the sounds of our choir this past Sunday morning during our 11:15 service. Your gifts filled the church with great joy and everyone was touched by your performance! Great job Choir. I want to also extend Mike Heintzelman’s comments during the service to especially thank Beth Gross
and Jackie Linsey for their directing and accompanying efforts! Thank you!
Peace and Blessings! -pastor dave.
dkominsky@susumc.org
125 Edgewood Road, York, PA 17402
• (717)755-4952
• www.yorkshirechurch.org
- Published in What's Brewing