We are off and running!!! We hope you can feel the joy and the energy! Our Sunday School groups are using the PCUSA “Follow Me” curriculum this year. Our first unit, “God’s Creation” had us all thinking about the wondrous gift of this beautiful world and all of the living and life giving elements of this amazing gift as well as our responsibility to love and care for creation. We have just completed our second unit called, “Generosity.” Those stories have reminded us about who are our neighbors and the actions we need to take to care for and share with all of God’s children. During Advent, we will be using a unit called, “Hope” and hearing the stories of the Advent/Christmas season. The Christmas pageant is fast approaching and we are hoping to see as many faces as possible at this wonderful event. We’re looking for interested children through 8th grade! Let us know your child’s interest/intent to participate by completing this form. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy, and peaceful New Year!” * Sparkle is the name of our youngest group of preschoolers through Kindergarteners. This Sunday you might have smelled the stone soup we were preparing to share with you. * Shine is what we call our 1st to 4th grade group. In addition to our “Follow Me” lessons, together with Sparkle, we have fun making and hearing music each week with Garrett. * Faith-Connect includes our 5th through 8th graders. Have you enjoyed the muffins we have baked together to share with everyone during coffee hour? * Fathom is the name of our 9th to 12th grade group. We are most appropriately named because together we are pondering big thoughts and wrestling with big questions. Notes: There will be no Sunday School on: * Dec 28 * Feb 15 * May 5—Easter * May 24 * Final 2025-2026 Sunday School Classes will be on Faith Formation Sunday: June 14 Register Your Children/Youth

On Sunday, December 21st at 7:00pm the Church will offer this service in preparation for the Light coming into the world on Christmas morning. Sometimes known as “Blue Christmas,” this beautiful candle-lit worship service offers hope, support, prayer, and quiet reflection to those for whom the Advent season may also bring sadness, loss, and worry. Please join us for this peaceful and comforting worship which provides solace and hope for the Light which is coming. Note: We will also have our usual 8am and 10:30am worship services on this day. This service will also be streamed live online on Facebook and Youtube.

This Advent season, we find ourselves waking up to a deeper awareness of God’s dream for the world: a vision of peace, justice, and hope that has been unfolding all around us. Our theme, “Waking up to God’s dream,” invites us to reflect on how we’ve been a part of that dream, whether we realized it or not. As we approach the Christmas season, we’re not just preparing for the birth of Christ; we’re also waking up to the ways God has been at work in our lives, shaping us, challenging us, and calling us into deeper connection with each other. Our stewardship theme “Imagine Together” has challenged us to imagine what could be if we truly worked together to live out God’s vision of the Kingdom. We’ve dreamt of what it might look like if we were all more fully engaged in the work of justice, compassion, and love. And now, as we wake up to God’s dream, we begin to see how those dreams have taken root in our lives, communities, and the world. The music we’ve chosen for this season, written by artists like John Phillip Newell, Sally Ann Morris, and David Gambrell (to name a few), has a particular power to help us hear this awakening in a new way. Many of us experienced profound moments of connection through their words over the past year, especially during trips to Scotland and Montreat, where they have had a direct impact on our journey. Their work has been a soundtrack to our shared experiences, a melody that has helped shape our understanding of what it means to imagine together and then live into God’s dream. This Advent, we hope the music you hear will remind you of all that has unfolded over the past year. Each song like a dream you’re recalling, with familiar faces, places, and moments that now appear through a new lens. You know that feeling in a dream when you’re not sure if it’s really you, or if it’s all somehow different, but somehow it still makes sense? That’s the vibe we’re going for. Allowing the music of the past year to carry us into the present moment, and helping us realize how God’s dream has been unfolding in ways we may not have even noticed at the time. By weaving together the themes of “Imagine Together” and “Waking Up to God’s Dream,” Advent becomes an invitation to live out the dream in real and tangible ways. Through song, through reflection, and through shared community, we can wake up to the truth of God’s vision and our place within it. Just as we imagine together, we awaken together, recollecting the dreams of the past and moving forward with renewed hope and purpose. This Advent, let us hear the music in a new way, feel God’s dream stirring within us, and imagine what is yet to come. Yours in harmony, ~Garrett

Since the Christmas season is upon us, here are a few seasonal books from the church library. All the books listed there are on the shelf labeled “Christmas” which is just below the shelf labeled “Children’s Books.” The Fourth Wise Man by Mary Joslin is the beloved classic of a French legend showing there is more to Christmas than anything money can buy. One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham. An injured boy, caught in a snowstorm, takes refuge in a cabin and hears the Christmas story. Song of the Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones. All creation celebrates Jesus’ birth. Journey to Bethlehem by Akiko Kageyama tells the biblical birth story, Beautifully illustrated. A Baby is Coming by Daphna Flegal tells the biblical birth story. Beautifully illustrated with text in both English and Spanish. O Little Town of Bethlehem has the text of the beloved hymn, with illustrations by Patrick T. McRae that depict a family preparing for and experiencing Christmas. A Northern Nativity by William Kurelek takes place in the dreams of a boy who sees the story unfold in various prairie and Eskimo settings. Four Candles for Simon by Gerda Marie Scheidl describes a shepherd boy looking for his lost lamb and finding it along with a baby in a manger. A Small Miracle by Peter Collington tells a story with no words at all, just a series of illustrations that show a starving old woman being rescued by townspeople after she used her last bit of strength to assemble a vandalized nativity scene in a village church. ~Carol Jensen, Church Librarian

In place of the Women’s Birthday Breakfast and the Men’s Breakfast, in December we will host a combined Men and Women Breakfast Mixer! The Holiday Breakfast Mixer will be on: Saturday, December 13 9 – 10:30 a.m. We will be celebrating the December birthdays during the breakfast and would appreciate it if everyone brings a dish to share. RSVP Here!

Jan Peek House is a shelter that provides food and support for a few dozen homeless men and women in Peekskill, NY. It is one of the non-profit programs run by CHHOP (Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill www.chhop.org)). On the fourth Saturday of each month, 3 or more families from our church work together to prepare a dinner for the residents of Jan Peek. This year, we will have provided nearly 500 dinners. When you prepare dinners for Jan Peek, you are providing more than just physical nourishment – you are providing spiritual nourishment, too. As Director Cynthia Knox says, “When groups come to serve meals, it means more than anything you could give to our clients. Nothing builds self-esteem more than when they finally realize people care. And when we care about them, they learn to care about themselves — that’s the beginning of being healthy.” If you would like to volunteer to prepare a meal for Jan Peek, you can either sign up by contacting Jeff Kephart ([email protected]). We are in need of volunteers for December 27, 2025 and for February 2026 and beyond. The Noontime Meal program is run by the Salvation Army in Peekskill. Every afternoon of the work week, lunch is provided to about 120 people in Peekskill, most of whom work in the area. Our church sponsors the lunch on the second Wednesday of each month. Through this program, we will have provided approximately 1400 lunches this year. The process is very simple and takes just one hour. We place an order for rotisserie chickens and other items at ShopRite in Cortlandt, then pick it up and deliver it to the Salvation Army the day before the lunch. The Salvation Army staff prepares the lunch the next day. Lieutenant Jesse Flanders of the Peekskill Salvation Army describes the Noontime Meal as a ray of hope for its clients – a source of stability that helps them mentally and spiritually by reducing worry and stress. Knowing that people care helps them keep going. If you are interested in helping with Noontime Meal and have an hour to spare on a Tuesday, please contact Jeff Kephart ([email protected]). ~Sincerely, Jeff Kephart. Co-chair, Mission Commission

Youth Group is Going Christmas Caroling! ALL are welcome to join us! Saturday, December 13, 3:00-5:30 pm Join us as we share the Christmas Spirit through the gifts of music and presence with some of our home-bound members, and then meet back at the church for hot chocolate and cookies. We will meet at the church at 3, then carpool to our destinations. Please let Kaycee ([email protected]) know if you can come and if you can help drive!

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse… The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;       by Clement Clark Moore “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas… “     by Irving Berlin I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.       by Kim Gannon & Walter Kent The Advent/Christmas season is a time for dreaming – dreaming of sugar plums and packages under the tree, festive reunions with family and friends, and cozy moments of candle-lit calm, even peace on earth. Sometimes we get so focused on our own dreams, however, that we forget that Advent and Christmas are ultimately about God’s dream which is not just for us, but for the whole world. God has been dreaming since long before Jesus was born, since the very beginning of time when God created the universe and called it good. And God continues to dream of a world filled with hope, peace, joy, and love in which all life can flourish as God intended. In the Christian scriptures, God’s dream was most clearly articulated by the prophets of the Old Testament who prepared the way for the prophetic words and actions of Jesus. And then Jesus gave the job of proclaiming and working for God’s dream to the church, the Body of Christ on earth. This Advent, we will be exploring God’s dream, especially as we hear it in the prophets of old and today. Our Advent theme, Wake Up to God’s Dream, invites us to use what the great biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann called our “prophetic imagination,” the sacred practice of seeing beyond what is and envisioning the world as God dreams it to be – full of justice and peace and flourishing for all life on earth. God’s dream is not an escape from the real world, but rather a deep commitment to this life and a faithful resistance to all that denies what God intends for all of creation. Throughout the season of Advent, we’ll be looking at how the prophets shared God’s vision and prepared the way, not just for Jesus, but for God’s dream to become real, here and now. This Advent, let’s open our hearts and minds anew to what God has done, is doing and will continue to bring to birth in the world around us – God’s dream of a world filled with God’s hope and peace, joy and love. Dreaming with faith and hope, ~Tami & Chip

Help Us Bring Everyone to Church: Drivers Needed for Sunday Services At FPCY, we believe that worship is most powerful when shared—and that no one should miss out due to transportation challenges. As our congregation continues to grow in spirit and number, we’re reaching out for help to ensure everyone can join us for Sunday services. We’re looking for kind-hearted volunteers who can offer rides to fellow members who may not have access to transportation. Whether you can commit weekly, bi-weekly, or even just once a month, your support makes a meaningful difference. Why It Matters: Many of our older members, new attendees, and those recovering from illness rely on the church community to stay connected. Your willingness to drive helps them feel seen, supported, and spiritually uplifted. Ready to Help? Please contact John Winget at [email protected] to join our team of volunteer drivers. Let’s make sure every seat in our sanctuary is filled—with love, faith, and every member of our congregation, no matter what their situation.

Do you have gifts for Christmas that need to be wrapped but don’t have the time or patience (or skill)? Have the Youth wrap them for you!! On December 14 & 21 after both worship services, the youth will have a wrapping station set up during coffee hour. For a small donation, bring any gifts you want wrapped in to church and enjoy coffee and snacks while they make the magic happen! Donations go towards summer 2026 youth trips. Would you like to make a direct donation?

The Taghkanic Chorale proudly announces its highly anticipated Winter Concert, showcasing the extraordinary talents of local professional musicians and soloists from the New York classical music scene who make their home in northern Westchester. The Chorale in its 58 th Season makes the First Presbyterian Church in Yorktown their rehearsal home and their annual winter concert entitled “Rejoice and Sing! Chorale Masterworks for the Season” will be performed on December 13 and 14 at St. Columbanus Church, 122 Oregon Road in Cortlandt Manor. Supported by a generous grant from the New York Community Trust-Westchester, and under the direction of Music Director Jason C. Tramm, the Chorale is accompanied by an orchestra of baroque period instruments, bringing historical authenticity, vibrant color, and a sound wholly different from modern ensembles to these beloved works. The concert features the youthful brilliance and contrapuntal vitality of Handel’s Dixit Dominus, along with motets by Praetorius, Brahms, and Mendelssohn. The performance concludes with the luminous Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben from J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. In addition to featured soloists soprano Zen Wu and tenor Maximillian Jansen, the concert will highlight solo performances by local professional artists soprano Sophia Low, contralto Kirsten Sollek, and bass Richard Lippold. Yorktown-raised soprano Sophia Low, an alum of Lakeland High School and a recent graduate of the prestigious Peabody Institute of Music of Johns Hopkins University—returns to sing with the community that nurtured her, making music alongside friends and mentors. Sophie recalls singing with multiple members of the Taghkanic Chorale as she was growing up in the Yorktown Presbyterian church, and is thrilled to be home, and making music with them. Joining her are contralto Kirsten Sollek and bass Richard Lippold, who call Cortlandt Manor home with their dog Bailey, when they are not performing nationally and internationally. This season, Ms. Sollek’s engagements include Handel’s Messiah with Epiphany Seattle, Bach’s Magnificat with the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and John Zorn’s Holy Visions at the Southern Exposure Festival at the University of South Carolina, amongst other engagements. After moving to New York in 2000, Mr. Lippold has been a featured soloist internationally and throughout the U.S. and N.Y.C. including solo appearances at Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall. After 21 years at St. Thomas Fifth Avenue, Mr. Lippold is now staff singer and adjunct voice teacher at Christ Church Greenwich in Connecticut, and maintains an active voice studio at home in Cortland Manor. “Welcome to the Taghkanic Chorale’s performance of “Rejoice and Sing,” invites Music Director Jason C. Tramm, “where we journey through the rich tapestry of sacred choral music across three centuries – culminating in a vibrant display of Baroque brilliance. These works are living, breathing forces—capable of stirring the heart and elevating the spirit. We’d love to share this historic sound and timeless inspiration with you.” The performances will take place at St. Columbanus Church, 122 Oregon Rd. Cortlandt Manor, NY on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 8:00 PM and Sunday, Dec. 14 at 4:00 PM. Tickets are available online ($25, seniors $22, students $12) or in person at the concert. About the Taghkanic Chorale: Now in its 58th season, the Taghkanic Chorale is a cornerstone of the Hudson Valley’s musical community. The Chorale is committed to presenting high-quality performances of choral masterworks and contemporary compositions, while fostering local talent and enriching the cultural life of Westchester and beyond. It is a non-profit, non-sectarian group that rehearses Tuesday evenings in Yorktown and performs each Spring and Fall. For information about concert tickets, livestreaming, and Chorale membership visit www.taghkanicchorale.org.

  50%of your gifts smooth the path for current and retired 50% church workers and their families in their time of need. Rev. Lynn Bledsoe’s world was rocked when Hurricane Helene swept away not only her long-held sense of security, but the very ground beneath her North Carolina home, causing a 15-foot drop off outside her front door. The needed repairs weren’t covered under insurance. Thankfully, Lynn received an unexpected lifeline, a grant to help with the repairs through the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions, made possible by gifts to the Christmas Joy Offering. 50% of your gifts prepare students to learn and grow in faith at Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color. Catherine Cox felt she was destined to be a teacher but raising twins as a single mom was challenging. She enrolled in Stillman College, supported by gifts to the Christmas Joy Offering, in her hometown of Tuscaloosa and she graduated this year as a Dean’s List Scholar in Mathematics. She will be teaching 7th and 8th grade mathematics at Stillman’s newest education partner, the I Dream Big Charter School. She credits Stillman’s close-knit community and engaged faculty for being instrumental in helping her to succeed and to land her dream job. Gifts to the Christmas Joy Special Offering of the PCUSA will be received throughout December. By giving to the Christmas Joy Offering, you will be providing assistance to current and retired church workers in their time of need and developing our future leaders at Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges. Please consider giving to the Christmas Joy Offering in addition to your regular giving. Give online or by check — mark gifts “JOY”.

Need a gift for someone who has everything? Looking for an alternative to the commercial Christmas gift? Need a hostess gift to take to holiday party? Why not make a donation to our Food Pantry in honor of a friend or family member? Donations can be made in any amount! For each donation, you can select a card that you can mail or deliver in-person. Stop by the office or look for the table in the Gathering Space on Sundays this December!

For December we would like to request pancake mix (preferably the “just add water” kind) and syrup for those holiday break breakfasts at home for the school kids. Noting the item of the month and bringing in some supplies can help the pantry offer as wide a variety of foods as possible. Just place the items in the labeled donation bins at the back of the church building. Of course all non-perishable items are welcome. If you would like to make a food donation, please note: * Non-Perishable FOOD Only * NO Food with expired dates on the packages. * Donate the quality of food you would serve to your own family. * Online contributions to the Food Pantry are also most welcome. You can find more information, including our distribution schedule on our Food Pantry Page. Thank you!

Join us for our Christmas Lunch Bunch on Wednesday December 17 at noon. Ham and Potatoes will be provided; please bring a side! RSVP here

A special meeting of the Congregation and Corporation of the First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown will be held in person and on ZOOM (“hybrid”) on Sunday, December 14, 2025 in the Sanctuary following the 10:30 worship service for the purpose of: * The election of up to six Elders and four Deacons for the Class of 2028 * The election of one Elder for the Class of 2027 * The election of one Elder for the Class of 2026 * The election of up to two Youth Elders and two Youth Deacons for the Class of 2027 And to conduct any other business which may properly come before the meeting.

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate and appreciate all the blessings in our lives.  For many of us, a family meal with a variety of beloved foods is a part of that gratitude. Help us to provide variety and special items for our Food Pantry clients for the December Holiday Season. Your donations to the Thanksgiving Offering, accepted throughout November, will help us offer roasts or pies or fresh produce (which is harder for us to source through our normal channels in the later months of the year) in the pre-Christmas pantry. 100% of this offering will be dedicated to use by our Food Pantry. Give online, by using the special offering envelope, or mark your check “Thanksgiving offering.” As ever, we are so grateful for your support! 

Join us this Advent season as we explore the voices of Advent with Matthew L. Skinner, Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul and Scholar of Adult Education at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. Together we’ll explore the voices of Jesus; John the Baptist; Mary, Zechariah and the Gospel of John; and finally, the voices of Angels and the Prophets. Connie will lead the discussions on Thursday from 10:30am until noon, and Sunday from 9:15am until 10:15. Both studies will be available in person in the library and online on Zoom. We begin on Thursday December 4 and Sunday December 7. Welcome to Advent, a season of hope!

Don’t miss this wonderful way to get into the holiday spirit! Join us on Sunday, November 30, 5:00-7:30 pm for dinner, caroling and decorating the Sanctuary for Advent and Christmas. All ages and helpers welcome! Please register so we know how much food and who can help with decorating.

Join us on Sunday November 16!

November 15 at 8am Attention All Men Join us on the 3rd Saturday of each month as we cook breakfast in our church kitchen and enjoy a time of fellowship with one another.

You are invited to join us for our COMMITMENT SUNDAY WORSHIP November 16th at 8 am and 10:30 am with both services followed by a CELEBRATION BRUNCH. See you in Church! ~FPCY Stewardship Team

Thanksgiving is Coming!   Our Thanksgiving distribution sees about 50% more families than any other pantry of the year, so we are planning for more than 300! Here are ways you can help us help our neighbors to celebrate with their families: * We have been unable to secure enough turkeys to cover our anticipated needs for the November 23rd pantry —  PLEASE CAN YOU HELP? We would prefer the frozen turkeys to be of size 10-12 pounds, and to have them dropped off between 2 and 5pm on Friday the 21st (in the back parking lot). * Volunteer at the setup on November 21 or the Pantry on November 22 by signing up below.  Please note that nearly all our tasks will require able bodied folks who can lift cases of canned goods and 20 pound packed bags. Friday Set-Up—November 21 Saturday Distribution Help—November 22  * We particularly need young people (in age or energy) to help transport food out to the cars — AND — we also need to borrow ANYTHING that looks like a transport wagon to help in this transportation.  The only way we will be able to serve all our clients in the allotted time is with wheels and strong arms! * Food donations —  What we really need (besides the turkeys mentioned above) are: Canned corn Canned fruit other than pears Corn Muffin Mix (it’s the item of the month as well) Any Questions?  Contact Debbie Bernardini or Katharine Frase THANK YOU !!! Your pantry team —

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate and appreciate all the blessings in our lives.  For many of us, a family meal with a variety of beloved foods is a part of that gratitude. Help us to provide variety and special items for our Food Pantry clients for the December Holiday Season. Your donations to the Thanksgiving Offering, accepted throughout November, will help us offer roasts or pies or fresh produce (which is harder for us to source through our normal channels in the later months of the year) in the pre-Christmas pantry. 100% of this offering will be dedicated to use by our Food Pantry. Give online, by using the special offering envelope, or mark your check “Thanksgiving offering.” As ever, we are so grateful for your support!