Published: Aug. 11, 2023

Wednesdays, September 13, 20, 27, 6-7 pm, Room 205 and on Zoom

Did you know that the Bible has been banned? What about To Kill a Mockingbird, Huckleberry Finn, The Grapes of Wrath, and even Goodnight Moon? In 2022, there were 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources, up almost double from 2021, and nearly ten times from 2020. Of those, 90% were attempts to censor multiple books, targeting a record number of 2,571 unique titles. The majority were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community or by and about Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color. What does it mean for a book to be censored or banned? Is this something we, as Christians, should care about? And if so, what could we even do? Come to our class in September, led by our newly formed Banned Book Team to find out. For more information, contact Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org.

Sept. 13 — Why should we care about challenged and banned books?
Sept. 20 — What are some books that have been challenged or banned?    
Sept. 27 — Where do we go from here?

Published: Aug. 10, 2023

Please join us in welcoming Ly Tran. She will be working with Sarah as our new Communications Assistant. Ly is currently a student at RIT studying Graphic Design. Originally from Vietnam, she has been a Rochester local for the past 11 years. She is an enthusiastic and talented designer and we are excited to have her join Asbury First. Ly can be contacted at ltran@asburyfirst.org or at 585-271-1050 x108.

Published: Aug. 4, 2023

The Asbury First Library is so grateful for the outpouring of used book donations, but we now have MORE than enough and cannot accept any more! 
However, we are looking for some bibliophiles (or even market enthusiasts) to help sell books at the NOTA Farmers Market on Mondays from 4–7 pm. For more information or to volunteer, contact Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org or (585) 271-1050 x105.

Published: Aug. 2, 2023

Our Asbury Community Garden is starting to burst with veggies! We’ve already started delivering produce to the Asbury First Dining & Caring Center, and made a monthly contribution to Keeping Our Promise neighbors. Next we will contribute to AME Zion’s lunch program on Wednesdays. If you are a gardener and find yourself awash with more veggies than you can handle, we will be glad to take your extras and distribute them.

Just drop off donations to the garden behind 1010 before 10 am on Wednesdays only. If you don’t find a gardener harvesting in the garden at that time, please leave your produce on the shady side of the big tan bin. It’s at the edge of the garden closest to the playground. Thank you for your help!

Published: July 21, 2023

We are hiring Property Care Staff! Under the direction and supervision of the Director of Property Care, the Property Care Associate will be responsible for responding to and completing and grounds maintenance projects and tasks, and completing event/meeting sets-ups and tear-downs. The successful candidate will possess a positive attitude, be able to work independently and within deadlines on various tasks on the Asbury First campus. Prior experience with grounds maintenance and meeting setup/teardown tasks preferred. Interested candidates please send cover letters and resumes to search@asburyfirst.org.

Published: July 21, 2023

We have reports of a new scam going around claiming to be Stephen. This new scam even uses Stephen's image to seem more legitimate. The Asbury First staff will never ask you to send cash immediately or to give your personal information over an open email.

Here are a few guidelines to recognize scam/phishing emails or texts:

• Be suspicious of urgent demands for information. Often spoofed e-mails will make some form of urgent request.
• Look for misspelled words or grammatical errors in the message and/or hyperlink.
• Avoid e-mailing personal and financial information.
• Be watchful of general greetings.
• Contact Asbury First directly to verify the request before responding.

Another way to avoid them is to check the email address and make sure it has @asburyfirst.org at the end. If it does not, immediately delete the email before opening it as the staff will only contact you using official email addresses. For more information, please contact David Strong at dstrong@asburyfirst.org.

Published: July 21, 2023

Wednesday, August 16, 2:30–4 pm, 1040 Gathering Center

What better way to escape the summer heat than with ice-cream! We hope you'll join us for the Older Adults Ice-Cream Social in August. No RSVP necessary. There will be vegan and sugar-free options. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Thiel at 585-271-1050 x106.

Published: July 14, 2023

Do you love bulletin boards? Do you like being behind the camera? Well, we've got some projects for you! We are looking for volunteers to help produce the display bulletin for the Welcome Hall, as well as assistance with quick interviews for a video project. If you're interested, please contact Sarah Brubaker at sbrubaker@asburyfirst.org or by calling 585-271-1050 x109. Training and video equipment will be provided.

Published: July 14, 2023

Have you ever wanted to participate in worship — but without having to speak in front of people? You may have noticed that some weeks we have an acolyte, crucifer, and Christ candle that all help to lead our procession into worship and our recession out into the world. Each of these roles help to remind us that Christ goes before us—both in this space and beyond. We would love to have each of these roles fulfilled at every service. If you would like to volunteer to be an acolyte (the ones that light the candles), the crucifer (the one that carries the cross), or to carry our Christ candle, please contact Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org. We would love to have you join our team as we help spread and share the light of Christ!

Published: July 14, 2023

Friday, August 25, 6:45 pm, Frontier Field

Join us as we sing the National Anthem at the Red Wings vs. Worcester Red Sox game. We have reserved 100 seats, so tickets will be $10. You don't have to sing to join us at the game, but our hope is to have a good sized group represent Asbury First. You can also Get a Tie-Dye T-Shirt for $15 to wear to the game! Shirts will be on sale Sunday mornings, or by contacting the church office at 585-271-1050. For more information, contact Paula Dugan at pdugan@asburyfirst.org.

Published: July 13, 2023

Unfortunately, the event has been canceled.

Check back for a similar event in the Fall. To learn more about Keeping Our Promise, visit keepingourpromise.org. 

Published: July 11, 2023

The Asbury First Library is so grateful for the outpouring of donations! We are excited to have so much to offer at the Neighborhood of the Arts (NOTA) Farmer’s Market. Stop by on Mondays from 4–7 pm to check out our selection and to support local businesses. Thank you all!

Published: July 6, 2023

July 20–August 13 (see below for details)

Finger Lakes Opera (FLO) is pleased to share their summer line up. Please visit www.fingerlakesopera.org or call 585-450-3880 to reserve tickets for the events listed below.

• Aida at the RBTL Auditorium Theatre — Friday, August 11, 7 pm; and Sunday, August 13 at 2 pm
  Experience Verdi’s epic story of love, betrayal and war, set against the backdrop of Ancient Egypt. Be swept away as FLO takes you on a powerful roller coaster of emotions that are truly...life out loud!
• Summer Scenes at Fort Hill Performing Arts Center — Thursday, July 20, 6-8 pm; music starts at 7 pm
  FLO’s 2023 Young Artists present an evening of Italian opera, featuring selections from La bohème, Norma, Rigoletto, La traviata, and more! Food and drink is available and included in the ticket price. 
• Out Loud at the MAG at the Memorial Art Gallery — Wednesday, July 26, 5 pm
  This fun happy hour event will feature your favorites from opera arias to Broadway showtunes, brought to you by the 2023 Young Artists. 

Published: July 5, 2023

Sunday, July 16, 3-5 pm at Asbury First

This event is open to all youth and parents (because who doesn't love an opportunity to slime a beloved adult [or kid] in their life). We will have fully washable slime and water soakers, and will recreate some classic Roblox games like Bedwars and Rainbow Friends.

The slime is non-toxic, kid (and pet) friendly, gluten free, and hypoallergenic. We will also have a hose on hand so youth can wash off at any time. The more the merrier for this event, so mark your calendars and invite a friend. And for those adventurous parents that choose to join in the fun, we will have special roles for you to fulfill as well!  For more information, contact Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org or 585-271-1050 x105.

Published: July 5, 2023

Thursday, July 27, 6–8 pm, 1040 Gathering Center

Save the date! Join us on July 27 at 6 pm for a catered, Afghanistan-inspired dinner supporting Keeping Our Promise (KOP), a non-profit organization committed to providing comprehensive resettlement assistance to endangered wartime Allies who served US interests in conflict and war zones. Come and experience a delightful culinary journey while learning about this important mission. Click the link below to secure your seat at this impactful event.

The cost is $60 per-person. To register, click here or call the church office 
at 585-271-1050. To learn more about Keeping Our Promise, visit keepingourpromise.org.