Published: June 24, 2021

Monday, August 9, 7-8:30 pm, Zoom, zoom.us/j/8347173468

After our Bicentennial Bible Challenge and our Dynamic Disciple Challenge, we have heard more and more questions about how our Bible came to be. Why are these books included? Were there other books? Is it true that Catholic Bibles have more books? What is the Gospel of Thomas? If you have asked any of these questions—and/or these questions have piqued your curiosity—then you are encouraged to join us on Monday, August 9, for a Zoom presentation and conversation. Participants are encouraged to read The Bible’s Cutting Room Floor by Joel Hoffman prior to our meeting, but all are always welcome. Contact Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org with questions. 

Published: June 18, 2021

Welcome to the newly-designed Asbury First website!

You're invited to: Unite in Faith, Do More Good, Join a Community, Make a Change, Celebrate Diversity, and Worship with Us! We hope you discover new and exciting things about Asbury First as you dive deep into our new look. 

Please understand that this is a work in progress, and new features will be added in the days and weeks to come. If you find a link that doesn't work, please contact Sarah Brubaker at communication@asburyfirst.org.

Where do I find that?

To help you find all of your favorite links and information, please take a look at the quick guide to the new website by clicking the button below.

Download the New Website Guide

Published: June 18, 2021

Mondays, 4–7 pm, Granger Lawn

NOTA (Neighborhood of the Arts) is sponsoring a Farmers Market each Monday evening from 4–7 pm at Asbury First on Granger Lawn (beside 1050). The market begins with a "soft" open on Monday, June 21, and a "grand" opening on Monday, June 28.

Please share the page, spread the word, and we will (hopefully) see you at the NOTA Farmers Market this summer on Mondays from 4 to 7pm!

For more information, click here for the NOTA Farmers Market Facebook page, or visit www.notafarmmarket.com.

Published: June 18, 2021

Tuesdays starting June 29, 3 pm, Gathering Center, $10 pay at the door

Gentle Yoga is happily returning to Asbury First this summer beginning on Tuesday, June 29 at 3 pm. Each session will be gentle in nature, beginner friendly, and inclusive to those in need of different supports. Join us for an hour of breathing, movement, and awareness, with meditation. Please wear loose-fitting clothing that is comfortable for a wide range of movement. A limited number of yoga mats and props (blocks, straps, etc.) will be available, but you are encouraged to bring your own.

The sessions will be run by Kelly Noyes, who is certified from the Kripalu School of Yoga and Health and is registered with Yoga Alliance (RYT 200). For more information, please contact Kelly at knoyes710@aol.com.

Published: June 15, 2021

Tuesday, 7 pm, Zoom, zoom.us/j/8347173468

A few times each year, the community of Taizé invites families with children ages 3–14 to join them for a week of prayer, meditation, and international fellowship. The Taizé community was founded in 1940 and is an ecumenical Christian community a few hours southeast of Paris, France. Each year, over 100,000 people from around the world travel to Taizé to spend a week in contemplative communion. During the family weeks, kids get to take part in something like an international vacation Bible school, while parents gather in small groups to discuss faith and parenting. Mike Mullin had the opportunity to participate in this program three years ago, and he is excited about the prospect of sharing this experience with more members of our Asbury First family. 

All parents are invited to join us for an interest and informational meeting on Zoom on Tuesday, June 22 at 7 pm. We will talk more about the program, the costs, travel logistics, and potential travel dates. This is just an interest meeting, and no commitments are expected at this time. You can check out the Taizé website for more information: https://www.taize.fr/en_article13887.html and https://www.taize.fr/en.

Published: June 14, 2021

During June and July the church is converting all of the fluorescent light fixtures in 1040 to LEDs. In order to realize the substantial energy savings as quickly as possible, we are doing the installations ourselves with volunteers from the congregation. 

The project is being coordinated by the Monday Morning Crew which could use additional helpers for this project involving over 600 lamps. Please join us any Monday morning between 9 am and 12 pm to help. We work in pairs so no prior experience is necessary. 

In addition to Monday mornings, we will be arranging several evening or weekend shifts. Contact Dave Kennedy if you are interested in these or if you have any questions at DAKennedy@Frontiernet.net or 585-787-0422.

Published: June 11, 2021

Sunday, June 27, 10 am, Asbury Community Garden (behind 1010)

Join us on Sunday, June 27 after the 9 am service, as we dedicate the Asbury Community Garden. Building and planting the garden has truly been a labor of love for the Asbury First community. Relocate your lawn chair to the garden behind 1010 East Ave and help bless this new outreach ministry. The Asbury Community Garden will provide healthy food for our Dining & Caring Center meals, guests, and the Grocery Bag Ministry. A grant from the Monroe County Soil & Water Conservation District funded this beautiful addition to our campus.

Published: June 11, 2021

Saturday, June 26, 2–4 pm

The world is starting to get back to normal, but a lot of people are still struggling due to the pandemic. We need your help to support the Dining & Caring Center and the Grocery Bag Ministry! As you do your own shopping in the coming days, please consider collecting items for donation that would be useful for these amazing ministries and those in need.

Click here for a list of needed items

Published: June 11, 2021

Primary elections are on Tuesday, June 22. Early voting starts Monday, June 14. We urge you to consider voting in the primaries!

You can check your voter status and see your ballot by clicking here. Click on "Check my Voter Information" to find your polling place and see your ballot. Then you can research whom you want to represent you. The Democratic primary is county-wide, while the Republican primary is limited to Rush and Hamlin.

In a primary, the party selects its candidates for the General Election in November. It is how parties choose their message bearers and their message. Ordinary voters often overlook the primary, but it is important to get the votes of people who are looking for moderation in politics. It takes very few votes to sway the direction of a party and people with strong agendas can turn voters to move the party further to the left or right. 

Click here to view some posted debates between the candidates for Rochester City Council and School Board from the League of Women Voters.

Published: June 10, 2021

Sunday, July 4, 10 am, Front Lawn

We are so excited for Rev. Rachel Dupont, the new Minister for Christian Formation and Director of the Discipleship Project, to join our pastoral staff! Help us in welcoming her to Asbury First at an outdoor reception after the 9 am service on July 4.

In addition to regular pastoral duties, Rev. Dupont will be working on a special initiative called The Discipleship Project, which she envisions as a network of “class” and “band” meetings (the original Methodist small groups) that covenant together to be accountable to a Methodist way of life. These small groups will begin within the Asbury First community to train leaders that will help start similar groups around Rochester, inviting new people into Christian discipleship. Not only does this align perfectly with our Dreamscape goals, but it also provides a new means of meaningful connection for a community coming out of a year of isolation.

The generosity of the Petherbridge family gives us the opportunity to try this initiative for a year. Our hope is that it will be so fruitful that we will be able to identify funding to support Rev. Dupont’s appointment in the years ahead.

Published: June 4, 2021

Monday, June 7, 12 pm, Federal Building, 100 State Street

On Monday, June 7 at noon in Rochester at the Federal Building at 100 State Street, join The Poor People's Campaign to make our voices heard and urge our members of Congress to take action and sign onto a newly-released national resolution. They will be gathering just to the right (south) of the Federal Building between it and the Holiday Inn.

Over the last three years, the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival has been clear in its commitment to shifting the moral narrative in this country by building lasting power for poor and impacted people. That is why on Monday, June 7 at noon, the Poor People's Campaign is organizing news conferences around the country to demand that our U.S. House of Representatives sign the national resolution titled, “Third Reconstruction: Fully Addressing Poverty and Low-Wages in America by Building from the Bottom Up.”

[Note that because of construction on the Riverwalk, the Genesee Crossroads Garage is closed. Use the Sister Cities Garage with entrance on Fitzhugh St. Exit onto Church St. and turn right.]

As always, the Poor People’s Campaign is political, but non-partisan; this is not about left or right, Democrat or Republican, but about right or wrong. If you have any questions or would like to become more involved with this action, please call or text John McNeill at 585-329-6193.

To learn more about the Poor People's Campaign, visit https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/.

Published: June 4, 2021

The Asbury First campus gardening group can use some more volunteers! mVolunteers are assigned a garden area to keep weeded and trimmed. They can attend to it any time convenient for them. Twice a year, on a Saturday, we have a campus clean-up (a couple of hours of spring or fall sprucing up). Anyone interested can contact Bonnie Gregory at bonniegregory126@gmail.com.

Published: May 28, 2021

October 17–18, Virtual

parliamentofreligions.org/home

The first Parliament of the World’s Religions gathered in Chicago in September of 1893. This was the first world-wide organized interfaith gathering. Faith leaders and members travelled for months for the opportunity to gather and celebrate diverse faiths and traditions together. This October, the 8th Parliament of the World’s Religions will gather virtually on October 17 and 18. We are looking forward to having a cohort of individuals attend from Asbury First UMC. The cost is $10 for students, and it starts at $70 for everyone else. You can sign up directly on the website linked above. 

The AFUMC cohort will meet at least once prior to the event, once during or immediately after the event, and once shortly after the event. Our hope is that through our participation we might help spread the good news and good work of this gathering to our local church and community. We often hear that we are better together, and this event is an opportunity to experience and practice what this means on a global and faith-filled scale. Please contact Mike Mullin (mmullin@asburyfirst.org) with any questions and to let us know when you sign up!

Published: May 21, 2021

As we draw near to Pentecost (the birthday of the church), it seems fitting that we look with hope toward those signs of rebirth around us. Given that NY State has now adopted the new CDC guidelines, we are pleased to make some adjustments to our worship and on-campus gathering guidelines.

MASKS:

Beginning Monday, May 24 (after this Sunday), masks will be optional on our campus (indoor or outdoor) for those who have been fully vaccinated. Some may wish to continue wearing masks and some may not. Both are welcome. For those who have not been fully vaccinated, masks will continue to be required on our campus, both indoors and outside.

WORSHIP SCHEDULE:

We plan to continue our previously announced schedule of services through the summer with a 9 am outdoor service (weather-permitting-only) beginning on May 30 and the 11 am service remaining livestream-only until the fall. However, mark your calendars for August 1 as we plan to hold our annual Tent Service that day (one service at 11 am).

INDOOR MEETINGS:

As we adjust to this new reality, we ask that indoor meetings follow our masking guidance and also attempt to maintain 3–6 foot social distancing.

We have put together a FAQ list to help answer further questions. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out with any further questions.

Sincerely,

The COVID-19 Task Force

Click here to read the Return to Worship FAQs.

Published: May 20, 2021

Virtual Race, June 14–20

Keeping Our Promise Inc. invites you to participate in Run for their Lives — a Virtual Run Walk Bike Wheel or Ride Race to support our local Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) resettlement program. The race period will begin June 14th and end on Sunday, June 20, 2021, at 5 pm EDT to coincide with World Refugee Day. You can submit your race results anytime during this period. We want to honor the journey that our wartime allies endured in order to resettle in the Rochester area. For some of our SIV friends, this journey took years while their lives and those of their family members were in immediate danger as a direct result of having supported the wartime efforts of the United States.

The registration cost is $35 per participant. The t-shirt guarantee registration deadline is May 24, 2021, but registration will remain open until June 20, 2021. For more information and to register, click here.

We are also encouraging individual and team fundraising for the event. If any Asbury First members want to start a team and fundraise, you can sign up on the race website by clicking the "Become a Fundraiser" button.