Published: July 20, 2022

The Asbury First UR Well Clinic is in need of PPD readers. Every Sunday morning, we read results of PPD tests for the clinic patients and are currently understaffed for volunteers. If you are a qualified medical professional and can volunteer time to assist with these readings, please contact Lin Vanderstyne, an Asbury First member and coordinator for the UR Well PPD readings at 585-383-1043 or by email at Ljv@frontier.com.

Published: July 18, 2022

August 8–13, Rochester Area

August 8-13, our middle school youth will once again be helping out as counselors for Vacation Bible School in the morning, and volunteering with different local agencies in the afternoon. Some of our connections may include Food Link, The Gandhi Institute, and the Iroquois White Corn Project. Then, on Friday and Saturday, our youth will have the opportunity to enjoy an overnight in the Adirondacks where they will get to experience the beauty and grandeur of nature through activities such as climbing and caving.

Published: July 15, 2022

Finger Lakes Opera's (FLO) summer season is fast approaching with performances on July 17, 24, 26, and 30 (both in Canandaigua), as well as August 5 and 7. If you've never attended a FLO program, you are in luck! An Asbury First member has kindly offered to treat you to a performance this summer. 

To take advantage of this generous offer, please note that complimentary tickets are limited to two per person and reservations must be made three business days prior to the event. Simply send an email to Gwen Paker at gpaker@fingerlakesopera.org with the subject line "Asbury First Tickets" and a member of the FLO staff will reach out to you. 

For the season performance line up and to purchase tickets, please visit www.fingerlakesopera.org.

Published: July 14, 2022

The construction on the new Outreach Center is well under way at 1010 East Avenue! It is really exciting to see the incredible changes, and the progress toward making holistic outreach at Asbury First a reality.

The third video in this series looks at the new entrance to the Outreach Center, along with construction updates for the Dining & Caring Center extension and main dining area. This was filmed at the end of May, so a lot of progress has been made since. Keep an eye out for the next video.

Click here to watch the video
 

Published: July 7, 2022

In light of the reality that the United Methodist Church has not formally split, but a new traditionalist Methodist denomination has been launched, "Ask the UMC" is authoring a series of articles that aim to answer frequently asked questions and correct misperceptions and misinformation about the future of the United Methodist Church.
 
Click here to read the first of these articles.

Published: July 6, 2022

Wednesday, August 10, 6 pm Refreshments, 
7 pm celebration, Front Lawn Tent

The Discipleship Project invites you to join us for a special musical and worship celebration on Wednesday, August 10 under the tent in the front lawn. There will be light refreshments served at 6 pm, with the main worship celebration beginning at 7 pm. We are blessed to be joined by musician Nairobi Smith, who is a United Methodist Worship Leader. The celebration is open to all, and we hope you can join us! For more information, contact Rev. Rachel Dupont at rdupont@asburyfirst.org or at 585-271-150 x113.

Published: July 6, 2022

Tent Sunday at Asbury First aims to give people a great experience of the church, as well as welcome those living nearby who may be curious about our community. We'd love to see you at 11 am, August 7, outside under the tent for:

• Outdoor worship under a tent
• Burgers, Hot Dogs, and more
• The Asbury First Talent Show

Then, come back during the week for VBS: Under Construction (asburyfirst.org/vbs-2022) and for a special worship celebration featuring artist Nairobi Smith (click here to learn more).

Published: June 30, 2022

Saturday, July 9, 7:30 pm, Sanctuary (Free-will offering)

The Barnstormers Men’s Chorus will visit Asbury First, presenting a concert on Saturday, July 9 at 7:30 pm, and serving as our guest choir for the 11 am service on Sunday, July 10. Founded in 1946, the Barnstormers presents concerts three times a year in various locations throughout the northeast, gathering men for a long weekend of rehearsing and performing. This is their first visit to the Rochester area, and we hope to provide them a warm welcome. Friday evening’s concert is free of charge (a free-will offering will benefit the ensemble.)

Published: June 30, 2022

Saturday, July 16, 1 pm, Park Avenue (Meet up at Asbury First at 11:30 am to march)

We invite LGBTQ+ persons and allies alike to join Asbury First, Fairport, UMC, Macedon Center UMC, and Covenant UMC in marching with us in the Pride Parade or cheering from anywhere on the parade route! The Pride Parade is on Saturday, July 16 at 1 pm and goes down Park Avenue from Alexander Street to Culver Road. If you'd like to march with us, please meet at Asbury at 11:30 am (we can walk or carpool to the line-up area on Alexander together), or find the Reconciling UMCs along Alexander. We're also participating in the Pride Picnic on July 10 at Genesee Valley Park. If you'd like to help staff our table, please contact Deb Bullock-Smith at dbullocksmith@asburyfirst.org. Learn more about ROC Pride Fest at www.rocpridefest.com. 

Published: June 28, 2022

Check out the new executive summary of the content, discussion, and meaningful actions of the June board meeting. While there are some aspects that will need to be kept confidential (particularly as it relates to certain personnel and legal matters), we believe this will go a long way toward improving the transparency of our actions and conversations. You can also read the updated Board Policy Book by clicking the button below.

Read the Latest Summary

Published: June 23, 2022

July 3–9, Kentucky

After a two-year hiatus, our high schoolers will once again be immersing themselves in a new environment as they travel to Kentucky to work with Appalachia Service Project (ASP). ASP is an organization that seeks to achieve systemic change for those experiencing extreme poverty in the Appalachia region. Because systemic change is a long and arduous process, ASP also partners with groups throughout the year to help provide hands-on help in local communities where alternative aid was dried up and/or is unavailable. ASP recognizes that this is not a permanent solution, and also uses this opportunity to educate their volunteers about how they can become more involved to help promote and enact positive systemic change. We are excited to have 18 youth and 8 adults engaging in this life-changing ministry the week of July 3-9. For more information, contact Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org or 585-271-1050 x105.

Published: June 22, 2022

Did you miss the information sessions about the Columbarium? Not to fret. Learn how Asbury First can be your final resting place, by reading our new Columbarium brochure — available in printed format around campus or online by clicking the link below. 

Asbury First is a place of worship, community and celebration of life from baptism to confirmation, marriage and memorial services. Members of the congregation have expressed an interest in having a columbarium at Asbury First for many years. For more information, please call 585-271-1050 or email columbarium@asburyfirst.org.

Click here to download the brochure 

Published: June 21, 2022

We are encouraged that the COVID-19 situation in our community is such that we are ready, once again, to adjust our masking policy from “masks recommended": to “masking by choice.” Everyone on our campus may choose to wear a mask at any time as an additional precaution to protect themselves and those around them. We will respect everyone’s choice in this matter. This policy is reflective of the updated CDC guidance and in line with what is happening in other public venues in our area.

We continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated (and boosted when eligible). We are particularly mindful of protecting those who are not yet vaccinated—especially babies and very young children for whom the FDA has only recently approved vaccination. We continue to encourage everyone to practice good hand hygiene. Hand sanitizing stations are located throughout the campus. Additionally, we ask everyone to be respectful of individual preferences regarding social distancing and physical contact such as handshakes or hugging. When in doubt, ask first.

As we learned during these past two years of the pandemic, flexibility is essential. As the situation changes, we will continue to make decisions with the health and safety of the community in mind.

Thank you for your patience and your grace as we continue to find our way through these challenging times.

Peace and Blessings,
The COVID-19 Task Force

Published: June 17, 2022

Dick Moncrief, our Financial Administrator for the past 16 years, has announced his intention to retire from that position on September 1.

Thankfully, he has no intention of leaving us. He will assume a volunteer role in the Outreach Center, assisting with foundation, corporate, and individual fundraising activities.

We will celebrate Dick’s contributions and celebrate his “retirement” as we all re-gather in the Fall.

Published: June 16, 2022

Come see our new location for children’s books in the Church Library—just off the gathering space. A reachable bookcase filled with picture books and children’s books are located just inside the Church Library. 

This new location features books that are within reach of even the shortest readers. Come look through the new additions and old favorites. Check them out to take home absolutely free and so convenient. Simply sign the blue card in the front of the book and leave it on the library desk and enjoy your book.

Click here for all the latest books