Published: Nov. 22, 2026

Christmas Eve Pageant Sign-Ups!

It may still be October, but there is a vacancy at this Inn—for Christmas Eve Pageant sign-ups! If your child would like to be a part of our production, we’d love to have you sign-up by November 22. Please visit the Christmas Eve Pageant Sign-up Form or to sign up, or email children@asburyfirst.org for more information.

Published: Nov. 6, 2026

This year we honor 4 outstanding members of the congregation who've spent enormous amounts of time, energy and heart helping Asbury First connect with the needs of our community. 

Bob Castle has led Asbury First’s Outreach programs for years. He began in the Dining and Caring Center and later became head of the Outreach Committee when its first leader stepped away, a commitment of about fifteen years. He also served on both Outreach Task Forces and the organizing team for One Great Week of Service, envisioned by former Pastor Mark Rawls. With his wife, Barbara, an active volunteer in her own right, he has joined several adult mission trips and helped build homes in the Miami area with groups like Habitat for Humanity. He is also active on the Social Concerns team, particularly on housing.

Bonnie Kay is always among the first to volunteer. She co-led the Asbury First Storehouse for three years and still volunteers there, working regular shifts and helping organize fundraising sales. She served on the first Outreach Task Force and represented the Storehouse on the Outreach Committee. A retired school librarian, she has long served on the Library Committee and helps with educational programs such as Banned Books Week. She and her husband, Dave, also a regular volunteer, were part of the crew that built homes in the Miami area.

John Smalt may be the reason you received a small wooden cross from an Asbury First pastor during an illness or hospital stay. He either carved it himself or taught someone else to. A retired special education teacher, John has headed the Help Me Read program at School 17 for about 20 years, coordinating volunteers who work one-on-one with children from one of Rochester’s poorest neighborhoods to build their reading skills. He has traveled far to build homes for those in need, led painting projects during One Great Week of Service, served on both Outreach Task Forces, and now sits on the reorganized Outreach Committee.

The late Rev. Margie Mayson left Asbury First more than 20 years ago and died unexpectedly 5 years later, yet her spirit endures. Pastor Margie devoted herself to building discipleship- focused small groups and sparked our labyrinth in Fellowship Hall, but she also provided pivotal inspiration for Outreach. She encouraged the creation of the Dining and Caring Center and suggested the fundraiser that has raised tens of thousands of dollars for outreach, which we celebrate today as Dining In for Outreach.
 

Published: Nov. 4, 2026

The Library at Asbury First Celebrates Native American Heritage Month!

November is Native American Heritage Month! Stop by the bibliocart in the library for books by Native American authors, stories of gratitude, and titles honoring Veterans Day, including:



Nonfiction: Grateful by Diana Butler Bass

Fiction: The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich; The Women by Kristin Hannah

Young Adult: A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger; Code Talker 
by Joseph Bruchac

Middle Grade: The Boy Who Fell Off the Mayflower by P. J. Lynch

Picture Book: Join Our Family by Apryl Stott; The Wall by Eve Bunting



Also, come see the finished puzzle in the Reading Room and start a new one!

Published: Nov. 4, 2026

Give Time, Not Treasure: Help Us Winterize Our Tools

In this season of Stewardship when we ask for commitments of gifts, here is an opportunity for giving time and talents instead of treasures. Asbury First has a dozen gasoline power tools used to maintain the campus. As winter approaches the summer tools need seasonal care and the winter tools need to be checked for proper operation. If you have the know-how and willingness to do this, it would be a gift of significant value that does not involve money. If interested, please email programs@asburyfirst.org

Published: Oct. 28, 2026

Dining In For Outreach podcast episode 3 now available

Get ready for Dining In For Outreach with our new DIFO podcast! In the third episode, host Diana Louise Carter sits down with Mary Church Smith to talk about a lifetime of Dining In For Outreach. A new episode will be released each week leading up to the November 8 Celebration, so be sure to tune in. To listen to this week's episode, visit our youtube channel by clicking here.

Published: Oct. 28, 2026

Fall Campus Cleanup!
Meet at 8:30 am in the Granger Yard (corner of Granger and East Ave)

Join us November 14 for our annual Fall Campus Cleanup! Bring rakes, tarps, and anything else you find makes this task interesting, enjoyable, and fulfilling. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and snacks will be provided. If you have any questions, please email Deb Bullock-Smith at dbullocksmith@asburyfirst.org or call the church office at (585) 271-1050. 

Published: Oct. 28, 2026

November Chapel Challenge: Toys!

The holidays are almost here! Between Halloween and Christmas, the Storehouse hopes to give every child we shop for a new toy, and we need your help. We’re collecting new or very gently used toys for ages newborn to teen. Younger children love character toys (Bluey, Miss Rachel, superheroes) and sensory toys, while older kids enjoy art kits, makeup sets, Legos, and balls for sports. Please drop off donations in the Children’s Chapel of the Sanctuary on Sunday.

Published: Oct. 28, 2026

Town Hall / Church Conference
Sunday, Nov. 15 after 11 am worship

On Sunday, November 15, following 11 am worship and before the Seussical performance, we will gather for our annual Church Conference, which in the United Methodist Church is the once-a-year meeting where the entire congregation is invited to participate in the business of the church. Think of it as both a Town Hall and a family meeting: a time to celebrate what God has done among us, to affirm leaders for the coming year, and to take care of essential matters that shape our shared life. For those interested in the ongoing budget process, updates will be published in early November for your information and questions; the budget will not be finalized and passed until January. Please mark your calendar and plan to join us for this special gathering—and make plans to attend the musical afterward!

Published: Oct. 28, 2026

Faithfully Together: 2027 Annual Pledge Progress Report
Visit the display in the Gathering Center to keep track of our progress!

Our annual stewardship season has begun and 
by now you've likely received a letter from the Generosity Team introducing this year’s theme, Faithfully Together, inviting you to consider your commitment to Asbury First for 2027. As we enter this season, we hope you will take some time for prayer and reflection, giving thanks for the ways this community has touched your life and considering how you might participate in its ministry in the year ahead. There is no need to rush. We simply invite you to begin the conversation with God and to approach this season with an open heart. 

Pledge cards are available in the pew pads at the end of each pew, as well as at the Welcome Desk in the Welcome Hall, or pledge online by visiting asburyfirst.org/pledge-online.

Published: Oct. 21, 2026

Asbury First Community Theatre presents:
Seussical, November 13, 14 and 15

This November, get ready for a mad-cap musical of Seussian proportions! Imagination runs wild as beloved characters from Dr. Seuss’s stories come together in one fantastical tale. With humor, heart, and show-stopping songs, Seussical is a celebration of friendship, individuality, and the power of standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.

Reserve your seat now for ACT's latest in Fellowship Hall, November 13 and 14 at 7 pm, and Sunday November 15 at 2 pm by clicking here.

Published: Oct. 21, 2026

Trans Youth Book Talk with Author Nico Lang
November 21 at 3 pm in the Gathering Center

Join author Nico Lang for a critical conversation on how to be an ally to trans kids during a turbulent era. November 21 at 3 pm in the Gathering Center. From the tip of Florida’s conservative panhandle to vibrant queer communities in California, and from Texas churches to mosques in Illinois, American Teenager gives readers a window into the lives of eight teens who, despite what some lawmakers might want us to believe, are truly just kids looking for a brighter future.

Published: Oct. 21, 2026

Habitat for Humanity Pie Sale

Dream of Thanksgiving dinner with a slice of Apple Crumb, Pecan, Strawberry Rhubarb, Pumpkin, or Rumbleberry Pie? Pies are $20 each, baked by Special Touch Bakery (School of the Holy Childhood), and freeze well for Christmas. Order and pay in the Welcome Hall on Sundays, October 25, November 1, and 8. Pick up your pies there on Monday, November 23, 1-5 pm. Every pie supports Asbury First’s work building homes with Greater Rochester Habitat for Humanity’s annual fundraiser.

Published: Oct. 21, 2026

The Storehouse Holiday Bazaar Returns!
Saturday, November 21, 9 am to 4 pm in Fellowship Hall
 and Sunday, November 22, 10 am to 1 pm

Come support the Storehouse with holiday spirit — Asbury First artisans and local craftspeople are bringing their wares to Fellowship Hall (below the Sanctuary) for our annual Holiday Bazaar. Join us November 21 and 22 and celebrate another wonderful year of the Asbury First Storehouse!

Published: Oct. 21, 2026

Chat with the Pastors

October 25 in the Gathering Center following both services

New to Asbury First? Thinking about membership? Curious about who we are and what it means to be part of this community? Join us for Chat with the Pastors, an informal monthly conversation where you can meet our clergy, learn more about Asbury First and the United Methodist tradition, ask questions, and explore whether membership might be a next step for you. Find us in the Gathering Center following both worship services. No pressure and no commitment—just conversation, connection, and a chance to learn more.

Published: Oct. 21, 2026

Wednesday Evening Classes
Wednesdays, 6 pm, Wesley Hall and Zoom

Join us Wednesday, October 28 for The Masks We Wear and a history of Halloween with Pastor Dee Finch. Questions? Email Pastor Dee at dfinch@asburyfirst.org.