News

  • Christmas Eve Pageant Sign-up 2026

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    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.

     

  • Dining In For Outreach podcast episode 3 now available

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    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.

  • Fall Campus Cleanup!

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    Published: Oct. 28, 2026

    Fall Campus Cleanup!

    Join us November 7 (rain date is 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. 

  • November Chapel Challenge: Toys!

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    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.

  • Town Hall / Church Conference

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    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!

  • Faithfully Together: 2027 Annual Pledge Progress Report

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    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.

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

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    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.

  • Trans Youth Book Talk with Author Nico Lang

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    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.

  • Habitat for Humanity Pie Sale Returns!

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    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.

  • The Storehouse Holiday Bazaar Returns!

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    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!

  • Chat with the Pastors

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    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.

  • Wednesday Evening Classes 
- Oct 28

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    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.

  • Trees for Christmas

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    Published: Oct. 21, 2026

    Trees for Christmas

    Last Christmas, our congregation’s generosity helped bridge the gap for neighbors affected by SNAP cuts and bare pantry shelves. This year, we invite you to help us glow a little brighter. A generous donor has already provided the tree for the front of the church, but your donation will bring a Christmas tree to the Gathering Center and may allow us to purchase large artificial trees for the Sanctuary, so that everyone who gathers here feels the warmth of the season. 

  • Banned Book Club reads George Orwell's 1984

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    Published: Oct. 21, 2026

    Banned Book Club reads George Orwell's 1984
    Monday, November 16 at 7 pm in the Red Room and via Zoom

    The Banned Book Club meets Bi-monthly to read and discuss a different Banned Book. Join us Monday, November 16 at 7 pm in the Red Room (in the Community Outreach Center) as we dive into Orwell's vision of a dystopian world unnervingly similar to our own. 

  • Table Saw Wanted!

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    Published: Oct. 21, 2026

    Table Saw Wanted!
    Donate your lightly used tools to the Monday Morning Crew

     

    The Monday Morning crew is seeking a replacement for our ancient table saw. If you would like to donate your no longer used 10" or 12" table saw, please contact Dave Kennedy (programs@asburyfirst.org or call him at (585) 339-8940).

    For safety reasons, any donated saw must have a blade guard and riving knife available.