Published: Oct. 6, 2023

Saturday, November 11, 9 am–1 pm, Meet at 1040 Main Entrance

Please join us for our annual Fall Campus Cleanup. We'll meet at the Main Entrance of the Church (parking lot entrance). Please 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 contact Lori Young, our Director of Property Care at lyoung@asburyfirst.org.

Published: Oct. 6, 2023

Tuesday, December 5, 7–8 pm, 1040 Fellowship Hall
Tuesday, March 19, 7–8 pm, 1040 Fellowship Hall

The Women of the Well are coming back to share a creative, prayerful offering with story, music and dance. The December session taps into women’s experience today, connecting it with the friendships of some of our earliest ancestors in faith. In March, they will present a program about the four nuns who were killed in El Salvador in the 1980s. You won't want to miss out on these moving and spiritual programs. For more information, please contact Deb Bullock-Smith at dbullocksmith@asburyfirst.org or by calling 585-271-1050.

Published: Oct. 6, 2023

Tuesday, October 24, 6–8 p.m. 1040 Gathering Center

Representatives of the Gandhi Institute will lead a training that is open to all around best practices and skills when working with people experiencing trauma and/or crisis. This is a great opportunity to grow in our ability to offer care to our neighbors whom we encounter in the Community Outreach Center and beyond. Please visit asburyfirst.org/news to register to attend. Contact Pat Dupont at pdupont@asburyfirst.org.

Published: Oct. 6, 2023

In-Person: Sunday, November 5, 12:30-1:30 pm, 1050 Stephen's Office, Lunch served.
Hybrid: Wednesday, November 8, 7 pm, 1050 Stephen's Office and Zoom (zoom.us/j/82498934913)

We are pleased to be offering these classes for any and all interested in joining Asbury First. We will hold classes in person Sunday, November 5 following the service at 12:30 pm. For those near and far interested in meeting (and potentially joining) either virtually or in-person, we will hold a hybrid class on Wednesday, November 8 at 7 pm. Our hope is to have everyone join on Sunday, November 12. You need not register to attend, but if you know that you will be there, we’d love to know! Questions? Contact Deb Bullock-Smith at 585-271-1050 x117 or dbullocksmith@asburyfirst.org. 

Published: Oct. 4, 2023

Monday, October 16, 11 am Worship in the Sanctuary
12 pm Lunch and Fellowship in the Gathering Center

The Older Adult Council is holding a Fall Harvest Gathering. We will begin with worship in the Sanctuary at 11 am, followed by lunch and lots of fellowship in the Gathering Space at about 11:45 am.
Please come and join your friends in fellowship! We would like to know if you will or will not be attending and if you need transportation.

Published: Oct. 4, 2023

Saturday, October 14, 8 pm, Dome Arena

On Saturday, October 14, our very own Stephen and Emily Cady will be walking the runway as one of the Rochester couples featured in this year’s Fashion Week in support of the Center for Youth. In it’s thirteenth year, this event brings awareness and financial support to The Center for Youth’s homeless programs, so no child or youth in our community is faced with an uncertain, unstable or unsafe place to live. Doors open at 6:30 and the event begins at 8 pm at the Dome Arena (2695 E Henrietta Rd Henrietta, NY 14467). Tickets are available through the Center for Youth website (centerforyouth.net). 

Published: Oct. 4, 2023

Are you interested in joining Asbury First's live streaming team? You will learn how to use our professional broadcast equipment and video production techniques. More importantly, you will support the digital ministry that helps us Do More Good in Rochester and around the world. Youth and adults are welcome. There will be training opportunities soon. Please contact David Berg at bergdm@gmail.com to learn more.

Published: Oct. 2, 2023

Saturday, November 4, 2023

Join the Asbury First Community Outreach Team at the Grocery Bag Run (or walk) on November 4. Your entire registration fee will benefit our Dining & Caring Center and Grocery Bag Ministry.

The Grocery Run is a charity event that has raised more than $500,000 for Rochester area food pantries. This year, they are excited to add a 10k event to the well-loved 5k, 1-mile, virtual and Kid’s Fun Run events. You can visit www.groceryrun.org to sign up or to donate to this cause.

Published: Sept. 27, 2023

3rd Sunday of the Month, Beginning October 15, 9:45 am, 1040 Youth Room (lower level)

Asbury First's LGBTQ+ Advocacy Group will be holding its first meeting of the season on Sunday, October 15 in the Youth Room (in the lower level of the church), as our church community celebrates National Coming Out Day. Anyone affiliated with LGBTQ+ community and allies are welcome to attend. We will be setting our agenda for the year, planning for events, outreach, and educational opportunities in our community. Youth and adults are welcome! For more information, please contact Deb Bullock-Smith at 585-271-1050 x117 or at dbullocksmith@asburyfirst.org. 

Published: Sept. 27, 2023

You may have noticed the presence of a guide dog in our spaces in recent weeks — we are very pleased to welcome persons with visual impairments who desire to join us. Here are some important and helpful guidelines for Guide Dog Etiquette which will help us all manage together. Thank you for all the ways you help make Asbury First a welcoming and supportive community!

Guide Dog Etiquette

• Please do not pet or talk to a guide dog, even if it looks like it is at rest. The dog should never be distracted from its job of guiding a person. It is ok, however, to ask someone to meet their guide. Many people enjoy introducing their dogs if the time is right.
• Avoid making eye contact with a guide dog.
• Do not offer a guide dog food or other distracting treats.
• Please don’t touch or steer a guide dog’s harness. If you sense that assistance is needed, please ask whether you can offer your arm for guidance.
• Refrain from calling out directions to a person with a guide dog or intentionally obstructing their path. The person and dog have been trained to navigate the environment safely and independently.

Published: Sept. 26, 2023

It is with a heavy heart and profound gratitude for her contributions that I announce that Sarah Brubaker, our Director of Communications, will be leaving Asbury First on October 15. Sarah joined the Asbury First family in 2019 and has not only brought our communications to a new level, but was one of the primary reasons we were able to stay connected during the pandemic. For that, and so many other things, we will be eternally grateful. Sarah and her family will be relocating to St. Louis, MO, where her husband, Jeff, has accepted a teaching position at a local college. Please join me in thanking Sarah for her service to Asbury First and all of the ways that she has helped us do more good during her time here.

Given the importance of the Director of Communications role, we will be looking to fill this position as quickly as possible. We ask for your patience and grace in advance as we navigate this transition. After October 15 and until further notice, please direct all communications needs/inquiries to communication@asburyfirst.org.

If you know someone who might be interested in the Director of Communications position, please encourage them to check out the position here.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Published: Sept. 21, 2023

Sundays, Beginning October 1, 9–10:15 am, 1050 Teak Room

On Sunday, October 1, you are invited to join a new Sunday School class. We will meet in the Teak Room in the 1050 church office building from 9–10:15 am with a format focusing on weekly conversation about connections. Each week a different person will present a brief devotion, and through dialogue about the topic, we will discover the places we connect through sharing ideas and experiences.

While we recognize that there is always room for grace, and that life happens, we hope that you will commit to a three-month period of attending this class. This ensures some continuity and builds community and trust, and helps us get to know each other a little better.

If you have any questions, please contact the Rev. Kathy Thiel at 585-271-1050 x106, or kthiel@asburyfirst.org.

Published: Sept. 21, 2023

October 15

The rainbow has long been a sign of God’s promise of love and our need for hope. In that spirit, you are invited to wear rainbow to worship on Sunday October 15 as we celebrate and show support for members of the LGBTQ community in honor of national Coming Out Day. We will be joined by a guest preacher, the Rev. Jess Winderweedle, who will help us celebrate God’s good gift of love in all of its prismatic beauty!

About our Guest Preacher

The Rev. Jess Winderweedle (she/her) is an elder in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, and she is currently pursuing a PhD in Practical Theology (Homiletics) at Princeton Theological Seminary. Jess’s research interests center on the experiences of LGBTQ+ preachers in Mainline Protestant traditions. Jess grew up in Oklahoma, but she has called the East Coast home now for over 16 years. Before returning to school, Jess served as lead pastor at Kingston UMC where she also founded The Feed Truck, a mobile campus and community outreach ministry.

Published: Sept. 14, 2023

Monday, October 2, 7–8:45 pm, George Eastman Museum's Dryden Theater, 900 East Avenue

The event is free, but you can register by clicking here.

We are invited to the next book launch of the In This Moment workshop at George Eastman Museum’s Dryden Theatre. The book launch and community discussion will celebrate the release of chapbooks 7 and 8 from the second series of In This Moment. Chapbook 7 features Dr. Linda Clark, Chief Medical Officer Jordan Health, with an essay by Lisa Maria Rickman and photographs by Cocoa Rae, Chapbook 8 features Melanie Mama Mel Funchess, CEO/Principal Ubuntu Village Works, with an essay by Quajay and photographs by Natalia Lauer. VSW Assistant Curator Hernease Davis will moderate a discussion with artists involved in the project. The chapbooks will be distributed for free at the event as well.

Published: Sept. 14, 2023

You may have noticed that all buildings on the Asbury First campus now have key-fob entry at the main entrances. This is in response to Rochester Police Department site security surveys in 2017 and this past Spring, which included among many observations and recommendations, that we secure our buildings. This brings greater security to our campus and allows us to lock and unlock our doors remotely. The next step in our project is to re-key the remaining exterior doors which do not have fob access. This will move forward within the next month. Please note, if you have an exterior door key (not the interior “A” key – these will not change), it will no longer work once this project is complete. If you need exterior door access to a building, please contact Deb Bullock-Smith and she can work with you to meet your needs.

Our goal is to have volunteer receptionists at the 1040 building to greet people, respond to questions, and to provide access for those individuals who may not have access via key-fob.