Published: May 12, 2022

On behalf of the Governance Board, we are pleased to share that the Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady has been afforded the opportunity to take a renewal leave from May 28th to September 6th, 2022. This leave can be understood as a brief sabbatical from ministry at Asbury First. Click here to see the full announcement that went out to the congregation on May 11. With a rested and renewed Senior Minister, we look forward to the Fall and believe the best is yet to come for Asbury First.

Published: May 6, 2022

Visit asburyfirst.org/archive or click here to watch the play. 

Did you miss out on Children's Sunday? We are proud of the hard work the children put into the service with the presentation of a dramatic interpretation of Charlie Mackesy's book The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse. Due to permissions from the author, you can only access Children's Sunday from our worship archive.

Published: May 6, 2022

Warmer days are here again! Join us for worship this summer starting Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend! We will return to outdoor worship at 9 am (excluding Sunday, August 7), and will continue the 11 am service in-person and livestreamed.

Summer Worship Services May 29–September 4:

• 9 am — In-Person Outdoor
  • (excluding August 7)
• 11 am — In-Person and Livestream

Published: May 3, 2022

Saturday, May 7, 5–7 pm, L&M Lanes

We have reserved all of the bowling lanes at L&M Lanes on Saturday, May 7 from 5-7 pm. The six lanes upstairs have been reserved for our youth, and the six lanes downstairs have been reserved for parents (and siblings). Our hope is to provide a time of fellowship for both our youth and parents. The pandemic has kept many of us apart for too long, and we hope this will be an opportunity to simply gather together to re-engage and have some fun—and maybe even set a new high score for our youth group "Golden Pin" award.
The bowling is free for everyone, but you may want to bring money for snacks and drinks (my family loves their wings and mozzerella sticks!). 
This event is open to all youth and families, so it is a great opportunity to introduce a friend or new family to our community.

Published: May 2, 2022

Saturday, May 14, 11 am, In-Person and Livestream

The life of Asbury First's former Director of Music Roger Wilhelm, who passed away in 2021, will be celebrated at a memorial service on Saturday, May 14 at 11 am. The service will include a massed choir of current and former singers from Asbury First, the Rochester Oratorio Society, and Madrigalia. The service will be live streamed and a reception in the Gathering Center will follow.

Published: April 27, 2022

Asbury First presents this incredible 360-degree virtual tour of our sanctuary, thanks to an amazing local photographer, Brandon Sartin. Whether you are local or far away, we hope you enjoy exploring this holy space in marvelous detail.

Brandon Sartin is currently working on documenting Rochester-area churches using 360 degree virtual tours. His mission is to make people more aware of the Rochester-area churches, to help draw in more visitors, and to preserve the history of each church. To learn more about Brandon, click here.

Click here to explore

Published: April 27, 2022

Virtual Race, June 20–30, Register online here

Keeping Our Promise (KOP) invites you to participate in All In For Afghan Allies — a Virtual Race to support our wartime allies resettlement program. The race period will be June 20–30, 2022 to coincide with World Refugee Month.

Unlike a traditional race, this virtual race takes place wherever you are and at whatever time you want to get started. Each person that registers will receive an event t-shirt. The registration cost is $35 per participant. Once you register for the event, you will be eligible for an event t-shirt. 

The t-shirt guarantee registration deadline is May 20, 2022, but registration will remain open until June 30, 2022. 

Published: April 25, 2022

Wednesdays, 12:15 pm, Zoom (zoom.us/j/8347173468)

The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams is WOW’s next reading journey. Published in October 2021, it is timely and reassuring. In a world that seems so troubled, how do we hold on to Hope? Jane focuses on her “Four Reasons for Hope” including the Resilience of Nature and the Power of Young People.

Women on Wednesday (WOW) meets weekly from September to June to explore books of current and thoughtful interest. All women readers are welcome. There are no Asbury or any other membership requirements. Participants move in and out of the group as schedules and busy lives allow—just bring your curiosity and interest in the world of reading and sharing ideas. For more information please contact Mary Lynn Vickers at mvicker1@rochester.rr.com.

Published: April 25, 2022

Drop off books at the Welcome Hall, Sundays from May 8–29

Join us in our Used Book Donation Drive. Asbury First will collect gently used books for students in grades K-8 at School 17 during May. We'd appreciate picture books, chapter books, or young teen novels. They will be given out to students in June for their summer reading fun! You can drop off books on Sunday mornings at the table in the Welcome Hall from May 8–29. You can make a difference with your donation. Thanks for your support! For more information, contact John Smalt at jhsmalt@gmail.com.

Published: April 25, 2022

Check out the new executive summary of the content, discussion, and meaningful actions of the April 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 Read the Updated Board Policy Book

Published: April 22, 2022

Asbury First's Choir season will end in late May, but we are always happy to welcome new singers. If you've been thinking about choir membership, please contact Carl Johengen, our Director of Music Ministry, at cjohengen@asburyfirst.org. Sanctuary Choir rehearses on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm in Wesley Hall (lower level of the education wing). Our final rehearsal for the season will be May 18th. In addition, watch for announcements about Summer Choir, coming soon.

Published: April 22, 2022

August 8–11, 9 am–12 pm, Register online at asburyfirst.org/vbs-2022

All children age 4 through 5th grade are invited this Summer to our Vacation Bible School themed "Under Construction" where we will highlight the work being done on 1010 to better serve our community in need and talk about how we as individuals are always "under construction", striving to be the "hands and feet" of Jesus Christ in this world. We will have a week full of music, crafts, games and science. Registration coming soon. We hope to see you there!

Published: April 16, 2022

Click here to order online 

Place your orders by Wednesday, May 4
Pick up on Saturday, May 21 from 9:30 am–12 pm at Asbury First

It’s time to make your gardens beautiful this year while supporting the Asbury Storehouse! Fill out the form online and enter the number of 4 1/2" pots or 11" hanging baskets you'd like (you can select your hanging basket(s) when you pick them up). The flowers come from Chase’s Greenhouse in Rush, NY, and color options include red, white, purple sizzle, strawberry sizzle, and salmon. Thank you all for your orders and support for the Storehouse. For more information, email giving@asburyfirst.org or or call Deb Bullock-Smith at 585-271-1050 x117.

Published: April 16, 2022

Sunday, April 24, 11 am In-Person and Livestream

The Rev. Susan Shafer, our Senior Minister Emerita, will be preaching on Sunday, April 24. Some may remember that the Rev. Susan Shafer was installed as our Senior Minister Emerita on March 8, 2020—the week before the pandemic hit. After a long couple of years, we are thrilled to have her join us again for a message of hope and life.

Published: April 13, 2022

This year's "Envisioning the Passion" service focuses on the Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross. Each section is a meditation on the words spoken by Christ, incorporating other Bible stories to enhance the theme.
Art Director Lucy Winters Durkin gives a "behind the scenes" look at some of the images she chose for this year's service. Please tune in to our live stream on Friday, April 15 at noon for "Envisioning the Passion", or visit asburyfirst.org/easter for more information.

Click here to watch the video