Published: April 8, 2022

Wednesday, May 4, 5–6 pm, Gathering Center

Have you ever considered how you might support the mission and ministry of Asbury First even after you are gone? Do you have questions about estate planning? The Giving Team invites you to join us for a special information session on Legacy Giving on Wednesday, May 4 at 5 pm in the Gathering Center regarding estates, wills, and legacy giving. This program is intended for all ages, so whether you have never thought about a will or have your estate already planned, this session will have meaningful information for you. Questions? Call the church office or email giving@asburyfirst.org.

Published: April 8, 2022

Want a book about Easter? There are many for all ages in the church library.
The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith is a beautifully illustrated book for children that tells the story of Easter. Learn more about the incredible titles at asburyfirst.org/library, then come check out the Lenten and Easter displays in the church library. The church library is just off the Gathering space at the entrance to the Education Wing. It is free and open for your use when the church is open. Help yourself to materials of your choice by simply signing your name. 

Published: April 8, 2022

Saturday, June 4, 8:30 am–1 pm, Gathering Center

Asbury First’s next blood drive will be held on Saturday, June 4, from 8:30 am to 1 pm. If you can help with a life-saving donation, please call 1-800-733-2767, or go to www.RedCrossBlood.org for an appointment. There continues to be a high demand for blood, with a dangerously low supply. Your donation could really make a difference!

Published: April 1, 2022

Holy Week and Easter weekend are quickly approaching and we are preparing to welcome returning members and first time visitors to our wonderful community. 

We are looking for Greeters and Asbury Ambassadors to help provide warm hospitality to all who arrive on our campus from Maundy Thursday through Easter morning! Can you help? Might you be willing to offer a smile, provide some direction, and extend a warm welcome to all Asbury visitors during Holy Week? This is a very easy way to extend Christ's love in this moment when we all need it the most!

Emily Cady and Johanna Mahan are looking for YOUR help! We love our church and we want everyone who arrives on campus during Holy Week to feel welcome! We need YOUR help to do that!

Click here to sign up to volunteer and let your Easter spirit SHINE!

Published: April 1, 2022

Tuesdays, Beginning April 5, 12:30 pm, Tasteful Connections Event Room (1 Whipple Dr, Irondequoit), $30 per person

Asbury First’s Art Class will be learning to make textile collages with heat tools and unusual textiles. We will be heating up textiles like Tyvek and Wonder Under as well as organzas, craft felt, and other fabrics that melt or shrink when heat is applied. There is no sewing required in this class! However, sewing for art’s sake will be an option. And no experience is necessary.

The class meets Tuesday afternoons from 12:30–3 pm. We meet at Tasteful Connections Event Room, 1 Whipple Dr in Irondequoit. We will have lunch first and then move into our art. Sandra Holloway provides a light lunch for those who would like, and Rev. Linda Clemow facilitates the art. Every week we put out two free-will donation bowls for the chef and the art teacher. There is a $30 per person charge for the materials for the course. This class will begin on April 5th but you may join any time after that.

Published: April 1, 2022

April 18–20, visit gatewaysmusicfestival.org for full schedule

The Gateways Music Festival returns to Rochester April 18-20, bringing 120 Black professional classical musicians for two performances, a film screening, the Paul J. Burgett Lecture and two Young Musicians Institute programs. Renowned Hollywood conductor Anthony Parnther makes his Gateways and Rochester conducting debut and then takes the Gateways Orchestra on its first tour of New York City, including the Orchestra’s Carnegie Hall debut. For more information and tickets, visit gatewaysmusicfestival.org.

• Gateways Pianists — Hatch Recital Hall at Eastman School of Music — Monday, April 18, 7:30 pm
• Young Musicians Institute: Parent Chat — David F. Gantt R-Center — Tuesday, April 19, 4:30 pm
• Film Screening (The Caged Bird: The Life and Music of Florence B. Price) and Paul J. Burgett Lecture (Black Idioms in the Music of Florence B. Price, Cory Hunter, PhD) — Hatch Recital Hall at Eastman School of Music — Tuesday, April 19, 6:30 & 7:30 pm
• Young Musicians Institute: Masterclass with Students from Eastman’s Black Student Union — Eastman School of Music East Wing (EEW) 415 — Wednesday, April 20, 2 pm
• Gateways Orchestra Concert — Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre — Wednesday, April 20, 7:30 pm

Published: March 24, 2022

Next time you enter the Sanctuary, you will notice that some of the ropes blocking the pews have been removed. In order to accommodate additional seating as attendance increases, ropes on the Lectern side of the nave have been removed, allowing for seating in every row. Ropes will remain on the Pulpit side, preserving space for those wishing to maintain social distancing while seated during the service. Our masking policy continues to be “masks recommended” for the time being. For more information on our current COVID safety measures, please visit https://asburyfirst.org/news/2022/3/covid-masking-update/.

Published: March 24, 2022

Saturday, April 2, 7:30 pm, Livestream and In-Person, $20 GA

Join the choir for a fun romp through songs celebrating the contraptions that get us from here to there—and back again! Explore the deep human desire to travel for the sake of exploration, enrichment, curiosity, for seeing what’s out there—for just moving. Now in their 46th concert season, Madrigalia delights audiences with the beauty of sound and artistic excellence. Under the direction of Artistic Director Cary Ratcliff, the ensemble of highly skilled vocalists presents unique and challenging programs of choral music built around intriguing themes To learn more about Madrigalia and to purchase tickets, visit madrigalia.org.

Published: March 18, 2022

Two Options:
In-Person: Sunday, April 3, 12:30–2 pm at 1050 East Avenue
Virtual: Tuesdays, March 29 and April 5, 5–6 pm, Zoom, Click here to join Zoom

Are you interested in joining Asbury First? After more than a year hiatus, we are pleased to be offering two New Members Classes for any and all interested in joining Asbury First. For those who are comfortable being together in person, we will hold a class in person on Sunday, April 3 following the service from 12:30–2 pm. For those near and far interested in meeting (and potentially joining) virtually, we will hold two zoom classes on Tuesdays, March 29 and April 5 from 5–6 pm. Our hope is to have everyone join on Palm Sunday, April 10. You need not register to attend, but if you know that you will be there, we’d love to know! Simply email Deb Bullock-Smith at dbullocksmith@asburyfirst.org.

Published: March 18, 2022

Saturday, April 2, 9 am

We're seeking volunteers to help pick up twigs and rake leaves. If you have a favorite rake, please bring it! Each year we assemble to clean up all the debris of winter and bring our campus back to its usual beauty. All are welcome—you don't need to have a green thumb to help out. Questions? Contact David Strong at dstrong@asburyfirst.org.

Published: March 18, 2022

Wednesday, March 30, 5–6 pm, Zoom (zoom.us/j/85385379148)

Join us for an opening discussion of this year’s church-wide read, Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 on Wednesday, March 30 from 5–6 pm. We will be meeting over zoom to make sure as many people as would like have access to the conversation. You don’t have to have read the entire book to come. Our plan is to begin a discussion about the Introduction and Part One. All are welcome!

Published: March 16, 2022

This Lent we are focusing on "Seeds in the Wilderness" and what it means to be fruitful while lost in difficult times. Working with The Upper Room, a part of the Discipleship Ministry of the United Methodist Church, we have a curated selection of devotionals that support the themes of planting, growth, and wilderness. You can sign up for a free login to The Upper Room by clicking here and read wonderful devotions, find guided prayers, and much more.

Published: March 11, 2022

Look no further.

The church library, off the gathering space, has copies of the books being read at the church classes and they are free for your use.

Books currently being studied by our church groups can be found in the church library (The Making of Biblical Womanhood for Mike’s Wednesday class, Bicycling with Butterflies for Women on Wednesday group, and the church-wide read book 400 Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019).

And, if you are looking for books on atonement for use in the new Sunday School class, take a look at the wide variety of Bibles in the church library. While you are there, you could also find the book by Maggie Smith—Keep Moving—the subject of a Sunday School class being taught by Emily Cady.

The church library is open when the church is open. Checking out a book is easy; you simply sign the library card in the front of the book and deposit the card in the box on the library desk. The book is yours for the reading. Come check us out!

Published: March 11, 2022

Tuesdays, 2:30-3:30, beginning March 22, Zoom, Click here to join Zoom

A new Disciple II group will be starting on March 22. If you have previously participated in Disciple I, you know the rigor and reward of committing to study the Bible over the course of a year. Disciple II continues this study, but with significantly shorter reading assignments. This allows participants the time to digest and delve into each week's text. This class will spend the spring focusing on Genesis and Exodus, take a summer recess, and then return in the fall with a focus on Luke and Acts. If you would like more information—or if you are ready to sign-up—please contact Mike Mullin, mmullin@asburyfirst.org.

Published: March 11, 2022

Weekdays, 10 am–4 pm, Drop off donations at SEAC's Tool Shed, 1255 University Ave. C010 (Lower Level)

In partnership with the South East Area Coalition (SEAC), we are asking for support for the Tool Shed. SEAC's Tool Shed relies on donations to provide local communities with the tools they need to create the change they want to make. The Tool Shed accepts all tools that are in good working order and are safe to use. Please note that they do not accept building or construction materials or any tool that is rusted, broken, or deemed unsafe. For more information, visit seacrochester.org.