Published: Sept. 19, 2021

To help keep us socially distant during worship, please take a look at the signs on the pews when you find a seat. To keep our “All Are Welcome” promise, the signs are positive and instruct you on where TO SIT, instead of where NOT TO SIT. The hearts on the sign indicate where is best to be on that particular pew. We appreciate your help in keeping everyone safe!

Published: Sept. 16, 2021

We don’t know about you, but being together during our Together In Ministry service last Sunday filled our souls! We are overjoyed to be able to worship in person again. For those of you unable to physically join us, we will still be together in spirit and are grateful for the ability to connect from a distance. During the service, we had a special litany about “What has God done in your life?”. Please take a chance to watch or re-watch the video by clicking here.

Published: Sept. 16, 2021

Tuesdays starting October 5, 7 pm, Zoom zoom.us/j/87195784797

Class not meeting on Tuesday, October 26, will return Tuesday, November 2

Was Jesus's most important disciple a woman?  What was the character of the relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus? Did Mary Magdalene, among all of Jesus's students and followers, actually "get" what Jesus was teaching more than anyone else? Can a committed, loving relationship be a transformative, spiritual path? And what does the Gospel of Mary Magdalene—manuscript fragments from the 2nd century which first came to light in 1896—reveal about how she understood the teachings of Jesus? 

In the spirit of being open to spiritual transformation you are invited to participate in what will be an energetic, challenging, and provocative exploration of the book The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: Discovering the Woman at the Heart of Christianity by Cynthia Bourgeault. 

The group will be facilitated by Rev. Kathy Thiel and Claude Adair and will meet on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm on Zoom starting September 28. Our intention is to provide an opportunity to share, discuss, learn, grow, and transform. Our time together with this book will be much more than a typical book study.

Published: Sept. 13, 2021

Because the cases of COVID continue to rise in Monroe County, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Dining In for Outreach. Annually, this event raises thousands of dollars used to provide needed services for guests at our on-campus and off-campus ministries. We remain committed both to keeping our church members safe and continuing our outreach efforts.

While we will not be gathering for meals and fellowship, we encourage you to continue your support of Outreach at Asbury First. As in previous years, your donation will be used to assist our neighbors near and far living in poverty. Through personal relationships, education, food and clothing relief, and medical care, we work together to share the love of Christ.

In this challenging hour, please consider making a special gift for Outreach. Donations may be made to Asbury First UMC, 1050 East Ave. Rochester, NY, 14607 or online at asburyfirst.org/give-online. Be sure to designate your gift for Outreach. Volunteers will also be available on the morning of October 17 in the Welcoming Foyer to accept your donation.

Published: Sept. 9, 2021

As we return to indoor worship this Sunday and slowly begin to return to some of our pre-pandemic programming, we recognize that COVID-19 is still a reality and want you to know that we continue to make the safety of our community a priority. To that end, we want to inform you of our updated safety protocols:

MASKS – Inside, we continue to require that everyone wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. Outside, masks are required for those who have not been vaccinated and encouraged for everyone else.

PEWS – In order to maintain social distancing (especially important for those children who cannot yet be vaccinated yet), we will place signs on the pew cushions that will help you know where to sit.

CHILDCARE – Beginning this Sunday (September 12), we will again have childcare available for worship and have put safety protocols in place to ensure the safety of all.

COOKIES/COFFEE – Until further notice, we have suspended our coffee and cookie service. This will return as soon as possible!

For more of our safety protocols and our response to several frequently asked questions (FAQs), please click here.

As a reminder, we will begin our fall worship schedule with one service at 11 am that is both live-streamed and in person. We look forward to seeing you there! Don’t hesitate to invite a friend!

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Published: Sept. 4, 2021

Wednesdays, beginning September 15
Front Porch of 1050 as long as weather permits, then Room 201

Children’s Music at Asbury First begins Wednesday, September 15. It might look a little different than normal but we’d love to see your children on Wednesday evenings for some musical fun and fellowship. Below is a list of our musical groups. We will meet outdoors for as long as possible on the front porch of 1050 then move indoors to Room 201. Currently we are required to mask indoors and outdoors on our campus. As policies and protocols change, we will keep you informed. Since singing in a mask can be uncomfortable we will focus heavily on handbells, percussion instruments, and musical games. We are working on how we might provide a meal safely for those who might like that on Wednesday evenings. We will be in touch soon with more details.

Hallelujah Kids

Wednesdays, 5–5:30 pm, Front Porch of 1050 as long as weather permits then Room 201

Music fundamentals class for ages 4 through 1st grade. Playful music, dance and games designed to foster creativity and develop a love for children’s music and classic church songs.

Wesley Singers & Ringers

Wednesdays, 6–7 pm, Front Porch of 1050 as long as weather permits then Room 201

Vocal & Handbell Choir for children grades 2-5. Handbells, chimes and percussion instruments will be used to foster creativity and develop a love for children’s music and classic church songs.

For more information contact Holly Temming at htemming@asburyfirst.org.

Published: Sept. 4, 2021

Wednesdays, beginning September 15, 10-11:30 am
Beginning on Zoom, zoom.us/j/8347173468

This fall, our Wednesday morning study group will begin a new book, Ladder to the Light: An Indigenous Elder’s Meditations on Hope and Courage by Steven Charleston. This group is open to all. Some members have been together for many years, others joined during COVID, and still others come and go as interests and schedules permit. This fall, we are excited to be delving into Ladder to the Light as we continue to search for our own light amidst a continued pandemic. Steven Charleston is a Choctaw elder and an Episcopal priest, and his work promises to both comfort and challenge its readers. Books may be purchased online, or by contacting Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org.

Published: Sept. 3, 2021

Wednesday Evenings, September 15, 22, 29, 6-7 pm
Room 203, Second Floor, Education Wing

While we are not yet ready to return to community meals on Wednesday nights, we are still looking forward to various opportunities to gather as a community. With our Fall theme of “New Creation,” we wanted to kick off our Wednesday evenings in September based on the theme of creation. The first week, we will focus on our biblical creation accounts, and how they might speak to us in this season. In the second week, we will focus on The United Methodist Church and John Wesley’s vision for a New Creation. Finally, in the third week, we will consider various creation stories from around the globe, and invite participants to consider what types of new creation might be on the horizon in our own lives. For more information, contact Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org.

Published: Sept. 3, 2021

Beginning the week of September 12 as scheduled below
Zoom, zoom.us/j/813450961

This Spring, many of us began a journey through the Old Testament with the Disciple Bible study series. This fall, we will be continuing our journey with the New Testament and we would like to extend an invitation to anyone who might like to join us. No previous Bible experience is necessary. We use a Study Manual to help guide us through our weekly readings. These may be purchased online, or by contacting Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org. At present, all of our meetings will occur via Zoom beginning the week of September 12:

• Tuesdays 3-4 pm, led by The Rev. Ruthellen Hoyle
• Thursdays 7-8 pm, led by The Rev. Linda Clemow
• Fridays 9:30-10:30 am, led by Mike Mullin

Published: Sept. 2, 2021

It is with heavy hearts, we inform you that Melody Guadagnino, our Office Manager, has resigned effective September 1. We are so grateful for her years of service to this congregation and ask that you join us in praying for her in all her future endeavors.

Published: Aug. 26, 2021

Sunday, September 12, 11 am, Sanctuary

Join us as we return to in-person worship at 11 am on Sunday, September 12 and help us find "A New Creation" from the recent chaos!

After the last 18 months, we are thrilled to return to our regular schedule...even if it is slightly different from past years. There will be a chance to add your "piece" to Asbury First and greet friends again. We hope to see you then! 

For more information, please contact Deb Bullock-Smith at dbullocksmith@asburyfirst.org.

Published: Aug. 26, 2021

Sundays in September, starting September 12

We will be collecting school supplies again this year for Schools 17 and 45. The following is a list of needed items which can be brought to the Welcome Hall starting September 12 and continuing every Sunday in September.

Items needed include: backpacks, 24-count pencils, colored pencils, erasers and eraser tops, ink pens (blue, black, and red), crayons, color-safe markers, highlighters, child-safe scissors, glue sticks, pencil boxes or pouches, index cards, sticky notes, solid-color folders with pockets, three-ring binders, composition books, graph paper, hand sanitizer, and tissues.

Many thanks to YOU for your support! For more information, please contact John Smalt at (585) 924-8624, or at jhsmalt@gmail.com.

Published: Aug. 26, 2021

Wednesday, September 15, 12:30 pm, Gathering Center

Women on Wednesday (WOW) is an always-changing group of readers that meets weekly from September to June to explore books of current and thoughtful interest. All women readers are welcome. There are no Asbury First or any other membership requirements—just bring your curiosity and interest in the world of reading and sharing ideas. 

The WOW reading and discussion season begins on Wednesday, September 15 at 12:30 pm in the Gathering Center. We will be catching up on summer adventures and looking at a book suggestion list for the 2021–22 reading year. Please bring your own lunch and check out the WOW experience. New readers are always welcome. Hope to see you on September 15!

For questions or more information contact Mary Lynn Vickers at mvicker1@rochester.rr.com.

Published: Aug. 26, 2021

Submit your video by Tuesday, September 7

We want to hear from you! What new thing has God done in your life since March of 2020?

This invitation is to participate in a video litany for our Together in Ministry service. To participate, please send a one sentence response to the question, “What new things has God done in your life since March of 2020?” to Rev. Rachel Ann Dupont at rdupont@asburyfirst.org. 

Once your sentence is ready to go, please record and submit a video by Tuesday, September 7 by clicking here. If you are unable to record yourself, we will work with you to record your sentence to include in our worship service on September 12.

If you have questions about the requirements above or are unsure how to record yourself please email communication@asburyfirst.org. As long as you have a smartphone or laptop with a camera we should be able to help!

Published: Aug. 26, 2021

As perhaps you’ve seen in the Asbury First Annual Report, the Outreach Committee has provided funding support to the Cameron Community Ministries Teen Center, through a specific allocation of undesignated outreach funds. Our church’s connection/involvement is especially strengthened by Carolyn Hamil’s participation on the Teen Center Programming Committee.

The recently-built Teen Center is a part of our After School Youth Programming—providing educational/academic support and life skills enrichment for the children of the neighborhood. Cameron is located in the impoverished Lyell-Otis neighborhood and also provides a Hot Lunch, Food Pantry a Clothing House, social work assistance, etc.

An important fundraising endeavor to maintain/enhance all that Cameron does for the children is to hold a Golf Tournament. This year’s will take place Monday, September 20, at the Penfield Country Club. The cut off for registration is September 6.

We would like to encourage Asbury members to consider playing in this fun event, by putting together a foursome, or being a sponsor. In so doing you will really help Cameron make a big difference in the lives in the children we serve. For more information about Cameron Community Ministries and details about the event download the flier here, please email Bob Peterson at 1robertpeterson@gmail.com.