Published: Oct. 29, 2021

Sunday, November 21, 12 pm, 1010 Building

We are beyond excited to invite you to the Outreach Center Groundbreaking Ceremony! After many years of the Better Together campaign, we are on the precipice of achieving our dream of a new holistic Outreach Center. Please join us for the Groundbreaking Ceremony on Sunday, November 21 after the 11 am service. We are looking forward to sharing this joyous milestone with you. For more information about the Outreach Center and the Better Together campaign, visit asburyfirst.org/bettertogether.

Published: Oct. 29, 2021

Make your pledge to the 2022 Annual Budget today. With your help, we can Do More Good each and every day. Make sure to tune in to this week's Sunday worship for a special video about our need to reconnect, foster new relationships, and support the vital ministries of Asbury First. To make your pledge, visit asburyfirst.org/pledge-online, or call the church office at 585-271-1050.

Published: Oct. 29, 2021

Saturday, November 20, 10 am–8 pm, Barnes & Noble Pittsford Plaza 
Book Fair ID #12616231

Shopping for some intriguing literature or some fun fiction or a gift for a special person? You can buy books AND support the Asbury First Library at the same time during the Barnes & Noble Book Fair. A percentage of the sales goes to the Asbury First Library and is used to add to the library's book collection. Can’t make it to Pittsford? No problem. Books may be purchased online from November 20–24 at BN.com/bookfairs. Make sure to use the Book Fair ID #12616231. Thanks for your support of our incredible library!

Published: Oct. 29, 2021

Friday, November 12, 7 pm, Fellowship Hall
Saturday, November 13, 7 pm, Fellowship Hall
Sunday, November 14, 1 pm, Fellowship Hall 

Asbury Youth are so excited to share their version of Annie, The Musical on Saturday and Sunday, November 12–14. Based on the popular comic strip, Annie tells the extraordinary story of a little orphan who ends up in the lap of luxury with Depression-era billionaire Oliver Warbucks. The story is a classic theme of how good wins out over evil and the honest innocence of a child. Tickets are $10. Our youth would love your support!

Published: Oct. 28, 2021

This week we sent the first packet of information out to people who are not able to receive our electronic communications. We included the FAQs document from last week's Governance Town Hall, and printed versions of the weekly email (which are also available in the Welcome Hall each Sunday), and the Committees in Action updates from a number of the committees. 

If you know of someone who would like to be on this mailing list, please email communication@asburyfirst.org or contact Deb Bullock-Smith at 585-271-1050, ext. 117.  

Published: Oct. 28, 2021

If you find yourself with a little too much leftover Halloween candy next week you can drop it off at the Welcome Desk on Sundays. We will share it with our guests who come for Sunday lunch.

Published: Oct. 28, 2021

You shop. Amazon gives! What simpler and more wonderful way to help support Asbury First, than to designate us as your charity on Amazon Smile. Log in to Smile.Amazon.com, choose Asbury First, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible Amazon Smile purchase to Asbury First. Amazon Smile is the same Amazon you know with the same products, service, and prices. Please support our community by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.

Published: Oct. 27, 2021

We have lots of opportunities for members of Asbury to pitch-in and help support our youth musical production, Annie. It certainly takes a village—and at Asbury First, we know that many hands make light work.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• Set Construction/Painting: Volunteers needed! 
  • Occurring THIS weekend at Asbury First Saturday, October 30 from 9–11 am, and Sunday, October 31 from 4–6 pm. Please bring cordless drills/screw guns if you have them! Contact Scott Ross at scottross3@icloud.com with questions!
• House Manager(s): 1-2 volunteers needed.
  • Responsibilities: Prepares Fellowship Hall for the show including setting up chairs during Production Week, tidying up after each show, making sure aisles are clear for performers and guests, etc.
• Ticket Sales: 2 volunteers needed per performance.
  • Responsibilities:  Selling of tickets immediately before each performance (November 12-14)
• Production Week Snacks: See sign-up genius!
  • We are looking for donations for snacks for youth and crew during Production Week (November 7-12). Healthy, COVID safe (individually wrapped) snacks that won't get on costumes. Healthy veggies/fruit also welcome!
  • Production Week Snack Sign-up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0948AEAA22A6FD0-annie

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org.

Published: Oct. 26, 2021

Thank you all for the great participation and questions at our first Open Forum. We hope you all learned more about the work of the new Governing Board and the Committees. Did you miss it? Not to worry, click here to watch the full forum. For updates on the different Committee's work, visit asburyfirst.org/committees.

If you have questions or concerns, please email governance@asburyfirst.org.

Published: Oct. 22, 2021

Tuesday, 10/26, 6:30 pm, Zoom, zoom.us./j/87307131838

We invite anyone who is LGBTQ or an ally (youth and adults!) to join our team meeting as we continue to work to educate, advocate and build support for our LGBTQ siblings. All are welcome to join us Tuesday, October 26, at 6:30 pm via Zoom by clicking here.

Published: Oct. 22, 2021

Sundays, October 24, 31, and November 7, Welcome Hall

It’s time to dream of Thanksgiving dinner and the taste of Apple Crumb, Pecan, Strawberry Rhubarb, Pumpkin, or Rumbleberry Pie from Special Touch Bakery. The price of each pie is $17. This is an annual fund-raising event for the Flower City Habitat for Humanity and $6 of the cost goes directly into the Harvest Home Coalition fund to support the house we are building for Natasha and her two kids. This is the 100th Habitat house in the JOSANA neighborhood. Order and pay for your pies in the Welcome Hall on Sundays — October 24, 31, and November 7. The pies can be picked up on Tuesday, November 23 from 1–5 pm. So, if you want some delicious holiday pies and want to support Asbury First’s participation in the building of another home for our community — come and see us in the Welcome Hall or if you plan to worship remotely contact Bob Castle at 166rcastle@gmail.com to place an order.

Published: Oct. 22, 2021

Do you wish you had a copy of the United Methodist Hymnal for use at home? We are offering some well-used and worn copies for you to pick up for free—over the years they have been taken out of use in the Sanctuary and replaced with newer ones. Next time you are at church, grab one (or more) from the box in the Welcome Hall. Happy singing!

Published: Oct. 15, 2021

In order to answer questions and hear from the congregation on open questions moving forward, the Governing Board will be hosting an Open Forum following the service on Sunday, October 24 in the sanctuary (and on the live stream). Visit our asburyfirst.org/governance for FAQs. 

Question Submission Instructions

The Governance Board Open Forum will continue to be broadcast through the normal Asbury First live stream. Whether you are in the pews, watch it on your computer or on your television, or listen on your phone, you should plan to attend the meeting in the same way. 

In order to ask questions remotely, you are asked to:

1. Visit www.slido.com on your computer, tablet, or mobile device. 
2. Enter the code: #ASBGovernance (capitalization not necessary). 
   NOTE: You can submit your questions using Slido starting Saturday, October 23.
3. Select your choice.
4. Click “Send”.
5. You can submit multiple questions over the course of the Open Forum.  

Do you want to submit a question before Saturday? Please email governance@asburyfirst.org.
 

Published: Oct. 8, 2021

Wednesdays, October 13, 20, 27, 6–7 pm, 1040 Room 203

Those attending the Parliament of the World's Religions—and those who would like to participate vicariously—are invited to join us for a three week focus on this global event. The Parliament meets from October 16–18, so we will highlight some of the history and what to expect on the 13th. The following two weeks we will spend debriefing the actual event. And, if you would like to attend some (or all) of the event, you can still sign up here: https://parliamentofreligions.org/parliament/2021-virtual. 

You can find more information on their website: parliamentofreligions.org/home or by contacting Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org.

Published: Oct. 8, 2021

Rochester is a choir-rich town, and many singers are mourning the death of one of its most influential leaders — Roger Wilhelm, who died Sunday, October 3, at 84. Roger directed the Sanctuary Choir at Asbury First United Methodist Church for nearly 30 years, in addition to serving as music director of Madrigalia and the Rochester Oratorio Society. A moving tribute appeared in the City Newspaper online; you can read it here.

Roger's contributions to the worship life of Asbury First were substantial, and we give thanks to God for his long ministry among us. A memorial service is planned for Spring 2022.