Published: July 8, 2021

This is an exciting time within the life of the congregation, and while the COVID-19 pandemic required us to adjust in significant ways, we are grateful that our outreach ministries continue to do more good in this community and beyond. As we prepare to break ground on our new Outreach Center this Fall (keep September 19 tentatively on your calendars), there are a few outreach related updates we want to share with you.

Dining and Caring Center Temporarily Moving

The new Outreach Center will include a fully renovated and expanded Dining and Caring Center. While this will necessitate our vacating the current premises during construction, we are pleased to share that this vital ministry will continue in a temporary new location! Beginning after Labor Day, the Dining and Caring Center will operate out of Covenant United Methodist just down the street on Culver Road. We are deeply grateful to the Rev. Dr. Ann Kemper and that congregation for their hospitality. To facilitate this move, the Dining and Caring Center will be closed for the month of August. Please watch for ways that you can help us keep this vital ministry thriving during this anticipated year of construction!

Staffing Changes

It is with mixed emotions that we report that Michele Cooley, our current Director of the Dining and Caring Center, has accepted a new position with another local agency. We are so grateful for the work that she has done with us over the last twelve years and invite you to join us for a reception in her honor following the 9am service on Sunday, July 18. We wish her well in all her future endeavors.

As the new Outreach Center will bring together several of our vital outreach ministries under one roof, the Outreach Center Committee has spent the last couple of months creating a new Director of the Outreach Center position. Originally articulated by the 2016 Outreach Task Force and voted upon by the congregation as a part of the 2017 Dreamscape (our strategic plan), this full-time position will replace and incorporate aspects of the Director of Dining and Caring Center position while providing the primary, hands-on supervision and management of on-campus poverty-relief efforts, which include the Dining and Caring Center, Grocery Bag Ministry, Storehouse, UR Well Clinic, and Community Garden. 

We are pleased to announce that beginning July 19, the Rev. Patrick Dupont, a provisional deacon in the United Methodist Church, will be joining the Asbury First staff as our new Director of the Outreach Center. Pat is excited to be joining the community at such an important moment in the life of the Outreach Center and looks forward to helping the Center and congregation reach their fullest potential in service to Christ and the broader community. Prior to coming to Asbury First, Pat served several United Methodist congregations and spent three years living and working at St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality, a Catholic Worker community that operates a soup kitchen, clothing closet, and emergency shelter, and engages in activism and advocacy alongside Rochester’s poor and homeless. As someone particularly called to lead the church in ministries of compassion and justice with those who find themselves on the margins of society, Pat believes it is through authentic relationships with our neighbors that we move from being Jesus worshippers to Jesus followers. 

We look forward to this upcoming season of transition, and remain excited about the continued opportunity to live out our mission, and Do More Good.

With love,
The Rev. Jacqueline Nelson

Published: July 7, 2021

Sunday, July 11, 11 am-7 pm, Genesee Valley Park

Asbury First is among the sponsors of the Pride Picnic for mature adults on Sunday, July 11 from 11 am-7 pm at the Roundhouse Shelter area in Genesee Valley Park. There's a minimum suggested donation of $5, and you can reserve your ticket here, or visit their Facebook Page here for more information.

Published: July 1, 2021

Want to help out the Grocery Bag Ministry? Drop off donations at the Gathering Center! Due to the outside services, we've relocated the GBM donation bin to make drop offs easy after or before the early service. We are grateful for your continued support to help feed families in need in the Rochester area. List of needs:

• Paper grocery bags (for use in delivering the food)
• Jams
• Peanut butter
• Macaroni ’n’ cheese
• Pasta sauce
• Pasta
• Canned fruits and vegetables
• Soups
• Tuna fish
• Any donations

Published: June 30, 2021

The Staff at Asbury First wishes you all a happy and safe holiday weekend. Happy 4th of July!

Published: June 24, 2021

Tuesday, June 29, 7 pm, Asbury Community Garden

On Tuesday, June 29 at 7 pm at the Asbury Community Garden, Marci Muller, Cornell Cooperative Extension—Horticultural/Master Gardener, will offer a presentation on Raised Bed Gardening. The talk will cover various management and maintenance topics for established raised garden beds focusing on strategies through the summer to the end of the season. Both experienced and new gardeners will find this valuable and informative presentation.

Published: June 24, 2021

Monday, August 9, 7-8:30 pm, Zoom, zoom.us/j/8347173468

After our Bicentennial Bible Challenge and our Dynamic Disciple Challenge, we have heard more and more questions about how our Bible came to be. Why are these books included? Were there other books? Is it true that Catholic Bibles have more books? What is the Gospel of Thomas? If you have asked any of these questions—and/or these questions have piqued your curiosity—then you are encouraged to join us on Monday, August 9, for a Zoom presentation and conversation. Participants are encouraged to read The Bible’s Cutting Room Floor by Joel Hoffman prior to our meeting, but all are always welcome. Contact Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org with questions. 

Published: June 18, 2021

Welcome to the newly-designed Asbury First website!

You're invited to: Unite in Faith, Do More Good, Join a Community, Make a Change, Celebrate Diversity, and Worship with Us! We hope you discover new and exciting things about Asbury First as you dive deep into our new look. 

Please understand that this is a work in progress, and new features will be added in the days and weeks to come. If you find a link that doesn't work, please contact Sarah Brubaker at communication@asburyfirst.org.

Where do I find that?

To help you find all of your favorite links and information, please take a look at the quick guide to the new website by clicking the button below.

Download the New Website Guide

Published: June 18, 2021

Mondays, 4–7 pm, Granger Lawn

NOTA (Neighborhood of the Arts) is sponsoring a Farmers Market each Monday evening from 4–7 pm at Asbury First on Granger Lawn (beside 1050). The market begins with a "soft" open on Monday, June 21, and a "grand" opening on Monday, June 28.

Please share the page, spread the word, and we will (hopefully) see you at the NOTA Farmers Market this summer on Mondays from 4 to 7pm!

For more information, click here for the NOTA Farmers Market Facebook page, or visit www.notafarmmarket.com.

Published: June 18, 2021

Tuesdays starting June 29, 3 pm, Gathering Center, $10 pay at the door

Gentle Yoga is happily returning to Asbury First this summer beginning on Tuesday, June 29 at 3 pm. Each session will be gentle in nature, beginner friendly, and inclusive to those in need of different supports. Join us for an hour of breathing, movement, and awareness, with meditation. Please wear loose-fitting clothing that is comfortable for a wide range of movement. A limited number of yoga mats and props (blocks, straps, etc.) will be available, but you are encouraged to bring your own.

The sessions will be run by Kelly Noyes, who is certified from the Kripalu School of Yoga and Health and is registered with Yoga Alliance (RYT 200). For more information, please contact Kelly at knoyes710@aol.com.

Published: June 15, 2021

Tuesday, 7 pm, Zoom, zoom.us/j/8347173468

A few times each year, the community of Taizé invites families with children ages 3–14 to join them for a week of prayer, meditation, and international fellowship. The Taizé community was founded in 1940 and is an ecumenical Christian community a few hours southeast of Paris, France. Each year, over 100,000 people from around the world travel to Taizé to spend a week in contemplative communion. During the family weeks, kids get to take part in something like an international vacation Bible school, while parents gather in small groups to discuss faith and parenting. Mike Mullin had the opportunity to participate in this program three years ago, and he is excited about the prospect of sharing this experience with more members of our Asbury First family. 

All parents are invited to join us for an interest and informational meeting on Zoom on Tuesday, June 22 at 7 pm. We will talk more about the program, the costs, travel logistics, and potential travel dates. This is just an interest meeting, and no commitments are expected at this time. You can check out the Taizé website for more information: https://www.taize.fr/en_article13887.html and https://www.taize.fr/en.

Published: June 14, 2021

During June and July the church is converting all of the fluorescent light fixtures in 1040 to LEDs. In order to realize the substantial energy savings as quickly as possible, we are doing the installations ourselves with volunteers from the congregation. 

The project is being coordinated by the Monday Morning Crew which could use additional helpers for this project involving over 600 lamps. Please join us any Monday morning between 9 am and 12 pm to help. We work in pairs so no prior experience is necessary. 

In addition to Monday mornings, we will be arranging several evening or weekend shifts. Contact Dave Kennedy if you are interested in these or if you have any questions at DAKennedy@Frontiernet.net or 585-787-0422.

Published: June 11, 2021

Sunday, June 27, 10 am, Asbury Community Garden (behind 1010)

Join us on Sunday, June 27 after the 9 am service, as we dedicate the Asbury Community Garden. Building and planting the garden has truly been a labor of love for the Asbury First community. Relocate your lawn chair to the garden behind 1010 East Ave and help bless this new outreach ministry. The Asbury Community Garden will provide healthy food for our Dining & Caring Center meals, guests, and the Grocery Bag Ministry. A grant from the Monroe County Soil & Water Conservation District funded this beautiful addition to our campus.

Published: June 11, 2021

Saturday, June 26, 2–4 pm

The world is starting to get back to normal, but a lot of people are still struggling due to the pandemic. We need your help to support the Dining & Caring Center and the Grocery Bag Ministry! As you do your own shopping in the coming days, please consider collecting items for donation that would be useful for these amazing ministries and those in need.

Click here for a list of needed items

Published: June 11, 2021

Primary elections are on Tuesday, June 22. Early voting starts Monday, June 14. We urge you to consider voting in the primaries!

You can check your voter status and see your ballot by clicking here. Click on "Check my Voter Information" to find your polling place and see your ballot. Then you can research whom you want to represent you. The Democratic primary is county-wide, while the Republican primary is limited to Rush and Hamlin.

In a primary, the party selects its candidates for the General Election in November. It is how parties choose their message bearers and their message. Ordinary voters often overlook the primary, but it is important to get the votes of people who are looking for moderation in politics. It takes very few votes to sway the direction of a party and people with strong agendas can turn voters to move the party further to the left or right. 

Click here to view some posted debates between the candidates for Rochester City Council and School Board from the League of Women Voters.

Published: June 10, 2021

Sunday, July 4, 10 am, Front Lawn

We are so excited for Rev. Rachel Dupont, the new Minister for Christian Formation and Director of the Discipleship Project, to join our pastoral staff! Help us in welcoming her to Asbury First at an outdoor reception after the 9 am service on July 4.

In addition to regular pastoral duties, Rev. Dupont will be working on a special initiative called The Discipleship Project, which she envisions as a network of “class” and “band” meetings (the original Methodist small groups) that covenant together to be accountable to a Methodist way of life. These small groups will begin within the Asbury First community to train leaders that will help start similar groups around Rochester, inviting new people into Christian discipleship. Not only does this align perfectly with our Dreamscape goals, but it also provides a new means of meaningful connection for a community coming out of a year of isolation.

The generosity of the Petherbridge family gives us the opportunity to try this initiative for a year. Our hope is that it will be so fruitful that we will be able to identify funding to support Rev. Dupont’s appointment in the years ahead.