Published: June 2, 2023

Please join us in welcoming Lori Young, our new Director of Property. Lori brings to us the skills, experience, and professional demeanor that is required for this new senior-level position. She was the enthusiastic and unanimous choice of the search.

Lori can be contacted at lyoung@asburyfirst.org or at 585-271-1050 x122.

Published: June 1, 2023

Saturday, June 17, 9 am–12 pm, 1010 Community Outreach Center

Inflation, supply chain issues, and more continue to make things difficult for people to get food and nutrition in a post-pandemic world. 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.

Needed items:

Dining & Caring Center:

• Granola bars
• Hot chocolate 
• Paper towels
• Napkins
• Coffee
• Sugar

Hygiene Items:

• Toilet paper
• Tooth brushes
• Tooth paste
• Shampoos

Grocery Bag Ministry:

• Peanut butter (plain)
• Jelly (grape, strawberry)
• Pasta (spaghetti or macaroni)
• Pasta Sauce (plastic jar preferred)
• Tuna
• Soup (chicken noodle or Tomato)
• Canned Vegetables (green beans, corn)
• Canned Fruit (peaches, cocktail)
• Mac-n-Cheese

Published: June 1, 2023

This summer, we will have about 50 youth and adults participating in our middle school and high school summer mission trips. Our high school youth will be headed to Tucson, Arizona for a border immersion trip in July, and our middle school youth will be helping out with Vacation Bible School and various local agencies in August. 

We would like at least one congregation member to commit to be in prayer for each one of our missioners (both youth and adult) while they are on their trips. In addition to committing to prayer, we would also like you to write a note of encouragement to the missioner, which they will receive midway through their week.

If you sign up to be a prayer partner, you will be assigned a youth or adult to pray for, and you will be sent a brief bio to help you learn a bit more about the individual.

To sign up, please contact Mike Mullin (mmullin@asburyfirst.org or 585-271-1050 x105) and let him know if you would like to be a prayer partner for the high school trip, the middle school trip—or both! If you have a particular missioner you would like to be paired with, you may share that with Mike as well. 

Published: June 1, 2023

Monday, June 26

Help us welcome the deCycles group on Monday, June 26. The deCycles — a cross country cycling youth group based in Bloomington, Indiana — will pedal their bicycles 1500- miles in 23-days from Bloomington, Indiana to the Atlantic Coast in Maine. Most of the riders are new to cycling and have trained diligently to prepare for this trip. They will cycle 600-miles through Indiana, Ohio, and New York along the shorelines of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River. The remaining 900-miles will be through New England, Vermont, New Hampshire and all the way to the Atlantic coastline of Maine.

Published: June 1, 2023

Mondays, beginning June 19, 4–7 pm, Granger Lawn

Summer is back and so is the NOTA Farmers Market! Opening night is Monday, June 19 at 4 pm on Granger Lawn, and we hope you have it on your calendar as we don't think you will want to miss it! The vendor lineup is still being finalized, but there will be THREE produce vendors, plenty of sweet treats, dog-friendly products, books, and so much more. 
The NOTA Farmers Market is a great way for Asbury First to support and be a part of the community around us. Make it a part of your week and stop by on Monday evenings from 4–7 pm for some local treats and community fellowship.

Published: May 31, 2023

During our renovations of 1010, we heard many wonderful stories about the educational and social programs and events that took place in that building. One of those formative programs were the adult Sunday school classes. Many of these participants have remained connected to Asbury First for decades as a result of the connections made during these gatherings. Recently, there have been conversations about how we might renew this offering in the fall. As we look forward to opening the Red Room on Sunday mornings for Adult Education, we would love to put together a team of adults to help think through and organize these gatherings.

If you would like to be on this planning team, please reach out to Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org or (585) 271-1050 x105. The plan will be to meet together a few times in the next two months to put together a plan for the fall. Whether you have been a part of these classes in the past, or are looking forward to participating for the first time, you are invited to help us envision our future together!

Published: May 26, 2023

Saturday, June 10, 12 pm, Sanctuary

On Saturday, June 10, we will be blessing the marriages of several LGBTQ couples who missed the opportunity to be married in the church they love. Come and help us celebrate and affirm their love with your presence. All are welcome and rainbow attire is encouraged. Further, if you are willing to help with the reception following the ceremony, please reach out to weddings@asburyfirst.org.

Published: May 26, 2023

Friday, June 9, 7:30 pm, Sanctuary

The University of Buffalo Choir and Chamber Singers will present a concert called “Contemporary Voices” on Friday, June 9, at Asbury First. The concert will begin at 7:30 pm, and is free and open to the public. A freewill offering will be taken.

The eclectic program will feature choral music from the 17th and 19th centuries, as well as recently composed pieces by Eric Whitacre, Carrie Magin, Roland Martin, Eriks Esenvalds, John Taverner, Jonathan Quick, Shawn Kirchner, and Kim Andre Arnesen. 

The UB Choirs will present this concert in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse in addition to here in Rochester. They are conducted by Claudia Brown, Assistant Professor of Voice and Choral Music.

Published: May 26, 2023

The Production Coordinators team is looking for volunteers who would like to learn the ropes in the Production Suite. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Dave Berg at bergdm@gmail.com by June 20. Training sessions will be scheduled during July and/or August.

Published: May 25, 2023

Thursday, June 1, 6:30 pm, Gathering Center

Join us for the "In This Moment 2: Revolution Reckoning Reparation" Book Launch and Community Discussion. This event continues the kickoff of the Second Series with the launch of chapbooks featuring:

• Ian J. Wilson, M.D. – Founder/Co-curator of WALL/THERAPY
  Essay by Erica Bryant
  Photographs by Quajay Donnell
• Rev. Myra Brown – Pastor, Spiritus Christi Church
  Essay by Chris Thompson
  Photographs by Jackie McGriff

The purpose of the "In This Moment: Revolution Reckoning Reparation" chapbook series is to elevate and celebrate the revolutionary work of local Black leaders, writers and photographers. The project is curated by Amanda Chestnut and produced by Visual Studies Workshop (VSW).

VSW Assistant Curator, Hernease Davis, will moderate a discussion with artists involved in the project. All guests will receive a complimentary copy of the newly released chapbooks at the event. This event is FREE and open to the public, but registration is encouraged. Learn more about "In This Moment" by clicking here.

Click Here to Register

ASL Interpretation will be provided at the event

Published: May 25, 2023

Sunday, June 4, after the 11 am service, 1040 Gathering Center

The first Sunday of each month the church library bibliocart will meet you in the church Gathering Space with a full selection of new library purchases and books on the theme of the month.

This month (June 4) the focus is on Father’s Day, Pride Month, Juneteenth, and Gun Violence Awareness Month with numerous books on these topics for all ages. You can check out the books—for free—right there at the Bibliocart—just in front of the piano in the Gathering Center. Stop by and check us out on this first Sunday in June—June 4.

Published: May 25, 2023

June 6–10, Deborah Jean & Co., Park Berkley Plaza, 626 Park Avenue
Reception on Thursday, June 8, 5–8 pm

Deborah Jean & Co — "Serving neighbors with clothing and care" — is sponsoring a "Shop for a Cause" event to support the Asbury First Storehouse from June 6–10. There will also be a reception on Thursday, June 8 from 5–8 pm with light refreshments served. So head over to support a local business and our Community Outreach Center! 

For more information, email asburystorehouse@asburyfirst.org or call Deborah Jean & Co at 585-622-9007.

Published: May 25, 2023

The summer weather is in full swing, and that means the grass lawns around our campus are greening and growing. There is quite a lot of lawn to be cut and trimmed each week and it quickly becomes overgrown. We need your help to keep our campus clean and welcoming. If you are interested in mowing or trimming grass, please contact David Strong at dstrong@asburyfirst.org or at 585-271-1050 x110.

Published: May 25, 2023

Sunday, June 11, Following the 11 am service

For several years, a team has been faithfully working together to explore the possibility of a columbarium at Asbury First—a sacred, consecrated location where urns of cremated remains are placed. We are pleased to report that we have strong interest and preliminary commitments to move forward with this self-funded project. As such, we will hold a vote at a special Church Conference immediately following the 11 am service on Sunday, June 11.

If you have questions about the Columbarium or would like to inquire about securing a niche, please contact the church office at 585-271-1050, reach out to a member of the pastoral team, or email us at columbarium@asburyfirst.org. Immediately following the Church Conference, the Governing Board will hold another open town hall to share updates on various aspects of our life together and to answer your questions. These town halls are part of our ongoing commitment to transparency. If you have specific questions that you would like us to address, please call the church office or email us at governance@asburyfirst.org.

Published: May 24, 2023

Friday, June 2, 7:30 pm, SRC Arena Onondaga Community College
4585 West Seneca Turnpike Syracuse, NY 13215

We are pleased to announce that the Rev. Patrick Dupont will be ordained as a Deacon in the United Methodist Church during the Service of Commissioning and Ordination of the Upper New York Annual Conference on Friday, June 2, 2023. The service will take place at 7:30 pm in the SRC arena in Syracuse. All are invited to attend!

If you are not able to attend the Service of Commissioning and Ordination for Rev. Dupont, we will be celebrating his ordination during the 11 am worship service on Sunday, June 11.

In the United Methodist Church, there are two ordination tracks—Elder and Deacon. Elders see their call to ministry as ordering the life of the Church through word and sacrament. Deacons are called to connect the Church to the world through word, service, compassion, and justice. As our Minister for Outreach and the Director of the Community Outreach Center, Rev. Dupont has embodied the order of the deacons and we celebrate this joyous moment in his life and ministry.