asburyfirst.org
(585) 271-1050
An important part of our church community is reminding people that they are loved and appreciated. One of the most effective ways to do this is to engage with each other by getting to know one another. If you would like to make in-person visits or phone calls as a way to connect with others in our church, please plan to attend a meeting of the Visitation Group on Saturday, February 28 at 1 pm in the Library (1040). All are welcome. Contact Rev. Kathy Thiel with any questions at kthiel@asburyfirst.org
FEBRUARY 2026
NEWS SHEET
You're invited! Join us for upcoming worship, fellowship, and fun.
Visitation Group Saturday, February 28 at 1 pm in the Library
Lenten Book Study: Prayer in the Night
This Lent, we are encouraging everyone to join us in a study of Prayer in the Night by Tish Harrison Warren. This book explores a season of doubt and loss, navigating themes of human vulnerability, suffering, and God's seeming absence. It also offers prayerful and frank approaches to living in a world filled with uncertainty. Whether you read the book on your own, join in one of our weekly discussion groups, or lead a group, let us know.
NEWS SHEET | FEBRUARY 2026
We will begin the holy season of Lent together with our Pan-Methodist siblings from around Rochester. This year, the service will be held at 7 pm at Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (549 Clarissa St, Rochester, NY). Join us as we worship with Baber African Methodist Episcopal Church, Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and New Bethel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and welcome in this important season of Lent. Pastor Michelle will be the preacher.
Ash Wednesday Pan-Methodist Service Wednesday, February 18 at 7 pm at Memorial AME Zion Church
Pie for Pi Day Pies will be available Sunday, March 8
What better way to support our Asbury First Youth Missions than with pie? March 14 is pie day, and our youth are once again making a bunch of apple pies from scratch to help you celebrate. Pies will be available for purchase for $15 on Sunday, March 8. All proceeds go to support our summer youth mission trips.
Read Across America Week comes to Asbury First
Sunday, March 1, between 10:30 and 11 am, the Library at Asbury First will begin celebrating Read Across America Week with some very special guests! Stop by the church library to meet and have your picture taken with The Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2! FUN For EVERYONE!
If you are experiencing grief and would like a place to talk about it and share with others, you are welcome to attend on Wednesday evenings from 4 to 5 pm in the Library (1040). All are welcome. A Zoom-Only Grief Group will meet Tuesdays from 4 to 5 pm. Questions? Contact Rev. Kathy Thiel at (585) 271-1050 x106 or kthiel@asburyfirst.org.
Grief Group Wednesdays in-person, Tuesdays via Zoom
Banned Book Club: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Monday, March 16, from 7 to 8 pm in the Red Room , join the Banned Book Club for a discussion of Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes, a poignant novel exploring the 2007 shooting at Sterling High in New Hampshire, and the intersection of bullying with school shootings.
Thank you to everyone who has donated to the Chapel Challenge over the last year or so. You might be wondering how it works. The items requested for the Community Outreach Center (COC) are generally in low supply when we ask. We leave them there through the month as a visual reminder so people know donations are still being collected and can see our progress. If supplies of these particular things run out completely in the COC — as has happened — someone will retrieve what’s needed from the chapel. Otherwise, we wait until the end of the month to clear the donations. Please be assured your donations WILL be used and are very much appreciated. Diana Louise Carter, chair of the Outreach Committee
February Chapel Challenge: Queen-Sized Bed Sheets
NEWS SHEET | JANUARY 2026
Wednesday Morning Book Group – Miracles & Wonder
Morning Prayer – Thursdays at 9:30 am
In these turbulent times of shifting headlines and unsettling political events, our pastoral staff feels called to help our community maintain spiritual grounding. We invite you to join us for Morning Prayer every Thursday from 9:30 - 10am in the Meditation Chapel (within the Sanctuary). This simple service offers a space to center ourselves in God's presence, solidarity, compassion, and love. No special preparation needed—come as you are, whenever you can join us.
Join our Wednesday morning book study Wednesdays from 10 am to 11:30 am in the Red Room (1010) and via Zoom as we explore Miracles and Wonder by Elaine Pagels, a thrilling historical mystery that examines the gospels Jesus's followers left behind. Each chapter addresses fascinating questions—Why a virgin birth? Why the resurrection? Did miracles really happen and what did they mean?—bringing Jesus and his followers vividly to life while shedding light on his enduring power to inspire and attract. All are welcome to join this engaging discussion.
Asbury Women's Art Class Fridays, 1 - 3 pm in Room 205 (1040)
Join the Asbury Women's Art Class to learn needle felting with no experience required as we create stunning pictures and jewelry. For just $15 in materials, we'll meet every Friday from 1 - 3 pm in Room 205 (the Bell Room in 1040) to explore art as a spiritual practice while connecting with other women in a welcoming, creative space. Questions? Contact Linda Clemow at programs@asburyfirst.org
Sign up or just show up to give blood on Saturday, February 14 from 8:30 am to 1 pm in Asbury First's Gathering Center. Please call Ed Ristau at (585) 223-4356, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org to schedule your appointment. Walk-ins also welcome. Please remember to bring your ID.
Join the AFUMC postcarders in our next effort of postcarding for the Progressive Turnout Project. We will resume printing on February 19, in the Red Room (1010), 10 am to Noon. Just bring your pen, your best printing skills and your enthusiasm. And if you don’t find yourself called to printing postcards yet still want to support our effort, consider buying and donating postcard stamps (not first class stamps). Stamps can be left with Holly Temming in the Church Office (1050).
Gentle Yoga – Tuesdays at 3 pm,at Frequency Wellness
Postcarding Resumes!
Join us for Gentle Yoga, Tuesdays in February at 3 pm at Frequency Wellness (34 Elton St Suite 103, Rochester, NY 14607). A $10 suggested donation at the door. Each beginner-friendly, inclusive session offers an hour of breathing, movement, awareness, and meditation. Wear loose-fitting clothing comfortable for movement; limited mats and props available, but please bring your own if possible. This is a location change due to cold weather.
Blood Drive – February 14
KOP is seeking 4 groups of 3 volunteers each to be part of a caring circle for new families. Under the Welcome.US program, we can help, but we officially need three volunteers per family. This will guarantee a family $1,000 per person in resettlement funds within 2 to 3 weeks from the Welcome Corps. Please reach out to friends and community members if you can help by being part of a caring circle. For more information, call or text Cindy Malone at (585) 645-4060.
Keeping Our Promise Seeking volunteers
Looking for a deeper way to connect? Volunteering at Asbury First is more than helping out—it’s about building friendships, discovering joy, and growing in faith. Our Volunteer Engagement Committee is here to match your gifts and schedule with opportunities across the church. Whether you have an hour once in a while or time each week, there’s a place for you: greeting on Sunday mornings, singing in the choir, teaching, cooking, office help, or serving with Outreach ministries. The best part? Volunteering is flexible and rewarding. You’ll bless the church with your presence—and find yourself blessed in return. Ready to find your place? Reach out to the Volunteer Engagement Committee and discover the joy of serving together. Call to be connected with someone who can help you find your place.
VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES | FEBRUARY 2026
"Strong people do not need strong leaders." — Ella Baker, quoted in Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement Ella Josephine Baker (December 13, 1903 – December 13, 1986) was an African-American civil rights and human rights activist. She was a largely behind-the-scenes organizer whose career spanned more than five decades. In New York City and the South, she worked alongside some of the most noted civil rights leaders of the 20th century, including W. E. B. Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall, A. Philip Randolph, and Martin Luther King Jr. She also mentored many emerging activists, such as Diane Nash, Stokely Carmichael, and Bob Moses, as leaders in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). She criticized professionalized, charismatic leadership; she promoted grassroots organizing, radical democracy, and the ability of the oppressed to understand their worlds and advocate for themselves. She realized this vision most fully in the 1960s as the primary advisor and strategist of the SNCC. Biographer Barbara Ransby calls Baker "one of the most important American leaders of the twentieth century and perhaps the most influential woman in the civil rights movement." She is known for her critiques of both racism in American culture and sexism in the civil rights movement. She is the Civil Rights leader we hear least about. Ella Baker spent her life insisting on a truth that quietly unsettles many of our assumptions about how change happens. She believed that transformation does not depend on charisma, visibility, or the presence of a singular leader who can carry the work on their own. It depends on ordinary people who are willing to show up, listen to one another, and take shared responsibility for the world they inhabit. Baker worked alongside some of the most recognizable leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, yet she consistently resisted being placed at the center herself. She was wary of hierarchies that concentrated power and of movements that depended too heavily on personality. Her insistence on shared leadership challenged the idea that progress comes from having the right person in charge, an idea that remains deeply familiar in well- resourced and educated communities. Ella Baker did not frame her work as theology, but her insistence on shared dignity, collective responsibility, and patient endurance reflects a deeply formed moral vision shaped by Black religious life. Her witness broadens what counts as faithfulness. It shifts attention away from performance and proclamation and toward practices of trust, participation, and mutual accountability. For communities accustomed to thinking of faith as personal belief or institutional stability, Baker’s legacy presses in a different direction. It suggests that faith is revealed not primarily in what we say, but in who is allowed to speak, who is trusted to lead, and how decisions are made. It calls into question habits of comfort that equate order with justice or expertise with wisdom. As we begin Black History Month, Ella Baker invites us into a deeper kind of listening. Not listening that looks for inspiration or affirmation, but listening that is willing to be reshaped. Her life reminds us that enduring change is rarely dramatic and almost never fast. It grows through patience, shared courage, and communities willing to remain present to one another when the work is long and the outcome uncertain. In the weeks ahead, we will continue to reflect on voices that have shaped the moral and spiritual life of this country. We do so not to admire them from a distance, but to learn from the ways faithfulness has been practiced in lives committed to dignity, responsibility, and hope.
ARTICLES | FEBRUARY 2026
For eleven years, Asbury First has stood as a beacon of inclusion and acceptance as a member of the Reconciling Ministries Network. This milestone, reached in January 2026, represents more than a decade of living out the church's commitment to welcome all people with open minds, open hearts, and open doors. The journey began in the fall of 2013 when Nancy Specht, a lifelong Methodist and daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter, sister, and spouse of United Methodist ministers, met with Rev. Susan Shafer. Nancy was contemplating leaving the church she loved due to the United Methodist Church's discriminatory policies toward LGBTQ+ persons. Instead of accepting her departure, Rev. Shafer proposed a different path: working together to transform Asbury First into a Reconciling Congregation. What followed was a remarkable example of grassroots organizing and faithful dialogue. A dedicated team of approximately ten people met biweekly for four months, carefully developing a strategy to engage the entire congregation. They recognized that such a significant decision required thorough education, honest conversation, and broad consensus. The team set an ambitious goal: at least 75 percent approval would be necessary to move forward. Throughout 2014, Nancy and her team embarked on a comprehensive outreach effort, meeting with every group in the church—Adult Sunday School classes, committees, choirs, youth groups, and the Administrative Cabinet (what we now call the Governing Board). They assembled educational resources, purchased videos for the church library, and made themselves available for individual conversations with anyone who had questions or concerns. Nancy personally met with those who opposed the initiative, creating space for respectful dialogue even amid disagreement. The team drafted and refined a Reconciling Statement that would articulate the church's commitment to full inclusion. At the heart of their advocacy was a fundamental theological principle: at baptism, all people are recognized as children of God, worthy of love and acceptance without exception. This conviction challenged the United Methodist Church's then-official stance that homosexuality was "incompatible with Christian teaching," even while affirming LGBTQ+ persons as having "sacred worth." On January 18, 2015, at the annual church conference, the congregation cast their votes by secret ballot. Young people from the United Methodist Youth Fellowship even returned early from their Casawasco weekend retreat to participate in this historic decision. The result was overwhelming: 215 to 11 in favor—exceeding the 75 percent threshold and reaching an extraordinary 95 percent approval. Since joining RMN, Asbury First has been part of a growing movement that now spans four continents, encompasses over 1,400 ministries, and includes 45,000 individuals working to advance justice and inclusion for all LGBTQ+ people. Founded in 1984 as a faith-based response to institutionalized homophobia in the denomination, RMN has worked through grassroots organizing, education, and denominational change-making to transform hearts, churches, and communities. The journey toward full inclusion continues. While the 2024 General Conference finally removed harmful language that had appeared in the Discipline since 1972, the work of reconciliation and healing remains ongoing. As Nancy Specht reminds us, "We as the church of Jesus Christ have much more to do." Eleven years later, Asbury First continues this sacred work with joy and pride, following the Great Commandment to love one another—without exception.
“Christianity is being concerned about others. It’s not just a Sunday morning thing.” — Fannie Lou Hamer Fannie Lou Hamer (1917–1977) was a Mississippi sharecropper turned civil rights leader who helped lead the fight for voting rights in the 1960s. After being denied the right to register to vote, she became a central figure in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and a founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Her testimony at the 1964 Democratic National Convention exposed the violence used to suppress Black voters and helped reshape national conversations about democracy and representation. Fannie Lou Hamer did not begin as a national leader. She began as a woman trying to claim the right to vote. When she attempted to register in 1962, she was fired from her job, threatened, and later brutally beaten in jail. Those experiences did not silence her. They clarified her sense that faith and dignity were inseparable. Hamer’s importance in Black history is not only that she fought for voting rights, but that she spoke for people whose lives were rarely centered in public life. She represented poor, rural Black Americans who were often excluded from both political power and middle-class civil rights narratives. Her leadership helped bring their realities into national view. She helped found the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party precisely so that Black citizens shut out of the system could claim a voice within it. Her contributions to American culture are just as significant. At the 1964 Democratic National Convention, her televised testimony about racial violence forced the nation to confront what voter suppression looked like in real life. Many historians credit her witness as one of the pressures that helped lead to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. She reminded America that democracy is not self-sustaining; it requires participation, protection, and courage. For the Church, her legacy carries a different kind of question. Hamer’s faith was not abstract. She sang spirituals at protests. She prayed with people in fear. She spoke about justice as something God cares about, not as a political hobby. Her life suggests that faith can be a source of resilience and moral clarity, especially for those whose dignity is on the line. For a predominantly white congregation like ours, listening to voices like Hamer’s is not about borrowing inspiration. It is about learning from the experiences of people who have tested the promises of this country and of the Church under pressure. It is about hearing how faith sounds when it must sustain courage as well as comfort. Black History Month is not only a time to honor remarkable individuals. It is a time to recognize how Black leadership has shaped the freedoms many Americans now take for granted. Hamer’s story reminds us that rights expand because ordinary people insist they should. Her words still ask something of us: where does our faith show up in public life? Where does it strengthen our concern for others? Faith that stays private rarely changes a community. Faith that shows up, quietly and persistently, often does.
At the heart of Asbury First's outreach ministry is a simple yet transformative belief: that following Jesus means more than worship—it means walking alongside our neighbors, especially those pushed to society's edges. Since joining Asbury First in 2021, Rev. Patrick Dupont has brought this conviction to life, drawing on years of hands-on experience serving Rochester's most vulnerable communities. You've described your calling as moving people "from being Jesus worshippers to Jesus followers." What does that distinction mean to you in practice, particularly in your work at the Outreach Center? An important aspect of Methodism is it’s practical theology. The tradition isn’t as much concerned with what we believe as how we live. Throughout the gospels, Jesus offers people an invitation into a new way of living and being, right here, right now.. In this light, faith in Christ isn’t a profession we make on Sundays, it is lived out in our everyday decisions and actions. A big part of this ‘embodied faith’ for me lies in our presence with and for hurting people. It is easy to say we care for the poor, sick and marginalized, but do our lives integrate this professed value? If we mean it, we may have to adjust the patterns of our hours and days beyond accommodating worship practices. Are we changing our habits of consumption? Are we living in ways that seek to level out unequal wealth distributions? Are we showing up for the people we proclaim we care about? Theologian Gustavo Gutierrez said: "You say you care about the poor? Then tell me, what are their names?" Turning this same idea around, Mahatma Gandhi said, “Ask the poor. They'll tell you who the christians are.” Your time at St. Joseph's House of Hospitality included both direct service and activism alongside Rochester's homeless population. How did that experience shape your understanding of what effective outreach ministry looks like? I lived and worked at St. Joe’s for three years. It was a very immersive experience and I learned a whole lot about how easy it is to do harm in our efforts to do good. I learned how easy it is in the midst of my efforts to love and serve my neighbors, to end up actually disrespecting, disempowering, and discriminating against others. I learned how important deep self awareness, introspection, education, self-examination and growth are if we are to be of any good to anybody else. I learned that it is easily possible to ‘humble ourselves before others’ in tangible service, while also clinging tightly to social norms of privilege, bias, control and perceived superiority. I try to keep these lessons in mind and strive to nurture outreach efforts at Asbury First that lean as much as possible into humility, collaboration, inclusiveness, and non-hierarchy. And I try to remember that I still have a lot to learn and a great deal of growing to do! I pray that our ministries are spaces where that learning and growth can take place. What's your vision for where the Outreach Center should be three to five years from now? I would love to see the Community Outreach Center move further into the vision outlined above. I hope that the C.O.C. can develop an increased sense of community ownership, and a decreased sense of Asbury First ownership (or, godforbid, Pat ownership!). I would love to see more programming being provided in the space by other community groups and organizations. I would love for the C.O.C. to be known in our city as a diverse, welcoming, collaborative, community space with food, clothing, bicycle repair and healthcare – but also with support groups and mental health care, music groups and art classes, community organizing and movement building, and other kinds of gatherings that would benefit our community that would never occur to me! Of course, moving in this direction means, to a certain extent, giving less weight to my vision and fostering a shared communal vision with neighbors and stakeholders beyond the church. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said: “The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.” If we can accomplish that, it is exciting to me to think about where we might end up!
"Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." — Howard Thurman Howard Thurman (1899–1981) was a theologian, pastor, and author whose work deeply influenced the Civil Rights Movement. A mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. and many others, Thurman explored how spiritual life sustains people working for justice. His book Jesus and the Disinherited became foundational for leaders committed to nonviolent change. Presidents’ Day invites us to think about leadership. We often remember presidents for policies, speeches, or moments of crisis. But behind many public leaders stand quieter figures who shape the moral imagination of a generation. Howard Thurman was one of those figures. He was not elected to office, nor did he hold political power, but his theology helped form the conscience of leaders who changed the course of American history. His writing spoke directly to people living under oppression and to those wrestling with the way faith sustains courage. He believed that inner grounding and outward justice belong together. Thurman nurtured spiritual resilience in the face of racism and exclusion. He wrote about the interior lives of people whose dignity was under constant threat, and he insisted that faith could be a source of strength rather than escape. His work helped articulate how nonviolence was not passive, but deeply rooted in spiritual discipline. Thurman helped shape a vision of leadership guided by conscience. He reminded the nation that public change often begins with interior clarity. Policies matter, but the moral vision behind them matters too. Martin Luther King, Jr. was mentored by Thurman during his postgraduate studies at Boston University School of Theology. For the Church, Thurman offers a steady reminder that faith is not only about action or belief alone, but about the formation of the heart. Leaders who sustain justice work over time often draw from deep spiritual wells. Thurman understood that burnout, fear, and despair are real forces, and he wrote to help people remain rooted when the work is long. As we approach Lent, his words offer a gentle invitation. Before asking what we must do, we might ask what keeps our hearts alive to God and neighbor. Conscience grows where faith and attention meet. Presidents’ Day honors public leadership. Thurman’s life suggests that moral leadership can grow anywhere, often out of quiet faithfulness and deep reflection. A healthy democracy needs both.
Whether you know him by his affable wit, his towering stature, his calm demeanor or his whimsy-packed bowtie collection, Mike Mullin is a fount of both knowledge and experience. As Minister for Discipleship and Youth, Mike is tasked with promoting the spiritual maturation of young and old, through youth groups, VBS and book studies. We caught up with him to talk about travel, identity, adventuring, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, mission trips, comfort zones, and much more! When you're leading youth on mission trips to other parts of the world, how do you help young people navigate the tension between serving and learning? This question is poignant, as mission trips are often thought of as a means to help others. In reality, some of the most significant impact happens to the missioners—the ones embarking on the mission trip. We certainly do our best to make a significant and lasting impact on the people and places we travel to—but so much of the investment of a mission trip is on ourselves as we encounter a new culture and worldview that will forever alter how we show up in the world. This is a message that we share with our young people throughout the mission trip process. We are visitors and guests in these spaces.This is just as true when we are in the homes in rural Appalachia as when we visit the communities in our border towns in Mexico as they wait and pray for asylum in the US. There is a constant reminder that we do not have all of the answers; we are not the saviors in these situations. Instead, we are all in this together, and it is this community that strengthens each of us and makes mission trips an incredibly powerful experience for all involved. You've described yourself as someone who loves adventures and discovering new experiences. Can you tell us about a moment during your travels when stepping outside your comfort zone led to an unexpected spiritual insight or deepened your faith in a way you didn't anticipate? When my spouse was in seminary, I had the opportunity to join her and other seminarians on a trip to Vietnam. The seminary had a connection with the Eastern Cham people, and we were going to meet and work with the pastors. In Vietnam, it was legal to be a Christian, but all Christian churches had to register with the government. Registering meant that the government could oversee and control everything. You could not have meetings without their permission; and most forms of outreach were outlawed. Churches were having challenging conversations about remaining underground so that they could be the church they were called to be, or registering so that they could more effectively share and spread their message. One of the jokes that the pastors shared with the seminarians is that one of their ordination requirements was to have been arrested. And while they shared this in jest, every single pastor we met had been imprisoned for practicing their faith. While we were there, it seemed like the government and police were causing more harm, so we decided to cancel our training day with the clergy so that we did not put them at further risk. After making this decision, some of the clergy were able to met with us and expressed their opposition to our decision. They shared that they lived with this reality regularly, and it should have been their choice to take on this risk. That was an important message to hear. Following this conversation, we were able to gather a group of pastors together for a less-formal meeting on a public beach. While we were there, the police came and asked us if we had a permit to gather. The Vietnamese tried to communicate that we were just hanging out, but one of the police members got ahold of a paper with Christian songs and Bible verses, and they told us that this was an unlawful gathering and we had to disperse. Our hosts said that the police seemed to be more polite, probably because Americans were present. This experience has continued to stay with me as a reminder of what it means to be the church. There are times when we need to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and there are times when we need to overturn the tables of exploitation and oppression. Often, it can be a challenge to know when and how to do the right thing. Sometimes, we cancel a gathering in an effort to protect the marginalized, only to discover that was the wrong choice to make. My hope and prayer is to continue to keep these memories at the forefront of my thinking as I try to make the best decision I can in any situation—and then to offer myself and others the same grace the Eastern Cham showed to us when we are found to be in error. Food seems to be one of your passions when traveling. Has there been a meal or food experience in another country that became unexpectedly sacred or meaningful to you? What did it teach you about hospitality, community, or faith? When it comes to food, travel, and youth ministry, there is really just one story that comes to mind. Though, “sacred” may not be the word I would use… I was leading a high school mission trip to cattle country in Montana, and a local gas station had a sign letting folks know that they had Rocky Mountain Oysters. We learned that this was a seasonal delicacy—which is to say they were fresh, and when they ran out, they ran out. And if you don’t know what Rocky Mountain Oysters are, let’s just say that cattle country is the place to find this delicacy, rather than the coast. As many people know, I am always interested in trying new things—especially if it’s a local favorite or has some notoriety. So, after passing this sign a couple of times, I decided to see if any of the youth or leaders would be interested in trying this cultural cuisine with me. And, to be clear, we made sure every person new exactly what Rocky Mountain Oysters were before they agreed to try them. I enjoy trying new and weird things—and encouraging others to as well—but I do not enjoy tricking anyone into trying something they don’t fully understand or comprehend. Even so, the majority of youth and adults gathered at that gas station, and watched them fry up a bunch of Rocky Mountain Oysters, and then we took them out under the sign for a photo before sampling them ourselves. That is not a flavor or texture experience I need to have again, but the camaraderie and bonding that the experience offered is one that will stay with me throughout my life—and there is certainly something sacred about that. You've advocated strongly for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in ministry. How have your encounters with different cultures and their varying approaches to gender, sexuality, and identity influenced your understanding of what it means to create truly welcoming faith communities? As someone that carries the privilege of appearing to fit most of the points of innate privilege we associate with in the west (white, male, cisgender, heterosexual, tall, English speaking), I am comfortable in most spaces. Even in diverse spaces, I feel generally safe and unthreatened. I recall shopping in my local grocery store years ago and realizing I was the only white person in the store. And yet, I continued to shop there because it was convenient. Later, I learned that most of my colleagues literally drove across a river to go to a different store. Too often, we use our privilege to further divides rather than create opportunities for engagement. When I was in Vietnam, two of us were over six feet in height, and we got a lot of stares, and even strangers asked if they could take pictures with us. At the end of our trip, the two of us were walking through the city at dusk and found that two men walking together had a very different experience of propositions than we had had during the rest of our visit in the country while traveling in mixed company. In Russia, I learned that the “I” sound in Mike is not native to the Russian language. This was novel, as my spouse, Nadia, has had her name mixed up throughout her life, but this was a very common name in Russia. Our name roles were reversed. Everyone remembered Nadia, but Mike was harder to get right. All of these experiences are different, but they each point towards the importance of having varied experiences. The more we can expand our worldview, the more accepting and inclusive we are likely to become. When we have the opportunity to interact and recognize the humanity in our LGBTQ, BIPOC, other-in-any-way sibling, we are much less likely to harbor hate or resentment to the groups that they belong to. The first step towards eradicating these isms is through real connections; and that only happens one experience and one relationship at a time. You encourage people at Asbury First to push the boundaries of their comfort zones. When you've traveled with youth groups, what's been the most challenging moment where you had to model that yourself? I have always had a passion for adventure education, and I had the opportunity to work multiple summers at a Christian adventure camp, and even one summer building and inspecting ropes courses. One grounding element of adventure education is trying to push the limits of our comfort zones. We often used a stop light illustration to help talk people through what they were feeling. The green zone is your usual comfort level. The yellow zone is where you aren’t sure if you can go on, but you’re willing to try. The red zone is where you shut down and can no longer continue. Teaching these zones to groups before embarking on a challenge element was invaluable. When someone started asking to stop, or to come down, we could ask them what zone they were in. Just by asking the question, it takes them away from their fear for a moment—and most then decide they are in the yellow zone (or maybe orange, for those that want to articulate that they are getting close to shutting down). Just by naming this reality, they are often able to continue and push themselves a little further—and then the sense of accomplishment and self-worth are heightened as they discover expanding limits to their own capabilities. I bring this foundation in adventure education into everything I do. I am also someone that analyzes things and likes to solve puzzles. I like to enter into situations with a plan and idea for multiple different scenarios. Even so, there are times when the unexpected happen. Years ago, we had a middle school trip show up to a church stay, only to discover there was no one at the church to let us in. I took some time to call and contact everyone I could connected to that church to no avail. After exhausting those options, we pivoted a bit, and went to a local Wal-Mart to brush our teeth, use the rest room, and get ready for bed. I was also hoping we might hear back from our church stay during this time. And while that didn’t happen, we did have some conversations as a group, and many of these youth were campers. We decided on a plan to “camp out” in the church parking lot. Some folks would sleep in the vans, and those that wanted to could spread out sleeping mats and sleeping bags in the parking lot—we literally “circled the vans” to create a little campsite for ourselves. And just as we were finally getting situated—and some had already fallen asleep—our host showed up to let us in the building. These are the moments that are challenging; being met with a seemingly unsolvable problem, and trying to find our way to a solution that may be less-than-ideal, all while putting on a face of confidence and positivity. There are some things that we have no control over; and we can choose how we respond in those moments. My goal is to remain level-headed and try to help give off a sense of peace that might be shared by the community. Different cultures have different clothing traditions and forms of expression, and you're known for your colorful bow ties (even colorful suits!) at festive occasions. How have the visual and artistic expressions of faith you've encountered in other countries influenced how you think about creativity, identity, and worship? My approach to colorful ties and suits is actually grounded in a bit of subversion. I was never a fan of “dressing up,” and there was a time in my ministry when I was told I had to dress a certain way, and meet a certain level of decorum. Well, one way I responded to that was by shifting some of the flair. If these were the items that were necessary to have a seat at the table, while other forms of expression were unwelcome, I could at least push the envelope a bit with what was considered couth clothing. And while I’m not sure that has a direct correlation to my intercultural faith experiences, it is certainly true that worship looks, sounds, smells, feels, and even tastes vastly different across cultures. I love the calligraphy in Islamic centers, as they make sure not to create any graven images of the divine. I love the sounds of hundreds of pilgrims chanting together in Taizé. I love the smell of incense coming from the thurible in Orthodox cathedrals. I love the feeling of unity I experienced at a church in Geneva that celebrates the traditions, music, prayers, and cultures of different countries each week. I love the taste of our local Hindu temple that invited our confirmation class to eat some of the offerings left by other visitors, because no one should leave their space without receiving a bit of nourishment. It is this rich and vibrant diversity that compels me to continue to expand my knowledge and experience of different faiths and traditions. We may not begin pouring milk and yogurt on our alter at Asbury First, as I witnessed at the Hindu Temple; we may not tear down our walls to create overflow seating for an Easter service as they did in Taizé; and we may not regularly share our service in multiple languages as they did in Switzerland; but we do strive to invite and incorporate new ideas to engage our community in worship, and I look forward to how we may continue to encourage that growing edge.
Wednesdays, 10–11:30 am , 1010 Red Room and Zoom (zoom.us/j/8924819492) PW 578697) All are invited to join this book discussion group as we meet in-person and on Zoom on Wednesday mornings. Some have been a part of this group for years, while others come and go depending on availability and the books that we are reading. We will begin our next book on March 5, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, by Heather McGhee. For more information, please contact Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org.
Lectio Divina
CONTINUING CLASSES, GROUPS, AND EVENTS
(On Hiatus for the Summer but returning in the Fall) Fridays, 1 – 3 pm, 1040 Room 205 (upper level, bell choir room) Now meeting on Friday afternoons, the Asbury Art Class is exploring watercolor and card-making. Watercolor is a terrific medium for capturing the form and surprise of the natural world. Please email Linda Clemow at soulsourcestudio1@gmail.com for more information and to register.
Tuesday Women’s Fellowship
Looking for a way to stay connected to your Asbury First friends during the week? Want to meet new Asbury First friends? All women, all ages, are welcome to join the Tuesday Women's Fellowship via Zoom, 9:30–10:30 am each week. Bring your coffee or tea, and perhaps a treat, zoom in and enjoy an hour of devotion, sharing, and connection. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Elizabeth Church, coordinator, at emchurch418@gmail.com. Hope to see you soon!
Tuesdays, 9:30-10:30 am, Zoom (zoom.us/j/8347173468 PW 200)
Lectio Divina is a contemplative practice on reading scripture. A passage of scripture is read, then there is silent meditation, then the passage is read again, then more silence, and then discussion. The silence is an opportunity to reflect upon what you experienced in the scripture. This half hour opens and closes with prayer. All are welcome. For more information please contact Rev. Kathy Thiel at kthiel@asburyfirst.org or at 585-271-1050 x106.
Wednesday Morning Study Group
Tuesdays, 8:30–9 am, Zoom (zoom.us/j/8347173468 PW 200)
Asbury First Women's Art Class — Watercolor Painting
Tuesdays, 2:15 - 3:15 pm, Zoom (zoom.us/j/8347173468 PW 200)
Men of all ages are welcome to join us on Wednesday mornings via Zoom as we discuss topics of faith, life, and more. Each week, a different member of the group leads us n a devotion for our time together. These can be instructional, reflective, conversational, and more. This is a wonderful group to make and build connections, and we hope that you will drop in to join us! or more information, please contact Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org.
Have you ever wondered what the Bible really says—and if it truly has any meaning for us in modern times? If so, then you’re not alone. Most Christians have never really read the Bible, and many wonder if it’s antiquated teachings truly transcend time. If you would like to grapple with these questions, then you are encouraged to join in the Disciple Bible Study. Disciple IV spends the first half the year looking at the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament, and the second half of the year focused on the Gospel of John and Revelation. The Disciple IV Bible study will be starting later this spring. Please contact Mike Mullin for more information or to sign-up contact mmullin@asburyfirst.org
Disciple IV Bible Study
Men’s Devotional Group
Wednesdays, 7 am, Zoom (zoom.us/j/8347173468 PW 200)
Yoga at Asbury First
Tuesdays, 3 pm, Gathering Center, $10 pay at the door
Join us for our weekly sessions of Gentle Yoga. This gentle attention can help both to bring inner awareness to your body, as well as clarity and peace to the mind! Classes are an hour long and open to participants at any level. $10 at the door, you're encouraged to wear comfortable loose-fitting clothes, and to bring a towel and water with you.
Carvers of Hope is a wood carving ministry that helps people who find themselves in the very difficult places of life. Its members carve handmade crosses as a reminder of the hope Jesus brought to us through the cross. All materials, wood, and carving tools are provided, as well as carving lessons. No prior skill is needed to carve crosses with this group. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact John Smalt at jhsmalt@gmail.com.
4th Tuesday of the Month, 6:30–8 pm, Room 203
As The Spirit Moves Us
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Asbury First's LGBTQ+ Advocacy Group continues to hold meetings seeking new ways to support the LGBTQ+ community. Meetings are held in the Youth Room (in the lower level of the church). Anyone affiliated with LGBTQ+ community and allies are welcome to attend. We will be planning for events, outreach, and educational opportunities in our community. Youth and adults are welcome! For more information, please contact Deb Bullock-Smith at (585) 271-1050 x117 or at dbullocksmith@asburyfirst.org.
4th Wednesday of the Month, 3–4:30 pm, Library
3rd Sunday of the Month, at 9:45 am, 1040 Youth Room (lower level)
LGBTQ+ Advocacy Meeting
Sundays, 9:45–10:45 am, Room LL03 and Zoom (zoom.us/j/6174865464 PW Disciple) As The Spirit Moves is a class founded on forming a welcoming community to study Biblical events through scripture as well as Christian-based literature. All are welcome, and every voice is heard as we become better together. For more information about this class, please contact Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org or at 585-271-1050 x105.
Carvers of Hope
A prayer shawl is a simple shawl or a lap blanket knitted by members of our group. It is symbolic of an inclusive, unconditionally loving God. The knitting itself is very simple and we have “experts” on hand to help you if you are a beginner. The group meets monthly on the fourth Wednesday. Clergy and lay members of our church identify those who may benefit from our ministry and a shawl, and they're delivered by ministers or congregation members. Questions? Contact Meredith Pixley at meredithpixley@gmail.com.
To submit an announcement, email communication@asburyfirst.org, call the church office at (585) 271-1050, or fill out the online form at asburyfirst.org/bulletin-announcement. If you'd like to receive regular paper communications, please call the church office at (585) 271-1050.
ALTAR FLOWERS The flowers on the altars are given to the glory of God and in gratitude of past and present church members. If you would like to place flowers on the altars, please contact Jeanne Ristau at (585) 223-4356, preferably two weeks ahead of requested date. Prayers and Concerns We offer our prayers and concerns for all those who are ill at home, hospitalized, or in hospice care. We want to be able to visit and pray with those who are in the hospital. If you know someone who is in the hospital and would like a pastoral call, or if you yourself are in the hospital or have a date for surgery, please call Rev. Kathy Thiel who will be most glad to be with you in that moment. (585) 271-1050 x106.
Celebrations and concerns
Stay up-to-date with events, links, and information with our online calendar, or call (585) 271-1050.
asburyfirst.org/events