asburyfirst.org
(585) 271-1050
Summer Singing Sunday 11 am, August 23 Hymn Service
As we've done in recent summers, we are setting aside the 11 am Worship Service on Sunday, August 23 as a service centered around favorite hymns. During the pre-service prelude, as well as during the offertory, we'll invite worshippers to call out their favorite hymns from the United Methodist Hymnal. Come ready to sing, and give some thought to what hymns you'd love to have included.
AUGUST 2026
GOOD NEWS FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
NEWS SHEET
The Finance Committee is pleased to share that for 2026 year to date both the General and COC Budgets Income & Expenses are on-budget. A huge thank you to everyone for your ongoing generosity—and for the ongoing careful management of our expenses by our staff and many volunteers. If you would like detailed budget information, please see the July Finance Committee Meeting Minutes by visiting asburyfirst.org/committees. If you have questions, comments or suggestions, please email finance@asburyfirst.org. We welcome your feedback.
You're invited! Join us for upcoming worship, fellowship, and fun.
NEWS SHEET | AUGUST 2026
ALL AGES FUN
Campus Grounds Volunteers Needed Do you enjoy getting your hands in the soil and helping things grow (or keeping them tidy)? Join our campus gardening crew — a friendly group dedicated to weeding and trimming the perennial gardens and shrubs around our grounds (note: this is separate from the vegetable garden volunteers at 1010). We'd love to have you once a week, whenever fits your schedule, and we provide the gloves and tools. We could especially use extra hands in front of the Community Outreach Center and along the East Avenue side of the Education Wing. Interested? Reach out to us at programs@asburyfirst.org.
Lectio Divina Tuesdays at 8:30 am and Thursdays at 8 am via Zoom Lectio Divina is a contemplative prayer practice focused on one scripture. There is prayer, reading of the passage, silent contemplation and discussion. The silence is an opportunity to reflect upon what you experienced in the scripture and how it resonates with you. Come to either or both sessions. For more information please contact Lori Jeanne Peloquin: programs@asburyfirst.org. All are welcome.
Our regular youth and children’s programming may be over for the year, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop! Join us at the church at 3 pm on August 9 for a good ole fashioned Ice Cream Crawl! And keep an eye out for details about our Kickball Tournament that will cap off the summer, on August 16, 23, and 30. Please email jurriola-schonewolf@asburyfirst.org to register for these events.
LECTIO DIVINA
NEWS SHEET | MARCH 2026
Scan the QR code to join via zoom every Tuesday 8:30 - 9 am and weekdays during Holy Week, Mon, Apr 14 – Fri, Apr 18
Discussion of Life After Doom
Banned Book Club - Boy Erased Monday, September 14, from 7 to 8 pm in the Red Room, join us for a discussion of Boy Erased, by Gerrard Conley, recounting his childhood in a fundamentalist Arkansas family that enrolled him in conversion therapy.
The Library Needs Your Help! Your library is missing 8 biographies! Please check your bookshelves at home (or work!) to see if you have any of them. They are: Lovely One by Ketani Brown Jackson, Blood Done Sign My Name by Timothy Tyson, Breaking Night by Liz Murray, Heavenly Man by Brother Yun, Open Heart by Elie Wiesel, Seven Men by Eric Metaxas, Seven Women by Eric Metaxas, and Spare by Harry, Prince Duke of Sussex. Thank you for your help!
August 28, 9 - 11 am in the Red Room (1010) or join via Zoom Blending insights from philosophers, poets, scientists, and theologians, Life After Doom explores the complexity of hope, the necessity of grief, and the need for new ways of thinking, becoming, and belonging in turbulent times. If you want to help yourself, your family, and the communities to which you belong to find courage and resilience for the deeply challenging times that are upon us — this is the book you need right now. To register, email programs@asburyfirst.org
Wednesday Morning Book Study The Tears of Things Join the Wednesday Morning Book Study this fall for The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage by Richard Rohr, starting September 9, 10 – 11:30 am in the Red Room (at 1010). Explore contemplative wisdom for navigating outrage and grief while holding onto hope. A relaxed 5-week format with community sharing. Get your book and read the Introduction and Chapters 1–2 before our first session!
The Columbarium & Memorial Garden
Wednesday Morning Book Study - Opening Meeting Join us Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 10 – 11:30 am in the Red Room (at 1010) for the Wednesday Morning Book Study season opener—no reading required! We'll catch up, share summer joys and concerns, meet new faces, and preview the coming season. Our first book, Richard Rohr's The Tears of Things, begins September 9. Come for coffee, stay for community—we can't wait to see you!
Summer is here, and with it, a chance for the Memorial Garden to grow into its new home in the newly opened Columbarium, a sacred place to pray, reflect and meditate. Niches can be reserved for yourself or a loved one. Contact Deb Bullock-Smith to reserve your niche or learn more at dbullocksmith@asburyfirst.org or call (585) 271-1050 x117
Morning Prayer – Thursdays at 9:30 am
Accessibility at Asbury First: Hearing Loop Active
Asbury Women's Art Class – Fridays, 1 - 3 pm
Discover your creative sanctuary at the Asbury Women's Art Class, a warm, non-judgmental space to unwind and explore creativity as prayer, meditation, and reflection—process over product, no experience needed. Join us Fridays, 1 to 3 pm starting September 11, in Room 205 (the bell room in 1040). Supply fee varies; a free-will offering supports the facilitator. Come as you are, leave renewed. Questions or registration: programs@asburyfirst.org
We are pleased to offer a hearing loop system for those with hearing loss. This system delivers audio directly from our microphones to your personal hearing aid or cochlear implant. Please switch your device to the 'T' (Telecoil) setting. If you do not have a T-coil, please see an usher to borrow a portable receiver.
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 to 10 am 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.
Grocery Bag Ministry Is Now Meeting the Second Saturday of Each Month
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
VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES | AUGUST 2026
Connecting Through Volunteering
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 the Church Office to be connected with someone who can help you find your place at (585) 271-1050.
For over 12 years, Asbury First's Grocery Bag Ministry has assembled thousands of grocery bags for families in need across Rochester. Join us the second Saturday of each month at 8 am in the Dining & Caring Center to help pack grocery bags distributed to partner churches and refugee families through the Keeping Our Promise program.
ARTICLES | MARCH 2026
VBS this year was stellar! More than 30 campers and almost as many volunteers came together Monday through Thursday last week to learn about constellations, the Sun, space explorers, supernovas, and our faith. Our verses for the week are God is love (1 John 4:8) and God is light (1 John 1:5) and as we learned about space, we looked for all the ways love, light, and God show up in our lives and our world. With our mascot, Polaris, we traveled through Music, Science, Art, Story Time, Games, Outreach, and Snack, learning each day about how our faith guides us, helps us grow, goes with us everywhere, and is spectacular. Favorite activities from the week included making oobleck, painting space rocks, launching rockets, and of course, snacks. We talked about astronauts receiving communion on the Moon and the ways our love and light can, through God’s grace, reach our friends, family, and neighbors near and far. We could tell you more about the week and the highlights (even going to the planetarium and the pizza party after!) but we recommend instead that you talk to one of our campers or volunteers. They learned and shared so much with us over their time at VBS and we're sure they’d be glad to share their cosmic faith with you too!
ARTICLES | AUGUST 2026
A large percentage of the people we serve through our ministries at the Community Outreach Center are currently, or have previously, experienced homelessness. Homelessness is both very simple and extremely complicated. It is simple in that, as a colleague of mine used to say, “There is only one thing that can cause homelessness: not having a home.” It is complicated in that, the way our society is currently structured, the ability to access and retain housing is inextricably tangled up in issues of income inequality, unequal access to education and healthcare, a lack of necessary social supports, racism, housing shortages and a lack of affordable housing development, affordability of other basic necessities, and many other factors. I am often asked questions about homelessness, emergency shelter, and why people end up living outside. Below is a quick summary of information I find myself sharing often about the reality of emergency shelter in Rochester. I hope it is helpful in fostering both a deeper understanding of the challenges our homeless neighbors face and a great sense of solidarity with some of the most vulnerable members of our community. I also would invite you to come for breakfast in the Dining & Caring Center, get to know some of our neighbors, and to hear their stories. They are much closer to these issues than I am and have great insight to share. In Christ, Rev. Pat Dupont
Understanding the Reality of Emergency Shelter in Rochester
The 2026 Point-in-Time Count, a homelessness census effort, found 859 people experiencing homelessness in Monroe County. (It is acknowledged that this count is imperfect and low for a number of reasons.) Meanwhile, the number of beds or units that Monroe County contracts for emergency housing placement stands at 335. The Department of Human Services (DHS) will not refer someone to a shelter if they have been sanctioned. Sanctions are penalties that cut people off from services for any lapse in compliance with mandates imposed by DHS. They can result from anything from failing a drug test to missing an appointment, even for reasons like a medical or family emergency. DHS does not offer any form of shelter choice. People requesting shelter are offered one take-it-or-leave-it option with no consideration of preference, safety concerns, or previous experience with a shelter. If people decline a particular shelter placement, they are less likely to be placed in the future. Shelter assignments typically separate families. Shelters tend to be for women (sometimes including children) or men. Families are rarely sheltered together. Spending the night in a shelter can be difficult to impossible for people with certain mental health diagnoses including PTSD. It can be a challenge for people who are trying to stay sober to be sheltered with people in active addiction, and for people in active addiction to face potentially going into withdrawal by morning. Shelters are not always disability accessible and sometimes have infestations of bed bugs or other pests. “Hospitality Beds” in Rochester (shelter spots available without a DHS referral) have been greatly reduced over recent years. Access to these beds often still requires long waits and/or intake processes. Open Door Mission (ODM) has been routinely sheltering 100-120 people in a 52-capacity bed shelter every winter. ODM plans to expand by 80 beds by 2028 but… Project Haven, an 80-bed shelter, closed last year. La Madonna Della Strada, a new shelter that opened last winter, has the capacity to hold about 25 people but typically shelters up to 35. Men often resort to sleeping on the floor and may wait in line for hours before the shelter opens. St Joseph’s House of Hospitality ceased operating a seasonal winter shelter that sheltered between 10-30 men. The House of Mercy (HOM) has a capacity of 76 beds. HOM has had a tumultuous several years, but prior to the pandemic was routinely sheltering double that capacity. Peace Village, a city-supported outdoor homeless encampment, no longer exists.
We're happy to share some exciting news about our sanctuary sound system! The Property Stewardship Committee and the Governing Board have approved the purchase of new speakers, following the failure of our current speakers earlier this year. A team of Asbury First stakeholders came together to review the options and select a replacement solution we're excited about. Along with new speakers, we'll be upgrading our speaker network infrastructure, bringing Asbury First's audio transport into the digital age. This will open up new ways to deliver sound beyond the sanctuary, and make it easier to monitor and manage our system going forward. This is a meaningful milestone for our congregation, and one that will restore the clear, high-quality spoken word amplification we all value in worship. The speaker order has been placed and is expected to arrive in early fall — we'll share a firm delivery date as soon as we have one. While we wait for the new speakers, work will begin on the network infrastructure upgrades. We know the temporary speakers haven't offered the listening experience you're used to, and we're grateful for your patience and grace during this season. Thank you for bearing with us as we work to restore the sound quality that our worship — including our music — truly deserves. More updates to come soon!
Connection is a word that has followed me all summer. Over these weeks of preparation, I've been on a wonder-filled journey as I was called to Asbury First UMC to serve as Minister of Nurture and Faith Formation. It was hard to say goodbye to life in Buffalo, but I found myself telling people I was coming home to Rochester, and laughed, realizing I'd said those same words ten years ago, packing to move from Rochester (Greece) to Buffalo. Home really is where the heart is, and I'm happy to be back in the area. My mind raced as I recognized I was headed to Asbury First after serving as pastor in an underserved area of Buffalo. Since arriving, I've been truly grateful for the generous hospitality and support I've received (and continue to receive) every day. My prayer is that we build on the ministries of the many staff and lay leaders who have served here before me. Their contributions live on in the identity and DNA of Asbury First, and I hope we can carry that spirit forward into new adventures in the Kindom work. My career in ministry has centered on Nurture Ministries: Christian Education, Youth, Older Adults, and faith formation. I call it "Birth to Death" living: serving with all ages, engaged in love, compassion, and seeking justice for all. I look forward to working alongside staff and volunteers here, continuing and exploring ministries connected to Asbury First. Much of my time will be spent in Congregational Care, loving those in need. I served as a Hospice Chaplain in Orleans County for five years, as well as in several UMC churches doing congregational care, from birth through celebrations of life and death ministries. I'm eager to support staff involved in nurturing people of all ages. Connection is the word that embraces my coming here. I already know about 50 people active in this congregation through my past ministry work with local churches, the District, and the Conference. Youth gatherings, Women's Retreats, sending people here in need of new sacred space, serving in the Rochester area, and our Project Chacocente adventures, all of it has brought us together over the years. I've also served as a trainer and facilitator across many areas of ministry, both local and denomination-wide. I feel at home here already, meeting more people who are genuinely engaged in welcoming and loving all as we work together in transforming ministry. I look forward to continuing to grow alongside everyone involved in ministry here. I seek wisdom and guidance as we journey together in this amazing community, one grounded in relationships and connection. As I work with our volunteers, my prayer is that we honor what has been while making room for new connections still to come. Please feel free to connect with me by email or phone. Rev. Dee Finch Rev. Dee Finch can be reached via email at dfinch@asburyfirst.org or by phone at (585) 271-1050 x106
What a day! Asbury First UMC joined fellow area United Methodist congregations to march in this year's Rochester Pride Parade — rain and all. A torrential downpour hit right at the end, but that didn't dampen spirits. Big thanks to the talented volunteers who decorated the float, and to everyone who stuck around to help tear it down in the rain! Six UMC churches marched together this year: Fairport UMC, Asbury First UMC, Victor UMC, Macedon Center UMC, and first-time participants Greece UMC and North Chili UMC. Welcome to our newest marchers — we're so glad you joined! And of course, Balloon Jesus was a hit again this year. (He's now residing at Macedon Center UMC, so stop by if you'd like to say hello). While here in Rochester our worst disruption was a heavy rain, in other parts of the world, celebrating diversity was once again met with real danger. We hold in prayer the Berlin LGBTQ+ community as they grieve and rebuild after the deadly attack on their Christopher Street Day Pride parade this past weekend.
When I proposed the title for this Monday Reader article at the beginning of July, I confess I had no idea how much I would identify with the sentiment a few days into our trip; I think I can safely speak for most of the missioners in asserting that the treacherous turns and drops of West Virginia roads are an apt metaphor for the challenges we faced between Sunday and Tuesday. Of course, some strife is to be expected when one embarks on a journey such as ours—but the knowing doesn’t necessarily make the feeling any easier. And by Tuesday evening, I wanted to shout, “take me home!!” to the skies in the most un-ironic way. And yet—what goes down, must also come up (if only to go down again at 25 miles per hour; I can’t overstate how crazy those country roads are). The initial despair of a rollercoaster’s first drop turns, with the help of a healthy dose of faith, to exhilaration. Beyond the metal guardrails, visions of clouds draped over steaming hillsides and rivers tumbling through time-worn valleys came into focus. By Wednesday, ice was thawing. Soft rain was reviving. Eyes were meeting, and smiles came easier. Like a tiny universe being born, the energy from all of our efforts was being returned a hundredfold, and then a thousand. The places and people around me were beginning to feel, by the grace of some inexplicable miracle, a lot like the home I had been longing for. I watched as bonds were broken and reforged, as jokes sprang up from muddy worksites and as people who had been strangers to me not so long before bloomed like wildflowers. I felt myself blooming, too. I’m sure if you asked any of the youth or adults on the trip what their favorite memory was, you wouldn’t get the same answer twice (well—maybe you’d hear “China Inn” a few times). Some highlights I can think of: Billy the goat; Craig the hen; the feeling of finally seeing a whole entire porch take shape from a mess of posts and screws; cliff jumping; volleyball; coffee; laughter. From all of these, though, one feeling made itself most known to me throughout our journey, which I owe to each and every one of the remarkable human beings who undertook this trial together: Gratitude. Thank you to our missioners, and thank you to the entire AFUMC community for your support of and prayers for the Senior High Mission Trip this year. And country roads—thanks for bringing us home!
One of the gifts of summer is that it reminds us life isn't meant to be lived at full speed all the time. The days stretch a little longer. Gardens quietly do what gardens do. Children chase fireflies. Neighbors linger on porches. We notice sunsets we might have hurried past in November. Even if our schedules remain busy, summer has a way of inviting us to breathe a little more deeply. I think we need that invitation. So much of our lives are spent looking ahead to what's next. We finish one project and begin another. We move from one season to the next, often without taking time to notice the goodness that is already around us. We become so focused on the destination that we forget to enjoy the journey. The Apostle Paul reminds us that faith is lived in the middle of the story. We don't always know how every chapter will unfold, but we do know the One who is writing the story. That confidence frees us to pay attention—not only to the future, but also to the gifts of the present. This week, I hope you'll take a few moments simply to notice. Notice the flowers blooming in someone's yard. Sit outside with your morning coffee. Call someone you've been meaning to catch up with. Read a good book. Laugh with friends. Watch a thunderstorm roll in from the porch. Give thanks for ordinary moments that quietly become holy when we receive them with gratitude. Summer won't last forever, and that's part of what makes it beautiful. Seasons come and go, but each one has its own gifts to offer if we're willing to receive them. As for me, I'll be stepping away for a few days of vacation with a grateful heart. Thank you for the privilege of serving alongside you. I'm looking forward to returning rested, renewed, and excited for all that lies ahead this fall. Until then, I hope you'll find time for a little rest, a little joy, and perhaps a little wonder.
Over the past several months, we've welcomed several new staff members while also saying goodbye to beloved colleagues. Because we've both reorganized our staffing and welcomed new people into new roles, we've heard a common question: "Who does what now?" That's a fair question, and we'd like to introduce the team. Rather than asking one person to do everything in a broad ministry area, we've built a team that emphasizes leadership, volunteer development, and collaboration. Here's a quick overview of how the pieces fit together. We have included one position that is not new, but has a new staff member. Rev. Dr. Michelle Bogue-Trost, Senior Minister Preferred pronouns: she, her Michelle serves as the congregation's chief vision keeper and spiritual leader. She provides overall leadership for the church, leads worship and preaching, supervises staff, works with church leadership on strategy and governance, and guides Asbury First's public witness in the community.Her role has changed in that along with weddings, and congregational leadership alongside the other clergy, she will also share in pastoral care, new member reception, and funerals. Rev. Pat Dupont, Minister for Outreach Preferred pronouns: he, him Pat leads Asbury First's ministries of outreach and community engagement. He oversees the Community Outreach Center, mission partnerships, volunteer engagement in outreach, and our work with neighbors throughout Rochester. He also continues to provide pastoral care and leadership within our outreach ministries. Rev. Dee Finch, Minister for Nurture and Faith Formation Preferred pronouns: she, her Dee provides overall leadership for the congregation's ministries of nurture (congregational care) and faith formation (discipleship). She oversees hospitality, adult faith formation, small groups, and all age-level ministries, and coordinates and provides care for all ages from babies to elders. She supervises the staff and volunteers who help to carry all of this work of care and education forward. Her role is to build strong systems, equip leaders, and ensure that every generation has opportunities to grow in faith and connection. Jo Urriola-Schonewolf, Coordinator for Age-Level Ministries Preferred pronouns: they, them Jo provides day-to-day leadership for ministries with children, youth, young adults, families and adults of all ages. They coordinate programming, recruit and support volunteers, work closely with parents, and helps ensure that our age-level ministries are vibrant, welcoming, and well organized. Alex Hunt, Associate for Age-Level Ministries Preferred pronouns: fluid Alex works alongside Jo to support age-level ministries through relationship building, teaching, event leadership, volunteer support, and hands-on ministry with children, youth, and families. Together, Jo and Alex form the leadership team for our age-level ministries. Dan McInerney, Operations Associate Preferred pronouns: he, him Dan helps keep the church running smoothly behind the scenes. He supports facilities and operations, will be managing our soon-to-be-released volunteer database and systems, and assists with the countless logistical details that make ministry possible each week. Austin Retzlaff, Communications Associate Preferred pronouns: he, him Austin helps tell the story of Asbury First, continuing the work of Ly Tran. With David Stith, he creates and coordinates the church's print and digital communications, supports ministry leaders with promotions and event publicity, manages social media and visual communications, and helps ensure that members, visitors, and the wider community know what's happening in the life of the church. Together, this team works alongside teams of volunteers who carry out the ministry of Asbury First every day.
I have always appreciated the rhythm of the Church calendar. I find meaning in the cyclical nature of the seasons that direct our reflection in different directions in different moments throughout the year, and how we can discover both tradition and change as we observe the same seasons year after year. Some seasons are more obvious and easier to observe than others. Perhaps we think of Advent and Lent, Christmas and Easter, as the seasons during which we live most fully into our faith. They are, after all, important Christian observances; time set aside for introspection and celebration around key moments of Jesus’ story. These seasons certainly seem to have an “extra-spiritual” quality to them. However… If we live most fully into our faith during Advent and Lent, Christmas and Easter, then we are doing so for less than half of each year! The majority of the Church calendar is made up of the time between Christmas and Lent, and Easter and Advent: the Seasons after Epiphany and Pentecost or “Ordinary Time.” This is the season in which we find ourselves currently; the long stretch between Pentecost and Advent. How do we observe our faith during this time? How do we stay engaged spiritually through the day in, day out, regular old work of life? Fundamental to Christianity is the notion that the divine and miraculous are present in the mundane: God creates all that we know, the beauty of our world, out of basic raw materials Jesus was a fully human person born to a poor working-class family, and He was God. In the sacraments, simple water, bread and juice become vessels of transformative grace. Our work of meeting basic human needs, feeding and clothing our neighbors, becomes an encounter with God. During this long stretch of Ordinary Time, when there seem to be no “extra-spiritual” observances or practices, no celebrations to look forward to, when our discipleship feels…well…”ordinary,” let us remember that Christ imbues the mundane with the holy. God is always present, always working, always available for encounter. Let us use this time to continue to put one front in front of the other, to foster faithful habits of both social action and pious practice. Advent and Lent are periods of preparation. Christmas and Easter are periods of celebration. Ordinary Time is when the effects of these observances permeate and take root in our lives. Let us work and pray. Let us remember just how miraculous it is every time the sun rises and sets. Let us remember that the Hope and Joy of Christmas and Easter echo through us throughout the year, even when they seem distant.
Wednesdays, 10–11:30 am , 1010 Red Room and Zoom (zoom.us/j/8924819492) PW 578697) This group meets on Wednesdays morning between Labor Day and Memorial Day. It is primarily a book group that is open to all. The group considers and chooses the books to read for the coming year each spring. They spend several weeks on each book, focusing on a few chapters each week. For more information, please contact programs@asburyfirst.org
Lectio Divina
CONTINUING CLASSES, GROUPS, AND EVENTS
Fridays, 1 – 3 pm, 1040 Room 205 (upper level, bell choir room) Meeting on Friday afternoons, the Asbury Women's Art Class explores creation through a variety of art mediums. 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. Dr. Michelle Bogue-Trost at mboguetrost@asburyfirst.org or at 585-271-1050 x125.
Wednesday Morning Study Group
Tuesdays, 8:30–9 am, Zoom (zoom.us/j/8347173468 PW 200)
Asbury First Women's Art Class
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 in 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! For more information, contact programs@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 its 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. For sign-up or more information, contact programs@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 Us 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 sign-up or more information, contact programs@asburyfirst.org
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 Our thoughts and prayers are with Bill Lisi following the death of his brother, Ernie, on July 10. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Robert C. Dickerson MD, who died on July 12. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Dan Fultz, who died on July 12. A memorial service will be held on August 15 at 2:30 pm in the Sanctuary. Our thoughts and prayers are with Shari Mattice and her family as they grieve the death of Hank Mattice, who died on January 19. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Dorothy Blackman Church, mother of Rick Church, who died on July 21. A memorial service was held on July 27 in Brewerton NY. As we give thanks for their lives, we hold their families and friends in our prayers and in the loving embrace of this congregation. May God's grace sustain them, and may cherished memories bring comfort in their sorrow. 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. Dee Finch 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