TheVisitor Asbury First United Methodist Church Newsletter October 2015 • Vol. XLIX No. 8 • www.asburyfirst.org
In This Issue Brown Workshop, 4 Pledging to Dream, 6 Financial Report, 8 Together in Service, 10
Sharon Garlough Brown
Christian Author Visits Asbury First
Habitat for Humanity, 11 Saints of AFUMC, 12 Music & the Arts, 13
Mission Statement
The Visitor
Through worship, education, outreach, and care, we develop disciples of Jesus Christ who live and proclaim the Gospel and thereby work to transform our culture.
Vol. XLIX No. 8 (USPS 558-470) is published 10 times a year, monthly with combined issues for November/December and July/August, by Asbury First United Methodist Church.
Five Ways to Worship at Asbury First
Periodical postage paid at Rochester, N.Y.
Our church goal this year: we commit to attending worship on Sundays as we are able. Please share the good news of Christ’s love by bringing a friend to worship with you.
POSTMASTER: Send addresses changes to Asbury First UMC Visitor 1050 East Ave. Rochester, N.Y. 14607-2239 (585) 271-1050
Traditional Worship in our Sanctuary 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. Sunday mornings
Staff
Chancel Worship with Holy Communion 10:00 a.m. Sunday mornings
The Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady II Senior Minister Kathy Thiel Minister for Pastoral Care and Outreach Katie O’Hern Minister for Discipleship and Mission David Strong Music Administrator; Assistant Organist Dr. William Weinert Director of Music Paula Dugan Children’s Ministry Director Holly Temming Children’s Ministry Assistant; Interim Director, Children’s Music Mike Mullin Director of Youth Ministries Richard Moncrief Financial Administrator Melody Guadagnino Administrative Assistant Ken Carr Property Care Manager Michele Cooley Dining & Caring Center Director Mary Van Keuren Communications Director Duane Prill Organist Carol Lamica Director, Youth Music Elizabeth Church Director, Bell Choir Brian Bohrer Director, Asbury Singers Larry Dugan Director, Youth Theater Linda Clemow Artist-in-Residence
Listen on WYSL 1040 AM or 92.1 FM 11:00 a.m.-noon Sunday mornings Watch live at www.asburyfirst.org 11:00 a.m. Sunday mornings Watch past services in our video archive at www.asburyfirst.org any time!
INCLUSIVITY STATEMENT
*deceased
Asbury First United Methodist Church prayerfully strives to live in its community with open hearts, open minds, and open doors. Affirming that each person is of sacred worth, we seek to be a fully inclusive church, believing that all people are God’s children, created in God’s image, loved and blessed equally by God. It is our purpose to be a Reconciling Congregation. This means extending hospitality and encouraging full participation of all, regardless of age, race, national origin, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital status or family structure, education or economic background, and physical or mental ability. We recognize that we hold a variety of opinions. We do not seek to erase our differences, but to journey together in faith toward greater understanding and mutual respect. We believe that reconciliation to God and to one another is central to our mission and ministry.
Unless otherwise noted, photos are by Greg Francis.
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Emeriti Staff Rev. Dr. Theodore Weeden, Sr., Pastor Emeritus Dr. Roger Wilhelm, Director of Music Emeritus Marian R. Craighead*, Organist Emeritus
To receive our email newsletters, with news of upcoming services, classes, and other events at Asbury First, go to www.asburyfirst.org and scroll to the bottom of the home page, where you’ll see a sign-up window. Or, if you have a smartphone, scan this QR code to take you directly to a sign-up page.
Cover: Writer Sharon Garlough Brown, author of Sensible Shoes, speaks at Asbury First. See more on page 4. Please send all submissions, questions, comments, or concerns to Mary Van Keuren at mvankeuren@asburyfirst.org or (585) 271-1050. Deadline for next issue: Friday, October 9
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The Presence of God A Pastoral Reflection
It is a joy, a pleasure and an honor to be your minister of pastoral care and outreach. For some who have asked, I am including in this reflection a brief outline of what a week in the life of such a minister can look like. It is full of variety and love. Sunday mornings are devoted to worship leadership and fellowship. For me, it is a time to connect with God through word and music; Sunday morning is
also a wonderful opportunity to connect with you and catch up on what you are doing in your lives. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays are filled (often to the brim!) with visitations, meetings, counseling sessions and breaking bread together. All of the ministers make visits to people wherever they are – in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living, homes. These can be times of voicing our hopes, dreams and fears, joys and milestones. We share tears, and we share laughter. Sometimes we meet over a meal – lunch at Hogan’s, perhaps, or a slice of pizza in the kitchen of 1050 East Ave. after a late afternoon meeting.
It is in all of the ways we gather and share space that God is present. As we decide how to allocate funds in the outreach meetings, God is there. As we share our personal lives and professional goals in staff meeting, God is there. God is present throughout our lives and one of the greatest blessings I experience is the variety of ways God provides us to connect with each other. As we keep our eyes and ears and hearts open to the presence of God, we can be amazed at how many instances there are to remind us of God’s love! In these coming days when the weather begins to become a little chilly,
when the leaves turn colors and begin to pepper the ground, when our windows and doors are more often closed to keep the warmth in, let us pause and reflect on how God is working in our lives. Whether you feel like a brilliant, brightly-colored leaf, falling softly to the gentle earth, or like the crumpled, crusty leaf crunched underfoot, know that in your ministers you have a place to share these moments and that God is with you throughout. Blessings,
Kathy Thiel
AFUMC news Assisting Syrian Refugees Horrified by the television coverage of desperate refugees risking their lives as they flee the Syrian and Iraqi wars? Want to do something concrete to help alleviate their suffering? If you’re interested in joining with other Asbury First members in helping to resettle a refugee family in the Rochester area, please contact Andy Dutcher at 442-3755 or b.a.dutcher@gmail.com.
does every day in our Dining and Caring Center to feed and care for our neighbors in need. New Name Tag Welcoming Initiative At Asbury First We invite you to join in our new name tag initiative. Name tags allow us to be more welcoming to guests and first-time visitors, as well as helping us all to get to know each other a bit better. These tags are high-quality plastic, and can be worn either on a lanyard or with a magnet backing – please choose whichever you prefer. To request your name tag, stop by the Welcome Desk and ask for a name tag request form. Fill out this form and leave it at the Welcome Desk, and your name tag(s) will be ready to be picked up at the desk two weeks from that day. We also have an online form on the website (www.asburyfirst.org – you’ll find the form under the “About Us” menu) for you to order new name tags as needed. Thank you for helping us to become as welcoming as possible to all.
Congratulations to the DCC Director Congratulations to Michele Cooley, director of the Dining and Caring Center. Michele is the 2015 recipient of the Lena M. Gantt Distinguished Community Service Award from Action for a Better Community. The award is given to an individual whose record of dedicated community service reflects the life’s work of Lena M. Gantt, who was a devoted community advocate, especially in helping to meet the needs of children and youth. Michele will receive her award on October 15 at a luncheon at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center. For more information about the luncheon, go to ABC’s website, www. abcinfo.org. We salute Michele for the work she
Continued on next page
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to be assisting Paula Dugan in the church’s programming for children. “What I like most about working with kids is the love I get back from them,” she says. “One little boy ran up to me and plowed me over with a hug. I love that.” Holly grew up in a family that understood the importance of music, and sang church hymns and faith-based songs around her grandmother’s piano after dinner every week. “Hopefully,” she says, “I can spread that same kind of love and excitement for faith-filled music to the children of Asbury First.” Rochester native Summer Sattora is in her third year of the master’s of divinity program at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, and hopes to graduate in 2017. She did her undergraduate work at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she received a BFA in theatre. What excites her most at the moment is Summer Sattora the opportunities for learning ahead of her. “It seems like I’m always learning something about God or faith – my own and other peoples’,” she says. Summer, who first received her call to ministry during a disaster relief trip to New Orleans, is still working to discern what sort of ministry she is drawn to. She hopes to do more disaster relief work in the future, but also finds herself called to youth ministry – which is an area where she’ll be working at Asbury First. “Right now, the plan is for me to do 60-70 percent of my internship with the youth programming, and the other 30-40 percent learning about the pastoral side of church work and outreach.” Summer would like people to know that she considers herself a “crazy cat lady,” (one of several on the Asbury First staff!) and she will happily show you pictures of her three felines when asked. We welcome both Holly and Summer to the Asbury First staff, and hope that you will find the opportunity to introduce yourself to them in the coming weeks.
AFUMC News, Continued from previous page
Women’s Fellowship The Women’s Fellowship Group meets each Tuesday from 9:3010:30 in the church resource library, just down the hall from the Gathering Space. We are a multi-generational group, and child care is available when needed. We meet for a devotion, coffee/tea, and a treat. We share our week’s highs and lows and offer prayer and support for each other. The group is open to all women, Asbury First members or visitors, and you’re welcome to come as often as you wish. For additional information, please contact the group leader, Elizabeth Church at 461-9802. New Faces at Asbury First We are pleased to welcome two new faces to the staff of Asbury First this fall. Holly Temming is taking on two responsibilities: she will assist Children’s Ministry Director Paula Dugan, and she will also be the interim director of children’s music for this school year. Summer Sattora, a student at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, has joined the staff as a ministry intern. Holly, who lives in Rochester with her husband Ryan and their daughters Sophia (9) and Chloe (5), has a bachelor of music in vocal performance from Oklahoma City University, has been an ensemble member with Syracuse Opera and a member of the Syracuse Vocal Ensemble. She has sung with Rochester Oratorio Society and Holly Temming Madrigalia. She is excited by the opportunities she will have at Asbury First in both of her positions. “I’m excited about the possibility of implementing a new group music time at the beginning of the Sunday school hour, where all grades come together to sing and dance as a group,” she says. She loves working with young children, and is delighted
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• ASBURY FIRST CHURCH GOAL •
n Together in Ministry Sunday, our congregation was challenged by senior minister, Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady, to adopt a two-point challenge for the coming year. As we spend this time dreaming about what the future holds for the Asbury First family, it is important for us to be present and active in our relationship with our church family and with God, in the following ways: •
A commitment to attending worship on Sundays as often we are able, whether in person or via the radio broadcast or online livestream.
•
A commitment to sharing the good news of Christ’s love by inviting a friend to join us for worship at Asbury First. As we have found sanctuary in our church family here at Asbury First, so it is important to share this with others.
Please join us – your Asbury First friends, our pastors and staff – in boldly living out the truth of Christ’s love for us as we re-commit to worshipping weekly, and and in welcoming others into our fellowship.
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on holy ground Created by the Center for Spiritual Life, On Holy Ground highlights opportunities for spiritual growth and renewal. Open Wide Your Doors to Welcome All Who Enter One of the ways the Rochester community knows Asbury First is through our warm hospitality and inclusivity, which is demonstrated by opening wide our doors and hearts to welcome all. This surely happened on Saturday, September 19, as both Asbury First members and those from the greater Rochester community gathered for a workshop led by the dynamic author, pastor, and spiritual director, Sharon Garlough Brown. Sharon opened wide the hearts of the four main characters in her book, Sensible Shoes, and she opened wide her heart by sharing experiences of her personal faith journey. In a most authentic manner, we heard both the joys and challenges she has experienced and in so doing, we were drawn to her and to the generous, lavish love of our God who names us as Beloved. Not only did we hear this Good News proclaimed and witnessed by Sharon, but through various exercises, we experienced a growing and deepening, a heart-felt “knowing” of being and owning that we are God’s Beloved! Amazing grace, indeed.
minister, and Kathy Thiel, minister for pastoral care and outreach; Melody Guadagnino, administrative assistant; Mary Van Keuren, communications director; our sextons; Sandra Holloway of Tasteful Connections, and Bruce and Cindy Anderson from Alpha and Omega Christian book store. I offer a special thank you to each member of the Spiritual Life Committee. The collaboration and cooperation evidenced and experienced made this opportunity one that I and many others shall never forget. Thank you, Sharon Garlough Brown, for not only being a “conduit of God’s grace and mercy, but for being a deep and overflowing reservoir of God’s love.” We appreciate you. In God’s Peace,
Sharon introduced prayer practices/spiritual exercises both in her book and in our time with her. I deeply appreciate her understanding of the variety and numerous prayer practices as a “cooperating with the Spirit in the ‘knowing’ and ‘responding’ to God’s presence in our everyday lives.” These practices are not “shoulds,” but our response to God’s desire to be in relationship with us. Amen!
Bonnie Matthaidess
Labyrinth Wednesday, October 14 5:00-7:00 p.m.
It was joyful to witness the opening of many hearts receiving God in new and profound ways during the teaching sessions, over lunch together, from reflections of labyrinth walks and conversations with each other. My heart is full ... the gifts of the workshop will linger, offering time for prayer and reflection.
Join us for this reflective peaceful practice designed to help you reconnect with God and your spiritual self.
I wish to thank all those who contributed to this workshop - by the praying, planning, preparing and hosting this event. Thank you for the support from Stephen Cady, our senior 5
• pledge to dream • Care: Seeing Christ in the Faces of Others
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n our last issue of The Visitor, we took a look at discipleship as we practice it at Asbury First. One thing that was clear was how much the ideals of discipleship – of continually learning and growing in Christ – permeate so much of what we say and do in our church community. This month, we’re taking a look at the concept of care, and the same holds true. Whether it’s through visiting a homebound senior or merely smiling and extending a hand to a visitor, we, as a family of faith, strive to care for those around us – and beyond. This has been true throughout our nearly200-year history, and will continue to provide a focus for us in the future. As we think about the theme of this year’s pledge campaign: “Pledge to Dream,” it’s a good time to look at where our care initiatives stand, and how we might think of our mission to care for those around us in the coming decades. What might God be calling us to do in the future? We invite all the members and friends of Asbury First to join us in dreaming, in imagining a church, built on a solid foundation, that is ready to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead of us.
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n late June of this year, 89-yearold Terry Van Keuren suffered a massive cerebral aneurysm and was rushed to Strong Hospital. Terry is not a member of Asbury First but she had a strong connection to the church: her daughter Mary has been Asbury First’s director of communications for six years. Terry was new to the Rochester area, having moved from Pennsylvania to live with Mary the previous year, and she did not yet know many people at her own Catholic Church. “While we were still in the emergency room, early in the morning” she remembers, “I received a visit from Stephen [Cady, Asbury First’s senior minister] and Kathy [Thiel, minister for pastoral care and outreach]. I was so surprised and heartened by their visit to me, even though I wasn’t a member of the church.” As Terry recovered, she received more visits from Asbury First: an Altar Guild member brought flowers one Sunday morning. Kathy returned several times, once with a softly beautiful prayer shawl that was invaluable in the chilly hospital room. Terry knew that many members of the church – people who had connected with her daughter through her work – were lifting her up in prayer.
Dreaming ... for Asbury First Sundays, October 11, 25, November 1 12:30 p.m. Wesley Hall Please join us for one of three “town hall” style gatherings to allow us to dream together as a congregation and share our thoughts on the future of our faith community. These gatherings will provide a fun way for us to consider together our mission and vision for the years to come. God is at work in our wonderful community – how shall we respond? for its members; that has not been afraid to take a careful look at what we can do, what we should do, and what we are able to do to help those in need.
“I’m certain that the prayers of so many caring people are the only reason I’m alive today,” she says. It is possible to feel an almost tangible yearning among our community for opportunities to care, for the chance to reach out and, through concrete actions, make the world a better place for our friends and others. Perhaps it’s a result, this yearning, of living in a world where we often find ourselves isolated from others – sitting at our computers; glued to our cell phones; caught up in lives that are, without a doubt, busier than is good for us.
To get a sense of how highly Asbury First members consider care, take a look at the endowment fund set up in the name of our former senior minister, Rev. Susan Shafer, earlier this year. Susan’s ministry of care to members spanned her thirty-plus years of experience at Asbury First, and upon her retirement, the endowment was created at her request to provide support for a pastoral position specifically dedicated to membership care in perpe-
Whatever the reason, we have always been a church that has cared 6
tuity. Within several months, more than half a million dollars was raised for the endowment through gifts from generous donors – many of them individuals or families whose lives had been touched, in times of joy or sorrow, by our ministers. The enthusiasm of the response to this initiative brings to light the importance of the caring ministries to the members of Asbury First. Despite that, care can be hard to quantify, says Kathy Thiel. It’s in our hearts and minds, this desire to assist, but sometimes, it’s not always clear how to make it concrete. “Care can be programmatic,” Kathy says, “such as the work that many of us do through outreach ministries. Or it can be a case of just walking on the journey with someone for a while and listening – just listening.” Just listening. One of Kathy’s dreams for Asbury First will become manifest in a class she is leading this fall, called “A Listening Life.” She hopes to encourage discussion by participants in the art of listening – to our friends and family, to the sounds of the earth around us, to God – and to those needing comfort and care. “Honing our listening skills gives
us the opportunity to be more present. When we are most present, I believe, we are able to offer the most care.”
all connected, we are all far more alike than we are different, and, most importantly, reminds us that God is present in each of us.
Membership care is also the focus of other groups on campus, from the Prayer Shawl Ministry and the Older Adult Council (whose dedicated members have been doing visitation for many years) to the newly-formed Visitation Ministry team. Led by AFUMC member Meredith Pixley and Kathy Thiel, the lay group will assist the pastors in making visits to those who are ill or homebound. The visits will enhance, not replace, pastoral visits.
As we, the Asbury First community, contemplate and begin to shape our future as a vibrant, growing family of faith, the way we look at caring for each other will play a very important role in how that happens.
“Our dream,” says Kathy, “is that we’ll be able to match up members of this group with those in need of a visit, finding people who share some common ground so that they can connect in a very real and human manner, bringing God’s presence to light.” As we consider the many ways in which we currently care, and ponder the future of Asbury First’s ministries, perhaps one of the most powerful points to make is this: caring for someone benefits both the giver and the receiver. “When you have an interaction with someone, you are both fed,” says Kathy. “All interactions change us. When you are visited, you are touched by the knowledge that someone took the time and energy and traveled to see you. But that person, too, gains something, and is hopefully equally moved and changed.” Even the smallest of caring gestures – say, a smile from an usher on Sunday morning – can bring about a miniature transformation in both. That moment of contact reminds us that we are
Pledge to DREAM 2016 Pledge Goal: $1,149,000 Pledges Raised 2015: $1,101,180 I/we offer this gift to the annual operating budget for 2016: My/our estimate of giving for 2016 is $
per month for 12 months = $
per
“Our care for each other strengthens each of us,” says Kathy. “The stronger our connection with each other is, the more we will want to go out into the world and share the message of Christ, and of Asbury First, with others.”
or $
= $
or increase last year's gift by _________percent In addition, I/we offer a designated gift of $ to be used for
Total estimated gift for 2016 $
_____ _____
(estimate of giving plus any designated gifts)
As you consider your pledged gift to the church this fall, we invite you to think about the connections of care that have been made over the years through Asbury First and how they have impacted your life. How is God calling us to care for each other in the coming years? As longtime members age, as children are born, as the joys and sorrows that mark every life come to bear on us and those around us, we need to gather together and dream of ways to express to each other God’s love for us through caring ministries. We invite you to join with us in dreaming about Asbury First’s future as a caring institution. There will be many opportunities to share your thoughts on where we’re headed, including three town hall meetings (see previous page), the dream board in the Gathering Center, and even your pledge card. You can help shape our church’s future with your dreams for Asbury First. Won’t you do so?
If you would like envelopes, please indicate your preference. ❑ monthly ❑ weekly Are you interested in electronic funds transfer? ❑ yes (If yes, we will contact you)
Name(s): Address:
email:
I DREAM ... In keeping with our theme this year, we want to know what your dreams for our church are. Your dreams, along with your pledge card, will be consecrated during our annual Thanksgiving In-Gathering. With your permission, we will also share your dream (though not, of course, your pledge) with the congregation through a “Dream Wall” that will be displayed in the Gathering Center during the Thanksgiving season. My dream for Asbury First is __________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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Asbury First UMC Income
Janu ar y - J une 2014 Fin anc i al R e p or t
Income
2015 Actual
2015 Plan
2014 Actual
Pledge Donations
$ 683,873
$ 708,477
$ 706,720
Unpledged Donations
$ 36,266
$ 38,556
$ 37,191
Designated Gifts
$ 508,884
$ 106,883
$ 104,216
Other Contributions
$ 13,470
$ 9,225
$ 11,375
Subtotal Contributions
$ 1,242,493
$ 863,141
$ 859,502
Designated Fundraising
$ 117,405
$ 89,150
$ 93,145
Property Usage
$ 55,621
$ 56,621
$ 56,095
Endowment Income
$ 206,470
$ 203,664
$ 186,602
Other
$ 3,849
$ 1,600
$ 55,052
TOTAL
$ 1,625,838
$ 1,213,979 $ 1,250,396
Carryover from Previous year
$
$
129,730
129,730
$ 198,759
In total, the income received over the first eight months of the year was $1,625,838. Because of the very generous one-time gifts directed towards the Susan S. Shafer Pastoral Care Endowment (and other one-time designated gifts), this amount is nearly 35% higher than last year.
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Pledged donations: We have received $683,873 from members of the congregation who made pledges (including new member pledges). This is behind both our plan for the year and where we were through the first eight months of 2014. Pledges from members who have joined the church this year are twice last year, however income received against pledges made at the start of the year is behind plan by $29,000. Hopefully, this is a timing problem that will be recovered by year-end.
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Unpledged donations: These are gifts that can be tracked from both non-members and members of the congregation who did not make pledges. This number is also behind our plan and slightly lower than last year. This number is very difficult to forecast as it is based on trends over previous years. As we progress through the year, we will keep a close eye on this category of income.
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Designated Gifts: This is where the $282,000 of gifts received to the Susan. S. Shafer Pastoral Care Endowment and the $30,000 of receipts for
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the spiritual life pilgrimage have been recorded. Also, there was a single bequest of $105,000 received. Otherwise, designated giving continues as we had thought it would and remains very strong.
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Other Contributions: This is the plate collections from services. This amount is 15 percent more than last year.
Designated Fundraising: Fundraising for the Dining and Caring Center, Storehouse and youth mission trip has been very strong so far this year. Included in this is the receipt of nearly $33,000 from various foundations for the Dining and Caring Center. Carryover from last year: : These funds remain from last year’s budget. They are a mix of designated gifts and unrestricted funds to run the church. We have used very little of this number so far this year, which means we are spending only what we receive.
Financial Summary / January 1-August 31, 2015
Expenses Income
2015 Actual
2015 Plan
2014 Actual
$ 631,693
$ 615,603
$ 606,290
Utilities and Maintenance
$ 184,378
$ 203,390
$ 204,801
Administrative
$ 63,006
$ 49,783
$ 44,060
Conference Apportionment
$ 117,406
$ 116,974
$ 116,320
Worship & Devotional
$ 71,326
$ 31,058
$ 24,374
Education
$ 62,001
$ 63,317
$ 58,771
Communications
$ 19,092
$ 16,350
$ 21,739
Membership Care
$ 17,242
$ 19,217
$ 18,876
Outreach
$ 163,620
$ 178,092
$ 163,208
Endowment
$ 282,000
TOTAL
$ 1,611,764
--
--
$ 1,293,784 $ 1,258,439
Even though the spending looks like it is 30 percent higher than last year, the number includes the transfer of funds to an endowment for pastoral care. The actual spending to run the church (supported by gifts from the congregation) through the first eight months of the year is lower than plan by $10,000.
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Staffing: Staff spending during the period of transition of ministers was over plan by $15,000. It is expected that personnel spending will be back close to budget by year-end. Regardless, personnel spending is necessary to support all the other missions of the church and is the largest part of the expense budget.
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Utilities and maintenance: Spending on utilities for the campus continues to be well managed and is down 10 percent from last year.
Conference Connectional: The monthly transfer of funds to the Conference is right where it had been planned for the first eight months.
life pilgrimage which is not an impact to the total budget for the year as that was paid by church members who went on that trip.
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education: This category includes spending for our education classes and the annual youth mission trip. As can be seen, spending is right on budget.
Endowment: This amount represents the transfer of gifts received for the Susan S. Shafer Pastoral Care Endowment from the annual operating plan into an endowment fund.
worship and devotional: This spending category is much higher than plan however it contains the $30,000 of payments for the spiritual
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he first eight months contain many one-time designated funds activities which make understanding where we are financially difficult, so let me make it simple. Our spending is under control and slightly less that we had planned. We are short $29,000 in income, which is all coming from less pledged income than what we believe the church would have received by this time in the year. I am confident that the congregation will understand this simple summary and help recover the income gap. Doug Major Chair, Finance Committee
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Janu ar y - J une 2014 Fin anc i al R e p or t
Staffing
The Pumpkin Patch needs your help!
youth ministry news
In addition to needing help unloading our shipment of pumpkins on October 9, we need volunteers to help work at our patch. This means that you get to greet our guests, sell some pumpkins, and share in the fall fun of our annual pumpkin patch. Not only does this event raise money for our youth missions, but it also provides us with a unique and fun presence in our community! We have two-hour time slots open everyday from October 1031. To sign up to volunteer you can: • Sign up online by going to http:// www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/439561656012 (or use this QR code to access the site), or • email mmullin@asburyfirst.org, or • call (585) 271-1050. To sign up online, you will need to provide your email address—and then you will receive a reminder email when your volunteer date and time gets closer! Thanks. – Mike Mullin
Spaghetti Luncheon Are you hungry after church? Do you want to get out of cooking lunch? Do you love spaghetti, especially when prepared by the talented youth of Asbury First? Yes, that means you! Come join Caitlin Chan, Will Headly, Adrian the youth down in Fellowship Hernandez, Mitchell Chan, and hall for a spaghetti luncheon Hannah Smith take a break during the senior high mission trip. Find out on October 18, immediately about their mission adventures at the following the 11 o’clock Spaghetti Luncheon on October 18. service. Youth from both the senior high and middle school programs will be eagerly waiting to share stories from their mission trips with you while you eat!
October is Together in Service Month
W
e need your help, and we need your in-kind donations! The deadline to sign up to participate in a volunteer activity during Together in Service month has been extended through Sunday, October 11. (Sign-up for Habitat for Humanity will extend beyond that until the Roger Cross Memorial House is completed and can be done on-line. Stop by our table on October 11 for instructions on how to sign up on-line.) We are serving at RAIHN, Hope House, Unity Adult Day Services and Habitat. We are looking for a variety of in-kind donations, including: •
Canned green vegetables and cereal for the YWCA.
•
Baby diapers and women’s underwear for Hope House and the YWCA.
•
Used pots and pans and winter caps, scarves and gloves for Genesis House.
•
Items like costume jewelry, decorative scarves, small holiday decorations and caps for the “auction” at Unity Adult Day Services.
Please join us In the Gathering Space to sign up to volunteer and bring your donations on October 11. You can help make a difference in the city. Many talents and passions are needed. Questions? Contact Barbara Eltinge at Beltinge@ netacc.net.
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afumc news Shortening the Distance
T
he Thursday evening after the tragic church shooting in North Carolina, I found myself in a prayer vigil at the Baber AME Church. One of the prayers offered struck a very strong chord in my heart. We were asked to consider ways to “shorten the distance between Jay Street and Park Avenue.” I have had much experience on both sides of this divide; Asbury is one block from Park Avenue and Jay Street has long been my destination one or two days a week building houses with Flower City Habitat for Humanity. How do we shorten this distance? Two different worlds – one a model of affluence, the other populated with persons in need of
affluence – all part of God’s creation and in need of shared love. The Sunday after the shooting, the Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady gave an inspirational sermon suggesting ways to “shorten the distance.” He offered three lessons from the David and Goliath story—1. “The problem is ours, someone needs to step up.” 2. “Change comes from relationships.” 3. “Love means risks.” This fall, Asbury First, in coalition with a number of area churches, has a unique opportunity to “shorten the distance” by stepping up to the housing problem in the JOSANA neigh-
borhood, establishing new relationships between people of diverse experiences, and undertaking some potentially risky (but safe) activities (such as setting roof trusses). We will build a house on a side street one block off Jay for a new homeowner family. There will be many different ways to participate: financial donations, construction projects, painting and finishing, support work with prospective home owners and neighbors, many opportunities to meet and know persons from both sides of the “divide.” I encourage you
United Methodism 101
A Listening Life
Wednesdays, October 21, 28,
Oct. 20, Nov. 17, Dec. 15 7:00-8:30 p.m. | 1010 Red Room
November 4, 11 6:30-7:30 p.m.
to join me and the many volunteers in this exciting experience. In the weeks to come, information and sign-ups will be available in the Gathering Center on Sundays, in our various publications, and at our website. For those of you that have been around for a while, you might be interested to know that the home will be dedicated to the memory of Mr. Roger Cross, the man who founded the local Habitat chapter about forty years ago. Looking forward to seeing you on Jay Street, – Rick Kuempel (585) 8313769 or kuempel84@gmail. com.
What is United Methodism?
Gathering Center
When we hear something, do we really listen? From the whisper of a breeze
• Do we believe in free will or predestination? • Why do we use grape juice and not wine during communion? • Why do our ministers move around so much? • What’s up with the name “Methodist?” • What does it mean to be “strangely warmed?” Whether you’ve been a United Methodist all of your life or have just stumbled upon us recently, this class is for you! Join us for a four-week discussion about the history, structure, beliefs, and challenges of The United Methodist Church. Questions? Please contact Melody Guadagnino in the church office at (585) 271-1050 x103 or mguadagnino@asburyfirst.org. Please let us know if you plan to attend by October 15 so that we can order books (optional). The cost will be $12 and assistance is available.
in the trees to a baby’s piercing cry for attention, we use our sense of hearing every day. But do we fully understand and appreciate what we’re hearing? In this series of discussions, we’ll look at how we listen to many voices: from God’s still voice to the voices of the world around us. We’ll explore ways to ensure that we don’t succumb to the old adage: “in one ear and out the other,” and we’ll talk about how listening carefully can help us to learn, to grow, and to reach out to God and others. Series will continue in spring.
11
The Saints of Asbury First
Q
uite often, while walking up or down step toward deepening our relationships the office stairs at 1050 East Ave., or as I with each other by asking someone how make my way from the sanctuary to the Dinthey came to be here at Asbury First. Did you ing & Caring Center, I find myself whistling. know that there are some among us who The tune I most frequently whistle is For All have been a part of our fellowship for their the Saints. How appropriate that it is this tune entire lives? Did you know that there are two that finds itself most often on my lips. Asbury among us who have lived on our campus? First is a community of saints – saints who, Did you know that there is one who, as a though they may have rested from the labors child, played behind the building we know of daily commute and office duties at Kodak, as 1010 East Ave? Xerox, Strong, and other Rochester employThese are some of the saints of Asbury First. ers, are still working diligently to enrich the These are saints we celebrate, appreciate, life of our church and environs. A saint is and love. It is because of their work, their Kathy Thiel, Asbury First’s minister for pasto- commitment to building and continuing someone who embodies holiness and love ral care and outreach, with AFUMC member a faithful fellowship of followers that we of God. We are all, by this definition, saints, Ginn Fitch at Together in Ministry Sunday. as we follow Christ’s teachings. But the term are in the awesome place in which we find seems particularly appropriate for our elders. ourselves today: surrounded by a vibrant, We see each other on Sunday mornings for worship, and we sit growing church filled with saints of all ages. next to each other for committee meetings throughout the week. In upcoming issues of The Visitor, we will highlight some of our beloved elders and celebrate the wisdom and warmth that they We recognize faces and thanks to the name tag initiative, we are becoming more familiar with names. I invite us all to take another bring to Asbury First. – Kathy Thiel
Our Living
in Community
Deaths
on August 30 and his mother Elaine Becker on September 13.
Merciful God, we entrust to Your never-failing care and love. We offer our prayers and sympathy to the family and friends of Hans Stoever who died on August 16, 2015. We offer our prayers and sympathy to Kathy Scardino on the death of her mother Katherine Garbowski Scardino on August 25, 2015. We offer our prayers and sympathy to Karen and Larry Conrad on the death of Karen’s father William Ducey on August 22, 2015. We offer our prayers and sympathy to Ramon Becker on the death of his father Ramon G. Becker
worship schedule WORSHIP Sunday Service Times
8:30 a.m. – Traditional Worship We offer our prayers and sympathy to Dennis and Carol Roote on the 10:00 a.m. – Chancel Worship with Holy Communion death of Dennis’ father Jay C. Roote 11:00 a.m. – Traditional on August 31 in Greensburg, PA. Worship with the Sanctuary We offer our prayers and sympathy Choir. to Jim and Marguerite Quinn on the death of Jim’s mother Sunday October 4 Patricia Quinn 19th Sunday After Pentecost, on August 30 in Richmond, VA. World Communion Sunday We offer our prayers and sympathy Genesis 41:25-36 to the family and friends of Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady, preacher Lt. Jason Kreutter who died on September 8, 2015 in Sunday October 11 Naples, Italy. 20th Sunday After Pentecost We offer our prayers and sympathy Psalm 22:1-15 to the family and friends of Jean Howlett Mike Mullin, preacher who died on September 11, 2015. 12
Sunday October 18 21st Sunday After Pentecost, Bible Sunday Katie O’Hern, preacher Sunday October 25 22nd Sunday After Pentecost Job 42:1-6, 10-17 Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady, preacher Sunday November 1 23rd Sunday After Pentecost Revelation 21:1-6a Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady, preacher Sunday November 8 24th Sunday After Pentecost Mark 12:38-44 Kathy Thiel, preacher
Youth Musical: Children of Eden
Roman Splendor: the Music of Palestrina Sunday, October 18 2:00 p.m. / $10 ($5 students and seniors) Voices, Rochester’s professional chamber choir, will present Roman Splendor: The Music of Palestrina at Asbury First in October. According to Voices Music Director William Weinert, Palestrina’s music represents the culmination of the mature Renaissance style. “The consonance and sweetness of Palestrina’s music has made it extremely attractive through the centuries. For hundreds of years, his style has been considered the model of perfect counterpoint. It has a beautiful balanced quality, allowing texts to be clearly heard, and carrying the listener along with a sense of inevitability.” Born near Rome in 1525, Palestrina’s career was spent mostly at that city, as he served as singer, organist and choir master at a number of Rome’s most important churches. Palestrina was famous in his own day, and his fame increased after his death in 1594. The concert will include several of his works, including the four-voice Missa Brevis of 1570, the Stabat mater for double chorus, and a number of motets. Voices includes a number of singers familiar to Asbury First members, including sopranos Elizabeth Phillips and Marcia Weinert, mezzo-soprano Clara Nieman, returned to Rochester after two years with the Ft. Worth Opera, and three tenors who have served as Asbury First section leaders, Dan McInerney, Dean Ekberg and Matthew Valverde.
You will have three opportunities to see the Asbury First youth perform in the musical Children of Eden on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, November 13-15 in Fellowship Hall. Based on the Book of Genesis, Children of Eden is presented in two acts with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John Caird. Stephen Schwartz is well known for composing the music for Godspell and Pippin. Act I tells the story of creation, Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel. Act II tells the story of Noah and the Flood. The Asbury First cast is led by director Dr. Larry Dugan, music director/ conductor Carol Lamica, and choreographer Chelsey Barker. They are staging the show in the round, with twenty-one youth on stage and ten more youth backstage. Performances on Friday and Saturday will start at 7:00 p.m. The Sunday performance will start at 1:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person. Look for advance ticket sales at a table in the Welcoming Foyer before and after Sunday worship services. Tickets will also be available at the door for each show. –Jeanne Strong
Salon Series Concerts in October and November The Sunday afternoon Salon Concerts at Asbury First feature professional artists Rebecca Penneys, piano; Mikhail Kopelman, violin; and Stefan Reuss, cello. This season, each of their five concerts features trios by a single composer. In the first concert on October 25 the musicians will perform the two piano trios composed by Felix Mendelssohn. Each trio has four movements. For the November 8 concert, they will be presenting two trios by Johannes Brahms. Subsequent concerts in this season’s series will be on February 14, March 20, and April 10. Each Salon Series concert is held in the Sanctuary at 2:00 p.m. Programmatic and performance remarks are offered by Stefan Reuss to introduce each trio to the audience. A reception in the Gathering Center with the performers follows each concert. Single-concert tickets at the door are $35 per person payable by check or cash. Reduced-price single tickets are $30 if paid by mail at least one week before the concert date. Full-series tickets for all five concerts are $120 per person, payable at the door by check or cash at the first concert; or by mail before October 17. To purchase advance tickets by mail, send your request and check payable to Asbury First United Methodist Church, memo: Salon Series. Attention to: David Strong, Administrator for Music and the Arts. –Jeanne Strong 13
library news “The best things in life are free” and that includes the books free for the reading through our Church Resource Library. Books for all ages and on all topics can be found in the church library. Take a look at the following featured books for October. They are available in the library’s collection of books for children, youth, and adults. The library is located just off the Gathering Center near the elevators. When the church is open, the library is open, and everyone is welcome! Children God is Always With Me, by Helen Rayburn Caswell. This 20-page children’s book, especially for ages 4-8, is a wonderful way to explain the concept of eternal life and reassuring to all that death is not an end.
in book form, Very Good Lives presents J.K. Rowling’s words of wisdom for anyone at a turning point in life. How can we embrace failure? And how can we use our imagination to better both ourselves and others? The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and their Epic Quest for the Gold in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, by Daniel James Brown. A wonderful book that is out of the depths of the Depression as an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times — the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant. It is soon to be published in a young adult version and possibly a movie. Watch for it.
It’s A Book, by Lane Smith. This tongue-in-cheek picture book about reading in the digital age features the best last line ever written in the history of children’s literature — “It’s a book.” Ages 6 and up will appreciate this one. Youth This Star Won’t Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl, by Esther Earl, Lori Earl, Wayne Earl. In full color and illustrated with art and photographs, this is a collection of the journals, fiction, letters, and sketches of the late Esther Grace Earl, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 16. Essays by family and friends help to tell Esther’s story along with an introduction by award-winning author John Green who dedicated his #1 bestselling novel The Fault in Our Stars to her. Especially for ages 12-17.
Parenting Our Endangered Values, by Jimmy Carter. As a believing Christian, former President Carter takes on issues that are under fierce debate — women’s rights, terrorism, homosexuality, civil liberties, abortion, the death penalty, science and religion, environmental degradation, nuclear arsenals, preemptive war, and America’s global image.
Adults Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination, by J. K. Rowling. In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. Now published for the first time
October 1 Psalm 5 2 Psalm 7 3 Psalm 17 4 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 5 1 Samuel 3:1-21 6 1 Samuel 4:1-22 7 1 Samuel 5:1-12 8 1 Samuel 6:1-19 9 1 Samuel 6:20-7:17 10 1 Samuel 8:1-22 11 1 Samuel 9:1-27 12 1 Samuel 10:1-27
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
If you don’t find a book that interests you in the Church Resource Library, try next door at 1010 East Ave. (the red brick building west of the church) in the Meditation Room that houses the Spiritual Life Library.
1 Samuel 11:1-15 1 Samuel 12:1-25 1 Samuel 15:1-35 1 Samuel 16:1-23 1 Samuel 17:1-40 1 Samuel 17:41-58 1 Kings 16:29-17:7
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 14
1 Kings 17:8-24 1 Kings 18:1-46 1 Kings 19:1-21 1 Kings 21:1-29 2 Kings 5:1-27 2 Kings 6:1-23 Daniel 1:1-21
27 Daniel 2:1-23 28 Daniel 2:24-49 29 Daniel 3:1-30 30 Daniel 5:1-31 31 Daniel 6:1-28 November 1 1 Chronicles 13:1-14 2 1 Chronicles 14:1-17 3 1 Chronicles 15:1-24 4 1 Chronicles 15:25-16:7 5 1 Chronicles 16:8-43 6 1 Chronicles 17:1-27 7 Psalm 8
the last word 1 by Michele Cooley 2
Where Are They Now?
walk. He made a full recovery and was able to go back to his apartment. He continues
For the past six plus years I have intro-
to do well and is still a frequent guest at
duced you to some memorable guests each
the Dining Center.
month in The Visitor. This provides an
Patrick: Patrick is a street musician who
opportunity to give a face to the many lives
has found himself in hard times. He is a
we touch each day. I thought in this article
very intelligent young man who wants to
I would give you an update on some of the
make a difference. He and his friend James
guests and volunteers I have written about
have an idea to bring joy to the guests.
over the years.
They want to start a program where they
Don: When Don first arrived he was
can teach people how to play guitar and
struggling with a substance abuse problem and was required to volunteer here for 12 hours per week. He was one of four volunteers at the time required to help in the
other instruments. They are hoping that Patrick and his student Virginia after a guitar lesson.
kitchen. As the months progressed Don
He eventually got food stamps and shelter,
was very faithful in his attendance. Eventu-
plus I was able to find him a nice apart-
ally he began volunteering for a substance
ment. All was going well until a man in
abuse program, got a job, and a vehicle, and
Darren’s apartment complex instigated a
sponsored an addict in recovery. Seeing a
fight with him and threw Darren down the
need for some security here, he purchased
stairs. The man was using and under the
a security camera for the Dining Center,
influence of illegal drugs at the time. Dar-
which has been very helpful. We still
ren was severely injured, suffering a broken
have it in use today. He also volunteered
neck. When I visited him in the hospital,
to drive to Foodlink to pick up our food.
I was not sure what to expect. Darren’s
After reconnecting with an old girlfriend
doctor came in and reported that it was a
in Philadelphia, Don burst into my office
miracle that after surgery he was able to
one day with a little blue box. He was very proud to reveal a one-carat diamond ring. I was the first to know that he would be proposing to his girlfriend over the weekend and he was elated to show me the beautiful ring. Don still drops in to visit occasionally and is very happy with his life and success. Darren: Darren was homeless and living in a storage unit when I met him six years ago. He was depressed after having lost his wife and child in a car accident. Alcohol
the people of Asbury First will be able to donate unwanted instruments so they can begin this ministry. This past Sunday Patrick gave his first student a guitar lesson here in the Dining Center. Both were very excited and had smiles on their faces when they left. Patrick and James want to start a ministry called “Musicians Who Care.” As guests they understand the value of peer support. As volunteers and staff, we all understand the difference we can make in a life. We see miracles of hope each day and every person is worth our effort. Helping each person realize that they are loved and cared about is a privilege.
Volunteering ... And More
A
sbury Dining and Caring Center volunteers: please join us for an informational meeting here in the Dining Center on Sunday, October 25 at 10:00
a.m. This will be an opportunity to meet other volunteers and staff. We hope to see you then. If you have an instrument that you would like to donate for Patrick’s musical ministry at Asbury First, please bring it to the Dining and Caring Center, or to the church office during regular business hours. Thank you for your assistance!
consumed his life and he was struggling. 15
PERIODICAL 1050 East Avenue Rochester, NY 14607-2293 Address Service Requested
j o i n u s at t h e A s b u ry F i r s t
Pumpkin Patch October 10-31 Weekdays, 3:00-7:00 p.m. Saturdays, 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Sundays, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
We’ll have pumpkins for sale in all shapes and sizes, with prices starting at fifty cents. All proceeds benefit youth missions at Asbury First!
Free admission & events!
Family Fall Festival & Hoedown Saturday, October 24 | 3:00-7:00 p.m. We’ll have face painting, pumpkin painting & carving, fall-themed games and contests, chicken barbecue, dancing, and much more!
Come in costume!