The Visitor September 2015 by Asbury First United Methodist Church

TheVisitor

Asbury First United Methodist Church Newsletter September 2015 • Vol. XLIX No. 7 • www.asburyfirst.org

In This Issue Sensible Shoes, 4 Pledging to Dream, 6 Tent Week, 8 Visitation Ministry, 9

Tent Week 2015:

Building Community Under the Big Top

Mission Trips, 10 New Ministers, 11 Ministry and Space, 12

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. 7 (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.

(We return to our regular worship schedule on Sept. 13)

POSTMASTER: Send addresses changes to

Traditional Worship in our Sanctuary 10:00 a.m. Sunday mornings (8:30 & 11:00 a.m. starting September 13)

Asbury First UMC Visitor 1050 East Ave. Rochester, N.Y. 14607-2239 (585) 271-1050

Chancel Worship with Holy Communion 8:30 a.m. Sunday mornings (10:00 a.m. starting September 13)

Staff

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 Jessica Burdick-Giordano Children’s Ministry Assistant 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 Bozena Granat Director, Children’s Music Carol Lamica Director, Youth Music Elizabeth Church Director, Bell Choir Brian Bohrer Director, Asbury Singers Larry Dugan Director, Youth Theater

Emeriti Staff Rev. Dr. Theodore Weeden, Sr., Pastor Emeritus Dr. Roger Wilhelm, Director of Music Emeritus Marian R. Craighead*, Organist Emeritus *deceased

Listen on WYSL 1040 AM or 92.1 FM 11:00 a.m.-noon Sunday mornings Watch live at www.asburyfirst.org 10:00 a.m. Sunday mornings (11:00 a.m. starting September 13) Watch past services in our video archive at www.asburyfirst.org any time!

INCLUSIVITY STATEMENT 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.

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: Bethany Osborn, daughter of Becky and Rob Osborn, captivated by her Vacation Bible School experience. See more photos on page 8. 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, September 11

Prelude to a Dream ... A Pastoral Reflection

This has been quite a summer! Sure, we had the usual fun—we worshipped outside, invited the community to a tent, and parked cars all over the lawn of our church. We held a bake sale, a basement sale, another successful Vacation Bible School, and an epic intergenerational water balloon toss. We worshipped together, laughed together, saw friends get married, and said goodbye to others. Those are things we have come to expect from a summer at Asbury First. What was unique about this summer, however, was all the transition that was happening in the midst of it. This summer we celebrated the ministry of a beloved pastor and welcomed two new pastors

into our fellowship. While I am still getting used to ministry without my everyday friend and colleague, Susan, I give thanks to God each day for Katie and Kathy. They have already become vital members of the team and intrepid colleagues on whom I can lean. Katie O’Hern is our new Minister for Discipleship and Mission and Kathy Thiel is our Minister for Pastoral Care and Outreach. They will both have outreach responsibilities in the year ahead as we look toward the possibility of hiring a Minister for Outreach in the next year. With a great staff in place and the transitions of this summer complete, now comes the time for us to dream.

in the months ahead, but the mission of Asbury First is bigger than me and I am interested in our collective dreams. To that end, there will be several opportunities this fall for you to share with me and other members of the church leadership your dreams for Asbury First. On Sundays, October 11, 25 and November 1, at 12:30 (location TBD), I will be hosting “town hall” style gatherings during which we will be invited to dream together as a congregation. Additionally, there will be a “Dream Board” in the gathering center this fall that will provide an opportunity to share your dreams in very different way. You might have seen our Dream Board at the Park Ave. Festival this summer. It was an effort, spearheaded by our intrepid summer intern Rachel Stuart, to begin to hear

This year we will dream together about both who we are and who God is calling us to be. I have dreams of my own, many of which you will start to hear

from the Rochester community about their dreams. This will be similar. There will be some markers in front of the board. I just ask that you take a moment to write some of your dreams for our community on the board when you have a chance. Our hope is that these opportunities (and others that will be forthcoming) will provide fun ways for us to consider together our mission and vision as a congregation for the years to come. There is no doubt in my mind that God is at work within this wonderful community and that we are poised to growth. I’m excited to see where we will go! I’m excited to dream. Will you join me? Grace and Peace,

Stephen

AFUMC news Clinic Adding New Service Free blood pressure screenings will be offered to the congregation on the first Sunday of each month, starting Sunday, October 4, in the UR Well Clinic on the lower floor of the church. The screenings will be offered from 9:30-10:00 a.m. and from 12:15-12:45 p.m. There will be greeters and signs to direct you. Nurses will be on hand to answer your questions and provide information on high blood pressure, better eating habits, stroke, and diabetes prevention. Everyone is welcome.

and breakfast. Friday worship celebration will feature the Rev. Dionne O. Boissiere, chaplain for the Church Center for the United Nations. Registrations must be made before September 30; registration forms and further information are available at www.cwu-in-nys.org. Sponsor the Ninth Annual Dinner Among Friends Did you know that the annual Dinner Among Friends – the largest fundraiser for the Asbury First Dining and Caring Center – needs the support of corporate sponsors to make our goals? In this, our ninth year, we would greatly appreciate your joining the growing number of corporate sponsors who assist the ADCC as we nourish, support and transform the lives of our guests, with either a monetary donation or a donation-in-kind. For sponsorship option information, please contact Hal Carter (hcarter6@gmail.com or 953-0644), Bob Castle (rcastle166@ frontiernet.net or 298-0130) or Barb Castle (castlebm50@gmail. com or 698-8233).

Would you like to help out at the clinic? Asbury UR Well is in need of a greeter. If you are able to help out in the clinic between 5:30-8:00 p.m. one Thursday each month please contact Ida Hickman at (585) 461- 9696 or imhickman2002@yahoo. com. Church Women United News CWU is holding its 2015 annual gathering conference on October 30-31 at Ramada Plaza Hotel in Albany. Registration is $80 per person, which includes accommodation, materials, snacks,

Continued on page 7

on holy ground Created by the Center for Spiritual Life, On Holy Ground highlights opportunities for spiritual growth and renewal.

Pastoral Inspiration

Friends, as you read this article, please take the time to register to be with us at Asbury First on Saturday, September 19 from 8:30 to 3:00 p.m. The day includes hearing Sharon Brown share her own personal faith story, as well as explaining how the book’s characters developed. You’ll also have the opportunity to personally experience some of the practices introduced in her book. As the day starts, you will enjoy light breakfast fare as well as a catered lunch. Registration is required for planning purposes and we encourage you to bring your friends. We know you will not want to miss this inspirational event. There’s a $20 charge for the workshop, payable to Asbury First. Make your reservations today by calling Melody Guadagnino in the church office at (585) 271-1050 x103 or mguadagnino@asburyfirst.org. Space is limited!

By Bonnie Matthaidess “God is in this Place!” “Manna – What is this?” “Thin Places.”

he above phrases are recent sermon titles or themes that now reside in a special place in my thoughts and prayers. Many thanks to our pastors and preachers of Asbury First who recently offered these homilies: Stephen Cady, Katie O’Hern and David Lubba. We want you to know that we appreciate you and are thankful for the ways God speaks through you, how you break open the scriptures, how you make God’s Word relevant to our daily lives, and how you walk with us in our deepening and growing faith. Yes, we are inspired by the sermons we hear and blessed by Asbury First’s variety of opportunities for exploring, deepening and practicing our faith in practical and meaningful expressions.

P.S.: Brown’s second book, Two Steps Forward: A Story of Persevering in Hope, will be in bookstores this October, but through special arrangement it will be available at a reduced price for us the day of the workshop. We are delighted! Also, Ms. Brown will be available at a book signing on Friday evening, September 18, from 6:30-8:00 p.m., at Alpha and Omega bookstore in Penfield’s Panorama Plaza. We hope to see you there!

The Spiritual Life Committee is pleased to offer yet another faith formation opportunity by bringing Sharon Garlough Brown, author of the book, Sensible Shoes: A Story About the Spiritual Journey, to be with us. Since May we have made the book available and will continue to do so in August and September. We are pleased to say that many individuals and groups are reading this book, which explores the faith journey of four characters who are seeking to deepen their faith. As Timothy Johnson wrote in last month’s “On Holy Ground” article, this meaty book tells the stories and experiences of the main characters as faith/spiritual practices are introduced into their everyday lives.

Labyrinth Wednesday, September 9 5:00-7:00 p.m.

The book introduces experiences of “thin places” and helps me name those palpable thin places of my own – pure grace, indeed. For me this book offers manna for my daily life (as shared by Katie O’Hern in her sermon of July 19) and invites me to intentionally be open to receive God in the places of my everyday circumstances (expressed by Stephen Cady on July 5). Readers tell us they are able to identify with one of more of the characters – their resistance, their welcoming, their challenges and their joys as they are drawn nearer to their God.

Join us for this reflective peaceful practice designed to help you reconnect with God and your spiritual self.

School #41 End-of-the-Year Trips With the help of the Asbury First community, two end-ofthe-school-year field trips were made possible for third graders and one class of sixth graders at School #41. The third graders traveled to the planetarium at Rochester Museum and Science Center. There, as indicated from the children’s thank you notes, the trip was “over the moon.” Many said it was the best field trip ever! One sixth grade class traveled to Genesee Country Museum to learn more about 19th century living in the Rochester area. Their social studies lessons at the end of the year were about 19th century living and the experience at the Genesee Country Museum brought their studies to life. To all who contributed financially and to all who hold “our” children at School #41 in prayer – many thanks. You have filled many young hearts with joy! –Nancy Davidow, School #41 Project Coordinator

AFUMC News, continued from page 3

New this year: childcare will be available for all children while their parents are attending Dinner Among Friends! For more information, contact Paula Dugan at pdugan@asburyfirst.org or (585) 271-1050 x111. Fair Trade Coffee to be served at Asbury First Beginning on September 13 you may notice a change in the coffee served at the Gathering Center. The Coffee Connection (located on South Avenue near Gregory Street) will be providing our coffee. Purchasing their coffee not only means a better-tasting coffee, but provides financial support to their global and local missions. The coffee is organically grown and purchased for a fair price, encouraging farmers to grow coffee instead of drug crops! Fair prices also ensure education and health care for the farmers’ children, while protecting the environment as well. The Coffee Connection also has a local mission, empowering women in recovery from drug addiction, trauma, and homelessness by hiring them. The working environment provides important skills in employment and education while supporting long-term sustainable recovery. As always, contributions at the coffee bar in the Gathering Space are welcome.

Our Living Births & Baptisms

in Community

Marriages

God has sealed you unto love and grace divine

May the blessings of God’s love go with you in your new covenant.

Lee Iva Camardello daughter of Jeffrey and Emily Camardello, born on August 15, 2015.

Cherish Zaccari and Nathan Jacobia were married on July 11, 2015

Meredith Reynolds daughter of Pam and Ryan Reynolds, baptized on June 28, 2015.

Nicole Herndon and James Holmes were married on August 22, 2015.

Adalynn Grace VanEpps and Lily Noelle VanEpps daughters of Holly and Jesse VanEpps, baptized on July 12, 2015.

Merciful God, we entrust to Your never-failing care and love.

Thelma Peters on June 13, 2015. We offer our prayers to Ken and Laurel Harrington on the death of Ken’s sister Ann Adele Gifford on June 28, 2015. We offer our prayers and sympathy to Terry Pitt on the death of his brother Steven Pitt on July 13, 2015.

Deaths

We offer our prayers and sympathy to the family and friends of Susan Howe who died on July 14, 2015.

We offer our prayers and sympathy to Bud and Carol Peters on the death of Bud’s mother 5

We offer our prayers and sympathy to the family and friends of Burt Ross who died on July 18, 2015. We offer our prayers and sympathy to Jerry and Adelaide Svoboda on the death of Jerry’s father Jerry F. Svoboda on July 30, 2015. We offer our prayers and sympathy to Nancy Goodwin on the death of her mother Arline Goodwin on August 7, 2015.

• pledging to dream • Discipleship: Growing in Faith With Christ

t’s an exciting time to be a part of the Asbury First family. The church is poised to begin a new era of leadership under senior minister, the Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Cady II, with two additional new ministers, Kathy Thiel and Katie O’Hern, bringing a fresh energy and new ideas to the church community. There is a palpable feeling of growth as plans are made for innovative programming, and groups such as the Ministry and Space Task Force help to shape the future of our church in ways never before imagined. This new energy can be seen, as well, in the theme of our annual fund campaign: Pledge to Dream. We are pledging to imagine an Asbury First that thinks big, that boldly moves forward in ways that allow Christ to work within us for the betterment of the world around us. In this and the next two issues of The Visitor, we will take a look at three pillars of our faith that will play a large role in our dreaming: discipleship, care, and outreach. What have we done with each of these elements that’s good, and worth celebrating and continuing? 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 of the coming years.

t is 1949. Known then as Asbury-First M.E. Church of Rochester, our church is experiencing a post-war boom in membership. A group of young, married couples are eager for more from their church experience. They want to grow in faith, to become better disciples of Christ. And so the Partnership class is born.

Dreaming ... for Asbury First Sundays, October 11, 25, November 1 12:30 p.m. location TBD (watch your bulletin for more information)

pants in God’s activity in the world.” “Actively following” is indeed important, says Stephen Cady. “Discipleship suggests the full formation of a person living and learning, paying attention to rites of passage and all our interactions in community.”

Please join us for one of three “town hall” style gatherings to

The Partnership class – one of many at Asbury First – speaks thoughts on the future of our faith community. These gatherto our call and our desire to learn Today, 66 years later, the group ings will provide a fun way for us to consider together our more about our faith, to become is still part of the Sunday school better disciples of Christ. Each year, mission and vision for the years to come. God is at work in experience at Asbury First. Those AFUMC members answer that call our wonderful community – how shall we respond? young married couples are now by attending Sunday school, taking grandparents. But the members still short-term classes such as “United crave the fellowship and discipleMethodism 101” or “Holy Superheship opportunities they encounter in the group. roes!” or participating in one of the church’s Bible study groups. A quick Ed and Kate Crosby joined Partnership in 1955, at the invitation of a look at the Asbury First weekly calendar shows a bustling, vibrant friend. “We have been together so long, we’re like an extended family,” campus with groups of all kinds meeting every day of the week. There Ed says. That family has spent countless hours in the Meditation Room is clearly much to celebrate in the church’s long history of creating and of 1010 East Avenue listening to speakers unpack the day’s Scripture hosting groups to help members grow in their faith. reading, share insights on United Methodist thinking, and examining As we look with hope to the future, the small group model continues to social issues of the day. “It was truly a help to my spiritual life,” says Ed, resonate with a younger generation of Christians. At Asbury First, as “especially in interpreting Scripture.” older groups run their course, new groups arise almost organically, and allow us to dream together as a congregation and share our

add a new richness to the fabric of life that exists at our church, through the energies of committed members.

The word disciple is taken from the Greek word mathetes, which means pupil or apprentice. But for Christians, it means far more than that. The United Methodist Church’s website, has this to say about discipleship: “The church calls our response to God Christian discipleship. Discipleship focuses on actively following in the footsteps of Jesus. As Christian disciples, we are not passive spectators but energetic partici-

This fall, Asbury First will launch a different type of discipleship group. Led by Katie O’Hern, minister for discipleship and mission, it will be a discussion group called “Theology on Tapas.” This new group will meet at Trata Restaurant at the Armory, on Culver Road. Over a shared light meal, the participants will be encouraged to bring their theological 6

conundrums – even those that might not be politically correct – into the spotlight.

Pledge to DREAM

“This is a different way of experiencing church,” says Stephen Cady. “We are working to be open and responsive to the many ways that people can grow in their faith. Theology on Tapas offers shared, informal conversations in a casual atmosphere that allow people to explore what they believe and how they express those beliefs.”

2016 Pledge Goal: $1,189,000 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

There is, of course, much more to discipleship than small group meetings or classes. “In a sense, everything we do is about discipleship, and about forming our faith,” says Stephen. From community-building events such as Tent Week to more formal educational events like the Sharon Garlough Brown workshop on September 19, learning and growing in the faith is interwoven in everything we do as part of the Asbury First family. As we look to the future, that will undoubtedly not change.

per month for 12 months = $

per

or $

= $

or increase last year's gift by _________percent In addition, I/we offer a designated gift of $ to be used for

Just as Theology on Tapas puts a new spin on an older, tried-and-true model, Stephen hopes that other ideas for promoting discipleship and much more will rise out of three town hall-style meetings to be held later this fall (see box). The meetings are an invitation to all members of Asbury First to participate in shaping the church’s future. There are no limits to our dreaming, he says. If you have ever started a sentence “I wish Asbury First could ....”, then these events offer an opportunity for you to share that idea.

Total estimated gift for 2016 $

_____ _____

(estimate of giving plus any designated gifts)

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)

As you consider your pledged gift in support of our ministries for the coming year, we also invite you to give some thought to the question of where you see the church in a year, in five years, or in ten years. How can Asbury First better serve our members, and the greater community? With your generous financial support, we can answer that question.

Name(s): Address:

email:

The community that is now called Asbury First United Methodist Church is nearly 200 years old. One thing that has and will continue to remain unchanged for the church is our collective desire to seek God – to continually strive to become better disciples of Christ as we move through life. Through the years, and with visionary leadership, both lay and pastoral, the church has followed that aim. Now, as we look with hope to the future, you are invited to help us imagine how we can continue to fulfill that aim in a changing world. For Asbury First, it is time to dream.

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 __________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

Support the ministries of Asbury First – including the church’s discipleship opportunities – by making a pledge to the 2016 annual fund campaign. Fill out the pledge card at the right and mail it to us at Asbury First UMC / 1050 East Ave. / Rochester, NY 14607 / attn: Dick Moncrief. Thank you for your generous support.

______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

Tent Week

or one week in August, Asbury Firstâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s East Ave lawn became the center of a vibrant community gathered to celebrate summer under the big top tent during our second annual Tent Week. From the beginning (an balmy evening of lawn games)

to the end (a thought-provoking look at racism in Rochester), more than 1,200 people â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including AFUMC members as well as those who had never stepped foot on a church campus â&#x20AC;&#x201C; laughed, chatted, ate great food, and made new friends. Here are just a few images from the week.

Right as “RAIHN”

he week of July 5-12, 60 volunteers from Asbury First UMC, Greece Baptist, the Baptist Temple and Baber AME spent just under 370 hours in ministry with four families in housing transition through the Rochester Area Interfaith Hospitality Network (RAIHN). Kids watched TV or played games in the Meditation Room of 1010 East Ave., shot hoops in the parking lot, swung on the playground, or ate on the front veranda. People of all ages and from different backgrounds came together to share meals, engage in conversation, participate in recreation time, and a get a few uninterrupted nights’ sleep under one roof. As one mom was saying goodbye at the end of the week, she said, “thanks for not judging us during this stormy time in our lives.” Reflecting on her words, some examples of how the RAIHN program provides relief from the “storms” of life come to mind from the week in July:

•

Parched souls quenched by Timothy’s prayer before Sunday night dinner like a refreshing shower after a time of drought.

•

The cares of the world momentarily washed away by the waterfall of laughter from John and three kids on the slide.

•

Chris, Doug, Katie and Madelyn Lee, Tim and Cindy Malone, Barb Nelson, Elena Nescio, Glenn Peck, Bob and Margaret Reiners, Mary Scahill, Karen Slattery, Kim Van Orden, Lin Vanderstyne, Bill and Marcia Weinert, Marcia & Dick Wilke, Dean & Beth Woolever. We were again blessed to have our crew of regular volunteers supplemented with those who were trying RAIHN out for the first time. Although we probably won’t see any of our July guests when we host again in October, we hope that our long-standing and brand-new volunteers alike will join us in October and beyond, as your schedules permit.

Wells of emotion rising to the surface as tears in one mom’s eyes as she said “I feel so comfortable here. It feels like a home.”

We are thankful to the following people who served as RAIHN volunteers in July: Amanda Joyce and Adam Bennett, David Berg, Cindy Burkhardt, Paul, Lisa, Gifford and Lila Campbell, Diana Carter, Becky and Jerry Cox, Torger Dahl, Barb Denigris, John Foster, Lorraine Fusare, Bonnie Gregory, Susan and Alex Guffey, Carol Harrington, Timothy Johnson and Bob Miller, Pat Jones, Paula Kuempel,

Mark your calendars for upcoming rotations: October 11-18, January 24-31, 2016, April 24 - May 1, 2016, July 2431, 2016, October 16-23, 2016, January 15-22, 2017. The time, energy and talents of our volunteers are greatly

appreciated. The gifts of the church’s continued support of the RAIHN program and our congregation’s faithful prayers are recognized and valued long after the last toy is shelved and blanket folded. For more information about RAIHN, or to sign up to become a RAIHN volunteer, contact Chris or Doug Lee at c_s_lee29@msn. com or 585-451-7692.

Visitation Ministry

As many of you already know, visiting family and friends when they are hospitalized is a sacred experience, both for the visitor and for the one who is receiving the visitor. Our pastors are committed to sharing God’s love and grace through hospital and other visitations. A team of lay people is being formed; they will also be visiting our members when they are ill. This will serve to broaden our ministry of pastoral care as well as assist the pastors. These visits will enhance, but not replace, pastoral visits and will be kept respectfully confidential within the team. Are you interested in being a part of this ministry? If so, you are invited to a meeting on Tuesday, September 15, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. in the Gathering Space in 1040 East Ave. (the sanctuary building). We will share a light meal, which will be provided, and talk about our experiences, questions, hopes and dreams for this ministry team. If you have been trained as a Stephen Minister in the past, or if you are interested in Stephen Ministry, you are also welcome to join us. Please contact Kathy Thiel at (585) 271-1050 x106 or kthiel@asburyfirst.org; or Meredith Pixley at (585) 328-8954 or gpixley@rochester. rr.com if you have any questions. For purposes of planning, please RSVP to Melody Guadagnino in our church office (585-271-1050 x. 103, mguadagnino@asburyfirst.org. 9

youth ministry news Every year, our Asbury First senior and junior youth take a journey in the spring/early summer to help those in need in another part of the world. This is a physical journey, to be sure, but it’s also a journey with mental, emotional, and spiritual components for our young people. This year, our seniors spent a week in Tsaile, Arizona, where they tackled building projects for members of the Navajo Nation, many of whom live in abject poverty. Our junior youth, meanwhile, traveled to New York’s Adirondack Mountains, to the town of Glens Falls, where they worked with those in need through the Open Door Mission. We asked two of the participants in these trips to write us a short summary of the experience for this issue of The Visitor. Thank you, Hannah and McKenzie, for sharing your reflections on what makes a mission trip special.

:00 a.m. You awake to the sound of happy, singing voices. Roll your eyes, breathe in, and breathe out. Get up, get dressed, exit your hogan, breathe in and breathe out. Look up at the endless sky, smell the crisp mountain air, stretch every way imaginable, until you are ready to start your day. However don’t forget to breathe in the fresh feelings of encouragement, motivation, strength, progress, and possibilities, and please remember to breathe out the sleepy feeling, the negativity, the discouragement and anything that will hold you back. Keep in mind that you are in God’s land. In my opinion, our mission trip to Tsaile, Arizona was the most amazing and inspiring week of my life. Every single day that we spent there was truly a gift from God. I will never forget how content and at peace I felt because of my surrounding environment. The skies were so blue, the mountains so tall, and the canyons so deep. I have never felt as close and connected to God as I did while on this mission trip. I felt God’s embrace constantly surrounding me. I really felt at home in Tsaile. I’m not going to sugar coat anything – the work was hard. It was a mission trip, after all! We were not in Arizona on vacation or to relax, we were there to work and to answer God’s calling. Some blood blisters were formed, some toes were stubbed and luckily, only one time did I hammer my finger. At the end of each work day, it was the smile on my homeowner’s face that made all the minor injuries worth it. It was truly eye-opening for me to see someone who was so happy and so content with everything that he had. He did not live in a big fancy house. He did not have the newest iPhone or gaming system. However, he did have a heart full of love and compassion and every ounce of his being was

Clockwise, starting at top left: Reuben Burch takes a break from his roofing work; Haley and Carly Guidice on one of the group’s field trips; a group of youth working on the roof of a hogan, or native dwelling; youth climbing Window Rock.

filled with gratitude for us. He was so thankful for us coming all the way to his home to build him and his wife a new shed. I can only speak for myself when I say that Tsaile, Arizona felt like home. I know that my fellow missioners will agree that this place is a little piece of heaven on earth. The Navajo people were so warm and welcoming to us, eager to teach us about their culture, and just as interested in learning about ours. This land and these people will always hold a special place in my heart. I cannot wait until I can return to Tsaile in order to immerse myself in the culture, the land and the people once again. –Hannah Smith

uring the latest middle school mission trip, we drove to the Adirondacks to do some volunteering at a local soup kitchen. We helped the staff clean up after the people ate, organized things in the basement, and drove around looking for food to eat. After we helped around the soup kitchen, we went rock climbing and played ice breaker games to get to know each other. Then we went into the caves and explored the cold underground darkness. Overall the trip was a great learning experience and I would love to go back and do it again. – McKenzie Flynn

Left, Payton Shafer supported from below as he tackles a rock face; right, Payton and McKenzie Flynn in the storage room at the Open Door Mission soup kitchen.

• Welcome to our new pastors • On July 1, as the Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Cady II assumed his new duties as senior minister, Asbury First also welcomed two new pastors to our faith family. Kathy Thiel, whom many of you may remember from her time as first a student intern and later a visitation minister in 2013-14, is now Asbury First’s minister for pastoral care and outreach. Katie O’Hern has taken on the role of minister for discipleship and mission. Recently, we sat down with both of these two new ministers and asked them a few questions. Visitor: Where are you from?

Visitor: Where are you from?

Kathy Thiel: I was born in Erie, PA; my home town, where I grew up, is Pennington, NJ.

Katie O’Hern: Ellicott City, Maryland – just outside of Baltimore. I moved to Rochester from Princeton, New Jersey.

V: When did you receive your call to ministry? How did it happen?

KT: When I was four years of age, I pestered my mother, asking repetitively, “Why am I here?” She finally answered with, “To glorify God and enjoy God forever.”

KO: The moment in which I felt most called to ministry was in the spring just before I started seminary. I was at Annual Conference in Baltimore, and the time had come for the commissioning and ordination service. The service was in Lovely Lane Chapel, a site that is hard to beat for significance to us Methodists, but one with limited seating. Tickets were required for the service, but I didn’t have one. So I volunteered to sing with the choir. A friend of mine was being commissioned, and I wanted to be there.

V: Who has been the most important inspiration to you? KT: Dana Fearon, who was a friend to me as I grew up. He was a Presbyterian minister and was a beloved companion as I deepened my relationship with God. V: What area of ministry do you find most personally satisfying? KT: Pastoral care and being with people.

I was moved by the commissioning and excited for my friend, but the most significant portion of the service for me came when the bishop laid hands on those being ordained as elders. As I heard the charge the ordinands were given, I felt a clarity of call that I hadn’t felt before: this is the ministry to which I am called. To preach, to teach, to administer the sacraments and order the life of the congregation, to care for God’s people and to seek justice and peace for all … I was sure that this was where God was calling me.

V: If you had to describe Asbury First in three words, what would they be? KT: Faithful Fellowship (of ) Followers. V: What do you think is the greatest ministerial gift you bring to the Asbury First community? KT: Love for God, which extends to all people. I try to manifest this gift by being fully present for whomever I am with.

After the ordinations, the bishop invited those in the congregation who felt called to ordained ministry to come forward and pray with the newly ordained. So I went. And after the amen, I turned around to find myself surrounded by the many ministers who had been a part of my life through my home church, all standing with and praying for me. In this moment of deep significance in my own journey of faith, the church stood with me.

V: Tell us one thing you hope to accomplish in the next year at Asbury First? KT: Be in contact with those in need of pastoral care; teach; preach. V: Though Asbury First may change over the years, what do you think is foundational for the church? KT: I believe that Asbury First will always be a place for great spiritual enlightenment and faithful growth as we journey together, each on our own path, in the Light and Love of God.

V: Who has been the most important inspiration to you? KO: It’s hard for me to identify just one important inspiration. Lately I’ve been particularly grateful for the writings of Barbara Brown Taylor, who preaches the truth of the gospel with clarity, humor, deep insight, and an obvious love for the story and for the congregation.

V: Is there any message you’d like to give to all the members of Asbury First who read this? KT: You are a beloved and cherished child of God and you are surrounded by God’s love.

V: What area of ministry do you find most personally satisfying? KO: I love the spiritual discipline of preaching and teaching. When Continued on page 13

Report from the Ministry & Space Task Force The Charter of the Ministry & Space Task Force is to better understand how we use our space and recommend the best and most efficient use of our campus as we live out the mission and vision of AFUMC. To that end, we have sought to understand the hopes and dreams of our congregation and how we serve the community in mission and ministry. We were particularly concerned with three areas: accessibility, the needs of our ongoing and future ministries, and major maintenance. Over the course of the last three years, we have interviewed groups on campus, conducted an online survey, held open forums, visited with Sunday School classes, and created a campus usage map which analyzed how our space is used, room by room and hour by hour, in each of our three buildings. We collected over 50 input documents, processed them into themes, and did further in-depth interviews. After creating several scenarios and sharing them with the trustees, they hired Bero Architecture to review them and to investigate the possible use of the third floor of 1050 East Ave. To our surprise, we learned that due to recent code changes, we can use the third floor once we make some needed improvements. After further review and refinement, the M&S Task Force presented its recommendations during three town hall meetings in the fall of 2014. In the spring of 2015 we met again with the trustees and church council to discuss our recommendations further, and proposed a church-wide conference to share our recommendations and take next steps. On September 27, we will be holding a special church conference to discuss the maintenance and accessibility part of our proposal for 1040 and 1050 East Ave. At this meeting you will have an opportunity to vote on whether or not to proceed to the next step of hiring an architectural and engineering firm to develop detailed plans and costs. The vote will NOT authorize actual major maintenance work or a capital campaign. The congregation will

have another opportunity at a later date to review the final plans and costs in detail, and there will be another vote at that time to authorize this work and a capital campaign. Additionally, we will have a second church conference during this winter to discuss our plans for outreach and the use of 1010 East Ave. (see note below). The Ministry & Space Task recommendations are: 1. Completion of required major maintenance on 1050 and 1040 East Ave. Highlights include: a. Adding an elevator in 1050. b. Building an accessible bathroom in 1050. c. HVAC replacement and electrical upgrades in 1040. d. Exterior and Interior maintenance on both buildings including replacement of front steps to Sanctuary. e. Updating Fellowship Hall kitchen. f. Many additional maintenance and facilities upgrade needs. 2. Renovation of the third floor of 1050. 3. Additional maintenance and space needs as we are financially able. Highlights include: a. Partial A/C in sanctuary, to be done along with replacement of the current HVAC system. b. Columbarium. c. Consolidated Music space. d. New Sanctuary Lighting and Controls. e. Many others. These recommendations will be presented in greater detail during the church conference on September 27, and we hope that you will join us. The Task Force continues to listen. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact Chuck Hanrahan, chair of the Ministry & Space Task Force at chuck. hanrahan@gmail.com or (585) 383-8794.

A Note About Outreach & 1010 East Ave. One of the overwhelmingly apparent findings of our committee was a commitment on the part of our congregation to outreach. In particular, we heard repeated concern regarding the accessibility of two of our flagship ministries to the those in need in Rochester â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Storehouse and the Dining and Caring Center. We have spent time with both of these groups and have considered many possibilities as to how their space challenges might be resolved, including the recommendation that if these ministries are to continue in their current form a new space will be needed to accommodate them. Prior to us moving forward with a formal recommendation on how to address the accessibility needs of these ministries (especially if that were to include a building project), our senior minister, the Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady, has requested that the outreach committee provide a strategic plan for outreach at Asbury First that looks both at our current strengths and our future intentions. To that end, a strategic task force for outreach (as was reported in the June issue of The Visitor) has been formed and has been working throughout the summer with plans to continue through the fall. We have decided to delay any recommendation about these issues until we have received that report. Naturally, this has implications for the use of 1010 as well and we would like to wait until we have received that information to make any recommendation regarding the use and possible maintenance or accessibility of that building. 12

SAVE THE DATES FOR 2015-2016 CONCERT SERIES

Music Picnic Wednesday, September 9 If you are involved in our music and arts program, interested in becoming involved, or not yet sure, please join us for our annual “Welcome Back/Welcome Picnic” on September 9 at 6:00 p.m. in the Gathering Center. All children, youth, adults, singles and families are invited! Drinks and main dish will be provided. If your last name begins with A-L, please bring a salad or side dish to share. If your last name begins with M-Z, please bring a dessert to share.

Whether you like instrumental or vocal concerts, or musical theater, these performances at Asbury First will certainly interest you.

Roman Splendor: the Music of Palestrina

1:00 p.m. Written by acclaimed composer Stephen Schwartz (of Godspell and Pippin fame) Children of Eden explores the Book of Genesis in a new way, with music and an enthralling storyline.

Sunday, October 18 2:00 p.m. | $10 Voices Chamber Choir, led by Asbury First’s music director, Dr. William Weinert, returns to our Sanctuary for a brilliant concert of the work of Italian Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Voices includes Western New York’s finest ensemble singers.

The Concordia College Choir Thursday, Feb. 25 7:30 p.m. One of America’s finest a cappella choirs since 1920. The 72-voice choir has performed in nearly every major hall including Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center, and on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion.

The Youth of Asbury First Present

Children of Eden Fri. & Sat, Nov. 13, 14 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15

Salon Series The Sunday afternoon Salon Series in the sanctuary features piano trios performed by Rebecca Penneys, piano, Mikhail Kopelman, violin, and Stefan Reuss, cello. Each of their five concerts this season features piano trios by a single composer; all begin at 2:00 p.m. October 25 Mendelssohn trios November 8 Brahms trios February 14 Schubert trios March 20 Dvořák trios April 10 Beethoven trios

Katie O’Hern, continued from page 11

I’m reading scripture for my own devotional life, it’s easy for me to just ignore the things I don’t like or that don’t make sense. But when I need to preach a sermon or teach a Sunday School lesson about them, then I have to wrestle. And then I have to share that wrestling match with the congregation! But God continues to be faithful to the wrestling, and I am often surprised at the new ways I encounter God in difficult or unexpected texts.

– not just your names, but who you are, what you do, where you are on your faith journey, and why you’re a part of Asbury First! V: What do you think will change, and what will stay the same at Asbury First in the next five years? KO: My hope is that we will always continue to grow, not just in numbers (though that kind of growth isn’t bad) but in our faithfulness to the gospel and in our love for one another and for the God who has called us here. As for what will stay the same… Even in just a few weeks here, I can tell that this is a church community that people are proud to be a part of. So many people have been excited to tell me about this congregation and their place in it. I hope that this will always be a place we’re proud to call our home.

V: If you had to describe Asbury First in three words, what would they be? KO: Big! My last church had about 45 members, so this is very different! Generous. Already I’ve witnessed so many people offering their time and energy and resources to the ministries happening through Asbury First! Willing. I sense a willingness at Asbury First to try new things while honoring the old, to step out in faith to wherever God might be calling us as a community.

V: Is there any message you’d like to give to all the members of Asbury First who read this? KO: Thank you! I am beyond grateful to have been called into ministry with Asbury First, and I cannot thank you all enough for your warm welcome and continued hospitality to me. I’m excited for the future and for our ministry together!

V: Tell us one thing you hope to accomplish in the next year? KO: Honestly? I hope to learn all of your names! I really do hope to get to know as many of the members of this community as I can 13

library news Read a good book lately? Check out these reading possibilities. September marks the start of Sunday school, adult education classes, the 11:00 a.m. church service, and the Asbury Resource Library monthly book selections. Here are just a few of the new books on the shelves of the Church Resource Library. Come visit! Children Orion and the Dark, by Emma Yarlett. Orion is scared of a lot of things, but most of all he’s scared of the dark. This book for ages 3-7 will help Orion and the reader become friends with the dark through descriptions and illustrations that show that the dark can be interesting and magical.

author writes about aging, family, creativity, tragedy, friendship, and the richness of life. It is described as being an exhilarating read. Parenting 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 in book form, Very Good Lives presents J.K. Rowling’s words of wisdom for anyone at a turning point in life and discusses how we can embrace failure and use our imagination to better ourselves and others.

Youth Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, by Becky Albertalli. Just right for the 14-17 age group, according to School Library Journal, which describes the book as “...rife with realistic, high school relationships and drama, with a laugh or two at every turn, this is a coming-of-age, coming-out, and defying-the-odds

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.

Adults What Comes Next and How to Like It, by Abigail Thomas. The

But Wait, There’s More! Look no further. The Asbury First Resource Library collection has some intriguing new titles recently been added to the shelves. If you are familiar with the “If All of Rochester Reads the Same Book” program, you’ll know that the choices are always wonderful. In 2016, they will be reading Queen of the Fall: A Memoir of Girls & Goddesses by Sonja Livingston. Livingston will be in Rochester doing readings, book signings, and appearances at local libraries, colleges, and senior centers from March 15 through March 19. Queen of the Fall is described as “deft, evocative, mysterious, heartfelt, and lyrical, with lines that pop off the page and essays that shimmer in your head.” Join Rochester readers and check out this book from our Resource Library. This is just one of the new books purchased for the church library by the library committee this year. Other recent additions include Marcus Borg’s last book Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most and Joan Chittister’s Between the Dark and the Daylight: Embracing the Contradictions of Life. These captivating books by beloved world religious leaders propose a way to lead an ethical, happy, and spiritual life. Another library addition is The Book of Forgiving, a recent book by Archbishop DesmondTutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and his daughter, the Rev. Mpho Tutu. It is a not-to-be-missed handbook on the art of forgiveness. Children and young adult books are also featured at the church library. Two of the recent new additions to the library collection are the children’s books Home by Carson Ellis, a loving picture-book look at the places where people live, and Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett. Orion is scared of a lot of things, but most of all he’s scared of the dark. And, for the youth in our congregation, there is Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli – just right for the 14-17 age group, according to the School Library Journal, and Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman, an unusual look into schizophrenia. You won’t want to miss some special new books in the Spiritual Life Library in 1010 East Ave. Meditation Room. They are Wearing God: Clothing, Laughter, Fire, and Other Overlooked Ways of Meeting God by Lauren F. Winner that combines spiritual insight and descriptive prose in some of the more obscure biblical metaphors for God and Markings by Dag Hammarskjold, a Vintage Spiritual Classics book. Interested in any of these books? You know where to find them. Books for all ages are available for loan at the Church Resource Library. You are invited to join the readers using the library and enjoy these new selections. Loans are for a three-week period and the service is absolutely free. 14

the last word 1 by Michele Cooley 2

Can YOU Volunteer?

and serve: see the guests, know them, and serve them. If you are lucky enough in life to

The Asbury First Dining and Caring Center

receive, then you should give back.”

is looking for dedicated, good-hearted,

Evelyn Penn says: “ I have compassion for

volunteers with an interest in making a dif-

people who are in need of help and less

ference by providing sustenance, caring and

fortunate. I like the variety of people, which

good cheer to our guests. I am appealing

educates me more. It’s easy to have a one-

to you as an Asbury First UMC member

on-one experience with someone. If you

because I believe our guests need the stabil-

really want to help you will be here early.

ity, spirituality, and consistency that mature

The guests are a mixture of personalities,

role models provide. Our guests truly enjoy

which can be a learning experience. It helps

the camaraderie and kindness and sense of

you to know how to deal with different

inclusivity. Because we are open six days

types of people and not judge. Volunteering

per week, including Thanksgiving and

keeps you alert. You never know what to

Christmas, we have a very flexible schedule in terms of how frequently a volunteer is here. As an example, our Sunday teams volunteer once every nine weeks (11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.)and our weekday volunteers come in weekly, daily, monthly, or whatever their schedule dictates (6:30 to 9:30 a.m.). We need help on Saturday to assist with hygiene item distribution, showers, and laundry from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. You won’t believe the good feelings you will have after only a few hours here! I interviewed a few volunteers in an effort to

Volunteer Norma Jean Hildreth, wearing one of her many colorful hats, at the Dining and Caring Center.

expect. You come prepared both physically and mentally, and you discover if you are really here for the spirituality. I enjoy working here especially when I see people leaving

told me this morning: ‘You have a wonderful

here NOT hungry. I feel as though I am

personality.’ It is early in the morning and

pleasing God and not myself.

I walk into the Dining Center with a team of people who are caring, and I become energized. I feel it’s important to be kind and make people feel welcome, and interested in their lives. You leave with friendly people and wish them well.”

Norma Jean Hildreth, Friday morning volunteer, brings in our daily bread for our guests and makes cookies, candies and goodies, on holidays. She spent her 79th birthday here serving breakfast. She says: “I was praying for something to do. I like to

entice you to participate.

Mal Traub has volunteered here for many

work with food and this is one way to serve.

Morna Monahan, Tuesday volunteer said:

years and was instrumental in the early days

I love working with the guests, I love these

of the Dining Center and its development.

people. I get up every other morning at

He is a wonderful caterer. Mal took a break

5:00 a.m. and go to work at the Landmark

and has been back helping out for the past

Society. Friday is my day off and I work

two years. Mal is on the go all of the time.

for the Lord. It is very worthwhile because

He has been purchasing food, preparing

you are doing a service for the community.

food, and driving to Foodlink as well as

There are certain guests you gravitate to and

providing moral support to the staff here.

you try to help. They call me Mom. I recom-

“I’m waiting for change. Very few people

mend it for anybody that needs a friend.”

“As Christians we are disciples of God. I am so proud to be a member of Asbury First – how can I not take part in this ministry? I encourage others and meet wonderful people. If a person feels they can’t commit on a regular basis they could come in a few days per month. The guests are good people and have created wonderful experiences for me. The kindness makes up for any negativity you may be feeling. As one guest, Keith,

understand the plight of the community homeless. I would love to see the church become more involved, roll up their sleeves 15

If you feel called to service here, please contact me at 313-1918, or e-mail me at mcooley@asburyfirst.org. Thank you!

PERIODICAL 1050 East Avenue Rochester, NY 14607-2293 Address Service Requested

Together in Service 2015 Make a difference during October! Together in Service is a joint venture by Asbury First and Baber AME churches. This year, Together in Service is scheduling opportunities to volunteer throughout October. We will be serving at: Habitat for Humanity, Unity Adult Day Services, Hope House, Genesis House, YWCA, RAIHN, and by making hygiene kits. There is a range of talents and passions needed. We will be doing construction, cooking and providing hospitality. We will also be gathering in-kind donations, which will allow more to participate. Please make a commitment to serve during Together in Service month. We are working to include all generations. Watch your bulletin for information on how you can sign up to serve with us. Questions? Contact Barbara Eltinge at beltinge@netacc.net. Help us to make a difference through service. Together we can!