In ThIs Issue

Reconciling Ministry, 3

On Holy Ground, 5

Scott Ross Joins Staff, 7

Financials, 8

Youth News, 10

New Members, 12

Asbury First United Methodist Church NewsletterFebruary 2014 • Vol. XLVIII No. 2 • www.asburyfirst.org

TheVisitor

Mission stateMent

2

staffSenior MinisterMinister for Faith Formation – Hospitality & Membership Care Minister for Outreach and Community Connection MinistriesVisitation MinisterMusic Administrator; As-sistant OrganistDirector of MusicCo-director of Children’sMinistryCo-director of Children’sMinistryDirector of Youth MinistriesFinancial AdministratorAdministrative AssistantProperty Care ManagerDining & Caring CenterDirectorCommunications Director& EditorOrganistDirector, Children’s MusicDirector, Bell Choir; Co-Director, Youth MusicDirector, Asbury Singers Director, Youth Theater; Co-Director, Youth MusicArtist in ResidenceChurch Photographer

Cover: The beauty of a quiet Sanctuary, captured with great skill by sexton Dale Raes.

Please send all submissions, questions, comments, or concerns to Mary Van Keuren at

mvankeuren@asburyfirst.org or (585) 271-1050 x109.

Deadline for next issue: Friday, February 28

Rev. Susan S. ShaferRev. Stephen Cady

Rev. Lawrence Hargrave

Kathy ThielDavid T. Strong

Dr. William J. WeinertPaula Dugan

Melissa Bohrer

Mike MullinRichard Moncrief

Melody GuadagninoScott Ross

Michele Cooley

Mary Van Keuren

Duane A. PrillBozena Granat

Elizabeth Church

Brian BohrerLarry Dugan

Rev. Linda ClemowGreg Francis

The VisitorVol. XLVIII no. 2

(USPS 558-470)is published 10 times a year, monthly with combined

issues for January/February and July/August, by Asbury First United Methodist Church.

Periodical postage paid at Rochester, N.Y.

POSTMASTER: Send addresses changes to

Asbury First UMC Visitor1050 East Ave.

Rochester, N.Y. 14607-2239(585) 271-1050

Through worship, education, outreach, and care, we develop dis-

ciples of Jesus Christ who live and proclaim the Gospel and

thereby work to transform our culture.

a season oF imaginationA Pastoral Reflection

Is it spring yet? There comes a point each winter when we prepare to admit defeat, when we look at the forecast and feel the bone chilling wind on our face and decide that we’ve had enough. During winters like the one we’re having, this moment comes quickly. It doesn’t take too many sub-zero days for us to begin to question the life choices that brought us to upstate New York. While a lucky few of us follow this impulse to warmer climates for a couple months, the

rest of us are forced to find escape the only way we know how—through our imaginations.

Winter is a time of imagination. It is a time of year when we picture ourselves someplace warm, someplace where we don’t have to shovel or salt or slip on the ice. We picture our future selves complaining about the heat six months from now. We picture green lawns and barbecues and a world a little less cold. This is good practice.

Christians need a sense of imagination. As Howard Thurman pointed out, to follow the example of Jesus takes a profound act of imagination. In order to meet other people where they are and treat them as if they have already achieved the fullness of their potential takes imagination. It takes picturing ourselves in other’s situations long enough to appreciate their particularity and love them because of it. It assumes that every person with whom we come in contact is a brother or sister in Christ.

What would it mean to use our imagination more frequently? How might our interactions with family members or co-workers or fellow con-gregants change? What would we say to the woman who takes our parking spot or the man who expresses his frustration over our crying child? How might it affect the way we think about ourselves? What would it mean for our world?

This is a season of grace. While winter can be cold and long, it is also a time when we appreciate the warmth of fellowship. Perhaps in those moments over the next couple of months when we find ourselves frustrated by the constant cold, we can remember the gift of imagination and together picture a world changed by God’s grace. Fortunately, God’s grace is a gift for all seasons. Imagine.

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

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AFUMC newsministry and space task Force Update

The Ministry & Space Task Force has continued its work of look-ing at how we utilize our campus. We have just learned that certain space on our campus that was previously thought to be unus-able may be available to us due to recent changes in the city code which are now friendlier to historic buildings. This space is the third floor of 1050 East Avenue (the grey stone building to the east of the church, also known as

the Wilson Soule House), which has been reviewed several times over the past few decades, but was not usable due to city code. We have engaged Bero Architecture to study this further and we have had a preliminary meeting with the City of Rochester to begin exploration. Since the third floor has not been used in many decades, major renovations would be needed, including heat. We are also looking at accessi-bility. The potential of having this space available to us has

opened up many new possibilities and will greatly affect the six scenarios that we have previously generated. Since some of the immediate campus concerns have been addressed, we feel that it is prudent to completely understand the potential of this space before we come to the congregation with any recommendations.

We hope to better understand the time line over the next four weeks as we work with our architect. We expect to be back in communication with you at that time. No decisions have yet been made as to space usage or potential changes to the campus. We continue to evolve our planning and as-sessment and, as always, welcome your ideas, sudden inspira-tions, and dreams for how we can best utilize the space that we have. Please continue to share your ideas at AFMinistry-andSpace@gmail.com or by contacting Chuck Hanrahan, chair of the Task Force at chuck.hanrahan@gmail.com, or 383-8794.

Craft show 2013

Thank you to all who contributed and attended our Craft Show this past December! The Storehouse successfully raised $2,400 during the sale. This is the best yet! Baked goods,

Stairway to the third floor of 1050 East Ave. The old, damaged wall-paper is clearly visible in this shot.

Continued on page 12

January 31, 2014

Asbury First has always been a welcoming church for all God’s people. Yet nowhere do we make a statement that explicitly states

this welcome. Recent actions of the United Methodist Church regarding the welcome for all God’s children into the full fellowship

and ministry of the church as well as actions taken against pastors who have sought to be inclusive in their ministry has caused us to

search our hearts and actions in this context.

In concert with each other, a group of Asbury First members has been prayerfully giving thought to our own church’s advocacy for the

wide spectrum of persons who seek the benefits of becoming part of this community of faith. We desire to be in conversation with

the congregation about becoming a Reconciling Congregation…one which openly and specifically invites ALL … including lesbian,

gay, bisexual or transgender persons ... into the fellowship of the church. Very soon we will be inviting members of the congregation to

join our conversations for a full and open dialogue on this and other related topics. We believe and anticipate that this will be accom-

plished in both small and large groups over the course of the next several months. Please look for further communications and, if you

currently have a desire to be in contact with us, email me at ncspeck@gmail.com.

Peace,

Nancy Specht, chair, Reconciling Ministries Committee

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in CommunityOur Living

Sunday Service TimeS8:30 a.m.Traditional Worship with Asbury Singers

10:00 a.m.Informal Worship with Holy Communion

11:00 a.m.Traditional Worship with Sanc-tuary Choir

Sunday february 23Seventh Sunday after EpiphanyMatthew 5:38-48Rev. Stephen M. Cady, preacher

Sunday march 2Transfiguration SundayRev. Lawrence Hargrave, preacher

WORSHIPworship scheduleWedneSday, march 5Ash Wednesday6:30 p.m.

Sunday march 9First Sunday in LentGenesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7Rev. Susan Shafer, preacher

Sunday march 16Second Sunday in LentJohn 3:1-17Rev. Stephen M. Cady, preacher

Sunday march 23Third Sunday in LentExodus 17:1-7Rev. Stephen M. Cady, preacher

serving those Who serve—a thank You to RaiHn Volunteers2014 marks the tenth year that Asbury First has served as a host church in the RAIHN (Rochester Area Interfaith Hospitality

Network) program. As a host church, Asbury First is home for homeless families for a week four times a year. During that time,

hundreds of volunteers participate in this important effort.

In recognition of this ten years of service and the many volunteers who have helped create a home and meals for those in

need, an Asbury First RAIHN volunteer appreciation dinner is being held on April 8. This special dinner is a thank you for the

gifts of time and talent given to the RAIHN program by volunteers. All past and present RAIHN volunteers are welcome to at-

tend. For those who do not receive an e-mail invitation, call or e-mail the below-listed contact persons for additional informa-

tion and to make reservations.

At the last Asbury First RAIHN week, 67 people volunteered to help create a home and meals on the Asbury First campus.

They provided hospitality to five homeless families– eight adults and seven children (ranging from ten months to age 11.) The

volunteers worked 400.5 hours, making beds, preparing and serving meals, visiting with the families, cleaning and helping out

where needed.

The Asbury First RAIHN program has a continuing need for volunteers, especially for evening hospitality, Saturday shifts, and

overnights. The upcoming RAIHN week at Asbury First is March 2 through 9. If you, or a group to which you belong, want to

be a part of this important volunteer effort, please contact Chris and Doug Lee at (585) 451-7692 or c_s_lee29@msn.com or

contact Melody Guadagnino, ext. 103, at the church office (271-1050).

Births & BaptismsGod has sealed you unto

love and grace divine.

Alana Badrinauthdaughter of Kevin Badrinauth and Bibi Ali, baptized on

February 9, 2014.

William Michael Dennisson of Brett and Jennifer Dennis, baptized on February 9, 2014.

DeathsMerciful God, we entrust to your

never-failing care and love.

We offer our prayers and sympathy to the family and friends of Mary Swett

who died on January 17, 2014.

5

on holy ground

I am struck by the ways in which we touch people’s lives by our

presence, and in our silence. I am reminded of the women who stood at the foot of the cross while Jesus was crucified. The gospels don’t report that they said any-thing. All of the words came from Jesus. The women were there, giv-ing their presence, in their silent support of the man they loved, the son she cherished, the friend who had changed their lives. Part of me wonders at this – how could they be so si-lent? Another part of me realizes that their silence may have been a gift to Jesus – what more could have been done at that point? Words were fruitless. Their role was to be present for their loved one.

In the gospels, Joseph is silent, he never says a word. His betrothed is found to be pregnant. The gospel writer reports nothing on how Joseph reacts to this. In this silence I read support: Joseph’s support of Mary.

Other places in the gospels where there is

LabyrinthWednesdays in Lent

5:00-7:00 p.m

•Taizé Service

Wednesdays in Lent6:00-6:45 p.m

The Solace of Silenceby Katherine Thiel

silence include the woman who anoints Je-sus with nard. She never says a word. Some of those who are healed by Jesus thank him; others are silent.

Silence can hold God. In the story of Elijah, God is actually in the silence. This story calls us to search for God in quiet mo-ments. These quiet moments can stretch into reflection and meditation and offer us glimpses of our God-given selves. God is in the silence.

Presence and silence often work together

to provide comfort. Years ago as I told a painful story to a friend, his response was, “I wish I’d been there.” His words comforted me to tears, and I imagined Meyer there with me, sitting. No words attached themselves to my image, or his wish, it was presence that he knew had been needed. It was his desire to be present that moved me.

In the story of Gilgamesh, Gil-gamesh and his friend Enkidu are described sitting together, “con-

tinuing.” This word elicits an image to me of companionship that does not require words; of feelings that do not require ver-balization.

Sometimes it is more difficult to be silent than to fill the air with words. Yet it can be in this silence that God has the opportunity to speak to us. As we journey through Lent together, may we watch for and enjoy the precious moments in which God is at work in silence.

Lent begins on March 5, and with it comes the tradition of “giving something up” for the season. An internet survey reports that among the top 100 things people give up for Lent are:

• chocolate • Facebook • coffee • meat • procrastination

This Lenten season, however, I invite us to think of what we can add to our lives to enhance our daily existence and the lives of those around us. Here are only five suggestions. If you already do these, I encourage you to do them more often!

• pause• meditate• rejuvenate• listen• dance

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by Rev. Linda ClemowF o r m V e r s u s F u n c t i o n

Recently someone in one of my classes wanted to know why we were doing what we were doing. She wanted to know what the end result of her work would be: would there be an final product that had a function? Obviously this was not a painting class – The end result of a painting class is a painting. This was a fabric collage class. Yes, one can make a functional prod-uct with fabric collage. But my student’s question echoed an age-old discussion in the arts. Is it useful if it serves no practical purpose? What is the purpose of art?

Well, I had a lot to say! I rambled on about the spiritu-al benefits of being in an act of creation. About how the Holy Spirit guides the inner artist. About how we become a whole-brained person when we use our under-used right side of the brain. I talked about how we could use this time as meditation, or for fun or inner renewal. And I told her that in this class – in all my classes – we were to concen-trate on the process, not the product. All these things are true and I’ve written about all them in previous articles. But all of these reasons really missed the point.

The actual question is: Does art have to have a purpose to be a valid pursuit? Why must art have a functional, practical use to be considered worthy – worthy of what? Articles, dissertations, pages and pages have been written on this topic.

Often it feels as if art is the first thing voted out of the school curriculum. Then comes music and then sports. These are all things that make us whole and interesting people. If you have seen the movies The Monuments Men or The Rape of Europa on PBS then you are aware that the

art of a civilization is what lasts. It is through art that we get to know ancient or unfa-miliar cultures. That is a really great reason to make art!

However, I think and I feel that those who are called to create art do not need to have a reason or a purpose. The end product does not have to “be anything.” If you feel the need, the call to participate in the creation of art, then you should do so … and only because you want to.

Remember to call me at 236-1184 to find out about our upcoming classes and to sug-gest a class I should offer.

Saturday-Sunday, april 5-6

camp asbury, Silver Lake, ny

Led by spiritual director bonnie matthaidess, and based on the book Praying In Color: Drawing a New Path to God, by Sybil macbeth.

cost: (including one night’s stay at camp asbury, lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday) is $90. Scholarships are available.

Learn a new way to pray with the help of a book that critics call “The most invigorating and en-abling book about prayer ... in years!” MacBeth’s witty and wise words will help you to talk to God in a bold, unexpected, and whimsical way. Bonnie Matthaidess, a member of Asbury First, is a seasoned spiritual director and lay minister who currently serves as a Prayer Guide at Mercy Prayer Center in Rochester. Being with people, listening to their personal stories, and hearing how this connects with God’s story brings her great joy. We hope you will join us for a meaningful gathering as we learn from Bonnie and each other, share fellowship and worship, and enjoy Camp Asbury. Questions? contact Rev. Susan Shafer, 271-1050 x110 or sshafer@asburyfirst.org or Kathy Thiel at 271-1050 x112, or kthiel@asburyfirst.org). Please register by contacting Melody Guagagnino at 271-1050 x103 or mguadagnino@asburyfirst.org by Friday, March 21.

Women’s Retreat nn

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scott Ross Joins the asbury First staffThe middle of a Rochester

winter, when shoveling snow and other weather-relat-ed tasks are a daily occurrence, is no time for an organization to be without a property care manager. So when Jason Franklin bid Asbury First a fond farewell just before Christmas to take up a new job as director of facilities management for Episcopal SeniorLife Commu-nities, AFUMC church leaders acted promptly to fill this vital church position. Soon after the new year began, member Scott Ross was hired as Asbury First’s new property care manager.

Scott, his wife Kim, and their twin 9-year-old daughters Ella and Georgia, found Asbury First when they were looking for a preschool for the girls. Soon the family began attending ser-vices at the church. “We were struck by Asbury First’s environ-ment of acceptance, positivity and love,” says Scott, “which is why we wanted to be a part of the church.”

The new job is something of a change for Scott. With a bachelor’s degree in engineer-ing, Scott originally had a very different career path planned. A student co-op experience while an undergraduate at RIT, how-ever, changed his mind. “My co-op was less than compel-ling. It’s not big industry’s fault – but that experience made me realize that being a cog in the wheel in a big corporation wasn’t for me.”

Soon after he graduated, in 1991, Scott founded Scott Ross

Painting and Restoration, a full service company that handles multifaceted indoor residential and commercial painting and wallpapering projects. With two to four employees, Scott worked to provide a high-quali-ty product, developing long-term relationships with many clients. In addition, he has been the “go to” painter for local interior designers, builders, and other contractors, with whom he would sub-contract to pro-vide services on their jobs.

Scott and his team often handled challenging situations: matching new construction to vintage or existing homes, for example, or applying gold leaf to the crown moulding in the Memorial Art Gallery’s audito-rium. Scott even found himself

at the George Eastman house, where he painted and wallpa-pered the bedroom of George Eastman’s mother Maria.

Scott’s many talents are cer-tainly needed at Asbury First. The property care manager position is responsible for the maintenance, cleaning, event preparation, and resources of Asbury First’s three-building campus. Scott supervises and works with a staff of five to see to the day-to-day needs of the church. The property care man-ager is responsible for submit-ting and managing a budget and working with the Trustees to determine strategic mainte-nance goals for the church. In addition to indoor and outdoor maintenance, carpentry, electri-cal, plumbing and HVAC skills,

the property care manager must have strong interpersonal skills and a demonstrated apti-tude for management.

It’s a tall order, indeed, but Scott is eager to accept all the challenges facing him. “Asbury First is a special place for me,” he said. I have never been around a group of more positive, faith-ful and loving people. When Kim and I saw the announce-ment in the church bulletin about Jason leaving, it made us think: if I was ever to leave my business, what would compel me to do so? The answer was that it would take a rare op-portunity to work in a beautiful environment, in a somewhat autonomous way, with people I love, and never have to worry about slow periods (in the painting business) again.”

After two weeks on the job, what does Scott like best about being on the Asbury First staff? “There are a number of incred-ibly dedicated volunteers that I get to work with who keep this church going,” he says. “We should all be very grateful to them. This church is amazingly vital and alive every minute of every day. I was afraid the job would not be active enough, but I’ve found that I never sit down and sometimes forget to eat lunch!”

We hope all our members and friends will take the opportuni-ty to welcome Scott to his new job when they see him – if they can catch him in a rare quiet moment!

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Asbury First uMC

How 2013 Finished:The budget for 2013 had planned spending exceeding the planned income by $85,000. We were fortunate to have

that amount available from previous years so the budget was balanced. In actuality, we received $15,000 more in-

come than budgeted and spent $15,000 less than budgeted. The result was we only used $55,000 of carryover from

2012. That means we received $55,000 less than we spent last year. Key points were:

Income income 2014 budget 2013 Actual

Pledge Donations $ 1,026,188 $ 984,497

Unpledged Donations $ 66,500 $ 83,025

Designated Gifts $ 158,750 $ 181,922

Subtotal Contributions $ 1,251,438 $ 1,249,444

Designated Fundraising $ 140,000 $ 151,490

Plate Contributions $ $25,000 $ 34,212

Property Usage $ 80,000 $ 78,958

Endowment Income $ 242,000 $ 183,680

Endowment for Growth $ 0 $ 50,000

Other $ 3,000 $ 8,806

Carryover from previous year*

$ 169,394 $ 215,788

tOtAL $ 1,910,832 $ 1,972,378

Expensesincome 2014 budget 2013 Actual

Staffing $ 906,740 $ 908,438

Utilities and maintenance $ 236,700 $ 216,924

Administrative $ 69,500 $ 81,089

Conference Apportionment $ 174,515 $ 171,118

Worship & Devotional

$ 47,000 $ 46,223

Education $ 69,223 $ 77,104

Communications $ 36,600 $ 32,420

Membership Care $ 14,550 $ 19,774

Outreach/Discretionary Funds

$ 250,000 $ 249,892

tOtAL $ 1,804,828 $ 1,802,982

Net Operating Surplus $ 105,994 $ 169,394

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An

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atin

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lan

2014 AnnuAL OperAting pLAn (AOp)

Rather than describing what each account in the budget means, I thought this year I would share key points of the

budget and hope to make it a simple discussion. The way we categorize expenses in the budget is not a good way to

describe how and why we spend the money received. The Staffing, Utilities & Maintenance (of the Church facilities)

and Administrative categories dominate the spending. But that is natural of a Church. The staff and facilities make

all the Ministerial Programs happen. So we really only spend the Church income in five ways: for Worship & Arts,

Education, Communications, Membership Care & Evangelism and Outreach. (Even much of the money transferred

to the Conference goes for Outreach initiatives.) We enter 2014 financially strong as we carefully manage the gifts

received from the congregation. Our budget for 2014 is our best estimate of how we will spend the gifts received

from hundreds upon hundreds of families and visitors of the Church. Asbury First remains blessed by the strong

support of the congregation as we move forward!

*includes designated and undesignated funds.

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1 pLedge inCOMe reCeived was down $32,000 from 2012.

2 inCOMe FrOM MeMbers whO did nOt MAke pLedges and non-members was up $11,000 from 2012.

3 pLAte COLLeCtiOns (cash) was up $13,000 over 2012.

4 designAted giFts and designated fundraising received (those donations that are specified to be spent in specific ways) was very

strong at $234,000, about the same as 2012.

5 spending On OutreACh activities was $25,000 higher than we had forecasted as a result of added fundraising efforts and gener-

ous designated gifts.

6 spending On ALL the OperAtiOns of the Church was $15,000 less than forecasted.

2014 Budget:For a second year in a row, we have put together a budget that spends more than we receive (by $50,000). Fortunately,

this money still exists from previous years. In total, the spending requested in 2014 is $1,804,838. The key points of

this year’s budget are:

1 pLedges reCeived from the congregation are up $44,000 from 2013 or 6 percent. (This includes a forecast of pledges from new

members, amounts exceeding pledges and individuals who complete their previous year’s pledges.)

2 the trAnsFer FrOM the endOwMent is up $34,000 from 2013. In 2013, this money went to specific Growth activities but

this year is made available to support all the Operations of the Church. (Another $22,000 increase in the Endowment transfer is just an

accounting change in the money that is used to support minor maintenance of the Church campus.)

3 the stAFF is budgeted at the same level as the end of 2013. Staff includes the ministers, the administrative staff, the staff to sup-

port the music program and the custodial staff.

4 The amount of the COnFerenCe AppOrtiOnMent is the same as last year.

5 the direCt spending on all the activities of the Church is the same as last year.

6 spending On OutreACh is outlooked to be the same as last year..

Financial Summary / 2014 Annual Operating Plan

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AdditiOnAL pLedge suppOrt Letter?

Budgeting to continue to spend more than is received is not possible in the long run. It is believed that the

cost to fund the Church’s operations is not going to reduce. No one wants fewer programs. Therefore, it was

necessary to request the added financial support from the congregation to fund the current staff, facilities

and programs. At the time of the writing of the original letter everyone received, there was a $75,000 short-

fall in income. In the first week of January, items changed allowing the budget to be proposed with a $50,000

shortfall in funding (which would come from previous year’s carryover). As of Feb 3, $32,000 has been

received in added pledges against the need of $50,000. Thanks to everyone for such prayerful added support.

– Doug Major, Chair, Finance Committee

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youth ministry news

Pie for Pi saleMarch 14 is fast approaching and you know what that means? An excellent excuse to eat pie! The Greek letter π (pi) was popularized by Leonhard Euler in his 1748 work Introductio in analysis infinitorum where he wrote "for the sake of brevity we will write this number as π; thus π is equal to half the circumference of a circle with radius 1." Thanks to this appellation, and the English mispronunciation of the Greek letter π (it’s actually pronounced just like our english letter "p"), we now have a mouthwatering homonym of π and pie.

With that bit of education under our belts now we can get to the tasty portions. Each year our youth group bakes and sells pies in honor of this national holiday. Pi is often abbreviated as 3.14, and so March 14 is celebrated around the country as a day to improve our own circum-ference and enjoy a slice or two of pie. In honor of this tradition, our youth will be selling pies for $10 on Sunday, March 9 in the Welcoming Hall following each of the services. All proceeds from our sale will go to help diminish the costs of our summer mission trip to Chicago, Illinois. And if you are feeling especially mathematical, be sure to save a slice of pie for March 14 at 1:59:26! – Mike Mullin

On a blistery weekend in Jan-uary, 11 of our sixth-eighth

grade youth traveled to United Methodist Camp Casowasco to join 40 other youth from five youth groups from around New York for the "Solid" Youth Retreat. During our retreat we excelled in a stre-ball tournament, par-ticipated in the NOlympics, had worship led by a rock band, and had discussions about what it meant to hunger for God.

"Stre-Ball" (pronounced stree-ball) is a combination of street hockey and broom ball. If that still doesn’t quite put a picture in your mind, imagine street hockey played with a foam dodgeball instead of a puck and the hockey sticks that are never allowed to be raised above waist level. Several youth teams partici-pated in this event, and our youth made it to the championship game. This game was one of the most exciting in stre-ball history (according to the Casowasco staff) but our youth lost 2-1 in overtime. How-ever, in the counselor game later that day,

our adult leaders (Josh and Maggie Pinke and Mike Mullin) helped lead their team to victory 3-0.

On Saturday evening our youth banded together for the NOlympics. For this event each youth group was given a color (ours was blue) and were told to come up with a team name and flag. Our group decided to be the Bravehearts, and thanks to Mag-gie Pinke, who brought face paint and artistic talent, we had the look to go along with the team name. Our youth then competed in events that are no longer part of our Olympic games (e.g. 10,000

meter walk, archery, pentathlon, two-handed discus, etc.)

Even though the weekend was chock full of fun, we also had some amazing group worship experi-ences, and a highlight for some of our youth were the group discus-sions following each of the wor-ship sessions. During this time, we would get to gather as our youth group and reflect on the stories that were shared during worship. These included Jesus’ resurrection and appearance on the road to Em-

maus and the miracle of the loaves and the fishes as recorded by John, among others. Our youth were surprised by how much they could actually relate to these stories and were excited to be able to discuss them in what was perceived as a very "non-classroom-style" setting.

This was the first year we have participat-ed in this event, but based on our experi-ence, and the unanimous vote of all who attended, we will be looking forward to returning next year--and possibly even securing the stre-ball victory :)!

Youth Retreat to Camp Casowasco

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sunday, march 99:45-10:45 a.m.Fellowship Hall

Come and hear as Stephen Cady shares some

of his doctoral analysis of the significance

(or insignificance in this case) of corporate

worship practices with young people in United

Methodist congregations. He will share part

of his qualitative research and hint at both the

root of the problem and the way congregations

might address this challenge.

A Problem of Magnitude: Worship with Young People in The United Methodist Church

Come along and “Walk with Jesus” for our Annual Pretzel Sunday Celebration on Sunday, March 16

from 9:45 a.m.-noon in Fellowship Hall. Children in preschool through fifth grade are invited to join

us as we travel with some of Jesus’ disciples and meet some of the people Jesus met during his life. Along

this journey the children will hear stories, sing songs, play games and – of course – make pretzels as they

learn about how Jesus interacted with these people in the Bible. We look forward to having your family

join us for this special Asbury First Lenten tradition.

Pretzel SundaySunday, March 16 ~ 9:45 a.m.-noon

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Fifteen new members of Asbury First were treated to a luncheon following the 11:00 a.m. service on February 2nd. They

were joined in the 1010 East Avenue dining room by their families, the pastors, and those who were in previous new

member classes from May through December, 2013. This bi-annual luncheon was hosted by Embrace, a ministry group

dedicated to welcoming those new to our congregation by providing hospitality and friendship.

Welcome ourNew MembersNew Members

Seated in front, l to r: Emily Wold, Thea Ziegler, Bonnie Matthaidess, Colleen Mattioli, Stephanie Snyder, Cassandra Jordan, Jeffrey Lamica. Standing, l to r: Cheryl Kodjo, Cory Tylenda, Dan Matthaidess, Marti Sweitzer, Gail Wold, Roger Haas, Dawn Haas, Patrick Mattioli (with his son Lucas), Jason Snyder, Tim Lamica, Carol Lamica, Joe Lamica, Allison Lamica, Johanna Mahan, Martha Richardson, and Kathleen Leahy. Missing from this photo are Rachel Stuart, Ty Pierce, Lindsey and David Moore, Carol Harrington, Alexander Long, Helen Cover, and Ruth McConnell.

saturday, march 223:00 p.m.

a program of solo piano works from German, French and American composers spanning two centuries, exploring devotional and

meditative traditions including Jewish, Roman Catholic and Lutheran. Though every piece is appropriate for the Lenten season, they will not all

be sad and slow! A benefit concert in support of Genesee Area Campus Ministries, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Lenten Reflections at the P ianofeaturing pianist Russell Miller

13

Salon Concert Seriesat a s b u r y F i r s t

The

s u n d ay, M a r c h 2 3 | 2 : 0 0 p . M . Mozart Trio in G Major, K. 564

Saint-Saens Trio no 1 in F Major, Op. 18

Featuring Rebecca Penneys, piano; Mikhail Kopelman, violin;

and Stefan Reuss, cello.

To reserve your tickets call the church office at (585) 271-1050 x103.

Tickets are $30 in advance; $35 at the door/free for full-time students.

crafts and gently used items were plentiful. Many volun-teers were involved as well as some new Rochester artisans thanks to the efforts of Hen-rietta Foster. We look forward to planning for next year very soon. We appreciate your support and donations. Keep us in mind during the next holiday rush!

a Word of thanks From member ginn FitchThank you to the Roudebush Circle of the United Methodist Women! Words cannot express the treasured warmth and heart-caring you gave me on Tuesday, November 19 in my final leadership role. God bless you all! Love, Ginn Fitch.

Church Women United newsCWU will observe the 2014 World Day of Prayer, on March 7, with a meeting at Asbury First at 1:30 p.m. The speaker will be AFUMC senior minister, Rev. Susan Shafer, who will reflect on the day’s theme, “streams in the desert.” There is no regis-tration required, and attendance is free and open to all.

CorrectionLast month in our “Living in Community” section we incorrectly listed the parents of Austin Frederick Anderson as Lindsey and David Moore. Austin, born on December 25 in Santa Cruz, CA, is actually the son of Eric and Sara Anderson, and he is the grandson of Don and Jan Anderson. We apologize for the confusion!

Honors for aFUmC FriendsTwo members of the Asbury First community were honored in late January at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, at events centered on the work and teaching of Dr. Mar-tin Luther King Jr. Asbury First’s minister for outreach, Rev. Lawrence Hargrave, received the first Rev. Raymond Graves Award for Community Service and Social Justice in honor of his tireless advocacy for issues of social justice. Rev. Stuart Mitchell III, meanwhile, chair of the CRCDS board of trustees and president/CEO of Pathstone, was honored as an Every-day Hero for his life’s work in the areas of affordable housing, social justice and civil right. Congratulations for both of these gentlemen on honors that are well-deserved. We are proud of you!

AFUMC News, Continued from page 3

14

Library news

Children:Charley’s First Night, by Amy Hest.This charming story is about a new puppy and his first night with his new owner in his new home—a challenge for both the puppy and the little boy owner. It is recommended for ages 3-6.

God is Bigger than the Boogie Man, by Cindy Kenny.God is Bigger than the Boogie Man teaches kids about trust, thankfulness, truth, courage, selflessness, and more. It’s a great way for a child to end the day with this Veggie Tales’ bedtime story. Ages 4-7 will enjoy it.

In God’s Name, by Sandy Eisenberg Stasso.The author tells how people use different names for God—names like Warrior, Healer, Comforter, Savior, Source of Life, and Creator of Light. The lesson being that, although people are of different faiths, they all call upon the same God.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, by William Joyce.A magnificently illustrated book-about-books inspired by his 2011 animated short film of the same name, which won an Oscar. The unusual sequence of film-to-book suggests that while books are indeed glorious things, what really matters is the story. For ages 4-8.

Teens:Growing Up Muslim, by Simbal Ali Karamali.This book, especially for ages 10-13, is about the author, who grew up Muslim in California. She explains the Muslim religion, how it is cel-ebrated, and the differences between non-Islamic and Islamic families—including what Muslims eat, dress, their holidays, Muhammad, and the different types of Muslims.

Come explore the church library resources for all ages. The following are the March selections recommended for your reading. Stop by and take a look at the many diverse books available in the library’s collection. The library is located just off the gathering space near

the elevators. Everyone is welcome and it’s FREE!

The Lost Songs, by Caroline Cooney.Readers in grades 7–10 will enjoy this book about Lutie, an intelligent South Carolinian teenager with a drug-addicted mother and a decision about making Lutie’s family folk songs public. Lutie is one of four teen central characters of different races featured in this book.

Adults:I am Malala : The Girl who Stood up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban, by Malala Yousatzai.I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terror-ism, of the fight for girls’ education, and of Malala’s parents’ fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.

An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny, by Laura Stoff.An Invisible Thread is the true story of a friendship that has spanned three decades and brought meaning to an over-scheduled professional and hope to a hungry and desperate boy living on the streets.

ParentingThe Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More, by Bruce Feiler. This is an exploration of new ideas on family dynamics by bestselling author and New York Times family columnist Bruce Feiler. Secrets is a bold first-of-its-kind playbook for today’s families.

Quiet Mind, by David Kundtz.Quiet Mind is an invitation to rest, find peace, awaken, and remember. It offers deceptively simple wisdom to help readers sharpen their senses and make room for life.

February23 1 John 2:7-2924 1 John 3:1-2425 1 John 4:1-2126 1 John 5:1-2127 2 John28 3 John

march1 Colossians 1:1-232 Colossians 1:24-2:193 Colossians 2:20-3:174 Colossians 4:2-18

5 Psalm 516 Psalm 567 Psalm 578 Matthew 6:1-189 Matthew 4:1-1110 Matthew 4:12-2511 1 Samuel 1:1-28

12 1 Samuel 2:1-1113 2 Samuel 7:18-2914 2 Samuel 22:1-2815 2 Samuel 22:29-5116 1 Kings 8:1-2117 1 Kings 8:22-5318 1 Kings 8:54-66

19 1 Kings 3:1-1520 Psalm 1121 Psalm 1222 Psalm 1623 Psalm 1724 Psalm 2125 Psalm 2326 Psalm 2527 Psalm 2628 Psalm 2729 Psalm 2830 Psalm 3031 Psalm 31

Scripture reading suggestions courtesy of the American Bible Society, www.americanbible.org.

15

the last word1 by Michele Cooley 2

There is always something new

and exciting happening at the

Dining Center. Over the past

few years we have welcomed

interns from local colleges who

have an interest in homeless-

ness. Students bring a hopeful

enthusiasm and an open-

minded sense of compassion

for others. This semester we

are fortunate to have RIT

journalism and photo-journal-

ism majors.

Their class is called Reporting and Writing, a core class for

RIT’s journalism major taught

by Professor Hinda Mandell. I

spoke to Brandon Artz about

his participation in the class

and his expectations regard-

ing the Asbury Dining and

Caring Center. While taking

this class, Brandon has faith-

fully arrived at the DCC every

Friday morning at 6:45 a.m. to

serve our guests, and observe

first-hand the impact of hun-

ger and homelessness on our

guests.

“We typically meet three

times a week but the professor

encourages much field report-

ing and community work to

supplement our classroom

time. Being active in the com-

munity helps us to network,

find sources, give back, and

experience firsthand the issue

of hunger (and its intersection

with poverty) in Rochester.

Essentially, we are looking for

inspiration in our semester-

long focus on writing about

and reporting on the theme of

hunger in Rochester. Get-

ting to work with something

and experience the humanity

involved is the truest way to

know something. What better

way to experience the integral

role of community in journal-

ism than to help others?

“As for our actual assign-

ment, we are in the early

stages of planning a single,

hunger-based article that the

entire semester will revolve

around. We won’t necessarily

be blogging or journaling our

weekly experiences at Asbury

First (although I probably will

personally) but simply getting

ideas and helping out.

“A little bit about myself: my

name is Brandon Artz, I am a

third year journalism student.

I’m from all over the eastern

half of the U.S.: was born and

A Slice of Life raised on Cleveland Ohio but

lived for the longest time in

Texas (Dallas and Austin).

Most recently I worked in

business management for

the last five years in down-

town Chicago, Ill. I moved to

Rochester in September 2013.

I’m eager to get involved here

because I have a firm belief

that communities are most

effective when looking out for

all members of society. People

have a natural tendency to trip

and fall, and we should all be

there to help them back up.

Simply put, helping those less

fortunate feels good! It’s fulfill-

ing and purposeful. I’m of the

firm belief that journalism is

a key component to a healthy

democracy, and writing about

the human condition interests

me. Human interest stories are

what I specialize in.”

Thanks to all of our students

who come faithfully to the

Dining and Caring Center to

enhance their perspective on

life and generosity. This is a

slice of life and a population

that many would avoid. The

Dining Center brings all kinds

of people together for many

reasons. We are all learning

from each other and are happy

to be here.

PERIODICAL

1050 East AvenueRochester, NY 14607-2293

Address Service Requested

Wednesday March 56:30 p.m.

We begin the holy season of Lent with a service that reminds us of our humanity and our reliance on the gift of God’s love. Holy Communion will be available, and participants may, if they wish, receive ashes in the form of a cross on their forehead.

We also invite you to join us for our other Lenten worship services:

TaizéEvery Wednesday in Lent

6:00 p.m.A contemplative service featuring music, Holy word, and silence.

LabyrinthEvery Wednesday in Lent

5:00-7:00 p.m.An ancient practice, walking the labyrinth helps you to center yourself and re-connect with the divine in your life. Labyrinth

stewards are on hand to answer your questions.