In ThIs Issue

Benedictine Retreat, 4

Chacocente Update, 5

A Visible Ministry, 7

Pledge Card, 9

October Events, 10

Digital Church, 12

Pumpkin Patch, 16

Asbury First United Methodist Church NewsletterSeptember 2014 • Vol. XLVIII No. 8 • www.asburyfirst.org

TheVisitor

Making Visible the Invisible: Our Stewardship Drive for 2015

2

Mission stateMent

staffSenior MinisterMinister for Faith Formation – Hospitality & Membership Care Minister for Outreach and Community Connection MinistriesMusic Administrator; Assistant OrganistDirector of MusicChildren’s Ministry Co-CoordinatorDirector of Youth MinistriesFinancial AdministratorAdministrative AssistantProperty Care ManagerDining & Caring CenterDirectorCommunications Director& EditorOrganistDirector, Children’s MusicDirector, Youth MusicDirector, Bell ChoirDirector, Asbury Singers Director, Youth TheaterArtist in Residence

Unless otherwise noted, photos are by Greg Francis.

Cover: AFUMC’s senior pastor, Rev. Susan Shafer, makes visible the invisible spirit and love of God through her work every day.

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, October 3

Rev. Susan S. ShaferRev. Dr. Stephen M. Cady II

Rev. Lawrence Hargrave

David T. Strong

Dr. William J. WeinertPaula Dugan

Mike MullinRichard Moncrief

Melody GuadagninoScott Ross

Michele Cooley

Mary Van Keuren

Duane A. PrillBozena Granat

Carol LamicaElizabeth Church

Brian BohrerLarry Dugan

Rev. Linda Clemow

The VisitorVol. XLVIII no. 8

(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.

VisibilityA Pastoral Reflection

We can never fully know what is going on in an-other person’s life. Sure, we often hear the basics (we have our ways), but much of what people are going through remains invisible to us. How many times have we had a person pegged only to dis-cover that there was some aspect of her history, his struggle, their lives about which we had no clue? How many times have we faced something that we weren’t quite sure how to share?

This is often just as true for institutions as it is for people. Sometimes we can look from the outside, through reports and financials, and think we have a clear grasp of what is going on, only to learn, for better or worse, that we really had no clue.

Much of what happens in the day to day life of a church is not visible—from the prayers offered at the highs and lows of people’s journeys to the teams that write, edit, print, and fold our bulletins and newsletters. Ev-ery day at Asbury First there are people, volunteer and staff, who work on aspects of our ministry together that might never be noticed (unless they stopped for some reason) and which benefit our entire community. We are blessed with a congregation and staff that works hard every day to make the ministry of Asbury First possible. This fall, as a part of our 2015 Stewardship Campaign, we will be highlighting some of the less visible aspects of our life together in the hope that we might all recog-nize how our support makes ministry to all God’s children possible.

Howard Thurman used to say that every person longs for the kind of relationship in which they have no reason to pretend. Whether we are going through the best moment of our life or the worst, we long for a relationship in which we can be honest about where we are. We are fortunate to be in a very healthy place as a congregation, but if we want to maintain our health and continue to provide a place where no one has to pretend, then we need to be open with one another about what it is we do and how we can continue to live out the call that God has placed before us.

In short, we need to start making the invisible, visible.

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

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AFUMC newsTogether in Service 2014

This year, Together in Service will be October 10 through October 20. We will be bringing our time and talents together with the time and talents of the members of Baber AME to be in service to the city of Rochester. The really huge project which we will be taking on this year is painting all of the Storehouse, in prepara-tion for the celebration of their upcoming 50th anniversary.

Other places where we will serving throughout the week will be the Ronald McDonald House, Hope House, Genesis House, and St. Mary’s Adult Day Care. In addition, we will be putting together hygiene kits, healthy snack packs and grocery bags. We will be making lunches and baking once again, in support of many of the above activities.

Members of the committee from Baber African Methodist Episcopal Church and Asbury First have worked hard together to create a variety of projects which use a variety of talents and will take a variety of time commitments.

Please join us! Let’s bring our time and talents together to make a difference in Rochester! Sign-up will be the last three Sundays of September in the Welcoming Hall after services.

RAIHN Outreach Helps Homeless Families

Most of us don’t know what it feels like to be without a home, but there are families in Rochester who struggle with this prob-lem. Asbury First is one of the Rochester-area churches which has stepped up to help those families—providing safe shelter and nourishing food to parents and children in need.

2014 marks the tenth year that Asbury First has served as a host church in the RAIHN (Rochester Area Interfaith Hospital-ity Network) program. As a host church, Asbury First is home for homeless families for a week four times a year. The most recent RAIHN week was September 7-14 and coming up next is December 7-14.

At a recent RAIHN week, some 70 volunteers working 400+ hours helping to create a home and meals. They provided hospitality to four homeless families– adults and children. The volunteers made beds, prepared and served meals, visited with the families, cleaned and helped out where needed. Our inter-

generational volunteer group, ranging in age from 5 to 83, in-cluded members of at least four church organizations, couples, singles, families, several parent-child duos, a men’s group, and a weight-loss support group.

Volunteers are needed for December 7-14! It’s an opportunity to sign up with family and friends for a good cause. There are currently four Asbury First church groups participating in RAIHN — the Men’s Prayer Group, the Doublers Sunday School Class, the TOPS weight-loss group, and Embrace. The invitation is out for any other groups (classes, committees, Bible study, etc.) to participate in RAIHN. No prior experience is required and groups and individuals are all welcomed.

The RAIHN program has a continuing need for volunteers, es-pecially for evening hospitality, Saturday shifts, and overnights. If you want to be a part of this volunteer effort, please contact Chris and Doug Lee at (585) 451-7692 or c_s_lee29@msn.com or contact Melody, ext. 103, at the church office (271-1050).

New Youth Music Director Joins Asbury First Staff

We would like to welcome Carol Lamica to the Asbury First music staff as director of the youth music program, which includes directing the youth bells and youth choir and working on the annual musical. Carol previously served as the director of music at Faith UMC in Henrietta. She holds a bachelor of science in educa-tion with a specialization in music from SUNY Fredonia and a master’s degree in interdisciplinary arts for children from SUNY Brockport. Carol is a vocal music teacher in the Rush Henrietta Central School district at Roth Middle School, where she conducts two choirs, teaches string lessons, keyboard classes and general music. In addition to her teaching assignments she directs the fall theatrical productions and the spring musicals. Carol and her husband, Tim, are members of Asbury First and have three children, Emily, Allie and Joe. In her spare time she en-joys card making, spending time at the beach, rooting on the New York Yankees, and cheering for Allie and Joe in their high school sporting events.

AFUMC News, continued on page 6

4

on holy ground

Coming This Fall to Asbury First:

Carving Holy Moments“From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the name of the Lord

shall be praised.” – Psalms 113:3

saturday, november 8

8:30 am-4:00 pm

Asbury First Campus, 1010 east Ave. (red brick building next to church)

Rev. Margaret Scott and Linda Taggart, practitioners of Benedictine spirituality,

will facilitate our experience.Through prayer, reflection, and creative arts, we will

take a day off from our busy lives to focus on ways to carve out time each day to stop

and reflect. Come with an open mind, a listening heart, and willing creativity.

Register by contacting Melody Guadagnino in the church office at (585)

271-1050 x103 or mguadagnino@asburyfirst.org. Space is limited.

The following is the daily meditation from The Upper

Room for August 24, 2014, p.66:

“Where are my socks?” was the

plaintive cry from my daughter. I

hear this plea often in the rush of

getting everyone off to work and

school in the morning. Some-

times, in the midst of our busy

lives, we feel that we do not have

enough time to meditate and

praise God. Sweeping the floor,

making beds, washing clothes,

cooking meals – these required

daily tasks seem endless.

Being a homemaker reminds

me that God also expects daily

tasks from us. Having a devo-

tional time and praying without

ceasing (see Thess. 5:17) helps

us to maintain our faith and the

wellbeing of our souls. Keeping

our faith new and fresh requires

daily renewal. By taking the time

to worship by praise and prayer

each morning, we are being good

housekeepers of our souls. How-

ever, rather than being the chore

that housework can become,

this daily communion with our

Maker always brings us joy.

Prayer: Dear God, as we

struggle in our busy lives, help us

to find time for the joy of com-

munion with you – our Lord

and our Maker. Amen.

LabyrinthWednesday

October 8

5:00-7:00 p.m.

Created by the Center for Spiritual Life, On Holy Ground highlights opportunities for spiritual growth and renewal. –Mariella Carr (Texas)

(You’ll find copies of The Upper Room devotional guide in the pamphlet rack in the Welcoming Hall. Large-print editions are also available.)

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“For where two or three have gathered to-gether in My name, I am there in their midst.” – Matthew 18:20

Nicaragua is a country of devout believers in the risen Christ. Although

accurate data is difficult to find, most sources agree that more than 90 percent of Nicaraguans define themselves as Chris-tian. One of the primary goals of Project Chacocente was to build a Christian com-munity where the members lived, worked and worshiped together, lifting each other from the pit of extreme poverty. Of the eight families living on the Chacocente campus, six are Evangelical and two are Roman Catholic. The Evangelicals worship weekday evenings and Sundays, both at home churches and at a church located about 3 ½ miles away. Keep in mind: the road is often flooded during the rainy season and dusty during the dry season, making it a difficult walk. The Roman Catholics worship less frequently as there is no Catholic church in the area. For many years, the families have been asking for help to build a church for themselves and for the surrounding neighborhood. They would like it in a highly visible location so all will feel welcome for worship and fellowship. They foresee Christians of all denominations using the church building.

Thanks to God’s call within the heart of Rev. Susan Shafer, their dream is becom-ing a reality. In February of this year, the Outreach Work Area unanimously ap-proved a funding request submitted by Rev. Shafer for $10,000 to build a church for the people of Project Chacocente and the surrounding community. The total cost of building a simple church is $20,000 and a nationwide fundraising campaign orga-nized by the board of directors of Project Chacocente for the remaining $10,000 is to

Church To Be Built at Project Chacocente

begin in October. Asbury First’s gift will be used as matching funds. The families of the Project are well aware of the generosity of Asbury First members and were thrilled to hear that their prayers have been answered. They are grateful and ready to help with construction! We hope to or-ganize a team of Asbury First members to travel to Masaya, Nicaragua in 2015 for the groundbreaking. Dates have not yet been determined but we hope to schedule it at a time convenient for our church families.

The church will be located on the campus of Chacocente Christian School and will be

used for worship during the school year, for Sunday worships for varying denomi-nations, and for weekday fellowship and worship. Visiting delegations from the United States will be able to worship with the families and Chacocente community during their stay. With God’s grace, the church may even become a community outreach area for the surrounding, pover-ty-stricken neighborhood. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

For questions regarding Project Chacocen-te, please contact Robyn Gage at 585-752-9070 or lgage1@rochester.rr.com .

Left, a student from Chacocente Christian School reads his Bible during recess; right, Manuela and her daughter, Tatiana, are eager to help with the building of a church.

Help the children of Chacocente Christian

School by purchasing their beautiful 2015

wall calendar

Growing up in poverty-stricken Nicaragua is

a struggle but the children of Chacocente

Christian School still have big dreams for

their future! 2015 wall calendars featuring

stunning photographs of students dressed

as the professionals they aspire to become are available for purchase. Titled

Because of You, We Can Dream the calendars are $20 each. Your purchase supports

the tuition-free, full-day school, which serves those living in dire poverty in rural

Nicaragua. To order your calendar, email Robyn Gage at lgage1@rochester.rr.com or

call 752-9070.

6

Asbury First News, continued from page 2

in CommunityOur Living

sunday service tiMes8:30 a.m. – Traditional Worship10:00 a.m. – Informal Worship with Holy Communion11:00 a.m. – Traditional Worship

sunday septeMber 28Matthew 21:23-32Rev. Lawrence Hargrave, preacher

sunday october 5(World Communion Sunday)Philippians 3:4b-14Rev. Susan S. Shafer, preacher

WORSHIPworship schedulesunday october 12Matthew 22:1-14Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Cady II, preacher

sunday october 19Matthew 22:15-22Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Cady II, preacher

sunday october 26Matthew 22:34-46Rev. Susan S. Shafer, preacher

sunday noveMber 2Joshua 3:7-17Rev. Susan S. Shafer, preacher

Births & BaptismsGod has sealed you unto

love and grace divine

William Robert Dinkinsson of Robert and Jaclyn Lindsey,

baptized on August 17, 2014.

Jillian Alexis Smithdaughter of Jeffrey and Gwen Smith, baptized on August 17,

2014.

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

Jeannine Boyd Edwards & Ron Corsaro

married on May 25, 2014.

Sarah Pollicove & Brian Costello

married on June 7, 2014.

Ashley Rogers & Quinn Wright

married on July 19, 2014.

Emily Wold & Jeff Camardello

married on August 16, 2014.

DeathsMerciful God, we entrust to your

never-failing care and love.

We offer our prayers and sympathy to:

Family and friends of Stuart Montgomery

who died on August 15, 2014 in Las Vegas, NV.

Helen and Alan Codd on the death of Helen’s mother Madeline Ferrigno

on August 21, 2014.

Family and friends of Ellen Holmes

who died on August 24, 2014.

Bill and Carolyn Curran on the death of Carolyn’s mother

Bettie M. Ott on Sept. 7, 2014 in Macon, GA.

Golf Committee Gratitude

The Golf Committee would like to thank all those who participated in the golf tournament in August at Mill Creek Golf Club, and especially our major sponsors: Anthony Funeral Home, Canandaigua National Bank, Federated Clover Investment Services, Jines Restaurant, and Manning and Napier. The tournament raised $14,200 – a new record for the four-year-old event – which was split between the Storehouse, the Dining and Caring Center, and the youth mission trip. Next year’s tournament is already in the works: it will be held at Eagle Vail Golf Club on July 13, 2015. Mark your calendars now!

Welcome to Our New Soloist

We are pleased to welcome Susan Huppe as our new mezzo soprano choir section leader and soloist. Susan, a member of AFUMC, attended Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and the Eastman School of Music. She worked in the Washington metro area singing with the Washington Opera, Washington Bach Consort, Charlottesville Oratorio Society, and others. Susan returned home to Rochester and began singing at Asbury First in the early 90s. She is thrilled to be back for the third time serving as section leader and soloist. When she’s not singing, Susan is busy teaching second grade at Village Elementary in Hilton and is the proud mom of Kate, 16, and Madeleine, 14.

Help Out at the Welcome DeskWe need you! Please join us in helping people by becoming a volunteer at the Welcome/Information Desk on Sunday morn-ings, welcoming people to church and answering questions as needed. Varied shifts are available in order to cover the desk from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This is a great way to meet people, learn about the church and make a difference! If interested please contact Janda Hemming at email: jhemming01@earth-link.net or phone 381-6902.

7

It was one of the rougher moments in AFUMC member Jim Stinehour’s life. “I lay there in bed,

disheveled in the hospital gown,” he remembers. “The day before I had been diagnosed with throat cancer and that evening had undergone a trache-otomy. I did not know if the cancer was treatable. I was alone, both physically and mentally.”

Woozy from medications and deeply distressed, Jim drifted in and out of sleep – until he was awoken by a sudden visitor. “I was stirred back to consciousness by the presence of someone. It was Susan. Motioning me not to speak she took my hands and spoke a prayer of hope. When finished she silently stole away as she had entered.”

“I think Christ’s presence is made known in rela-tionships,” says Rev. Susan Shafer, senior minister at Asbury First. A pastor at Asbury First for more than 30 years, Susan spent 28 years as the church’s membership care pastor, and still considers this ministry her primary calling.

“I think that’s God’s message through Jesus Christ: that there is a relationship of the holy to the human,” she says. “For us as pastors and parishioners, we’re called to help others know the holy in the midst of human activities.”

Ministering to the Sick

One of Susan’s most prominent roles – in which she takes great joy – is being with church members who are ill or dying. The number of visits she makes can vary widely from week to week, but there are certainly some days when she spends most of her time at local hospi-tals, hospices, and homes, with those in need of ministry, of compas-sion and guidance, of a shoulder to cry on or a hand to hold.

“In a hospital visit, my hope and prayer is that when I leave, the pres-ence of Christ is left behind. That visit should lift the spirits enough so that the holy – the invisible – can be experienced very concretely. Many times, I feel that I’ve been ministered to as much as the other person, so that there is a mutuality between giving and receiving.”

She remembers, for example, being at the bedside this past summer

of an older parishioner who had just passed away, with her family. “In the midst of heartache and tears, her faithful spirit was made known to us,” she remembers. “It was invisible, but we suddenly experienced a sense of Christ’s presence among us.”

That sense of Christ’s presence is something that Susan – as well as those she visits – feel and appre-ciate. A month after his tracheotomy, Jim Stine-hour was back in Strong Memorial Hospital to undergo surgery to remove his larynx. “It was 6:30 on a single-digit snowy January morning and, yes, once again Susan was there,” he says. “We prayed. I’m not sure of the exact nature of the prayer because I had other things on my mind. But I do know, as my gurney was wheeled to the operating room, not knowing what my future held, that I was

serene in the knowledge that I was not alone.”

Preaching the Gospel

For many parishioners, perhaps the most visible role of a pastor is as a liturgist and preacher during Sunday services. Week after week, Asbury First’s pastors and staff spend significant time planning the services for the coming weekend. Even if they are not preaching, the pastors who are serving as liturgists, also play a role in the service as well, writing and offering, for example, the pastoral prayer after the sermon.

But the heavy lifting each Sunday is done by the preacher. A stan-dard guideline, says Susan, is that a preacher spends an hour’s worth of time reading, studying, thinking, praying and writing the sermon for every minute in the pulpit. Difficult texts may require additional time, while other sermons may come together more easily. “But I don’t think I’ve ever spent less than 24 hours on a sermon, if we include the prayer time spent with the Scripture during the week,” she says.

The effort is worth it. Susan believes that the best sermons are the ones that help the listeners to visualize how the spirit moves in our lives – how, in fact, the invisible becomes visible to each of us. She particularly likes finding stories and illustrations that help people by

M A K I N G V I S I B L ET H E I N V I S I B L E

Editor’s note: In this issue of The Visitor, we begin a three-part series focused on how the programmatic ministries of Asbury First, which are supported by your annual pledges, are embodied in the work of our pastors. The four general areas in which these ministries fall are echoed by the four tenets of our mission statement: 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. Every day, our pastors live the truth of this statement, by caring for our members and those outside of our congregation; by educating those around them on issues of faith and spirituality; by reaching out to those in need in our community and beyond; and by planning and leading thoughtful, Spirit-filled worship. All of this happens only because of your generosity in our annual stewardship pledge drive, which begins this month. In this issue, we will focus on Rev. Susan Shafer. In October and November, we’ll take a look at how Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady and Rev. Lawrence Hargrave bring the Gospel to life through their own very special ministries.

8

offering up examples with which they resonate.

“The sermons that I hear the most feedback on are the ones that remind us that we are all gifts of God. We tend to be critical of our-selves, and sometimes we’re not great at loving ourselves. My hope is that sometimes the preached word permits us to know that we are loved. We aren’t called to be perfect. We’re called to be as faithful as we can, so if my listening ear or preached word can help another person see themselves in faithfulness, then I think I’m doing the right thing.”

Counseling Those in Need

For many, a natural instinct in times of personal trouble is to seek out the counsel of a member of the clergy. A damaged marriage, unemployment, depression, troubled children – these are only some of the concerns that people bring to Susan’s office every week. The warm wood walls of her cosy office in 1050 East Avenue have seen many tears and hugs, much grief, and, sometimes, welcome relief from a burden carried too long.

“The walls of my office have seen so many times when, with the help of Christ, I’ve been able to listen another into discovery and disclo-sure,” says Susan. “My hope and prayer is that when they leave my office, they have a renewed sense of life, and even of resurrection, in a totally different way from the way we usually look at it. I am hoping for a resurrection of spirit.”

As pastors, Susan says, it’s important to walk alongside the church’s members and friends in their own individual faith journeys. “We love to celebrate the exciting times with them,” she says, “and to be with them in the midst of anguish or sorrow.

Membership Care

“Membership care” covers a great deal of ground at Asbury First. Visitation ministry and counseling are of course under the mem-bership care umbrella. But there’s more to it than that. Ask Ashley Warren Eckman.

Ashley and Brian Eckman joined Asbury First in 1998. Four years later, their son, Eli, who was born in 2002, was diagnosed with osteopetrosis, a rare congenital bone disease. Requiring a great deal of dedicated care, it was a difficult time for the young family. Susan soon became a steady presence in their lives.

“She was so constant,” remembers Ashley. “She’d send a text or make a phone call or ring the doorbell. I remember asking her about her own family, but she kept returning the conversation to the question of how we were all doing.”

Through the ensuing years, as they added two more sons to their family (Will in 2006 and Sam in 2007), Susan remained a regular visitor to the Eckman household, and one of Eli’s favorite people. Although Eli’s health challenges continued, he was a happy little boy who loved to listen to Susan reading to him from the books she brought as gifts.

When Eli’s suppressed immune system meant that the family couldn’t be around large groups of people, Susan offered to come to

their home to baptize Sam. “We wanted Eli to be at Sam’s baptism. Susan suggested that she come to our house. It was perfect. Casual, but we were all together,” says Ashley.

Eli passed away in 2009, and Susan was again a rock for the griev-ing family. “I love how Susan honored the holiness of each moment,” remembers Ashley. “It was like the UMC affirmation of faith: in life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.”

The Eckmans now live in Chicago, where they moved for Brian’s job. But as with many of those to whom she gave care, Susan knows that Eli has never really left her. “Eli was blind, and never saw me. But he knew me. He always giggled with joy when I went to see him. The joy and love he received was the visible presence of the invisible God. That has had such an impact on my life. I’ll never forget that.”

The Pastor as Administrator

For a pastor, it’s often easy to find the Spirit of God in tasks like preaching and visiting the sick. But, there are also a myriad of other jobs, large and small, that may be harder to see as “ministry.” In some ways, a church is like any other business: there are meetings to attend, budgets to balance, plans to make for the future, and staff members to guide and supervise. How does a senior pastor of a large church like Asbury First handle these multiple responsibilities without losing a God-centered focus?

It is a challenge, Susan admits. “But then I’ll be sitting in a meeting and there will be an amazing devotion, and it’s fascinating to see how someone else experiences faith. Sometimes I go around the room in my mind and think about the people who are there, what’s happen-ing in their lives and how the spirit is moving in them. Even though I’m there in an administrative role, I see them with pastoral eyes.”

The Servant Leader

Leadership, especially of a church the size of Asbury First, is a chal-lenging endeavor. In an age when the number of people attending

Left to right: Brian Eckman holding Sam, Ashley Eckman holding Eli, Rev. Susan Shafer holding Will.

9

mainline Protestant churches has been declining slowly but steadily, Susan leads a church that has more members than it did five years ago, as well as vibrant, healthy outreach ministries and educational programming, along with worship services that attract roughly 700 people each weekend.

Clearly, her leadership style is working. “It’s an honor and a privilege to lead Asbury First, but it can also be challenging,” she says. “I’ve prayed that my model would always be the servant-leader – one who leads by example, one who leads with faithfulness.”

Susan works to empower the staff and lay leadership of the church to find their own strengths and visions and run with those, creating a rich, dynamic environment of ideas from which the best can be chosen and implemented. “I want people to be free to let the spirit move within them, and to let us all be led by the spirit in our various ministries.”

Susan believes that the slow but steady growth of Asbury First will continue in the coming years. “I think this church is on the cusp of tremendous growth,” she says. “I see young adults coming to services Sunday after Sunday; I see 15-20 visitors each weekend who are new to the church. It’s a very exciting time to be here.”

What are the next steps for the church under Susan’s leadership? Right now, she’s been thinking a lot about accessibility, in light of the findings of an ad-hoc committee, led by AFUMC member Chuck Hanrahan, that has been studying the space needs of our growing programmatic ministries and outreach. While respecting the beauti-ful buildings and campus of Asbury First and the role they play in those ministries, she and the committee feel that this may be a growth edge for the church.

“If you have a mobility issue, then the Storehouse and Dining Center are not accessible to you,” she says. My vision is that these ministries will come up out of the basement, somehow, somewhere finding a way to combine them in a space that is accessible for all.”

She is also working to create a new group of members who would engage in visitation ministry. The suggestion of member Meredith Pixley and others, Susan is excited about encouraging the group as they plan the shape their ministry will take. “I hope I can nurture their faithfulness,” she says. “I think the church benefits most from that kind of leadership.”

Transformative Leadership

In the end, Susan believes, it all comes back to relationships. Our relationship with God; our relationships with each other. At Asbury First, all the many hats she wears, in some way, revolve around these vital relationships.

“I hope I’ve never led unilaterally. I hope I’ve always led relationally, because that is the way God works, I think. It’s not top-down. It’s heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul. If I’m going to be effective as senior minister or pastoral counselor, I need to make that spirit known relationally. It’s all about the Christ in me reaching out to the Christ in you.”

Asbury First United Methodist ChUrCh

I/we offer this gift to the annual operating budget for 2015:

My/our estimate of giving for 2015 is:

$ per month for 12 months = $

or $ per = $

or increase last year's gift by __________________________

in addition, i/we offer a designated gift of

$ to be used for

total estimated gift for 2015 $

if you would like envelopes, please indicate your preference.

❑ monthly ❑ weekly

Are you interested in electronic funds transfer?

❑ yes (If yes, we will contact you)

name(s):

Address:

email:

M A K I N G V I S I B L ET H E I N V I S I B L E

It’s because of YOUR faithfulness to the mission and ministries of Asbury First that Rev. Susan Shafer and our other pastors and staff are able to make visible the invisible love of God through worship, education, membership care and outreach. As we begin our pledge drive for 2015, we invite you to clip out this pledge card, prayerfully fill it out, and return it either via the the offering plate on Sunday or by mail to: Asbury First United Methodist Church1050 East Ave.Rochester NY 14607 attention: Stewardship CommitteeYou can also find an online version of the pledge card at www.asburyfirst.org.

10

Learn from compassionate experts about

what each of us needs to do now to insure that

our wishes, or those of a loved one, are respected

if we are in a situation where we cannot speak for

ourselves. Anyone who has suffered the emotional

and ethical dilemmas of end-of-life decision-mak-

ing can attest to the importance of having these

discussions before there is a health crisis.

Each session will be introduced by Rev. Bill

Reynolds, Associate Director, Chaplaincy Services,

University of Rochester Medical Center.

All sessions begin at 12:15 p.m. in the Red

Room of 1010 East Ave.

October 26, 2014Protecting Your Future: A Guide to Advance Directives and Health Care Proxies

Richard Demme, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Humanities and Bioethics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and chair of the Strong Health Ethics Committee

November 2, 2014Taking Control of Your Healthcare Amidst Serious Illness

Rob Horowitz, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics; Physician-Consultant, Palliative Care Division

November 9, 2014Celebrating National Donor Sabbath: Having ‘The Talk’ with your loved ones

Rob Kochik, Executive Director, Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network

End of Life Decision MakingA series of three talks at Asbury First

Reconciling MinistRies FoRuM

Wednesday, October 16:30 pm ~ Fellowship Hall

Tuesday, October 147:00 p.m. ~ Wesley Hall

You are invited to join this discussion on inclusion for all, including

our LGBTQ brothers and sisters.

11

youth ministry news

Annual Youth Mission

Spaghetti Lunch

Sunday, October 19

12:00-1:00 p.m.

Fellowship Hall

During your meal you’ll hear about youth mission trips this

summer to Chicago, Illinois and Niagara Falls. We’ll also have a slide show of mission

photos running on the big screen throughout the meal.

That’s right, this year we are go-ing to have a pumpkin patch on the Asbury First lawn for the last few weeks of Octo-ber. The youth of Asbury First have agreed to take on this project as a fundraiser for our youth programs, but we will need support from the entire congregation to make this a success!

Here is a little bit about the patch: We are working with an organization called Pump-kins USA, who partner with a Navajo reservation in New Mexico. This means that our fundraiser will not only help our youth, but it will also ben-efit the Navajo people –and as

Coming Soon: The Asbury First Pumpkin Patch!an additional connection our senior high youth are looking into the possibility of going to the Southwest next year to work on a Navajo reservation for their mission trip (more to come on that in a later issue!)

The pumpkins will be delivered by truck and we will be respon-sible for unloading the truck and staffing our patch each day leading up to halloween. Each day we will report our sales to Pumpkins USA and at the end of our sale, we will send them a portion of our proceeds. We are not charged for delivery or any pumpkins that we do not sell – it truly is a no-risk fundraiser!

We are hoping that we will not only raise funds for our youth, but will also establish a posi-tive presence in the commu-nity, and we are working on planning a fall festival at the pumpkin patch at the end of October.

This is where you (adults and youth!) come in. We will need volunteers to help us in each of the following areas:

• setting up (placing signs, fencing in the field, and put-ting up lights;

• donating pallets for the pumpkins to sit on;

• loaning well-labeled wag-ons for customers to use

like shopping carts to move through the patch;

• unloading the truck on deliv-ery day; and

• working shifts to staff the pumpkin patch each day.

This is quite a big endeavor, and we would love to have your help! For more informa-tion or to volunteer for a specific item, please email Mike Mullin at mmullin@asburyfirst.org.

Youth Group Kick-Off RetreatWe had 40 youth and 12 adults join us for our inaugural youth fall kick-off retreat to Camp Ca-sowasco. A great time was had by all, and we were really able to build a sense of community that we look forward to carrying through the year! – Mike Mullin

12

by Dan Beerse and Jim Carter

When I was a small boy, the only way to attend church was to

physically step inside the building. At the time, there was no other way to experience the service. Years later churches started experimenting with broadcasting (or streaming) the audio portion over a radio station. While that was beneficial for many who were traveling or stuck somewhere, it fell short for anyone unable to get to church on a regular basis. For those who call Asbury First their church, that all changed in spring of 2012. With a request from Senior Pastor Susan Sha-fer, a small group of volunteers began looking at a technology that would take the Asbury First experience to a level not seen before. What we were studying was video streaming. Early on we met with a company that could set it all up, but after some sticker shock decided to do it ourselves. After careful research and selection of equipment, on August 1 in the wee hours of the morning, Jim Carter and I piled into

The Asbury FirstBowling League

The league begins their fall season at Fairview Lanes in Fairport on Sunday, October 5, 7-9 pm. $10/week includes bowling, shoes, pizza & drinks. No experience needed. Contact RJ Pollard at rjpollard14@gmail.com or 315-246-8132 for more info or to sign up.

Attending Church in a digital agePhil Phaneuf’s car and headed down to the Big Apple. Our destination: B&H Photo. The knowledgeable sales people there were helpful and we left with different equipment, but were now confident that it was exactly what we needed.

Probably the most difficult part of the installation was running the wires, but thanks to the agility and help of Bruce Schwendy, we managed to snake the wires around every obstacle we en-countered until they ended perfectly at the two chosen camera locations, one in back of the sanctuary and one on a column to the right facing the altar. The learning curve was steep, but with the hard work of some dedicated volunteers (including Dan Hines, Dick Eastman, and Rick Church) we began streaming a live video of our service on our website on Together in Ministry Sunday in 2012.

Now almost two years later, our streaming service is going strong. Anybody with an internet connection can watch live on a computer screen

or even a smartphone. Our pool of volunteer operators has expanded and includes all ranges of folks in the congregation, from youth through our more experienced members. We are always looking for more volunteers. (If you’re interested see David Berg or Jim Carter, or send an email to asbury-tech@asburyfirst.org).

Archived copies of our streamed services reside on the Asbury First web site, so you can watch one you missed or particularly liked any time you want.

We’ve had great feedback from folks as close as Brighton and as far away as Japan. Former members who moved away are thrilled to be able to experi-ence the Asbury First community once again, remotely. Other events (by re-quest) can be streamed like weddings and memorial services. This has been especially nice for people who were not able to attend in person.

A move to better cameras and HD (high definition) output is currently being considered and we continue to

look at newer technologies to be able to improve the “attending church” experience for anybody interested.

Who knows, with virtual reality (VR) just beginning to make waves in the gaming community, there may come a day when all you need is to don a heads-up display and you will be sitting in a virtual pew at Asbury First singing along with all the others.

David Berg in the Sound Room.

13

by Rev. Linda ClemowT h e M o n e y P r o b l e m

Did you attend any of the arts festivals around the area this sum-mer? Did you get exhausted walking and looking at the art?

They’re overwhelming, aren’t they? Did you buy anything? I find that there is so much to choose from that I just can’t purchase anything! So many artists and artisans! As a non-exhibiting artist I find the sheer numbers of arts and artists to be daunting. How do I cope with this? I self-identify as an artist – does this mean that I have to get busy and produce, then get out there and sell?

The answer is NO! That is not what my art and my ministry is about. In my own art and in my teaching what I want is to explore and learn. I want to feel the joy of creating – just for the sake of creating. I want to teach others how to share in the spiritual exuberance of learning, creating, exploring.

Tom and I recently visited friends in another state. Our host had just retired from a stressful but successful career. Before retirement he had begun to explore his visually creative side. He fell in love with photog-raphy. He bought the best camera, the best computer, the best printer. He had plans to travel around his area taking photographs, digitally processing them and then selling them in local coffee shops and gal-leries. And he did sell some pieces locally. Then he fully retired. He now had the time and the equipment to pursue his art.

But in our conversations that weekend he spoke of how he hadn’t sold any more photos. He spoke about visiting us here in Rochester and go-

ing to the Corn Hill Arts Festival. There he saw the number of photog-raphers displaying their works, hoping for a sale, and it unnerved him. He gave up. He had all kinds of excuses for why he couldn’t just get in his car and explore the area for wonderful photos. If he couldn’t sell, he decided, he was not a bona-fide artist. I intend to pursue this further with him in the future. He got a lot of joy from photography and I will encourage him to continue to do so.

What I want my students to know is that this is a spiritual journey of joy and creativity. The end goal is not to make money but to find the God-given light of creativity that sits at the very center of your being. Come along with me and the others who have taken the steps to learn, explore and create. It is never too late to join a class! Call me at 236-1184 for more information.

Classes Currently in Session

• AcrylicPainting Mondays, 1:00-4:00 p.m. cost: $85

• Drawing Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (please bring a lunch) cost: $85

• StitchingBeyondtheOrdinary Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. cost: $85

United Methodism 101Whether you’ve been a United Methodist all of your life or have just stumbled upon us recently, this class is for you! Wednesday evenings from 6:30-7:30 p.m. beginning Wednesday, October 22, join us for a four-week discussion about the history, structure, beliefs, and challenges of The United Methodist Church. If you are interested in joining the class or have any questions please contact Stephen Cady at scady@asburyfirst.org or Melody Guadagnino in the church office at (585) 271-1050 or mguadagnino@asburyfirst.org. Please let us know if you plan to attend by October 15 as we will be

ordering books for the class. There will be an optional book that you may purchase for $12.

14

library news

Children:Bright Island, by Mabel L. Robinson and Lynd Ward (Illustrator). Winner of a Newbery Honor Medal, Thankful’s story will speak to young (age 10 and up) contemporary readers. In this novel, readers will see the early tracings of the school story as it factors into books such as Harry Potter. Another constant is Thankful’s love of the land she knows and the waters she sails.

Suryia and Roscoe: The True Story of an Unlikely Friendship, by Bhagavan Antie, Thea Feldman. Ages 4-8 will enjoy this story about an orangutan being friends with a dog. Set on a preserve for rare animals, The Institute of Greatly Endan-gered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.) in South Carolina, here is a true story of a remarkable friendship between two unforgettable animals.

Teens:The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, by Christopher Healy, illus-trated by Todd Harris.Described as “Four imperfect princes. Four improbable princesses. One hilarious adventure.” For ages 8-12, there are humorous illustrations throughout the 480 pages in a book that was selected by the New York Times as one of its best books of the year.

The Absolute Value of Mike, by Kathryn Erskine.In this book, written especially for the age 10-14 year old audience, Mike tries so hard to please his father. But the only language his dad seems to speak is calculus and Mike has a math learning disability. Sent to distant relatives in rural Pennsylvania for the summer to work on an engineer-ing project, Mike figures this is his big chance. However, nothing is what he thought it would be. Instead of an engineering assignment, he finds himself part of a town-wide project to adopt a boy from Romania while working alongside his wacky eighty-something-year-old aunt, a home-

“The best things in life are free” and that includes the books from our Church Resource Library. Books for all ages and on all topics can be found there for loan. Take a look at the following featured books for October. The library is located just off the gathering space near the elevators. When the church is open, the library is open, and everyone is welcome!

less man, and a punk-rock girl. Mike might not learn anything about engineering, but what he does learn is far more valuable.

Adults:Interpreter of Maladies, by Jumpha Lahiri.This is a current selection for the church’s Diversity Book Club. The experience of being foreign and the need for connection are evident in this outstanding collection of short stories, in which intimacy is often the odd consequence of a character’s admitting how distant they have become, or always were. These nine stories stress the complexities of adjustment to new circumstances, relationships, and cultures. Read and join the book club discussion on October 19.

Learning to Walk in the Dark, by Barbara Brown Taylor.The book is a journey to understand darkness, which takes the author spelunking in unlit caves, learning to eat and cross the street as a blind person, discovering how “dark emotions” are prevented from seeing light from a psychiatrist, and rereading scripture to see all the times God shows up at night. The author encourages us to turn out the lights and embrace the spiritual darkness.

Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book About a (Really) Big Problem, by Kevin DeYoung.Winner of the 2014 Christian Book of the Year Award, Crazy Busy deals with a look at our jam-packed schedules and how hard it can be to strike a well-reasoned balance between doing nothing and doing it all.

Parenting:All the Places to Love, by Patricia McLaughlin, ill. by Michael Wimmer.This 32-page book is perfect to share with the very young. Cited as “an earnest, tender family portrait that parents will want to share with their children.” Featuring full-color paintings are by Mike Wimmer. “This loving book will be something to treasure.”

September28 Proverbs 11:1-3129 Proverbs 12:1-2830 Proverbs 16:1-33October1 Psalm 72 Psalm 93 Psalm 104 Psalm 115 1 Corinthians 11:17-346 Leviticus 25:1-227 Leviticus 25:23-38

14 Psalm 7215 Psalm 7316 Psalm 7517 Psalm 8218 Psalm 8519 Isaiah 2:1-22

8 Leviticus 25:39-559 Numbers 27:1-1110 Numbers 36:1-1311 Deuteronomy 1:9-3312 Deuteronomy 10:1-2213 Deuteronomy 16:18-17:13

20 Isaiah 3:1-1521 Isaiah 5:1-3022 Isaiah 11:1-1623 Isaiah 24:1-2324 Isaiah 29:15-2425 Isaiah 32:1-2026 Isaiah 33:10-3427 Ezekiel 34:1-3128 Habakkuk 1:1-1729 Habakkuk 2:1-2030 Habakkuk 3:1-1931 Psalm 46

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

15

the last word1 by Michele Cooley 2

We at the Asbury

Dining and Caring

Center are the caring hands

of Jesus. Immersing ourselves

in our ministry we encoun-

ter the every-day reality of

what it means to be poor and

hungry. At times our hearts

may be broken by what we see,

but our eyes remain open.We

celebrate the successes of our

guests, and welcome them dur-

ing and after their failures. We

encourage, support, forgive,

and care with the uncondi-

tional generosity of a parent

to a child, teacher to student,

friend to friend.

The Dining Center is a safe

refuge for volunteers, guests

and staff alike. Connections

and long term relationships

are formed based on trust and

consistency. Anyone can pass

through our doors knowing

that kindness and a wonder-

ful meal are guaranteed. This

summer we have averaged

around 2900 meals per month.

The challenges of serving up

to 190 meals on a Sunday or

150 on a Wednesday morning

have been addressed by a dedi-

cated corp of volunteers: many

long term, and some new to

our volunteer family. All leave

the Dining Center tired but

with a sense of accomplish-

ment. They can see the fruits

of their labor. Each day 35

referrals are made to social

service agencies including the

Asbury First Storehouse. This

summer we have seen many

of our homeless guests receive

keys to their own apartments,

obtain housing grants, attend

school and enroll in recov-

ery programs. With the help

of resumé preparation and

assistance with applications,

a few have gotten employ-

ment. Fifiteen bikes per week

have been repaired with the

help of R Community Bikes,

whose volunteers arrive at

Asbury First at 8:00 a.m.

each Thursday morning and

leave at noon. Free laundry

is provided on Wednesdays.

Saturday brings more laundry,

free showers, hygiene item

distribution, and continental

breakfast. Our hair care team

does an average of 16 hair-

cuts each Sunday, helping to

instill pride and self-esteem.

Wednesday after lunch finds

Rev. Lawrence Hargrave with

a small group for our “Come

as You Are” Bible study. As we

strive to continue our ser-

vices, it is clear that we cannot

do this without additional

volunteers. We need and value

you and are hoping to expand

our dedicated corps by at least

50 new people. Our needs are

particularly acute on Tuesdays,

Wednesdays, and Fridays from

6:00-9:30 a.m., Saturdays

from 8:00 a.m. to noon, and

Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to

1:30 p.m. We are flexible. You

can volunteer as frequently

or infrequently as you wish.

If you would like to help in

other ways, a great alterna-

tive is an in-kind donation

of back packs, sleeping bags,

toothpaste, toothbrushes and

other hygiene items. Monetary

donations are welcome as

well. Your investment will be

rewarded with gratitude and

smiles.

We are all brothers and sisters

under the same stars and sky.

As we look to the heavens

we all have different dreams.

For our guests it is as simple

as not freezing on a snowy

night and waking up to warm

hearts and a delicious meal.

At the Asbury First Dining

and Caring Center we do not

take our own gifts for granted.

We share them with love. For

more information on how you

may help please contact Mi-

chele Cooley at 271-0692 or

mcooley@asburyfirst.org.

Head cook Charles McManus with volunteers Ruth Ellen Hoyle, Eric Myers and Robert Newman.

PERIODICAL

1050 East AvenueRochester, NY 14607-2293

Address Service Requested

Come to the Asbury First

Pumpkin Patchoctober 15th through 31st

Weekdays, 3:00-7:00 p.m.

saturdays, 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

sundays, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Granger street Lawn

We’ll have pumpkins for sale in all shapes and sizes, start-

ing at fifty cents. All proceeds benefit youth missions!