the visitor: the newsletter of asbury first united methodist church

Asbury First United Methodist Church NewsletterSeptember 2012 • Vol. XLVI No. 6 • www.asburyfirst.org

TheVisitor

Together in MinistryCelebrating the Fall Season at Asbury First

Mission stateMent

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StaffSenior PastorPastor PastorPastorAdministrative Director of Music and the ArtsArtistic Director of Music and the ArtsCo-director of Children’sMinistryCo-director of Children’sMinistryFinancial AdministratorAdministrative AssistantDining & Caring CenterDirectorProperty Care ManagerCommunications Director& EditorOrganistAssistant OrganistDirector, Children’s MusicDirector, Bell ChoirDirector, Youth Music Director, Youth Theater

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

[email protected] or (585) 271-1050 x109.

Deadline for next issue: Friday, August 31

Rev. Susan S. ShaferRev. Stephen Cady

Rev. Phillip W. Phaneuf Rev. Lawrence Hargrave

David T. Strong

Dr. William J. Weinert

Paula Dugan

Melissa Bohrer

Richard MoncriefMelody Guadagnino

Michele Cooley

Jason FranklinMary Van Keuren

Duane A. PrillDavid T. StrongBozena Granat

Elizabeth ChurchBrian BohrerLarry Dugan

The VisitorVol. XLVI No. 6

(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.

summertime grAcesA Pastoral Reflection

As the summer rapidly comes to a close, I

have been reflecting on its meaning in life’s

journey. One more time, in the midst of

enumerable times, I have been reminded that

we are called to live life in gratitude: “Thank

you! Thank you! Thank you! Our dear God.”

A part of my gratitude resides in precious

experiences in the beauty of God’s creativity:

rubber rafting slowly down the French Broad

River and sighting a large family of ducks basking in the sun on a log

along the way … a blue heron taking flight from another overhanging

river branch … a baby rabbit in the early evening finding nourishment

in one plush garden … being aroused by four excited grandchildren

ready to see the sunrise over the ocean as it makes its way from the

horizon through wispy clouds to its full beauty of gracious light …

and of course the shell collecting that took place at daybreak … seven

grandchildren plunging into a pool invited by one imaginative father

and uncle for a surprise almost “midnight” swim clothed only in their

pajamas … a very young fawn nudging and then nursing at its patient

mother ... one hundred and seven children singing, laughing, shouting

and learning together in an extraordinary loving environment at Vaca-

tion Bible School with volunteers and pastors under the leadership of

Melissa Bohrer and Paula Dugan, giving of their time and imagina-

tion, commitment, talent and love … quiet moments of contemplation

bringing gratitude for prayer, laughter, and relaxation and the obvious

presence of God and the fellowship and hospitality of Christ. Perhaps

you, too, have some moments of gratitude to share!

Gratitude never stops, though, with what has been, but in

confidence draws us forward in trust for what is yet to come. My

heart is full with what is to come as we approach fall. You will want

to join us on “Together in Ministry Sunday” when we celebrate with

an imaginative and creative staff, some of whom you know well and

another, Rev. Stephen Cady (see article on page 7), who is bringing

Continued on next page

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AFUMC news

Continued on page 9

Book group WOW starts season on september 12

Women on Wednesday (WOW) begins its 23rd year on Sep-tember 12. The guest speaker for this opening meeting

is the Reverend Phillip Phaneuf, who will speak on reading and provide suggestions on books for discussion.

The WOW group has read numerous authors on religions and spirituality, including, among others, John Shelby Spong, Joan Chittister, Marcus Borg, Desmond Tutu, Dr. Frances Collins, Brian McLaren, and Esther de Waal. The books are selected by the group from recommendations of members, visits to bookstores, or as an outgrowth of discussions or current issues. Books for reading and discussion are chosen by vote, with this selection process commencing this year on September 12 and continuing through September 19 and 26.

Several chapters or sections of the selected book are read each

week and discussed at the weekly meetings, allowing members to benefit from each others’ perspectives and interpretations. What keeps this group going? Some say that it’s “the pleasure of identifying with others who love reading and are willing to share their responses,” “the camaraderie among the members,” and “dif-ferent perspectives discussed.”

The invitation is open for women who enjoy reading and learn-ing to join WOW at noon on Wednesdays in the dining room at 1010 East Avenue. The one-hour meeting time enables people to attend during their lunch time and bring a bag lunch to the meeting. WOW will be represented at the church’s Together In Ministry Sunday on September 9 and encourages those interest-ed to stop by their table presentation to pick up book lists and information on the group.

Altar guild invitation

The Altar Guild is seeking new members to begin in January of 2013.

Each member of the Altar Guild serves for one month of the year to prepare the chancel for the church services and clear the chancel following the last service on Sunday. Flowers from the altar are arranged into bouquets that are then delivered to des-ignated church members by the Altar Guild members serving for that month.

Each member also serves on one or more of the following com-mittees throughout the year: Candles, Floral Remembrance,

his own creativity, spontaneity, and faithful walk with God, as

well as his family: Emily, Ellie and Charlie and at this writing a

question mark of a new baby who will also be joining us. God’s

word of just who this is should be unveiled in a week or two or

... ? We will invite you to stay for a church family gathering after

the 11:00 service with fun for the children and opportunities for

the adults to be in conversation with each other, being nourished

by the salads and desserts that we each are invited to bring with a

meat course being provided. Bring a friend or neighbor. We have

wonderful plans and prayers for our fall worship and educational

opportunities, all to be unveiled shortly. You will not want to miss

these fall Sundays as God speaks to us in a thousand voices, each

with the same message: “I love you. Please trust me on this one.”

Dag HammarskjÖld had it so right:

“ For all that has been – Thanks!

For all that shall be – Yes!”

And then altered a bit just to be thematically “right” for this

reflection:

For all that shall be – Thanks!

With love and thanks for all we are and will be.

Susan

Pastor’s Reflection, continued from previous page

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Sunday auguSt 26former Mayor William A. Johnson, preacher

8:30 a.m.Informal Worship with Holy Communion

10:00 a.m.Traditional Worship

Sunday September 2James 1:17-27

Rev. Phillip W. Phaneuf, preacher



Sunday September 9Together in Ministry Sunday

Rev. Susan S. Shafer, preacher




WORSHIPworship scheduleSunday September 16Rev. Stephen Cady, preacher




Sunday September 23James 3:13-4:8

Rev. Lawrence Hargrave, preacher




Sunday September 30Mark 9:38-50

Rev. Phillip W. Phaneuf, preacher




AFUMC news

We offer our prayers and sympathy to Nola and Wayne

Zeches on the death of Nola’s son Robert Youngmann

on August 7, 2012.

We offer our prayers and sympathy to Barbara Eltinge

whose mother Ethel Jackman Eltinge

died on June 28, 2012 in Florida.

We offer our prayers and sympathy Bob and Barb Castle

on the death of Bob’s father Wilmont Castle, Jr.

on June 28, 2012.

We offer our prayers and sympathy to Nancy and Len

Davidow and Susan and John Shafer on the death of Nancy

and Susan’s aunt, Betty Wandling

on July 17, 2012.

We offer our prayers and sympathy to the family and

friends of Arnold Risen

who died on August 4, 2012 in Ohio.

Births & BaptismsGod has sealed you unto

love and grace divine

Nicholas Steven Stollson of Courtney and Eric Stoll, baptized on July 1,

2012.

Caleb Steven Snyderson of Jennifer and Jason

Snyder, baptized on July 8, 2012.

Rylee Michael Silinskieson of Mindee Hite and

Kevin Silinskie, baptized on August 12, 2012.

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

Amy Carey and Steve Martin

on their marriage June 1, 2012.

Kristen Partridge and Stephen Cooper


Margaret Van Brunt and Peter Sposato


Caitlyn O’Donnell and Jason Cook

on their marriage August 11, 2012.

in CommunityOur Living

DeathsMerciful God, we entrust to your

never-failing care and love

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Please Join us!

together in ministry sundaysunday, september 9

8:30, 10:00 or 11:00 a.m.We’ve got lots of plans for Fall and we’d like to share them with you! Please join us for

worship on September 9 and start the season off right. We’ll have a pot luck lunch after the

11:00 a.m. service – please bring a salad or dessert; we’ll supply the meat and drinks.

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monday morning Crew HelpS our CHurCH to SHine

Each Monday morning, a dedicated group of Asbury First friends and

members gathers to assess the physical condition of our church and grounds. Led by property care manager Jason Franklin, these men – mostly retirees who have carpentry skills or knowledge of other handcraft areas like metalwork – save Asbury First thousands of dol-lars a year by undertaking the myriad projects, both large and small, that a campus of this size generates.

“There’s a lot of preventative mainte-nance,” said Jason Franklin, Asbury First’s property care manager. “A lot of what they do is little jobs for the Storehouse and Day Care Center that go unmen-tioned. For instance, Ellen [Donovan, Asbury Day Care’s director] had wooden cubbies for the children that are heavy that needed to be mounted on the wall. That was a day long project, but by hav-ing our Monday Morning Crew tackle it, they saved money for the church and it freed me up to do other things. “

The group has been working at As-bury First for decades. It was founded by Dick Klements in the 1970s, and

members have been dutifully arriving at church on Monday mornings since then to take on hundreds, or perhaps thou-sands, of jobs.

“The name is misleading,” said Frank-lin. “A lot of times projects extend past Monday morning. For instance when we were working on the East Ave. doors to the church, it took us six weeks. But it wasn’t six weeks of work on only Monday mornings. We worked on it throughout the weeks, morning and afternoon. It was many hours. It would have cost a fortune to have someone come in and do it just because of the labor involved.”

The contributions of the Monday Morning Crew do not go unnoticed by church leadership. Trustee Chair Jim Quinn praises the group for their work. “Members of the Monday Morn-ing Crew give generously of their time and talents to a host of projects, many of which would not be affordable if we were required to hire outside profes-sionals,” he said. “More importantly, the Crew completes its projects in a spirit of fellowship, and with a degree of care

Left, Members of the Monday Morning Crew (l to r: Dick Klements, Rick Kuempel, Property Care Manager Jason Franklin, Sexton Tom Sullivan, Bob Trout, and Howie Hol-comb; missing: Bob Fitch, Bill Amey, Bruce Schwendy) in front of the newly refinished East Ave. doors to the Sanctuary. Right, Bob Trout, an experienced metalsmith, indicates areas of the East Ave. railing that have corroded, and which will be fixed to ensure safety to those entering and leaving the church.

and attention to detail that can’t be matched.”

So the next time you notice a freshly-painted door or newly-rebuilt sturdy railing, you’ll know who to thank. It is undoubtedly the work of the dedicated Monday Morning Crew, once again working to maintain the beauty and safety of our church campus.

Bob Trout clears away debris from the base of a rusted railing on the west side of the church as he begins prepa-rations to renovate it.

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A Conversation with Asbury First’s Newest Pastor• INTRODUCING REV. STEPHEN CADY •

There’s a new face around the Asbury First campus this summer. Rev. Stephen Cady

has been appointed to serve our church in a pastoral position. Rev. Cady, a native of Olathe, Kansas, comes to us following a four-year stint as pastor of Kingston United Methodist Church in New Jersey. While at Kingston, he was complet-ing his residency and research for a PhD in Practi-cal Theology/Christian Education at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Rev. Cady arrived in Rochester earlier this sum-mer along with his family. His wife, Emily Hill Cady, may be a familiar face to our members. She is the daughter of former senior pastor Rev. Dr. Robert Hill. The Cadys have two children, Ellie and Charlie, and are expecting another baby in late August.

Recently, The Visitor sat down with the 33-year-old pastor to ask him some questions about his life and ministry. Following are some of the highlights of the conversation.

Q. You’re currently working on your disserta-tion. Can you tell us a little about it?

A. My goal was to find out how young people in United Methodist churches experience God in worship. The challenge was that the young people I interviewed rarely experienced God and when they did, it wasn’t in worship. My dissertation is an attempt to address this dilemma.

Q. What are some of the ways you’re address-ing this?

A. My first task has been recognizing that the blame for this lies at the feet of all of us. In other words, this is not just a problem with young people, it is a problem for the whole church. By and large, we have done a poor job of helping young people understand why church, much less worship, matters in the world. Whereas many young people said that they go to worship because their parents want them there, many parents said that they go because they want their son or daughter there. As a result, neither parents nor young people are finding the worship life of their congrega-tions very meaningful.

Recognizing that, my next task was to find out what makes worship matter for every genera-tion. What I discovered was that, contrary to popular opinion, it isn’t having the hippest music or the most entertaining “show.” Over and over again the young people I interviewed said something like, “I just want to be some-where where it feels like everyone else wants to be there.” Creating that kind of space begins by helping churches to be authentic in their rela-tionships as well as their worship. One of the ways that this authenticity can be fostered is by creating space for meaningful intergenerational contact. Worship can, and should, be one of those spaces, but it is important to allow for those relationships outside of worship as well.

Q. Have you thought about ways that you might apply some of your research at Asbury First?

I think about it often, but I also recognize that my first task is to get to know the wonderful people here and to listen to who this congrega-tion understands God is calling it to be. My prayer is that once I have a clear sense of that, then I can find ways of helping Asbury First live into its mission and vision.

That being said, there are some small ways I can begin to apply some of the insights from my dissertation. For instance, part of my hope for the class I will be leading this fall on Thurs-day evenings, The Hunger Games and the Holy, will be to begin to foster an intergenerational faith community. It will be a place where any-one, regardless of age, who has read the book, can come for some faithful discussion about this global phenomenon.

Q. Tell us a little about your last congregation, in Kingston, N.J. Under your leadership, this church was designated as a teaching congrega-tion for young adults in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference. What does that mean?

A. As a congregation, we recognized that young adults are inherently transient. Many are students or are just starting out in the work-force, and as a result aren’t great candidates for traditional membership. What we discovered, however, was that young adults had tremen-dous resources in terms of time and talent that they were dying to use. To that end, we focused on being a place where young adults could learn what it means to be a part of a church during the time they were with us. We grounded this in a commitment to intergen-erational worship and radical hospitality. Our hope was that we could give young people an experience of leadership in a congregation that they could then take with them to wherever they ended up. This meant that we found ways of celebrating the young adult “rites of passage” (i.e. moving, marriage, pregnancies, gradua-tions, etc.) and commissioned them for their lives in future congregations. We had a big

Continued on page 11

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It is nearly time to return to School #41. In just a few short weeks, school will begin and our tutoring program will start up the first week of October. Many of our tutors will be returning but we have room for new tutors. This outreach ministry does not require a large block of time, simply an hour a week. However, this little space of time makes a BIG differ-ence in the lives of the children with whom one works. Reading is our focus, but we have math tutors and even adults who work in the art room. If interested, please contact Nancy Davidow through e-mail, [email protected] or call 544-4333.

As we gather on Together In Ministry Sunday, the School #41 project will be represented. In years past, many have

SCHool dayS, SCHool dayS; good old golden rule dayS!

brought school supplies in an effort to help kids get off to a good start. This year, instead of school supplies, we are asking that you contribute gift cards to Walmart,

Target, Wegmans or AC Moore (of any denomination) which will be used to purchase supplies strictly for

scientific experiments. Supplies for scientific experiments are not budgeted, thus limiting the world of science to what

teachers can afford from their personal budgets. Let’s kick off

the school year by helping “our” kids learn about the

wonderful world of science. As always, I personally appreci-

ate your support for the School #41 project. The children and teachers do too! – Nancy Davidow, School #41 Coordinator

Look no further. The Asbury First Church Resource Library collection has some intriguing new titles which have just recently been

added to the library shelves. If all of Rochester reads the

same book this year, they will be reading Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea. The book is the 2013 Writers

and Books selection for reading by Rochesterians, and it is available for loan in the Church Resource Library.

This is just one of the new books purchased for the church library by the library committee this

year.Other recent additions include

the Dalai Lama’s Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World. This captivating book by a beloved world religious leader proposes a way to lead an ethical, happy,

and spiritual life beyond religion. The new book Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rev. Rob Bell has recently been ordered for the library. Bell is a bestselling Christian author and the founding pastor of Mars Hill, a rapidly growing mega-church located in Grandville, Michigan.

Another library addition is the book just published in June of this year by Jill Lepore, renowned Harvard scholar and New Yorker staff writer. Lepore’s book is titled Mansion of Happiness: A His-tory of Life and Death. It is cited as “strikingly original, ingeniously conceived, and beautifully crafted history of American ideas about life and death from before the cradle to beyond the grave.”

Children’s books are also featured at the church library. One of the recent new additions to the library collection is the children’s book Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng. Written especially for the six to nine year old reader, it a simple story of how the child's inner world, built around the pages of books, shifts outward to the joys and challenges of family and friendship.

Interested in any of these books? You know where to find them. Books for all ages are available for loan at the church library. The invitation is extended for church members to join the readers using the Church Resource Library and enjoy some of the new selections. Loans are for a three-week period and the service is absolutely free.

LOOking FOr A gOOD BOOk?

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Special Decorations, Special Services, and Weddings. Other members coordinate the Acolytes and Crucifers, the Memorial and Altar flowers and serve as hostesses for Altar Guild meetings three to four times a year. The officers: past president, president, president elect, secretary, and treasurer serve as the Executive Committee, as well as on various guild committees.

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the worship ser-vices, support the pastors in regular and special services, con-nect the shut-ins/hospitalized members with the church, and become acquainted with other guild members.

Please contact Ellen Williams (248-9064) or Marty Garland (385-0982) if you are interested or would appreciate more informa-tion.

thanks From member Bonnie kay

Bonnie Kay and her family wish to thank the members of Asbury First for their love and support upon the death of Bonnie’s mother, Betty C. Elliott. “Your cards, kind words, visitations, and memorials meant so much to all of us,” she says. “We are indeed blessed to be part of such a caring community.”

Asbury First/urWell clinic manager Honored

Graduation day at Univer-sity of Rochester’s School of Medicine and Dentistry was a day of honors for Karen Boston, the doctor-in-training who has played an important role in Asbury First’s outreach efforts as manager of the Asbury First/URWell Clinic. Boston received a bouquet of honors related to her work with the clinic, including:

• the Class of 1996 Com-munity Service Award, given to a fourth year medical student who has shown exemplary volunteer efforts to better her com-munity;

• the Department of Family Medicine Commencement Award, presented to a graduate who has demonstrated a com-mitment to compassionate, relationship-centered primary care of patients and families;

• the Dean Brenda D. Lee Award, given to a graduate who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to community service, mentoring students in the educational pipeline, and improving the health status of diverse patient populations via patient care, research and/or teaching.

• The Dr. Edwin A. Robinson Rotary Award, named for the

first African American graduate, presented to a student for his or her community service efforts and involvement.

The talented student was also named to the Gold Humanism Honor Society. “Karen’s abilities and dedication greatly increased the level of service we were able to offer to patients through the clinic,” said Rev. Lawrence Hargrave, Asbury First’s pastor for outreach. “We were blessed to have her working with us this past year. She is an extraordinarily gifted young woman with a bright career in front of her.”

Film series Focuses on Just solutions in israel-PalestineCreated by a group of individuals who traveled to the Middle East and sponsored by a loose coalition of Rochester area churches, the Witness Palestine Film Series in September-October aims to educate Rochesterians about the situation in Israel-Palestine. The series is a wonderful opportunity to update yourself about a region that has taken a backseat in the head-lines to the Arab Spring, civil war in Syria, and possible nuclear-weapons capability in Iran.

Screening at The Little Theater, each program includes a group of diverse panelists, most with firsthand experience of the con-flict, who will lead discussions after each screening. Both docu-mentary and narrative films are featured, which the interfaith film committee picked to give you a view of the Middle East that you may not get from mainstream media.

Each program is offered once starting Thursday, September 20, 2012 and then on successive Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons as follows:

Occupation Has No Future, a documentary that gives a broad overview and is rich in background information. Thursday, Sep-tember 20, 6:45 p.m.

Salt of This Sea, a narrative about a Palestinian-American from Brooklyn who travels to her grandfather’s homeland. Sunday, September 23, 2:00 p.m.

Home Front and One Family in Gaza describe life in occupied ter-ritories. Thursday, September 27, 6:45 p.m

Budrus tells of this West Bank village’s response to Israeli plans to build a wall nearby. Sunday, September 30, 2:00 p.m.

Private, based on a true story, is an allegory about the Palestinian situation starting from Israeli army occupation of a West Bank home. Thursday, October 4, 6:45 p.m.

All tickets are $8 per program and are available at the door from The Little box office, 240 East Avenue, Rochester N.Y.

For more information, please go to WitnessPalestineRochester.org or to Facebook.

AFUMC News, Continued from page 3

Karen Boston receiving an award from Dean Brenda D. Lee of the University of Roches-ter’s School of Medicine and Dentistry.

10Asbury First United Methodist Church ~ 1050 East Avenue ~ Rochester, N.Y. 14607

S u m m e r S c r a p b o o kOur Asbury First youth, 45 strong, along

with their leaders, spent a wonderful mission

week in Catadupa, Jamaica working on proj-

ects to help improve the lives of the residents

there. They dug holes, ate local food, laughed,

hugged, made new friends, and shared

Christ’s love with all they met.

In early August, our second annual Golf Tourna-

ment was held at Lake Shore Country Club on a

gorgeous sunny summer day. More than 100 golf-

ers came out to try their luck on the links, bid on

silent auction items, and share in a delicious steak

dinner afterwards. All told, the tournament raised

$11,000 for three Asbury First outreach programs:

the Storehouse, the Dining and Caring Center, and

the youth mission trip.

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board in the fellowship hall that had a map of all of the “members” of our congregation who had gone off to “feed more sheep.”

Q. Did your congregation start off with young adults?

A. No. Kingston UMC was a very small con-gregation, especially in comparison to Asbury First. There were thirteen people there on Emily’s and my first Sunday. With a church of that size, we didn’t know what we could do programmatically, but we did know that we could commit to worshipping well. From that commitment came a community of people who were poised to respond to who God was calling them to be. We spent close to a year prayerfully considering both our mission and vision as a congregation and from that conver-sation came our new mission statement, “feed more sheep.” In addition to opening the door for lots of sheep jokes, it became the way we focused our ministry together. When we came up with a new idea we measured it against our understanding of whether or not it would help us “feed more sheep.” Shortly after we began living into that mission, we started noticing more and more young adults showing up on Sunday mornings. Over the next couple of years, we grew so that we had over a hundred in Sunday worship (which was capacity for our tiny sanctuary), with over three-quarters being young adults.

Q. How did your call to ministry come about?

I grew up in The United Methodist Church. My parents were active in the church council, choir and various other activities. As such, I spent a lot of time at the church and it was always a safe place for me to have fun, get into some trouble, and ask some tough questions. (Ironically, I still find myself doing each of those things today.) When I was sixteen, my church sponsored me to go on the conference youth trip to the Holy Land. During that trip we met with Israelis and Palestinians about the conflict there and I had a chance to experience the work of the church beyond my home. It was there that I felt my first call to ministry. At the time I remember thinking that whatever I did with my life would be my ministry, but I didn’t think it would be pastoral ministry.

I went to college at Ohio Wesleyan University, where I studied theatre, and more importantly, met Emily. When Emily and I got married, we were planning on opening a theatre company. During that first year of marriage, however, we found ourselves trying to find a church and not ever feeling connected. I remember walking out of church each Sunday and saying something like, “I just wish more young people would go into ministry.” Finally, it struck me that the gifts that I had that leant themselves to a life in the theatre could also be used for ministry. Emily helped me to recognize what I was get-ting myself into, but we made the decision and have never looked back.

I went to seminary at Garrett near Chicago, IL, where I served a medium-sized church for four years as the associate minister. Then, I was accepted to Princeton Theological Seminary as a Timothy Scholar and have been work-ing on my PhD while serving Kingston since. Honestly, these close to nine years in ministry have been the happiest of my life and I could not imagine doing anything else.

Q. You’ve been at Asbury First now for a little more than a month. If someone asked you to describe our church, how would you do it?

A. Big! (laughs) Seriously though, I would say that it is a large church with a heart for mission

and a clear history of excellence. It is a church that is already doing so much with its tremen-dous resources and that longs to do more.

Q. What do you see as the challenges facing our church?

A. It feels a little early for me to say, but I would imagine part of the challenge facing Asbury First is to figure out how to deal with the changing culture of Rochester while at the same time maintaining its important identity within this community.

Q. What opportunities for growth do you see here?

I believe in the promise of our faith that the best is yet to come. As such, I recognize that there is always room for growth. One thing that Asbury First really has going for it is a sense of responsibility to the community. That’s exciting. My hope is that this sense will help Asbury First be open to reaching new de-mographics within our community. We have something great to share.

Q. Is there anything else that you want people to know about you?

A. Just that I couldn’t be more honored to be a part of this wonderful congregation.

Rev. Stephen Cady, continued from page 7

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Out of this World Vacation Bible SchoolMore than 100 children, along with their 30+ leaders, experienced an “out of this world” experience this summer from Au-

gust 6 through 9 at Vacation Bible School at Asbury First. Activities included crafts, storytelling, games, and general all-around fun. Planned and run by Children’s Ministry co-directors Melissa Bohrer and Paula Dugan, with the help of many friends and parents, the week was, well, out of this world. A highlight was the appearance each day of “Mighty Galaxy Man,” a superhero named by the children, who taught lessons about God while trying to figure out his own super powers. On the day these photos were taken, Mighty Galaxy Man was suffering from the consequences of finding out that his super powers were not as mighty as he had thought. Mighty Galaxy Man returned to church on Sunday during children’s time at the 10:00 a.m. worship service. His resemblance to mild-mannered pastor Rev. Stephen Cady was not remarked upon.

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We recently received a note and photo from AFUMC member Carrie McKain. She wanted to share with us her five year old son Joey’s recent acts of charity. Carrie has been working with Joey to teach him about the meaning of charity. “He has done a really great job of understanding and wants to help,” she said. When Carrie mentioned to Joey the baby shower that was part of this year’s Great Week of Service in June, Joey jumped at the chance to use some of his allowance, and money he has earned by returning bottles and cans to the supermarket, to make up gift bags for the young underprivileged women partici-pating in the shower. Joey had earned $56 dollars, and used that money to buy small gifts to go in gift bags for twenty mothers-to-be. “He had the best time picking out stuff and said that he now knows everything about babies,” said Carrie. Clearly, Joey is right about that since he had these tips to pass on to the mothers: “Love your babies and whey they cry, pick them up. Even when they don’t cry, pick them up. And love them. Don’t drop them and always play with them.

Asbury First salutes Joey McKean and all the young people of our faith community who have reached out to others in a myriad of ways this past year!

Thank you!

Our Basement Sale and Bake Sale raised more

than $10,000 for the Storehouse and U.M.W.’s

outreach missions. We’re grateful to all who

played a part in making these events a success!

From the Hearts and minds of Children

Each fall, the Stewardship Committee ramps up its activity for the annual campaign details of which will be featured in the next issue of The Visitor. At that time we will be introducing a new theme, “Making Ministry Happen!”, to guide us through this campaign and beyond.

Stewardship is not seasonal, it is not about what we need, it is not about getting money, it is not about numbers, it is not about a building.

It is an all-year adventure, it is about the abundance we share, it is about our purpose, it is about our stories, it is about our mis-sion.

Let us rethink stewardship together. Let us go from thinking about our purse to thinking about our purpose and about being more than just church members but instead becoming disciples.

Let us make it happen together!– The Stewardship Committee

Stewardship Preview: Making Ministry Happen!

14

Library news

Children:The Stars Will Still Shine, by Cynthia Rylant, Tiphanie Beeke (illus-trator).Written in response to troubled times by one of the most celebrated children’s book authors of all time, this comforting book is one that children and parents will want to return to when outside conflicts seem overwhelming. Like a prayer, this book is soothing at bedtime and a meaningful gift for anyone.

Library Lily, by Gillian Shields, Francesca Chessa (illustrator).Once Lily’s mom gets her a library card of her own, Lily never stops reading! She reads everywhere (in bed, in the bathroom, at the din-ner table). Mom tells Lily she needs to go outside and play—where she meets Milly, who likes to play. Lily and Milly share adventures all summer long, both the outdoor and literary kind. Especially for grades K-2.

Youth:Hope Was Here, by Joan Bauer.Joan Bauer’s Newbery Honor-winning novel will inspire teen readers. Hope Was Here offers a refreshing outlook on being a teenager and gives readers a little hope of their own.

Bloom in Your Season (248), by Hill Riddle.Bloom in Your Season is a collection of short meditations ranging from Allowing Failure, Accepting Gay People, Being Religious, Fundamen-talists, Understanding the Cross, to Thoughts After 9/11.

September marks the start of church school, the 11:00 a.m. church service, and the Asbury Resource Library monthly book selec-tions. Books for all ages and on all topics can be found in the Church Resource Library. Take a look at the September book selec-

tions available in the library’s collection of books.Adult:When God Winks (248), by Squire Rushnell.There is more to coincidence than meets the eye and why coinci-dences exist is illustrated in history, sports, medicine, and relation-ships involving both everyday and famous people including Barbra Streisand, Charles Schulz, Oprah Winfrey, Kevin Costner, Mark Twain, and Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

Beyond Tolerance: Searching for Interfaith Understanding in America, by Gustav Niebuhr.Distinguished religion journalist Gustav Niebuhr set off across America to find people who are building, not burning, the bridges between faiths. As he travels across the country, from Queens and Baltimore to Louisville and Los Angeles, he finds Buddhists, Catho-lics, Jews, Baptists, Muslims, and Episcopalians reaching out to one another to find common ground.

Parenting Section:The Secrets of Happy Families: Eight Keys to Building a Lifetime of Connection and Contentment, by Scott Haltzman, M.D.Drawing on more than 1200 family-life questionnaires, psycho-logical research, and his own experience as a clinician, the author provides the basic ingredients for creating happy families. It is an authoritative book on a timely subject for mental-health profession-als and parents looking to strengthen familial bonds.

August

26 Leviticus 19:1-37

27 Psalm 103

28 Psalm 104

29 Psalm 105

30 Psalm 106

31 Psalm 107

september

1 2 Samuel 7:1-29

2 2 Samuel 11:1-27

3 2 Samuel 12:1-25

4 1 Kings 1:1-14

5 1 Kings 1:15-53

6 1 Kings 2:1-12

7 1 Kings 2:13-46

8 1 Kings 3:1-15

9 1 Kings 3:16-28

10 1 Kings 4:20-34

11 1 Kings 8:1-21

12 Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

13 1 Corinthians 1:1-17



16 Proverbs 1:1-33

17 Proverbs 2:1-22

18 Proverbs 3:1-35

19 Proverbs 4:1-27

20 Proverbs 8:1-36

21 Proverbs 10:1-32

22 Proverbs 12:1-28

23 Proverbs 13:1-25

24 Proverbs 14:1-35

25 Proverbs 15:1-33

26 Proverbs 16:1-33

27 Proverbs 22:1-29

28 Proverbs 23:1-35

29 Proverbs 24:1-34

30 Proverbs 25:1-28

15

the last word1 by Michele Cooley 2

There But For the Grace of God...The variety of guests we

serve here at the Dining and Caring Center is broad and diverse. One guest in particular has tugged at my heart strings: middle-aged educated woman named Sally. Poverty does not discriminate. It can descend on the middle class like an op-portunist grabbing at the last vestiges of money, possessions and dignity leaving a shell of a person crying for mercy.

Sally came here from Palm Springs to take care of her blind cousin. She loaded up her van and brought along her pets Noo-dles, Muffy, and Saul. When she discovered that her cousin was living in a 10 by 8 foot room, her hopes were dashed and the only alternative was to sleep in her van. She had spent all of her money on her move. Noodles is a 15 year old cocker spaniel with a tumor on her leg and one blind eye, Muffy is a 15 year old Siamese cat with tumors on her throat, and Saul is a 10 year old Welsh Corgi who is in excellent health.

At the time I did not realize that Sally was homeless. She was so pleasant and articulate, and seemed not to have a care in the world. It was only later that I discovered she had been sleeping in her van in our parking lot each night with the dogs. Muffy was staying with her blind cousin. Sally’s primary concern was not

her own welfare but that of her animals. When I met them in her van, they were so very sweet and well groomed, I knew that this was a person who deeply cared for her pets. They required medical attention which she was determined to find.

The temperature was rising and by the end of the day the heat index was going to reach 100 degrees. We had to think of something fast. The animals would die in the van. Sally was adamant that she would not go to a shelter that did not take animals. There are no shelters in Rochester that accept animals. I asked Sally to bring the animals inside to the lobby of the Din-ing Center where they could be cooler. Saul stayed by my side all day under my desk while Noodles followed Sally around. The heat was sweltering. The closeness of the air was making Sally’s breathing difficult due to her asthma.

Sally lamented: “how could all of this happen to ME?” She grew up in the house next to former president Ronald Reagan’s and had a wonderful, affluent child-hood. Upon graduating from college she became a teacher and helped to establish a women’s shelter. After surviving an auto-mobile accident she sustained a traumatic brain injury leaving her cognitive skills diminished. Her physical injuries were severe as well. At 61 years old she had no job, no social security, and a very meager SSI income. Family was not available to help.

I asked Jason Franklin, our property care manager, if Sally, Saul, and Noodles could stay for one night in a vacant room upstairs. The temperature had reached 97 degrees. Jason as-sisted Sally and her pets with an air conditioned room, the first respite that they had in weeks. Our cook Jeanette’s mother gave Sally some dog food.

The following morning brought good news. A hous-ing appointment was positive. She had been approved for a grant which would help pay for housing. She is still looking and staying in her van for now. I am trying to find her a suitable apartment that accepts pets.

A kind veterinarian is work-ing with Sally and has given her medical treatment and hope for her pets and a little bit of cash.

Sally is happier now and plans on staying in Rochester. Her fu-ture is a little brighter and she is grateful to Asbury First for all of the help we have provided. She is a true victim of circumstances. Sally never stole, committed a crime, abused drugs or alcohol, nor did she do anything to harm to anyone. She is one of our guests and a good person. We care deeply about her.

I count my blessings each and every day. The support from our church, volunteers, friends and family is invaluable. We have the fortunate opportunity to continue to help our needy friends. Any life can be altered in one moment. Sally is an example of this. The phrase “there but for the grace of God go I” could not be more appropriate. We are affirmed as God continues to give us the faith and courage to complete our daily ministry here at the Dining and Caring Center.

PERIODICAL

1050 East AvenueRochester, NY 14607-2293

Address Service Requested

Wednesday Morning Bible StudyBeginning September 1910:00-11:30 a.m.Class leader: Rev. Phillip PhaneufThis year we will be studying the Prophets and the Letters of Paul. Led by Rev. Phil Phaneuf, this Disciple III curriculum will guide us as we delve into the prophetic voices of Scripture.

Sunday Afternoons with the GospelsBeginning September 30Class leader: Rev. Phillip Phaneuf2:00-3:30 P.M.We will begin our year long exploration into Jesus and the Gospels. Led by Rev. Phil Phaneuf and the engaging, well-crafted Disciple curriculum Jesus in the Gospels will guide our efforts into exploring who Jesus is in the Gospel texts.

• No prerequisites are required for either class and newcomers are welcome to join!• Please let Melody in the church office know (271-1050 x.103) your intent so that we will have your courseware available.• The manuals for each of these classes is $35 (scholarships available).

Join us For These Fall Educational Opportunities

the visitor: the newsletter of asbury first united methodist church

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