ASBURY FIRST MONDAY READER | AUGUST 25, 2025

CONTENTS: MEET THE STAFF: DAVID STITH

MORE GREAT READS FOR LATE SUMMER

Every few weeks, we're pulling back the curtain to introduce you to the varied and interesting folks who've found their place at Asbury First as staff members, helping to execute the vision of our congregation.

Meet David Stith, our Director of Communications, who manages everything from emails and social media to our website, newsletters, and printed materials. David comes to us from a fascinating career in the arts—first as a graphic designer and visual artist freelancing in the New York City and London music industries, then as a composer and touring musician. While he describes himself as deeply introverted, he finds that his communications work draws out parts of himself he often forgets are there.

For the past year and a half at Asbury First, David has found new ways to connect with our community, creating original art for our weekly bulletin covers, launching the Monday Reader, and developing engaging social media content for our Facebook and Instagram communities

But David's creative life extends far beyond our church walls. Earlier this month, he was invited to perform on NYC's Little Island—an artificial island park in Manhattan—for a sold-out tribute concert to Arthur Russell, a beloved American songwriter who died during the AIDS crisis. David not only performed as a singer but also rearranged several of Russell's songs for the ten-piece band and guest vocalists Ella Hunt and Martha Wainwright. Remarkably, this complex performance came together with just a single 12-hour rehearsal.



This kind of intensive collaboration isn't new for David, who has years of touring experience under his belt. Between 2010 and 2014, he performed for hundreds of thousands of people as both a solo artist (under the moniker DM Stith) and as part of Sufjan Stevens' live band, gracing stages from London's Royal Festival Hall to the Sydney Opera House, and even appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

For those who know David around church, this hidden talent often comes as a surprise—he prefers working behind the scenes and hardly presents himself as the rock star type. He moved to Rochester from NYC during the pandemic, leaving his position as a designer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in favor of a quieter domestic life. By day, he feels at home composing newsletters and bulletins for Asbury First, as long as his nights remain free for his ongoing creative endeavors in music and art.

Want to connect with our vibrant online community? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see David's latest creative work in action!

Welcome to our latest collection of thoughtfully curated books, spanning every age and reading level! From picture books that teach young children about kindness and wonder in God's creation, to middle grade stories that build empathy and self-acceptance, to young adult works that tackle difficult topics with honesty and hope, and adult reads that challenge us to think differently about care and community, each title has been chosen to spark meaningful conversations, deepen faith, and expand our understanding of what it means to love our neighbors as ourselves. Stop by the library to see these and many more wonderful reads!

The Colorless Sara Short by S. Michael Smith

ages 3-7

Sara Short is a butterfly with colorless wings in a world filled with vibrant colors. Join her on her journey as she learns what it means to be kind and embrace what makes her special. This is a celebration of diversity, resilience, friendship, and self-acceptance, all qualities that Christians embrace.

I Wonder: Exploring God's Grand Story by Glenys Nellist

ages 4-8

This unique illustrated book of 30 stories (15 from the Old Testament and 15 from the

New Testament) considers the mystery of God and the Bible. Questions at the end of

each story are designed to inspire wonder.

It Feels Good To Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn

ages 4+

With kid-friendly language, colorful illustrations, and diverse families, this book provides readers and parents with the tools to discuss gender identity with inclusivity and sensitivity.

If the World Were A Village—Second Edition: A Book About the World’s People by

David J. Smith

ages 8-12

This unique book imagines the world’s population (6.8 billion people as of 2022), as a

village of just 100 people. We see that life in other parts of the world are often very

different from our own, which can help us be better citizens of God’s world.

Starfish by Lisa Fipps;

ages 10+

Ellie gets bullied about her weight and tries to live by the “Fat Girl Rules”, except when she’s in her swimming pool where she stretches out like a starfish. Through the love and acceptance of others, Ellie learns to be her true self, confronting “diet culture and fat phobia” head-on.

Speak: The Graphic Novel by Laurie Halse Anderson

Just before an end-of-summer party before her freshman year of high school, Melinda

busts an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. This makes her unpopular and

disliked, and none of her former friends will talk to or listen to her. As she works on an

art project, she learns to cope with the sinister event that happened that night.

Hurt Help Hope: A Real Conversation about Teen Grief and Life After Loss by Clarissa

and Fiona Moll

This is written by a teenager, along with her mother, about grieving the loss of her

father. It offers practical suggestions about a wide variety of topics, including processing emotions, promoting better sleep, experiencing funerals, and responding to insensitive comments that people make in the face of loss.

Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Dementia and Elder Care by Anne Basting

Elderly people are often separated from loved ones, especially those experiencing

dementia and Alzheimer’s. Basting, a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, offers

evidence-based methods that caregivers can use to bring light and hope to elderly

people that will help them connect to the world around them in a creative and

imaginative way.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

This novella is in the hopepunk genre (the opposite of dystopian), where future humans fight for “positive change, radical kindness, and communal responses to challenges”. In it, Sibling Dex, a tea monk who makes just the right tea for each person’s need, meets a mythical wild-built robot with an unusual quest. Told from the perspective of an agender character with fitting language and pronouns, it’s a gentle, character-driven book with a lot of heart that won a Hugo Award for Best Novella.