Announcements

From the Pastor’s Desk

by | Oct 7, 2026 |

“Return of the Osprey”

For Joyce and me, Monday is our Sabbath – a day for praying and playing, slowing down, exploring, and enjoying the gift of God’s creation. We enjoy discovering different places across Cape Cod, sometimes with a destination in mind and sometimes simply following our curiosity.

One of our favorite places is Barnes & Noble. We love being there, standing, sitting, skimming, browsing. We don’t necessarily need to buy anything. There is something wonderfully relaxing about being surrounded by books.

Recently, while browsing, I came across a book that caught my attention: Return of the Osprey: A Season of Flight and Wonder by David Gessner. This year marks the book’s 25th anniversary. Gessner tells the story of watching ospreys along Cape Cod – their return from migration, nest-building, raising their young, and eventual departure. But the book is also about something deeper: place, home, belonging, resilience, and wonder.

I couldn’t help thinking about the osprey pole in front of our church. Every year, we wait for them to return. There is something beautiful about that waiting. The osprey knows where home is. It returns to a familiar place, builds upon what was there before, raises its young, and eventually leaves, only to return again.

Perhaps that is why the story resonates with me so deeply. Home matters. Belonging matters. And that brings me to the story of the Prodigal Son. Rembrandt’s famous painting reminds us that there are,

In a sense, three “prodigal” figures in the story: the younger brother, the older brother, and the father.

The younger brother is far from home, having wasted what he was given. The older brother is physically at home, but his heart has wandered. He cannot rejoice when his brother returns. And then there is the father, prodigal in love – giving extravagantly, waiting patiently, running toward his returning son, and welcoming him home.

Perhaps this is where stewardship begins: learning the Father’s heart. We have all been in the younger brother’s place, and at times, in the older brother’s place. May we become more like the Father – welcoming the prodigal, sharing what we have received, and helping build a home where everyone knows they belong.

Our stewardship theme this year is “Sharing Blessings, One Piece at a Time.” I think about a blueberry pie. The individual ingredients – flour, butter, sugar, eggs, blueberries – may seem ordinary. But when they are brought together, something beautiful and wonderfully sweet emerges.

Our lives can be like that. One prayer. One hour. One visit. One act of kindness. One word of encouragement. None may seem like much by itself. But when we bring what God has entrusted to us and share it together, God can make something far greater than any one of us could make alone.

 So this stewardship month, I invite us to count our blessings and share them freely. Let us share so that children and youth have a place to grow. Let us share so that lonely neighbors can find friendship. Let us share so that those who have wandered can discover that there is still a home for them.

And perhaps, when spring comes again and we look up at that osprey pole in front of our church, we will once again wait with anticipation for their return. May their return remind us of something even greater: There is a home. There is a place to belong. There is a Father with open arms, and always room at the table.

May we be people who help make that home possible: sharing blessings, one piece at a time. Thanks be to God.  – Pastor Victor

From Charge Conference to Church Conference

by | Oct 7, 2026 |

Have you noticed that our annual meeting with the District Superintendent is now called Church Conference instead of Charge Conference?

It may seem like a small change in name, but it reflects a larger vision for who we are becoming as United Methodists. Rather than being a meeting primarily for church leaders, Church Conference is an invitation to the whole church family. We will share ministry reports as part of our worship, celebrate what God has been doing among us, and conclude our gathering by celebrating Holy Communion together.

This year, we are especially embracing our identity as a connectional church – part of one body with one shared mission. Through our Cooperative Parish vision, we are learning to share our gifts, ministries, resources, and hopes so that we can serve Christ and our communities together.

For us, this means five United Methodist churches in our area coming together to worship, celebrate, and discern God’s leading together. Please join us at South Yarmouth United Methodist Church on Sunday November 1st at 2:30 p.m.

Please pray for our gathering. And especially, I invite all of us to ponder these questions: Where have you seen God at work in the life of our churches this year? What is there for us to celebrate together?

Trivia Night is Back!

by | Oct 7, 2026 |

The SYUMC Christian Education Committee is once again sponsoring Trivia Night: Sunday, October 18 from 4-6 in Parish Hall. Please join us by putting your name and email on the sign up sheet in Parish Hall. This is a very popular and repeated event at SYUMC. Pizza, salad and dessert will be served. A donation to our “Youth 2027” would be greatly appreciated. 

Community Outreach

by | Oct 7, 2026 |

When Jesus gave his disciples the Great Commission, he said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…and remember, I am with you until the end of the age. (Matt 28: 19-20)

Those words are not just a call to bring people into this church, it is also a call to GO OUT- to carry the presence, compassion, hope, and love of Christ into the world around us.

Our church has been seeking to live out that calling through the many ways we reach beyond our church walls and serve our community.  Outreach is one of the ways our church puts our faith into action.  When we open the Thrift Shop and Barn doors to provide clothing, household goods, furniture, and equipment, we are providing more than a good bargain, we are expressing Christian care.

Through our support of the food programs like our Red Wagon, DYECH cards for the food bank, our direct help to the Homeless Prevention program and DYECH card purchases, as well as supporting the Duffy Van project, they demonstrate new ways we are seeking to fulfill the Commission as we put Jesus’ teaching into practice: caring for people,  not with words but with tangible acts of love.

The outreach to our most senior members and shut-ins does not always mean going far.  Recent reports of great events in these programs make the Commission come to reality locally.

Hospitality is itself a form of outreach and we should all seek ways to meet and welcome those newer faces venturing into the church community.  This simple action helps to open doors for them to encounter a community shaped by Christ’s love.

In what ways are you a part of this Commission? The church is not a place where we just gather.  It is a people who are sent!   – Tom Kerr