To the People of God on Cape Cod,

As autumn arrives and the leaves begin to paint the world in shades of gold, crimson, and amber, we are reminded of God’s artistry in creation. The crisp morning air, the gentle rustle of falling leaves, and the harvest fields ready for gathering all speak of His faithfulness and the beauty of change.

This season is a natural invitation to pause and reflect on the year so far and give thanks for the blessings we’ve received, both great and small. We celebrate answered prayers, and the ways God has been at work in our lives and in our community. We also acknowledge the challenges we’ve faced, trusting that even in difficult moments, His grace sustains us.

Here at East Harwich United Methodist, the fall months signal our annual conference. We will gather with other members of our “Cooperative Parish”: members from First UMC in Chatham, Osterville UMC, South Yarmouth UMC, Northside UMC and Cotuit Federated on Sunday November 1st- All Saints Day. While we cherish the flavor of our local congregations, this is an opportunity to experience the greater United Methodist Church with neighboring mid-cape congregations. The agenda is looking at the year past for each of us in order that we might move ahead inspired! The pastors of these congregations: Ed Starbuck, John Taylor, Rodney Dobbs, Victor Han and myself, met recently and agreed that November 1st should be a time of fellowship and an opportunity to “get to know” each other better!

The Christmas Fair and Thanksgiving holiday prepare us to begin a new church year by celebrating God’s provision. I encourage you to take time this month to notice the blessings around you — the laughter of friends, the beauty of creation, the comfort of God’s presence. Share these moments with others and invite someone to join you at church. Together, we can make this season one of gratitude, growth, and renewed hope.

I look forward to worshiping, serving, and celebrating alongside you in the weeks ahead. May God’s peace fill your heart, His joy brightens your days, and His love guide your steps.

Pastor Dianne, October 2026

Dear People of God on Cape Cod,

We are entering the Fall season!  Some people would say this is the best time on Cape Cod: cooler days, fewer tourists, families getting back to school and work after vacations, plentiful harvests of apples, squashes, corn, and cranberries…

For our church life, there are church conferences and reports before we begin a new liturgical year with Advent themes.

Harvest time evokes gratitude for God’s bounty.  Themes of stewardship as we participate in God’s plans for the environment conflict with champions of domination. Like many of you, I have been an amateur farmer [2 pepper plants and one cherry tomato plant!]  while enjoying the convenience of modern markets. 

We are called to be stewards of the future.  Stewardship involves planning, not just our needs today. 

There is a wonderful story in the Jewish Talmud about a teacher named Honi who encountered an old man planting a carob tree.

Honi asked the old man how long the tree would take to bear fruit. “Seventy years,” the man replied. Honi was confused. He knew the old man would not live long enough to eat from this tree.

The man answered that when he entered the world, he found carb trees planted by those who came before him. Just as his ancestors planted for him, he would plant for those who came after.

I love the clarity of this story. The old man saw wealth in a different way than we do. His wealth was not merely what he possessed. His wealth was what he could pass forward. He saw himself as part of a chain of stewardship, reaching back to ancestors he never met, and forward to descendants he would never see.

Many Indigenous traditions share this wisdom. The choices we make today also affect future generations. The Earth is not just something we inherit from our ancestors to use. It is also something our descendants trust us to care for.

This Harvest time – the Fall is a great time to reflect on how our practices will bear fruit in the future and not just for our table.

Blessings,
Pastor Dianne 

To the People of God on Cape Cod,

We have come to the end of another appointment year within the United Methodist Church. For all of those who attend regularly at the Harwich UMC, I would like to express my deep gratitude for your gifts and your faithfulness. God willing, I will be serving among you for another appointment year.

Society is moving out of the COVID experience. The United Methodist Church has entered into a renewed commitment to the present age. There have been changes in the discipline, and we are challenged to find ways to serve more effectively. Yet the needs of our community have not changed that much. How will we continue to testify that LOVE and Reconciliation mean that we must make health care, housing, and food more accessible?

Karl Young and I were at the New England United Methodist Church Annual Conference last week. As a People of Faith, Justice Issues and financial challenges are high on the agenda for our denomination. I am glad that we have made a commitment to participate fully [100%] in our Mission Shares at Harwich UMC. When every church in the Conference contributes its share, the Conference can fully fund the great “dreams and visions” of our annual meeting.

As we look forward to another year in ministry, we must allow the Holy Spirit to give us inspirational guidance as to how we can help prepare our Cape Cod community for the future. Future-looking people and institutions do not function with agendas of Survivalism. Future-looking people and institutions endeavor to continue growing and becoming more effective. For the Church, that means becoming better advocates of God’s vision of Wholeness in a broken world and Peace in human relationships.

I will be away the first two weeks of July and look forward to the coming year.

Prayers for our faith family and the many visitors to Cape Cod this season.
Pastor Dianne

 To the People of God on Cape Cod,

In the Northeast, May is a month of dramatic life.  I remember leaving for the hospital to have my daughter on May 15^th and returning home a week later, shocked by the colorful transformation of the world.  Our creator has programmed into the world colorful and dramatic reminders that the possibility of new life is always with us.

The challenges of the winters of our lives are not irreversible. The snows of January and February 2026 snapped trees, sheared off branches, and reminded us of our vulnerabilities. Yet here we are. 

When Methodists would gather at their annual meetings, the greeting  “Are We Yet Alive?” was set to music by Charles Wesley in 1749.   The hymn famously begins: “And are we yet alive, and see each other’s face? Glory and thanks to Jesus for his almighty grace!”   It acknowledges trials, such as “What troubles have we seen, what conflicts have we passed, fightings without, and fears within, since we assembled last”.  It is commonly used to reaffirm community and resilience in the face of challenges, celebrating that the church is still active.

My recent trip to Savannah reminded me of our long history as a community of believers.   I spoke to people of our denomination there and visited churches that are older than ours, boast having known John Wesley. Our creator has plans for us to continue to spread the Gospel “as long as we live” and in every season.  You and I are the ambassadors of peace, new life, and possibilities still to be revealed!  “Rise, O folk of God.”  And be God’s May people.

In love with the Lord and each of you,
Pastor Dianne, May 2026