Our Ministry

Oriole-York Mills (OYM) United Church, The Church of the Good Shepherd, is located on Bayview Avenue just north of York Mills Road. Built of multi-coloured fieldstone highlighted by a stone image of the Good Shepherd on its front wall and featuring a beautiful, arched oak interior, it was opened in January 1962. The church is linked historically to the Oriole Wesleyan Methodist Church built near by in 1873.

Our congregation’s sense of ministry, for our children and adults alike, is already enriched by visiting Cedarhurst’s residents and by welcoming them to our Sunday services and social events. Lay volunteers support our young people attending the Common Ground youth program that operates on alternate Fridays among churches in the Toronto Southeast Presbytery. Also carrying out our mission, our Pastoral Care team provides monthly chapel services for seniors at Amica and Extendicare, as well as visiting ill or bereaved church members. We have a dedicated Mission and Community Service group serving the needs of the local community and the world beyond, and our congregation is known for its sustaining support for the UCC’s Mission and Community Service Fund.

Our Congregation

There are 157 members, ranging from families with young children and teenagers to seniors, the latter being in the majority. Visitors tell us that we are welcoming and friendly. We are accepting of diversity and strive to maintain a balance between tradition and change. We have an active church school that benefits from a dynamic Sunday School teacher and dedicated Christian education volunteers. Our talented music director and six vocalists inspire us with fine music. Under our minister’s guidance, OYM’s Bible Study Group meets weekly to discuss books and share thoughts on a range of Christian topics.

A bridge clubs, a book club, musical evenings, church lunch-and-learn events and a spring picnic are but some of the social activities offered at OYM, while news and views are exchanged during our enjoyable Sunday coffee hour. Published six times yearly, The Oriole, our entertaining church newsletter, keeps us informed of congregational events [see here »]. To further communications, a team of envoys stays in personal touch with all church households, bringing to their attention special worship events