Weekly News - May 8, 2025 - Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek

Posted on May 8, 2025 Posted By: Office Administrator Categories: News

Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek
We are a community that invites you to awaken to love.

Here’s what’s happening at Mill Creek:

** Congregational Life
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** Upcoming events, meetings and news to know
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** Sunday Worship Service Information
May 11, 2025
10:30 am
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Join us this Sunday for Rev. Christian’s sermon, “Lovely Flowers.” During the service we will celebrate the annual ritual of the Flower Ceremony. All are invited to bring one flower or several, home-grown or store-bought, to contribute to our communal bouquet, allowing each of us to take home a different flower as part of the ceremony.

Music for this service will be performed the duo Red Door, featuring award-winning singer-songwriter and International Guitar Champion Helen Avakian, and acclaimed jazz, bluegrass, and Brazilian guitarist Dave Irwin. Helen and Dave perform a wide variety of acoustic music and are especially known for their fingerstyle guitar artistry and vocal harmonies. They have thrilled audiences around the U.S. with imaginative sets featuring captivating originals, classic covers, and even upbeat versions of classical masterworks.

Much to marvel at… full of life and energy. –Acoustic Guitar Magazine

Like Joni Mitchell, Helen Avakian can turn lyrics inside out… Helen Avakian’s music touches a place within. –John Barry, Poughkeepsie Journal

Red Door will appear at the historic Robinson House in Claymont this Wednesday, May 14 at 7:30 pm. Learn more about Helen and her music HERE (http://helenavakian.com/) .
Connect with Us In-Person
* Service begins at 10:30 am
* Children’s RE programming is available for ages 4 and up
* Child Care available (infant/toddler, ages birth to 3)

Connect with Us Virtually
Here’s how to get the Zoom link for livestreaming the service:
* Click the link below: ‘Sunday Livestream’ (bookmark it on your preferred device for quick and easy access on Sunday morning); OR
* Get the link by accessing the church calendar (https://www.uusmc.org/news/calendar/) (https://www.uusmc.org/news/calendar (https://www.uusmc.org/news/calendar/) )

Sunday Livestream – CLICK HERE (https://zoom.us/j/97806427419)

Meeting ID: 978 0642 7419

** Committee Submissions for Needed for Annual Meeting Report
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Our annual meeting is scheduled for Sunday, June 1; the accompanying report will be distributed at the meeting. Comprising a large portion of the report is a section for submissions from our committee chairs and leaders. All committee or team leaders should submit a report including, but not limited to: a committee charter (if you have one), a recap of activities and/or accomplishments over the last 12 months, and any plans or goals for the upcoming year.

The committees that should be submitting a report are: music, worship, tech, faith exploration, art lab, pastoral care , service auction , membership, fellowship & fun, building & grounds, finance, generosity, and natural lands stewards. A copy of last year’s report is available by request.

Please submit your report to the church office by email (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org) no later than Friday, May 16.

** Join a Chalice Circle!
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We currently have several active chalice circles in our church. They generally meet twice monthly at times and places they choose and discuss topics provided by the UUA or others that they select. The circles are a safe place for members to explore their beliefs and share their lives.

If you are interested in joining a circle or if you have any questions, see or contact Jeanne Hanson (mailto:jeanne.m.hanson@gmail.com) .

** Fellowship & Fun Wants To Know…
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The Fellowship & Fun Committee is looking for feedback regarding the types of social activities our members and friends would like the committee to offer. A short survey has been developed to help us plan fun and engaging events for the next year that everyone will enjoy.

Look for the survey in the Order of Service this Sunday, May 11, and May 18. Please complete the survey and place in the box/envelope on the round table at the rear of the sanctuary, or email it to fellowship@uusmc.org (mailto:fellowship@uusmc.org) . See or contact Chris Reynolds (mailto:reynoldschristine0@gmail.com) with any questions.

Your voice matters – thank you for your input!

** SAVE THE DATE for an Ice Cream Social!
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Summer fun begins at Mill Creek! All are welcome to join us on Saturday, June 14 at 6:30 pm for ice cream and yard games, RAIN OR SHINE.

** Lands Stewards Activities
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* Wednesday Meadow Maintenance Come and see what the gang is doing to improve the biodiversity and natural habitat in the meadow areas. Join them next Wednesday, May 14 around 5:30 pm.
* Meeting All are welcome to attend our meeting in the conference room on Sunday, May 11 after coffee hour.
* Pizza in the Meadow Join the crew in the meadow next Wednesday, May 14 for relaxation and a communal meal of everyone’s favorite: pizza!
* Pine Needles Needed We are collecting pine needles for the Blueberry plants in the kid’s garden. If you have a pine or other evergreen tree in your yard and can spare some of the needles, drop them in the garden area and they will be put to good use.
* Carpenter Bees Our Carpenter Bees can seem a bit aggressive and scary, and they are good size (like large bumblebees). Right now, the males are trying to chase each other away, so you might see them flying aggressively at each other especially in the Children’s Garden area (the males are larger but have no stinger – all bark and no bite). The females are more reclusive, but they do have a stinger. Still, you would have to really provoke a female Carpenter Bee to get her to sting you. These are important native pollinators, so please be patient with them.
* Wool Sower Gall Wasps Something new in our meadow to marvel at! These tiny non-stinging, non-aggressive wasps (about 1/8″ long) will eventually emerge from their little nests – they look like tiny cotton balls covered with pink dots that will turn brownish as the wasp larva mature inside. The galls don’t harm the tree, and they only occur in springtime.

Can you find any nests in the white oak tree along the back entrance sidewalk?

** Social Justice Committee Meeting
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Everyone is welcome to join the next committee meeting on Sunday, May 18 after coffee hour in the conference room.

** Dinners for Seven:
Sunday, May 18
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If you’re interested in hosting a Sunday dinner for seven, are ready to register, or have questions, reach out to events@uusmc.org (mailto:events@uusmc.org) . Or use the sign-up sheet in the gathering space by Sunday, May 11.

** Wanted: Nursery Staff Person
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We are hiring a second nursery staff person. Requirements: must be 18 or older and be able to work from 10am-12noon on Sunday mornings. See or contact Isabella Weber (mailto:iceweber@gmail.com) for more information.

** Food Drive Continues
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Our support of the Food Bank of Delaware continues with a donation drive. We are collecting their most-needed items, including hot & cold cereals; peanut butter; canned fruits, meats, vegetables & soups; rice; and pasta.

The Social Justice Committee has provided a donation bin in the gathering space to collect the items mentioned above. Please help us to help our less fortunate neighbors – thank you for your ongoing support.

** Free Jazz Concert:
Thursday, June 5
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Come and join us for an evening of swingin’ brass and smooth voices at a FREE jazz concert on Thursday, June 5 at 7pm here at Mill Creek. Featuring The Keynote Jazz Singers, with guest Alto Sax player Larry Spencer, and the Clarion Brass. Everyone is welcome – share this event on your social media platforms, and bring a friend!

** Current Share Our Plate Recipient
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We regularly donate a half of our undesignated plate collection to a local charity or non-profit organization. For the months of May and June we are supporting:

The Trevor Project
The leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people.

This organization offers crisis services, advocacy, research, peer support, education, and public awareness, with the ultimate goal of preventing suicide – helping to create a world where all LGBTQ+ young people see a bright future for themselves.
Learn more about The Trevor Project HERE (https://www.thetrevorproject.org/)
Support this organization with your online donation HERE. Be sure to select ‘Share Our Plate’ as the giving fund. Thank you! (https://onrealm.org/MillCreek/Give)

** Clean Out Your Sock Drawer!
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The SmartWool company is giving old products new life to eliminate the need for new materials and keep perfectly good materials from being thrown away and destined for a landfill. They have developed Second Cut, a process to refabricate discarded socks into new products they sell on their website.

We are collecting clean, unwanted socks of any type, any condition, and any kind of material. We will then send them to the SmartWool company, giving them new life. Look for the collection bin in the gathering space. Your participation in this project is an easy way to help the environment.

We have already saved 3.35 lbs. of worn socks from the landfill. Help us to get to 100 lbs. by the end of the year!

** Recurring Events
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Wednesday Evening Meadow Maintenance

The Land Stewards continue their weekly evening work efforts every Wednesday around 5:30pm, weather permitting. You don’t need to be a meadow worker bee to come out and enjoy some social time with us in the meadow. – everyone is welcome to simply walk around and enjoy our natural native habitat.

It’s not all about pulling weeds – there are many opportunities to get involved! We’ve put together a list of suggestions for ways anyone can help – from minimal effort, to moderate activity, to using shovels and pulling weeds. Check it out by clicking the button below.
Learn more – click HERE (https://www.uusmc.org/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Support-Our-Natural-Lands-1.pdf)

The D & D role-playing game is about storytelling in worlds of swords and sorcery.

In the Dungeons & Dragons game, each player creates an adventurer (also called a character) and teams up with other adventurers (played by friends). Working together, the group might explore a dark dungeon, a ruined city, a haunted castle, a lost temple deep in a jungle, or a lava-filled cavern beneath a mysterious mountain. The adventurers can solve puzzles, talk with other characters, battle fantastic monsters, and discover fabulous magic items and other treasure. All are welcome to join the group on Sunday, May 11 & 25 at 12 pm in classroom 1. Occurs every 2 weeks on Sundays. Questions? Contact Tom Vincent (mailto:trv302@outlook.com) .

Realm is our church management software program. We use it exclusively for accounting, pledge data, membership, registration events, and more. Use the button below to access your Realm profile to make sure we have your most recent contact information, and make pledge payments and contributions.

Access your Realm profile HERE (https://onrealm.org/MillCreek/SignIn)
Fun fact: you can use Realm to set up recurring online monthly pledge payments using a credit card or your checking or savings account!
Mill Creek Staff
Rev. Christian Schmidt, Minister
In Office: Sundays & Tuesdays
minister@uusmc.org (mailto:minister@uusmc.org)
979-450-2477 (cell)
To request a teleconference, or a Zoom or in-person meeting, click the button below:
Connect with Rev. Christian HERE (https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ1ETx17XToDEx3GC5293hfnHTj-VJpBMu_m7SpHkuCcHozb-ceUiT3H-hDGLbziPku9hYBquodp)
Debra Damiani, Congregational Administrator
Monday 9 am to 2 pm, Monday-Thursday
administrator@uusmc.org (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org)
302-369-2712

Margaret Borror, Faith Exploration Teacher
Sundays, and by appointment
dre@uusmc.org (mailto:dre@uusmc.org)
Connect with the UUA, Delmarva Cluster, and Central East Region

** General Assembly: The Unitarian Universalist Association’s Annual Meeting
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General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), where participants gather to worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy decisions for the Association through a democratic process. From June 18–22, 2025, the 64th UUA General Assembly will be a multi-platform event, with the main stage hosted at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland and hundreds more joining on the Whova app.
Click HERE to learn about all things GA! (https://www.uua.org/ga)

** Opportunities for Connection: Central East Region Update
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MAY 2025

Featured Resource:
Summer Institute
The 1000+ Unitarian Universalist congregations in North America are grouped into 5 regions: Pacific Western, MidAmerica, Southern, Central East, and New England. The Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek (UUSMC) is part of the Central East Region. To learn more about what’s happening in our region, click the button below.
Opportunities for Connection: click HERE (https://www.uua.org/central-east/blog/opportunities-525)

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Weekly News – May 8, 2025

Weekly News – May 8, 2025