Weekly News - July 16, 2026 - Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek

Posted on July 16, 2026 Posted By: Office Administrator Categories: News

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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** Faith Exploration Activities for July
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The month of July will be a busy one in the faith exploration classrooms:

July 19 – Fun with RC Cars! Bring a remote control car if you have one, or consider borrowing one.
July 26 – Ice Cream Day! The kids will have a blast making their own ice cream concoctions.

WISH LIST:
An ice cream maker would help make Ice Cream Day (July 26) extra special. If you or someone you know has one we could borrow for the day, let our Faith Exploration leader know HERE (mailto:nuggsmom@gmail.com) .
We are also looking for woodworking tools. If you have any that you would like to donate, bring them in any Sunday. Thank you!

** Upcoming Worship Events
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Wednesday Evening Taizé – Begins Wednesday, August 12 at 7pm and continues the second Wednesday of every month. Taizé service is a contemplative form of worship originating from the Taizé Community in France. Set in a candlelit space, participants sit in silence, sing simple chants, and reflect on brief readings that create a calm, meditative atmosphere open to all.

Big Poetry Sunday – The Worship Team has created another interactive worship experience for all to enjoy – come and share one of your favorite poems with the congregation during the worship hour on Sunday, August 16. Let us know the title of the poem, the author’s name, and approximate length. If you’d rather, you can recommend a poem for a worship associate to read. Sign up
HERE (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScDBeRyo1KQ4DxdDKxtEdQAAFES-KPFVE20kSWhIslkEsLKrg/viewform) by Sunday, August 9. Questions? See or email Anna Hull (mailto:akhull1999@yahoo.com) .

Ingathering – Join us for the official start of the new church year on Sunday, September 13. We’ll celebrate with our water ceremony and welcome each other back to our church community.

** Sunday Worship Service Information
July 19, 2026
10:30 am
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What can the crew of the Starship Enterprise teach us about living with curiosity, compassion, and hope?
Join us this Sunday for Diane Hofer’s exploration of the surprising spiritual wisdom of the original Star Trek and discover why its vision of humanity still speaks powerfully to our lives today. Whether you’re a lifelong Trekkie or have never watched an episode, you’ll find yourself invited on a voyage worth taking.

Music for this service will be offered by musician, composer, and guitarist Kevin J. Cope. Kevin is a University of Delaware graduate and currently teaches at the UD Community Music School. He has been a recipient of several Individual Artist Fellowships from the Delaware Division of the Arts, was featured on the cover of Soundboard Magazine in their 40th Anniversary Edition, and has been featured in Classical Guitar Magazine. Kevin’s compositions, performances, and info on various projects (including his progressive metal band Nil Lumen) can be found at www.kevinjcope.com (https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.kevinjcope.com&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw24wIZbrdes6vCNvAY8_F89) .

Connect with Us In-Person
* Service begins at 10:30 am
* Children’s Faith Exploration programming is available for ages 4 and up (see below for what’s coming up)
* Child Care available (infant/toddler, ages birth to 3)

Connect with Us Virtually
* Click the link below: ‘Sunday Livestream’ (bookmark it on your preferred device for quick and easy access on Sunday morning).

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

Meeting ID: 978 0642 7419

** Join us in the meadow every Wednesday
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Join the Land Stewards next Wednesday, July 22 (and every Wednesday, weather permitting) at 5:30pm and see what they’re doing to improve the biodiversity and natural habitat in the meadow areas. All are welcome!

** Newark Arts Alliance Returns this Summer for 2-week Art Camp
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Camp Imagine, offered by Newark Arts Alliance, is a full-day, Monday through Friday, 2-week art camp for children ages 7–12: July 27 through August 7. Campers explore both visual and performing arts, including art, theater, a cappella singing, and dance, in a fun and creative environment – right here at Mill Creek. Registration is available for one or both weeks.
Click HERE for more information & to register (https://www.newarkartsalliance.org/camp-imagine)
Questions? Click HERE (mailto:info@newarkartsalliance.org)

** 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 July & August we are supporting:

Meals on Wheels – Newark, Delaware

Coordinated by the Newark Senior Center and operated by volunteers, this program provides dependable weekday meal delivery so older adults can continue living at home with support. With a focus on consistency, dignity, and community connection, this program helps ensure no one is left without a proper meal.
Learn more about Meals on Wheels, Newark HERE (https://www.newarkseniorcenter.com/transportation-services)
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)

** Have you downloaded the Church Center App?
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Church Center is an easy app that helps you to stay connected with your Mill Creek community. It is secure, controlled, and accessed by invitation only. Invitations were emailed several months ago to members of the congregation. If you can’t locate that email, contact the church office (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org) for a resend.

Once you download the app, then select UUSMC as your congregation and sign in, you can access the church directory and calendar. Only you can control what information about you is shared in the directory.

** UUWomenspirit Fall 2026 Gathering
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Registration opens soon!
Registration is opening soon for the UUWomenspirit Fall 2026 Gathering. All women of our community are invited from Wednesday, September 30 through Sunday, October 4, 2026, to join the gathering at the beautiful, rustic summit of The Mountain Retreat & Learning Center in Highlands, NC (https://www.themountainrlc.org/) . This autumn, the gathering will center around the theme Waters of the Spirit.

Registration opens on Wednesday, July 22. Until then, click the button below to learn more.
UUWomenspirit – learn more HERE (https://www.uuwomenspirit.org/)

** Yoga Offered on Select Dates during the Summer Months
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Join Margaret in the library, 8:30am-10am, for gentle yoga & meditation on the following Fridays:
August 14 & 21
To register or with questions, contact Margaret HERE (mailto:margaret_bodine@comcast.net) .

** Dungeons & Dragons
A Recurring Event
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Sundays: July 19; August 2, 16 & 30
(every other week)
12:00 pm, Classroom 4
D&D is a role-playing game about storytelling in worlds of swords and sorcery. 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. No registration required – just drop in. All are welcome to join the group in classroom 4. Occurs every other week on Sundays.

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. Christe Lunsford, Minister
* Mondays & Tuesdays: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm in the office; calls and by email after 2pm.
* Thursdays: by appointment
* Sundays (when I preach): 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
* My regular days off are Friday and Saturday, unless I am scheduled for special congregational duties. I answer calls and emails Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Any non-emergency calls or emails outside of those hours will be answered during the next work day.
* Other times may be arranged by mutual agreement via email: minister@uusmc.org (mailto:minister@uusmc.org) or click HERE (https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ08wOXSmX5fNN_vySxfpLP9VL2QqSZF5spIx5_9rxZm3e25LNywCGk4WoIlyFMvdn84osyy8XZl) .
* I joyfully participate in committee meetings when I am able, with particular focus on the Board, Finance, and Worship teams.

Debra Damiani, Congregational Administrator
Monday-Thursday 9 am to 2 pm
administrator@uusmc.org (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org)
302-369-2712

Margaret Borror, Faith Exploration Teacher
Sundays, and by appointment
dfe@uusmc.org (mailto:dfe@uusmc.org)

Rob Sylvester, Collaborative Accompanist
Sundays, and by appointment

** Connect with the UUA, Central East Region, and Delmarva Cluster
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** UUA Condemns U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Noem vs. Al Otro Lado
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Photo by Matt Gush

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) condemns the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Noem vs. Al Otro Lado case regarding the “turnback” policy at the Mexico border, which impacts the U.S. asylum system.

“People who leave home seeking asylum and protected status in our country are among the most vulnerable in the world. Our faith compels us to practice the spiritual disciplines of hospitality and solidarity,” said the Rev. Ashley Horan, Vice President for Programs and Ministries, at the UUA. “Today’s ruling puts innumerable lives in peril and denies the interdependent reality that transcends borders and boundaries. Our moral and religious commitments are unshakable. Immigrants are people with inherent worthiness and dignity, and Unitarian Universalists will continue to rise in solidarity with our immigrant and refugee neighbors within and beyond our national borders.”
Read the full story HERE (https://www.uua.org/pressroom/press-releases/noem-vs-al-otro-lado-decision)

** Central East Region
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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.

The Central East Region helps congregations of all shapes and sizes connect with each other and with resources that help them best express their Unitarian Universalist faith in a changing and hurting world. We believe that we’re at our best when we work together–and we Central East Region staff work together to help your congregation be its best. To learn more about what’s happening in our region, click the button below.
Central East Region Update – click HERE (https://www.uua.org/central-east)

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Weekly News – July 16, 2026

Weekly News – July 16, 2026