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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** SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVE 2026
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Now through Sunday, August 9
This year we are partnering with TJ’s Boxing Academy for school supplies collection and distribution.
Our cleaning contractor, Ted Johnson, is a former professional boxer and is the owner and operator of TJ’s Boxing Academy (https://www.tjboxingacademy.com/) on Ogletown Road in Newark where he offers boxing and fitness classes for adults and kids. Every year Ted has a big community event at his gym where he distributes bookbags and school supplies, and offers food and refreshments, fun activities for kids, etc. The date of the event is Saturday, August 15. Our collection of supplies is now through Sunday, August 9.
We are collecting the following basic supplies:
* Bookbags/backpacks
* Loose leaf paper, composition books, spiral notebooks
* Pocket folders, binders
* Lead & color pencils, pencil sharpeners, pens, markers, highlighters
* Glue sticks, scissors
* Pencil cases
* Hand sanitizer
You may pick and choose any item(s) from the list, or other school supplies of your choosing. OR, gift cards from stores like Five Below, Dollar Tree, Walmart, etc., make wonderful contributions.
Donations can be brought to church now through Sunday, August 9. Look for the collection area in the gathering space.
Thank you for supporting Ted in his mission to help local students start the school year prepared for success!
** Moving Boxes Needed
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Members of our congregation will be moving this summer to a new address locally and have expressed a need for moving boxes – ones that can easily be carried. They can be brought to church at any time. Thank you!
** Faith Exploration Summer Activities
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Summer fun continues in the faith exploration classrooms!
July 26 – Ice Cream Day! The kids will have a blast making their own yummy ice cream concoctions.
August 2 – Aviation Day We will be making and trying to fly different aircrafts, and using sidewalk chalk – could be messy…
August 9 – Soap Carving Day This fun event speaks for itself!
August 16 – Water Day Everyone’s favorite – come with sunscreen applied and swimsuits on (or other clothes you won’t mind getting wet).
August 23 – Potato Day We’ll be harvesting our crop, making potato dishes, and have fun with potato-themed activities.
August 30 – Tie-Dye Day Another messy but fun activity. We will provide a white t-shirt and all the colors.
WISH LIST:
We are 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 26, 2026
10:30 am
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Join us ‘poolside’ again this Sunday!
When we share our stories, we all benefit.
During the summer months at Mill Creek, we enjoy a variety of relaxed worship experiences and this Sunday we offer the second of a series. Started by our previous minister, Rev. Gregory Pelley, our Poolside Theology series has become a beloved tradition and this Sunday we offer the second of three, featuring Karen Rege and Anita Sgrignoli.
Anita Sgrignoli has been a friend of Mill Creek since 2023. She grew up near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in a large devout Roman Catholic family. From a young age, she has been fascinated by science and nature. With the support of mentors, financial aid and scholarships, she was able to study biochemistry at Penn State and continue to medical school at the University of Virginia. Still drawn to the laboratory, Anita chose a residency in Pathology, which she completed at Johns Hopkins, along with additional training at NIH/NCI. After a long career as a pathologist at community hospitals in the Delmarva area, she is currently serving as a consultant overseeing the hospital blood banks at Bayhealth Medical Center in lower Delaware. Having spent so many years focusing on the human body at work and raising two amazing children, Anita is now enjoying exploring the other side of life – plants! – as a member of the Land Stewards team.
Music for this service will be offered by Rob Sylvester, our collaborative pianist. Jamie Kegerise will be leading the congregation in a special song.
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 29 (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!
** 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 Now Open
Registration is OPEN 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.
UUWomenspirit Fall Gathering – register HERE (https://www.uuwomenspirit.org/register)
** 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: 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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** Website (https://www.uusmc.org)
** Instagram (http://instagram.com/millcreekuu)
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