Connect With Us - Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek

Posted on June 5, 2021 Posted By: Office Administrator Categories: News

Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek
We are a community that invites you to awaken to love.
Sunday Morning Virtual Worship
June 6, 2021

Join us this Sunday when we invite you to our
Annual Congregational Meeting

Connect with us: check your inbox on Sunday morning for links!
IN THIS ISSUE
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** Congregational Life
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** Upcoming events, meetings and news to know
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** Join us for a campfire this Saturday evening!
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In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different.
–John Steinbeck
And maybe catch a spectacular sunset like the one seen here, captured last summer. We continue our weekly gatherings around the campfire in the Memorial Grove this Saturday, June 5th – weather permitting. We gather around 7 pm. Bring your family and friends of all ages, and bring all your comforts (lawn chairs, blankets, refreshments, etc.).

This is the perfect time of year to enjoy a campfire … the days have been warming up but the evenings are still cool. Grab a sweatshirt and join us!

EVERYONE is welcome!! The Memorial Grove is to the left of the main (back) parking lot as you drive in. Please note that the church building will be closed except for restroom use (by one person or family at a time). Contact Jamie Kegerise (mailto:jamie@dsofurniture.com) with questions.

** Mill Creek Annual Meeting
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Mark Your Calendar:
Sunday, June 6th
11:00 am

The Mill Creek Annual Meeting, held virtually again this year, is scheduled for Sunday, June 6th. The purpose of the annual business meeting shall be to:
* receive reports of officers and staff
* elect new trustees
* elect nominating committee members
* adopt an annual budget

*Keep an eye on your inbox on Saturday for the annual report, followed by our regular Sunday morning email which will contain link to the meeting. (Note: any Sunday email link will work – the links are the same from week to week.)

** Difficult Grief:

I never could say goodbye
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As we gratefully move toward the ending phases of the pandemic, there are many among us who were unable to be present at the death of a loved one. This tragic necessity has left individuals and families with unresolved grief and mourning. For some, it has been nothing less than a traumatic experience.

The reality is that we are facing a challenge which is unique to all of us. Our loved ones are physically gone now, but, in a certain very real sense, we could never say goodbye. Thus grief and mourning are intensified. We must not fail to openly name the lost physical presence, touching and communal sharing in the room of the loved one we lost. What has been taken is irretrievable but with the right guidance it is not unredeemable.

My family is gathering this summer at my brother’s house at the end of July to remember our eldest brother, Tom, who died during the pandemic. Most religious traditions have for many years celebrated “Memorial Services” where the body is not present but where the full range of grieving rituals are observed. I know some families who are gathering at the grave site for brief prayers followed by a time of fellowship afterwards. Whatever the observance, it is so very important that we share our loss and/or name this unique pain with other families who experienced these losses. Even just naming it has a powerful effect on healing.

-Rev. Robert Broesler
Feel free to use the links below to reach out to Rev. Broesler by email, and visit his Facebook page.
Contact Rev. Broesler (mailto:rbroesler@north-star-strategies.com)
Visit Rev. Broesler’s Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/BobBroeslerCounseling/)

** Tech Help Needed on Sunday Mornings
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We could use a few people familiar with conducting or attending meetings using the Zoom platform to assist with our Sunday morning virtual gatherings. Specifically, this involves:
* Managing waiting rooms
* Handling break-out rooms
* ZERO speaking required!

Anyone interested can contact Rev. Greg using the link below.
I Can Help! (mailto:minister@uusmc.org?subject=Tech%20Help)

** Building & Grounds Spotlight: Yellow Flowers
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From tall to small, yellow flowers add a cheery splash of color to any garden. It’s been said that if you have a yellow personality type, you’re cheerful, friendly and fun to be around. Perhaps the same is true of yellow flowers! Consider these two native plants happily blooming right here at Mill Creek:

Photos courtesy of Amy White.
Above left: Carolina Lupine (Thermopsis villosa)
Above right: Wood Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)

Anyone wishing to help us tend to flowers like these, or other gardening and general maintenance tasks may join us on any Wednesday afternoon around 5:30 pm…or any other day of your choosing! Contact the church office (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org?subject=meadow%20%26%20grounds) with any questions you might have about the work we do.

On this June day the buds in my garden are almost as enchanting as the open flowers. Things in bud bring, in the heat of a June noontide, the recollection of the loveliest days of the year, those days of May when all is suggested, nothing yet fulfilled. –Francis King
The Mill Creek Meadow and Grounds – for everyone to enjoy!

** Book Group’s Next Read
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Join us on Thursday, June 10th at 7 pm when we discuss The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town that Saved Them (https://amydickinson.com/books) by Amy Dickinson.

Look for the link on the church calendar (https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/r/month/2021/6/1) . Questions? Contact Deanna Koepcke (mailto:dkoepcke@hotmail.com?subject=book%20group) .

** UUDAN’s Support of HB 75
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UUDAN, a union of the five Delaware UU congregations working together to engage in local legislative action, is currently working in support of HB 75 which is the second and final leg of a Constitutional Amendment that will have hearings and votes soon. The Delaware Constitution includes detailed language restricting absentee voting which must be amended to allow No Excuse Absentee Voting. Constitutional Amendments need to pass by a two-thirds vote. Any Delaware members and friends who live in a district represented by Mike Smith (mailto:Michael.F.Smith@delaware.gov?subject=HB%2075) and Mike Ramone (mailto:Michael.Ramone@delaware.gov?subject=HB%2075) are encouraged to contact them to urge their support of this legislation.
CLICK HERE TO CONTACT Mill Creek member Jack Guerin via email with any questions you have about this issue, or UUDAN in general. (mailto:jackguerin7@gmail.com?subject=UUDAN)

** May & June
Share Our Plate
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We regularly donate a portion of our undesignated plate collection to a local charity or non-profit organization. Although we aren’t meeting in person for Sunday services for the time being, contributions are still being received to support this fund and are donated entirely to the selected recipient. For the months of May and June, the Social Justice Committee has selected Wings for Success (https://wingsforsuccess.org/) , located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, to be the recipient of this fund.

Wings for Success empowers women in need to pursue employment and economic security through apparel, advice and advocacy. They provide immediate clothing needs for a variety of jobs and industries; offer one-on-one support for resume writing, job seeking tips, interview skills and more; and offer workshops and employment resources.

Use the links below to learn more, and to donate.
LEARN MORE about Wings for Success (https://wingsforsuccess.org/)
DONATE to Share Our Plate (https://onrealm.org/MillCreek/-/give/now)
**Be sure to select ‘Share Our Plate’ as the giving fund**
We believe that generously sharing our gifts and receiving the gifts of others grows our compassion. We find our gifts flow from discerning the intersection of our heart’s deepest yearning and the world’s deepest hunger. We know ourselves to be most alive when we honor the earth and all humanity upon it. – from Mill Creek’s Values, Beliefs and Mission statement
https://onrealm.org/MillCreek/SignIn

CLICK HERE (https://onrealm.org/MillCreek/SignIn)
to access your Realm profile!

We encourage you to continue your financial support of Mill Creek during the closure by using one of the following methods:

1. Mail a check: 579 Polly Drummond Hill Road, Newark DE 19711 (staff is present in the office and the mailbox is checked daily). Please indicate on the subject line if this is a pledge payment, a general contribution, or a contribution to a specific giving fund.
2. Give electronically through REALM: https://onrealm.org/MillCreek/Give or use the link below (remember to select a giving fund).
3. Text-to-Give: text MillCreek and the amount [e.g. MillCreek 50] to 73256.

We sincerely appreciate your support of Mill Creek, especially now while we are unable to gather together for the time being. But the work of the church continues! We gratefully acknowledge that there would be no Mill Creek without YOU. Thank you.
**Click here to GIVE now** (https://onrealm.org/MillCreek/-/give/now)

@millcreekuu
Mill Creek Staff office hours & contact information

Rev. Gregory S. Pelley
minister@uusmc.org (mailto:minister@uusmc.org)
302-369-2712
Hours by appointment – use the link below to schedule:
– Click here to schedule time with Rev. Greg – (https://calendly.com/gpelley)
Debra Damiani, Congregational Administrator
Monday 8 am to 1 pm, Monday-Thursday
administrator@uusmc.org (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org)
302-369-2712

** Upcoming events in our local community
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** Local event: Food & Brew Fest
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Saturday, July 31st
12 noon – 7:00 pm

Celebrating the unique relationship between the culinary arts and the brewing sciences!
Enjoy unique beers, creative cuisine, live music, and more at the 17th Annual Newark Food & Brew Fest. This event showcases more than 40 craft beers paired with creative food offerings from more than a dozen Newark restaurants. Unlike most beer festivals, this event takes place within each participating restaurant. Travel from restaurant to restaurant to sample the featured brews and tasty dishes each location has to offer. Beer tastings and food specials begin at 12 noon and run until 7 pm. This is a pay-as-you-go event – no tickets or reservations required. Must be at least 21 years of age to consume alcohol. Use the link below to find out more about the participating locations and featured brews.
Food & Brew Festival: all the details! (https://outandaboutnow.com/newark-food-and-brew/)

** News from the UUA, the Central East Region, and the Delmarva Cluster
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** From the UUA President:
What to expect at this year’s General Assembly
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Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray shares some of the many highlights of General Assembly this year and invites you to join us online June 23-27 for worship, workshops and much more.

There is so much happening at General Assembly, and the virtual format makes attending more affordable and accessible.
Click here to read the message in full (https://www.uua.org/pressroom/press-releases/general-assembly-2021)
https://www.uua.org/ga

General Assembly 2021
June 23rd – 27th
(all GA events will be virtual – no need to travel!)

https://www.uua.org/central-east

**
Opportunities for Connection: Central East Region Update
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June 2021
Opportunities for Connection – click here to learn more (https://uua874.activehosted.com/index.php?action=social&chash=03e7ef47cee6fa4ae7567394b99912b7.5364&s=8983449a6b0e04757c2c9729fa49f044)

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