Connect With Us - Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek

Posted on July 1, 2021 Posted By: Office Administrator Categories: News

Read our latest announcement.
http://eepurl.com/hCmNS9

Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek

We are a community that invites you to awaken to love.
Sunday Virtual Worship
July 4, 2021

Join us this Sunday when Rev. Greg shares his message,
“fourth of america”

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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** Saturday Campfire
Events in July
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We continue to hold a campfire in the Memorial Grove every Saturday evening (weather permitting). We gather around 7:30-ish. Bring along all your comforts (lawn chairs, blankets, refreshments, etc.) and feel free to invite your family, friends and neighbors of all ages!

If you haven’t joined us yet for a campfire, consider one of these Saturdays in July when we have some fun themed events planned for the whole family:

Meadow Stroll – July 3rd (this Saturday)
Come and join us a bit early for a stroll around our meadows where some beautiful colors are on display. You will see birds, butterflies and other wildlife, and hear the sounds of nature’s music.

New Moon – July 10^th
Bring your telescope or binoculars and any other astronomy gear/apps for a showing of the new moon. We will be turning off the parking lot lights to darken the area, so we should get some nice views of the night sky if the weather cooperates.

Ice Cream Social – July 17^th
We are encouraging everyone to help us celebrate Mill Creek with some ice cream! Kids, family, friends and neighbors are all welcome. We will set up a tent and have the event even if it rains (we may cancel if there are dangerous storms in the area). We will pass around the hat to cover the costs and any extra money will be donated to the church. Please RSVP to Jamie Kegerise (mailto:jamie@dsofurniture.com) so we get enough of the frozen stuff for everyone.

Ode to Shakespeare–July 24^th
We may have missed his birthday (April 23^rd) but it’s never too late to celebrate The Bard! Bring your favorite Shakespeare verse and share it with us during the full moon (memorization not required!). “She comes more nearer earth than she was wont and makes men mad. Do not swear by the moon, for she changes constantly. Then your love would also change.”

We hope to see you at a campfire soon!
All of our campfire events are open to everyone!! 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) or the church office (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org) (302-369-2712) with questions.

** Share Our Plate
July & August
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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 July and August, we have selected Independent Living for Young Adults (https://firstuuwilm.org/connect/independent-living-for-young-adults-ilya/) (ILYA), a social justice program led by members of First Unitarian Church of Wilmington, to be the recipient of this fund.

In Delaware, young adults age out of the foster care system at age 18 or upon graduation from high school. Often, youth in the foster care system have lived through multiple traumas and disruptive events by the time they begin their transition to adulthood. This can include abuse and/or neglect, multiple foster home placements, lack of continuity in education, and an array of losses of important relationships. These challenges impact the emotional and social development of foster care youth as they transition into adulthood and greatly affect their chances for a successful, healthy future.

ILYA is a program serving underserved and often vulnerable young adults who are transitioning from the foster care system into independent living. In partnership with the Delaware’s Division of Family Services (DFS), the ILYA program offers a wide array of services to support these young adults, such as Student Care Packages, New Apartment Kits and Furnishings, Holiday Giving, Educational Supports, Emergency Grants, and more. Since 2005, ILYA has providing support to help young adults feel part of a caring community and offering resources to increase their chances for future success.

Use the links below to learn more, and to donate.
LEARN MORE about ILYA (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

** Your pledge dollars at work!
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We pay $8840 per year in cleaning expenses, or $170 per week.

Our janitorial service, FaciliCare, Inc., has been providing weekly cleaning services for our church building since 2009. While these services have continued during the pandemic, regular weekly cleaning has been supplemented with special projects such as interior and exterior window cleaning, floor burnishing, exterior power washing, etc.

** Mill Creek Meadow & Grounds Spotlight:
Weeds and Taxes
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Weeding around your yard and garden can be a lot like doing your taxes: it’s easy to procrastinate about it, you groan when you are reminded of it, and you’re headed for a LOT of trouble if you ignore it completely! One major difference between the two is that for most of us, tax preparation comes just once a year while weeding can be an almost daily necessity and continual chore. If left untended, weeds can take over with a vengeance. The same holds true here at Mill Creek.

Consider the church entrance pictured above left which was taken in April, just two months ago. Compare it to the photo above right which was captured just two days ago.

The area isn’t entirely overtaken by weeds – there is much overgrowth of certain plantings and some sections need cutting back and/or pruning. But it’s plain to see that the church entrance needs attention! The entire area looks neglected despite the weekly gathering of our small but dedicated Natural Lands Stewards…because they can’t do it all. They are overwhelmed this time of year and need some help.
Won’t you consider lending a hand? They gather every Wednesday afternoon around 5:30 pm to tend to our meadow and grounds. All are welcome…no gardening experience or knowledge is required. Bring your gardening gloves – we’ll show you what needs doing. OR – come any day of your choosing!
More interested in the scenery? We happily encourage anyone who might be curious about the work we do to stop by at any time for a walkabout. Contact the church office (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org?subject=meadow%20%26%20grounds) with any questions you might have.

You fight dandelions all weekend, and late Monday afternoon there they are, pert as all get out, in full and gorgeous bloom, pretty as can be, thriving as only dandelions can in the face of adversity.
-Hal Borland American naturalist, author and journalist, (May 14, 1900 – February 22, 1978)

The Mill Creek Meadow and Grounds – for everyone to enjoy!

** Book Group’s August Read
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There will be no meeting in July, but plan to join us on Thursday, August 12th at 7 pm when we discuss Justin Cronin’s The Summer Guest. (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/33717/the-summer-guest-by-justin-cronin/) We will meet on Zoom; look for the link in future communications.
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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https://www.visitwilmingtonde.com/

** Weekend Fun in Wilmington & the Brandywine Valley
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Looking for something to do this weekend? The Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau has combined events happening in Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley and features them all in one place. Whether you enjoy cinema, art, dance or Black History, events like these and so much more can be viewed by clicking the button below.
Click here for more information (https://www.visitwilmingtonde.com/events/this-weekend/)

** News from the UUA, the Central East Region, and the Delmarva Cluster
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** Weekly Inspiration from the UUA
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Braver/Wiser is the Unitarian Universalist Association’s weekly message of courage and compassion. Every Wednesday the UUA will deliver by email an original written reflection and brief prayer by a contemporary religious leader, grounded in Unitarian Universalism. Use the links below to learn more about the content and read previous reflections, and to subscribe.
LEARN MORE here (https://www.uua.org/braverwiser)
SUBSCRIBE here (https://www.uua.org/braverwiser/subscribe)

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

**
Opportunities for Connection: Central East Region Update
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July 2021
Opportunities for Connection – click here to learn more (https://www.uua.org/central-east/blog/opportunities-0721)

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