Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek
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Here’s what’s happening at Mill Creek:
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** Congregational Life
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** Upcoming events, meetings and news to know
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** Sunday Worship Service Information
December 8, 2024
10:30 am
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Join us this Sunday when our worship leader and Mill Creek member Doug Harrell shares his sermon “I Believe.” Doug will use the example of Santa Claus to explore what happens when what we’ve been taught collides with our understanding of reality, and investigate ways of applying the same principles to find new ways of thinking about the concept of God.
Doug grew up as a contented Methodist. However, upon heading off to college, he was increasingly unable to assimilate the contradictions between what he was taught in Sunday School, and how he had come to view the world as a scientist. As a result, he stopped attending church. The sudden death of his first wife twenty-three years ago precipitated an urgent need for new and different answers. Fortunately, friends introduced him to Unitarian Universalism, and he’s been happily seeking those answers ever since. Doug joined our congregation in 2016.
Music for this service will be performed by Mill Creek member Emma Hull. Emma has a BA in creative writing from St. Lawrence University and works as a Reading Specialist in the Cecil County School district. Singing has been her passion for as long as she can remember and has sung in several choirs throughout her high school and college careers. She currently serves on the music committee.
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)
** Poinsettia Plants Available for Sale this Sunday
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Poinsettia plants are approximately 18″ x 16″ in a 7″ pot with a foil cover. Cash or check only.
** Holiday Potluck
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Join us for a holiday potluck party on Saturday, December 14 at 5:00 pm.
We will enjoy connecting with fellow members and friends in a winter wonderland-themed sanctuary featuring paper snowflakes made by our own Faith Exploration kids. Feel free to bring your own winter wonderland-themed decorations (look for the labeled box in the office).
We’ll have coffee, tea, juice and water; feel free to bring other beverages, as well as a main or side dish or dessert to share. If you’d like to participate in a White Elephant gift exchange, bring a small, wrapped gift item ($20 or less in value). Let the Fellowship & Fun Committee know what you’ll bring to the party by clicking the button below.
Even if you’re not sure yet what you’ll bring, please drop us a short note at fellowship@uusmc.org (mailto:fellowship@uusmc.org) to let us know you’ll be joining us… the more, the merrier!
All are welcome – we look forward to celebrating food, fellowship and fun with you!
** Winter Solstice Celebration
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Join fellow revelers in celebrating the darkness which gives birth to light. All are welcome to take part in our ritual, feasting, drumming and campfire. Contact Regina Guarino (mailto:regina139@msn.com) with any questions.
** Current Share Our Plate Recipient
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We regularly donate a portion of our undesignated plate collection to a local charity or non-profit organization. For the months of November & December we are supporting:
Kingswood Community Center
Supporting the Riverside neighborhood in Wilmington since 1946
This organization offers a wide array social services: education programs, food assistance, financial literacy workshops, virtual healthcare, emergency supports, and much more. Their planned state-of-the-art community facility will feature a modern senior center, new health center, fitness and recreational facilities, youth engagement opportunities, community health initiatives, and a world-class Early Learning Academy.
Learn more about Kingswood Community Center HERE (https://kgwcc.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)
** Recurring Events
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A fantasy tabletop role-playing game
The Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game is about storytelling in worlds of sword and sorcery. It shares elements with childhood games of make-believe. 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, December 8 and 22 at 12 pm in classroom 1. Occurs every 2 weeks on Sundays. Questions? Contact Tom Vincent (mailto:trv302@outlook.com) .
Drum Circle: a group of people playing unrehearsed percussion music
A drum circle is a casual gathering where people play drums and other percussion instruments together to create a group rhythm. The goal is to bring people together to experience the positive benefits of playing unrehearsed music in the moment, and to connect with others through the beat. Drum circles are open to people of all ages and abilities, and no musical experience is required – all are welcome! Please bring your own instrument or use what we have available. Join the group on Saturday, December 14 at 4 pm in the sanctuary. Occurs monthly on second Saturdays. See or contact Sara Durham (mailto:saradurham88@gmail.com) with any questions.
** Learn more about the fight for Wind Energy in Delaware
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There are powerful and well-funded groups looking to stop any progress toward bringing offshore wind energy to Delaware’s coast. As UU’s working for climate justice, we need to make sure our collective voices are heard.
Everyone is welcome to join us for an update presentation via Zoom by Senator Stephanie Hanson on Tuesday evening, January 7, at 7:00 pm in the church library. This program is presented by the Newark Interfaith Green Team and will be attended virtually by other places of worship in our area. To register and receive the Zoom link for this presentation, click the button below.
There will be time for questions and answers during the presentation, and you are invited to stay after to discuss how Mill Creek might become more effective in our involvement with the Climate Justice Movement. This past September, several of us were involved in the UUA’s Climate Justice Revival, and there is interest in the congregation to continue this work and dialogue. Please contact Jamie Kegerise (mailto:jamie.newarkcoho@gmail.com) with any questions.
Register HERE to receive the Zoom link (mailto:newarkinterfaithgreenteam@gmail.com?subject=January%207%20registration)
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 an in-person or Zoom meeting with Rev. Christian – CLICK HERE (https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/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
Connect with the UUA, Delmarva Cluster, and Central East Region
** Pink Haven Coalition: helping transgender people relocate and access gender-affirming care
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The Pink Haven Coalition is a joint project between frontline trans organizers, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), other progressive faith groups, and mutual aid networks across the country.
In early 2023, the main organizers of this work approached UUSC and the UUA when they saw the increase in anti-trans laws being proposed and passed. Through the Pink Haven Coalition, the UUA and UUSC are a part of creating a network to organize housing and transportation for these “passengers,” the name the coalition has given to the people it is helping.
Fin Leary’s article, Pink Haven Coalition Helps Transgender People Relocate and Access Gender-Affirming Care was featured in uuworld.org in March of this year and includes useful information and resources. You can read it HERE (https://www.uuworld.org/articles/relocation-help-trans-people-pink-haven-support-resources-how-it-works) .
To keep up with the increase in requests for potentially life-saving aid, Pink Haven has launched a Faithify Campaign with the goal of raising as much funding as possible for grants to support the safety and well-being of trans, two-spirit, and gender-expansive people living under hostile governments in the United States.
Here’s how you can help:
Learn more about the Pink Haven Coalition HERE (https://www.pinkhaven.org/)
Donate to the Coalition’s Faithify Campaign HERE (https://www.faithify.org/campaign/402/pink-haven-coalition)
Contact the Coalition HERE if you can offer housing or other aid to a passenger (https://www.pinkhaven.org/contact/)
https://www.uua.org/central-east
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Opportunities for Connection: Central East Region Update
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NOVEMBER 2024
Featured Resource:
UU Community Resilience Hub
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 to learn more (https://www.uua.org/central-east/blog/opportunities-1124)
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