Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek
We are a community that invites you to awaken to love.
IN THIS ISSUE
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This week, we invite you:
** Congregational Life
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** Upcoming events, meetings and news to know
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** Office Closure
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Monday, February 20th is a holiday – the church office will be closed.
** Souper Bowl Sunday Food Drive a Success!
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Our food drive collection, delivered on Wednesday, February 15, was received by grateful and welcoming staff members from the Food Bank of Delaware.
Thanks to Chitra Vaidy and Ann Draper for coordinating this effort.
** Transition Team Launches Listening Campaign
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Recently, the Board formed a Transition Team to plan how to manage Mill Creek Church during the interim period as the congregation begins its search for the next long-term minister. The Transition Team’s planning process will also provide guidance to the Search Committee in terms of the characteristics we desire in a new minister.
As Steve Selph shared at the Mid-Year Congregational Meeting on January 29, the Board has accepted a pro bono offer from Mill Creek church member and national church consultant, Tracy Morgan, to guide the congregation through this planning process. She uses an approach that has been successful with hundreds of organizations locally and globally that seek high quality, realistic plans with congregational buy-in for a minimum amount of planning effort.
The first step is a congregation-wide Listening Campaign. This is conducted through a 3-step “Virtual Dialogue” where you will be invited to share your thoughts, insights, and opinions in an anonymous online format. The first of the three sequential steps will begin on Monday, February 27. In order to participate in the Listening Campaign, you must opt-in by completing a sign-up form – use the link below.
This Sunday, February 19, Tracy will share the details of the process with the Transition Team and answer questions. Anyone in the congregation is invited to listen along with the Transition Team immediately after church in the conference room next to the library.
Tracy will also give a presentation to the congregation immediately after worship on Sunday, February 26 to explain more fully how you can participate in the listening campaign.
While the Board has empowered the Transition Team and the Search Committee to do the hard work of planning and recruiting, the effectiveness of their work will benefit from maximum participation.
Blessings,
Mill Creek Transition Team
transitions@uusmc.org (mailto:transitions@uusmc.org)
Jerry Bilton, Bob Broesler, Ann Fossler, Jim Fossler, Rudy Nyhoff
Opt-In to Listening Campaign HERE (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScSu0FQAcXYNlmaG7hOLrFqmTf5GjB0ur42WZeo_7tmYOS-fw/viewform)
** Charm City Junction to Perform at Mill Creek
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Friday, February 24
8:00 pm
Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music continues their concert series at Mill Creek with the next event featuring Charm City Junction. Mark your calendar for Friday, February 24, 8 pm.
From dance-inducing Old Time rhythms and foot-stomping Irish Melodies to hard-driving Bluegrass, Baltimore-based acoustic roots quartet Charm City Junction creates a fresh soundscape that keeps listeners on the edge of their seats wondering where they’ll go next. Featuring fiddle, claw-hammer banjo, button accordion and upright bass, this quartet isn’t afraid to take roots music to new places – but always with an eye on tradition. Lean more about the band here: www.charmcityjunction.com
Tickets sold at the door!
General Public, $25; Seniors, $20; Students with ID, $15;
Ages 17 & under, free.
TAKE A LISTEN to Charm City Junction’s music HERE! (https://youtu.be/LAN2EXzQbKU)
** Mobile Food Pantry Coming to Mill Creek
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The Food Bank of Delaware will be on-site on Saturday, February 25th from 11 am to 1 pm to distribute food to local residents. This will be a drive-thru event and is being advertised to several large apartment complexes near our church.
If you would like to help with this event by volunteering your time to assist with food distribution, please arrive at 10:30 am.
Thank you to Frank Burns (mailto:cynwydb@aol.com) for coordinating this effort.
** Yoga Class at Mill Creek
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Yoga takes you into the present moment; the only place where life exists. -Patanjali
We are happy to announce a Yoga For Healthy Aging class!
Mill Creek member Margaret Bodine, M.A., ERYT200, RYT500, YACEP, invites you to join her and others for an 8-week hatha yoga and mindful meditation class series to benefit the whole body-mind-spirit. This class will include mindful flows, poses and meditation aimed at calming the nervous system and refreshing the whole self. Each week, we will practice with the aim of supporting ourselves as we age through improving strength and flexibility, calming the mind, and cultivating equanimity.
Class Schedule: Tuesday evenings, 5:30 pm to 6:40 pm, March 21 through May 9
Location: Mill Creek Sanctuary
What to bring: yoga mat, blanket, towel (for knee poses), yoga bolster or second blanket, yoga strap or band, and an open mind and heart
Suggested donation: $10 per session – all proceeds to benefit Mill Creek
About Our Instructor
Margaret Bodine has been practicing yoga for 35 years. She started the Yoga program at the West Grove YMCA 29 years ago and taught there for 5 years. She then taught at The Light Within Yoga studio, West Grove, PA for 10 years and started and taught yoga and mindful meditation to children at Penn London Elementary School for 4 years as part of her curriculum in Pro-Social Skills. She loves practicing and teaching mindful, gentle yoga and meditation for all the benefits it brings to herself and others. Yoga is a wonderful way to calm and center, reducing excess stress, and increasing a sense of peacefulness in one’s life experience. Have questions about the class? You can email Margaret HERE (mailto:margaret_bodine@comcast.net) .
** Thinking about membership?
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We invite all who have been considering officially joining the church to take part in Rev. Greg’s series of virtual classes designed to introduce visitors, friends, and anyone interested in learning more about the UU faith and the Mill Creek congregation.
Introduction to UUism
Wednesday, March 22 @ 6:30 pm on Zoom
Rev. Greg will lead a brief, terribly incomplete, kinda cheeky, but mostly true introduction to Unitarian Universalism history, theology, and polity (with a minor tangent to decoding all those abbreviations).
Intro to Mill Creek
Wednesday, March 29 @ 6:30 pm on Zoom
This session is an introduction about the Values, Beliefs, and Mission of Mill Creek with the intention of helping new folks get to know who we are as a religious community.
The Meaning of Membership
Wednesday, April 5 @ 6:30 pm on Zoom
This session is a conversation about what it means to be a member of Mill Creek. It will provide information and establish our shared expectations for membership.
These classes will prepare you to participate in our New Member Ceremony on Sunday, April 16. Contact Rev. Greg (minister@uusmc.org (mailto:minister@uusmc.org) ) with questions or interest.
** Save the Date: Mill Creek Annual Service Auction
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Saturday, May 6th
It’ll be here before you know it!
This year’s Service Auction is being held a bit earlier than last year (May 22, 2022) and will be an INDOOR event (yay!). More details will be forthcoming. In the meantime, we share some Frequently Asked Questions.
LAST WEEK’S FAQs:
What exactly is a Service Auction?
It is a fun and entertaining event when Mill Creek members and friends gather for a delicious meal, enjoy some social time, and bid on donated items and services in live and online auctions. The event serves as Mill Creek’s largest fundraiser.
How does that work?
It all starts with donated items. They typically fall under three categories (see below). The majority of items will be available on our online auction portal about a week prior to the event, while most services and experiences are offered during the live auction. The winning bidder receives the item, experience or service, and the church keeps the proceeds.
ITEMS: retail gift cards, food-of-the-month offerings, gift baskets of all sorts, hand sewn, knitted or crafted items, that fabulous cake or dessert that only you can bake, a pot of your famous chili, fresh vegetables from your garden, etc.
SERVICES: music or cooking lessons, tutoring, lawn care, house cleaning/organizing, personal IT consultation, therapy/medical or airport transportation, ballroom or country line dancing lessons, window washing, baby or pet sitting, auto repair/tune-up, etc.
EXPERIENCES: themed dinners, picnics & BBQ’s, garden tours, guided hikes, musical performances, museum trips, beach weekends, wine tastings, vacation packages, etc.
THIS WEEK’S FAQs:
I’m new to the Auction experience. Can I attend without donating anything?
Please do! Come and join us for a good meal and an entertaining evening, and see what it’s all about.
Is this event for church members only?
No! Anyone can make donations, attend the auction and/or bid on items…in fact, we encourage everyone to but extra tickets and bring a guest or two.
What if I can’t attend the Auction, or donate an item or service … can I make a financial contribution instead?
Of course! Contributions are always gratefully accepted. Contact the church office with questions or to make arrangements, administrator@uusmc.org (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org)
YOUR TO-DO LIST:
1. Schedule the Service Auction on your calendar: Saturday, May 6.
2. Begin thinking about your donations (yes, you can donate one or multiple items!). Be creative, use your imagination, and have fun!
https://youngmomschestercounty.org/
**
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 January & February we are supporting the following charitable organization:
YoungMoms
Serving Southern Chester County
This non-profit organization, located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, provides the academic, employment, parenting and relational support pregnant and parenting young mothers need to achieve their life goals and improve their lives and those of their children. Many of the individuals they serve face huge challenges as they navigate adolescence and parenthood simultaneously, including incomplete education, poverty, language barriers, isolation, and a general lack of options and opportunities. YoungMoms offers individualized, comprehensive, and long-term support to these young women who remain in the program between two and four years, allowing the program to assist them in overcoming obstacles which might normally derail their progress in achieving goals. This long-term investment makes YoungMoms unique and life changing.
LEARN MORE about YoungMoms HERE (https://youngmomschestercounty.org/)
Support this organization with your online donation HERE. Be sure to select ‘Share Our Plate’ as the giving fund. (https://onrealm.org/MillCreek/-/give/now)
** Worship Service Information
Sunday, February 19, 2023
10:30 am
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Join Rev. Greg for a rambling sermon with some UU history and a bit of political oddity about Congressional Chaplains, but mostly a meditation on prayer.
Music for the morning will be performed by the Clarion Brass, featuring Gordon Roth, Kristen Tosh-Morelli, Rebecca King, Tom Hartline, and Brian Hanson.
Connect With Us In-Person
10:30 am
* Service begins at 10:30 am
* Masking protocol will be posted at each entrance
* Children’s RE programming is available for ages 4 and up
* We are currently unable to offer Child Care (infant/toddler, ages 0 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 & easy access on Sunday morning), OR
* Get the link by accessing the church calendar (https://uusmc.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8c80a09d53a8aec43de675d26&id=a404d3fb3e&e=9e32ea5753) (https://www.uusmc.org/news/calendar/ (https://uusmc.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8c80a09d53a8aec43de675d26&id=3386b49cce&e=9e32ea5753) )
Sunday Livestream – CLICK HERE (https://zoom.us/j/97806427419)
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. Gregory S. Pelley, Minister
minister@uusmc.org (mailto:minister@uusmc.org)
302-369-2712
To request an in-person, teleconference or Zoom meeting with Rev. Greg, use the link below to schedule:
Request a meeting with Rev. Greg – click HERE (http://calendly.com/gpelley)
Debra Damiani, Congregational Administrator
Monday 9 am to 2 pm, Monday-Thursday
administrator@uusmc.org (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org)
302-369-2712
** Happening in Our Local Community
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** Choir School of Delaware Presents…
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Join the Choir School as they explore recent Black History in America and celebrate Black excellence through song. The repertoire features powerful, thought-provoking works including Can You See? by Zanaida Robles and Rollo Dilworth’s Weather. Also featured will be a panel discussion led by composer Rollo Dilworth who will explore themes in Weather, with an emphasis on the intersection of racial injustice and the pandemic of Summer 2020.
Sunday, February 19
4:00 pm
Concert Location:
Grace United Methodist Church
900 Washington Street
Wilmington, Delaware
Tickets: $25, or pay-what-you-can
Click HERE to reserve tickets & for more information (https://choirschoolofdelaware.org/events/concerts/)
The Choir School of Delaware (https://choirschoolofdelaware.org/) is a comprehensive, multifaceted, after-school program that has a strong legacy of serving and engaging Wilmington’s youth and families through music and mentoring. Historically known as the Cathedral Choir School of Delaware, we provide professional musical training, leadership and language skills, academic support, and college-bound mentoring in an intergenerational environment for youth in Wilmington, Delaware and surrounding regions.
Unable to attend the concert but would like to support this important program? Click here to make a donation. (https://choirschoolofdelaware.org/give/donate/)
** Community Climate Conversation
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Energize Delaware, in cooperation with Creation Care of Newark UMC and Delaware Interfaith Power & Light, will be hosting a Community Climate Conversation at Newark United Methodist Church on Sunday, March 19, from 3 to 5:00 pm. Join us for an open and respectful discussion of issues related to climate change; to share individual beliefs, confusions, observations, fears and hopes; and to explore ideas and available resources for creating a healthier planet that are less divisive and political and more unifying and practical.
Topics to be explored related to climate change include: Where does it rank among your issues of concern? Where do you turn for information? Whose voices do you trust? Have you experienced the impacts? What capacity do we have as individuals, communities, states, or nations to affect the outcome – for better or for worse?
All are welcome to attend and contribute to this important community discussion. Admission is free. Light refreshments will be provided.
Click here for more information and to reserve your spot at the roundtable! (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-climate-conversation-tickets-537485673117)
Newark United Methodist Church (https://newark-umc.org/numc/)
69 East Main Street
Heritage Hall
Newark, DE 19711
302-368-8774
** News from the UUA, the Central East Region, and the Delmarva Cluster
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** Leadership in Unprecedented Times
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Photo: Kevin Thai/Three Circles Studio
UU World senior editor Elaine McArdle shares her reflections on the transformational presidency of Susan Frederick-Gray.
Read the article in full HERE (https://www.uuworld.org/articles/sfg-presidential-profile?_gl=1*zv0j3s*_ga*NjQzOTA2NDk4LjE2NzM0NTI5NDE.*_ga_CN7F7RET4F*MTY3NjU2NTQ5MS4yMS4xLjE2NzY1NjU0OTEuMC4wLjA.)
https://www.uua.org/central-east
**
Opportunities for Connection: Central East Region Update
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FEBRUARY 2023
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://uua874.activehosted.com/index.php?action=social&chash=1b79b52d1bf6f71b2b1eb7ca08ed0776.5978&s=8983449a6b0e04757c2c9729fa49f044)
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** Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/UUSMC)
** Website (https://www.uusmc.org)
** Instagram (http://instagram.com/millcreekuu)
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