Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek
We are a community that invites you to awaken to love.
** Congregational Life
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** Upcoming events, meetings and news to know
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** Jim Steffens, Founding Member of Mill Creek, Has Passed Away
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Esther Steffens shares the news that her former husband and founding member of Mill Creek, Jim Steffens, died on February 14, 2023. Many will remember Jim’s involvement during the early years of Mill Creek, and that he was the first to sign the church membership book. Read the full obituary here. (https://www.washburn-mcreavy.com/obituaries/James-Steffens-2/#!/Obituary)
** Transition Team Update: Congregation-Wide 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 you 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. We have prepared a video to help explain the listening campaign and transition planning process we are customizing for use at Mill Creek.
View the Video HERE (https://vimeo.com/411309370/b3497d91de)
This Sunday, February 26, Tracy will give a presentation to the congregation to explain how you can participate in the listening campaign.
To ensure we use your preferred email address for each member of your household, you may sign up to participate in the listening campaign by clicking the button below.
Sign Up HERE (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScSu0FQAcXYNlmaG7hOLrFqmTf5GjB0ur42WZeo_7tmYOS-fw/viewform)
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
** Mobile Food Pantry Comes to Mill Creek this Saturday
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The Food Bank of Delaware will be on-site this 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.
** Weekly Deadline for Church Communication Submissions
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If you have an announcement you’d like featured in the Thursday email or Sunday Order of Service, it must be submitted to the church office by Wednesdays at 10:00 am. This gives us adequate time for editing, formatting, printing/folding, inserting, etc. Any submissions received after this timeframe will be featured the following week, unless approved by Steve Selph.
All submissions can be sent to administrator@uusmc.org (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org) .
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!
** Yoga For Healthy Aging Class!
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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
Registration Required: YES (see link below)
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?subject=Yoga%20class%20at%20Mill%20Creek) .
REGISTER HERE for Yoga For Healthy Aging class (mailto:margaret_bodine@comcast.net?subject=Yoga%20Class%20Registration&body=Hi!%20Here%20is%20my%20registration%20info%3A)
** 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.
** Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music Concert Series Line-Up
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Charm City Junction
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.
Take a Listen to Charm City Junction HERE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAN2EXzQbKU)
David Davis & the Warrior River Boys
Friday, March 24, 8 pm
Alabama native and member of The Alabama Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, David Davis has traveled and performed as front man for the Warrior River Boys since 1984. He is recognized as one of the foremost practitioners of the Monroe mandolin technique. His interest in old-time and bluegrass music grew organically from a musical family; his uncle, Cleo Davis, was Bill Monroe’s original Blue Grass Boy. The group’s latest release is a masterful and exciting collection of songs originally recorded in the 1920’s by the legendary Charlie Poole and his North Carolina Ramblers.
Tickets sold at the door!
General Public, $25; Seniors, $20; Students with ID, $15;
Ages 17 & under, FREE
Take a listen to David Davis & the WRB HERE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oLl0Sc3fR8)
Tickets for both shows SOLD AT THE DOOR:
General Public, $25; Seniors, $20; Students with ID, $15;
Ages 17 and under, FREE
Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek
579 Polly Drummond Hill Road
Newark, Delaware
** Mid-Winter Natural Lands & Gardens Work Day: Mission Accomplished!
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Many thanks to Roy Draper, Frank Burns, Rudy Nyhoff, Jerry Bilton, Suzanne Smith, Jamie Kegerise, and Amy White for their efforts on Saturday, February 11.
They completed the annual winter pruning of the 6 fruiting pear trees along the driveway.
They worked on maintenance of the young native trees: checking cages, weeding, mulching, and minor pruning. They also worked on control/removal of invasive plants.
COMING NEXT WEEK:
We will share several ways you can help with our Meadow and Grounds efforts – many of them won’t get your hands dirty!!
** Rainbow Chorale Returns to Mill Creek!
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The Chorale returns to perform one of their popular Cabaret-style shows with individual acts and group numbers.
This Showcase explores the similarities and differences of life experiences of different generations with music evocative of the the ages and stages our members have gone through.
Seating is General Admission, table seating for 4, and live-stream tickets. Use the link below for more information and for tickets!
— > Tickets! Get your tickets here! <— (https://therainbowchorale.org/ages-stages-showcase-tickets)
** 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.
How do I pay for something at the Auction?
Items purchased from the online auction can be paid for electronically. Items purchased at the live auction must be paid for in cash or with a check. Remember to bring your checkbook with you to the Auction!
Do I have to wear a costume?
Each year we select a fun theme for the Auction and encourage guests to dress up if they choose to. Some do and some don’t – it’s not a requirement to attend. We will be announcing this year’s theme very soon!
Does it cost anything to attend?
Tickets – a bargain at $20 each – are available for purchase about a month before the Auction. Tickets will also be available at the door on the night of the Auction for $25 each. Ticket price includes a delicious full-course meal with beverages and desserts.
I have a question not listed here. Who can I ask?
Don’t hesitate to reach out to Janice Buckwalter (mailto:jcab621@gmail.com?subject=Service%20Auction) or the church office (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org?subject=Service%20Auction) with any question you have about the auction.
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 26, 2023
10:30 am
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Join Rev. Greg as he reintroduces the Prayer Wall Ritual.
Music for the morning will be performed by Mill Creek member and professional musician Karen Rege.
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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** Another Talented Mill Creek Youth Stars in Local Performance THIS WEEKEND
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Christiana High School proudly presents their production of Seussical The Musical starring Mill Creek youth Grace Urban in the role of Mrs. Mayor.
Come and Enjoy the Show!!
All Tickets: $10 Cash at the Door
— OR —
Click on any date below to purchase your tickets online!
Performance Schedule:
Thursday, February 23 (https://www.msbtickets.com/christianahighschool/event/Seussical) – 7:00 pm (that’s tonight!)
Friday, February 24 (https://www.msbtickets.com/christianahighschool/event/Seussical2) , 7:00 pm
Saturday, February 25 (https://www.msbtickets.com/christianahighschool/event/Suessical3) , 1:00 pm Matinee
Saturday, February 25 (https://www.msbtickets.com/christianahighschool/event/Seussical4) , 7:00 pm
Christiana High School
190 Salem Church Road
Newark, Delaware
** 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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** Social Justice & Inclusion in the UUA
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Unitarian Universalists have a motto of “deeds not creeds.” Social justice can take many forms, like grassroots community organizing to interfaith state, national, and corporate advocacy; it shows up in protest marches, prayer vigils, and press conferences; it is visible in work at homeless shelters and in prisons. Click the link below to learn how UU’s put faith into action.
Deeds Not Creeds (https://www.uua.org/justice)
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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