Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek
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IN THIS ISSUE
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This week, we invite you:
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Editor’s Note:
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** Congregational Life
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** Upcoming events, meetings and news to know
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** Potluck Lunch this Sunday
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Plan to remain with us after church service this Sunday, May 21st, for our monthly potluck lunch. Bring a main or side dish, salad, dessert, or beverages to share, if you’d like. Everyone is welcome to join us for good food and warm fellowship.
** Mill Creek Annual Meeting
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Sunday, June 4th
11 am
Date: Sunday, June 4th, 11:00 am (after church service)
Purpose: The purpose of the annual business meeting shall be to hear reports of officers and staff, to elect new trustees as applicable, to adopt an annual budget, and address any business that comes before the congregation.
Voting Eligibility: Church bylaws state that each member shall be entitled to one vote who: (a) has attained the age of 18 years or has completed the Coming of Age program on or before the date of the meeting at which the vote is to be cast; and (b) whose request to be admitted or readmitted to membership was recorded in the records of the congregation at least 35 days before the date of the meeting at which the vote is to be cast; and (c) has made a financial contribution of record during the twelve-month period preceding the meeting at which the vote is to be cast.**
How to attend the meeting: The meeting will be offered in a hybrid format: in-person in the church sanctuary and livestreamed via Zoom. The meeting will be preceded by our regular Sunday worship service. If you choose to join the meeting via livestream, the link is the same one used from week to week. We encourage everyone to attend.
By-Laws Requirement: Our By-Laws give voting privileges to members who have made a contribution of record in the 12-month period prior to the meeting. They do not allow for proxy voting, so only those eligible members who attend the Meeting either in-person or via livestream will receive ballots. Voting will be handled via ElectionBuddy; ballots will be emailed to eligible members.
**If you are unsure of your pledging or contribution status, contact the church office by calling, 302-369-2712, or by email (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org) .
You can read the UUSMC By-Laws HERE (https://www.uusmc.org/wp-content/uploads/UUSMC-By-Laws-revised-06-02-2019.pdf)
** Church Member Needs Assistance
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Lucille Avakian would like to express her gratitude for the support she has received so far in response to the injuries she sustained in a recent auto accident. Her needs are ongoing, and here’s how you can help:
* Transportation: to and from church for Lucille and her daughter Celeste; rides for Celeste’s art classes; medical appointments for both
* Food cards: Acme, Walmart, etc.
Or you may make arrangements with Lucille directly for alternate forms of assistance. Use the link below to connect with her by email. Thank you for your support.
Email Lucille HERE (mailto:lucilleloveland@gmail.com)
** Park Bench Project UPDATE
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The order has been placed with Eco Plastic Products of Delaware (ECOP) for the purchase of NINE park-style benches which will be located around our meadow. Delivery is expected in 6-10 weeks.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has embraced this project. We have received a discount on our order in exchange for our donation of acceptable plastics and will continue this collection while the benches are being fabricated. Please keep bringing in your clean, dry, empty plastics stamped with #2, #4, and/or #5.
ECOP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that recycles eligible plastic and transforms it into consumer products. They use recyclable plastic marked #2, #4 and #5 ONLY in their process. Learn more using the buttons below.
Learn more about this organization and the work they do. (https://www.ecoplasticproducts.org/)
What plastics can be used for this project? Click here for a quick guide. (https://www.ecoplasticproducts.org/about-recycling)
** New Member Classes Starting Next Week
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Have you been thinking about membership? Are you wondering if perhaps now might be the right time to join the Mill Creek congregation?
If so, we welcome you to participate in our orientation classes offered virtually with Rev. Greg starting next week:
Monday, May 22 @ 6:30-8:30 pm –
Intro. to UU History, Theology, and Polity
Monday, June 5 @ 6:30-8:00 pm –
Intro to UU Society of Mill Creek (values, beliefs, mission)
Monday, June 12 @ 6:30-8:00 pm –
Meaning of Membership
These classes are designed to introduce (or reacquaint you with) UU history, the history of Mill Creek, and the meaning of membership. All are welcome to join in … existing members, friends, and visitors! Click the button below for the link to attend – the same link will be used for all three classes.
Click here for Orientation Classes (Zoom link) (https://georgetown.zoom.us/j/95383179518)
These classes will prepare you to participate in our next New Member Ceremony on Sunday, June 18. Contact Jerry Bilton (mailto:jabilton@aol.com) for more information.
** Church Presence at Local Pride Festivals Next Month
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Jenn Broomfield, Dana Broadway, and Maria Ruocco are planning to attend two local Pride Festivals next month. Their goal is to be a Mill Creek presence at each event, and to determine the feasibility of having a display table or organizing a march at future events.
Delaware Pride Festival (http://www.delawarepride.org/index.php?ch=2023_delaware_pride_festival&screenID=20518)
Legislative Hall, Dover
Saturday, June 10
10 am to 5 pm
Middletown Pride Festival (https://allevents.in/middletown/middletown-de-pride-2023/200024081586510)
Main Street, Middletown
Saturday, June 17
12:00 pm
If you have interest in attending either of these events or have questions, feel free to reach out to Jenn (mailto:jennbroomfield@gmail.com?subject=Pride%20events) , Dana (mailto:danalbroadway@aol.com?subject=Pride%20events) and/or Maria (mailto:ruocco.mariahw@gmail.com?subject=Pride%20events) , or look for the sign-up sheet in the gathering space.
** Wednesdays are for Meadow Maintenance
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Join the crew on any Wednesday at 5:30 pm to help maintain the health and vibrancy of our meadows and trees (the time will be pushed back as the season progresses). Bring work gloves, clippers & general garden tools, and a kneeling pad if you have one. Or…help us water our trees. Many of our young trees are at risk of dying without regular watering.
Contact Jamie Kegerise (mailto:jamie@dsofurniture.com) or Amy White (mailto:amywwhite@comcast.net) with any questions you have.
**
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 May and June we are supporting:
Urban Bike Project
Located on North Walnut Street in Wilmington, Urban Bike Project (UBP) supports Wilmington communities by providing access to bicycling as a healthy, affordable, and practical means of transportation and recreation. Bicycles provide reliable, healthy, and emissions-free transportation. UBP’s work is guided by three core principles: open access for all Wilmington residents, opportunities for residents to build self-sufficiency, and community-driven programming that is responsive to resident needs. UBP offers a wide array of services: open-shop hours for repairs; retail-only hours; youth-only shop hours; a free bike program; several youth programs including build-a-bike summer camp; instruction classes; and a variety of other services, events, and networking opportunities.
Learn more about UBP here (http://www.urbanbikeproject.com)
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)
** Sunday Worship Service Information
May 21, 2023
10:30 am
Join Rev. Greg for his message:
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During the service this Sunday we will be recognizing the students and facilitators who have recently completed the Our Whole Lives (OWL) series.
Music for the morning will be performed by Mill Creek member Diana Headley Saunders.
Connect With Us In-Person
* 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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** Bellefonte Arts Festival this Saturday
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Come out for a day of entertainment to the annual Bellefonte Arts Festival where Brandywine Boulevard will be home to Local Artisans selling their works. There will be Live Music, Food Trucks, lots of fun! Saturday May 20 from 10am-5pm (rain date May 21). Admission is Free.
Saturday, May 20
10 am to 5 pm
803 Brandywine Boulevard, Bellefonte, DE 19809
Bellefonte Arts (https://www.bellefontearts.com/) is a collective of local artists who support, educate, and create a wide variety of handcrafted artwork & wares, and offer art classes, in an artist*run shop on Brandywine Boulevard in the quaint shopping village of Bellefonte, Delaware, where they host an annual festival to celebrate visual, performance, and culinary arts.
Click HERE for more info (https://inwilmde.com/events/bellefonte-arts-festival-2/#read-more)
** News from the UUA, the Central East Region, and the Delmarva Cluster
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** A Look at Past UUA Presidents
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As General Assembly (https://www.uua.org/ga) approaches, along with the imminent election of Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt (https://sofiabetancourt.com/) as the next UUA president, now is a good time to take a brief look at past presidents, from Rev. Dr. Dana McLean Greeley (1961) to Rev. Susan Frederick-Grey (present).
Take a look HERE (https://www.uuworld.org/articles/past-uua-presidents)
https://www.uua.org/central-east
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Opportunities for Connection: Central East Region Update
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MAY 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=275d7fb2fd45098ad5c3ece2ed4a2824.6028&s=8983449a6b0e04757c2c9729fa49f044)