Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek
We are a community that invites you to awaken to love.
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Our invitation to you:
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** Congregational Life
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** Upcoming events, meetings and news to know
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** Family Game Night Tomorrow Evening
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Friday, September 24
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Everyone is welcome to join us for one of our series of Saturday Social Events here at Mill Creek. Members, visitors, friends, families, neighbors – and their guests – are free to join us. Bring your favorite board game(s) and snacks to share. Masking protocol will follow Sunday morning guidelines. We have plenty of room for social distancing if necessary or desired. No registration or RSVP required. Reach out to Fran Gulino (mailto:frangu302@gmail.com?subject=Family%20Game%20Night) with questions.
** Rev. Greg Away
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Rev. Greg will be away for study leave from Monday, September 26 through Sunday, October 9, and will return to the office on Monday, October 10. He will not be checking email during this time, and will be unavailable by phone. Please contact the church office (administrator@uusmc.org (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org) ) or 302-367-2712 with any concerns.
** Miss a sermon? We’ve got you covered!
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Mill Creek’s YouTube Channel – click here (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChRFPbSookb9m3PV6DMtbHg)
Special thanks to our Tech Team volunteers for recording our Sunday sermons, posting them on YouTube, and making the services available livestream via Zoom.
** Musical Potluck
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You’re Invited
Bea Webb, a member of Mill Creek since 1989, warmly invites you and your family to a musical potluck to be held outdoors at her home on Saturday, October 1st, at 3:00 pm (note the change in the time).
Guests are asked to bring their instrument of choice and plan to play 1-3 pieces. Or plan to sing a favorite song. Or you can even read poetry or a short story! Bring a dish to share and we will enjoy each other’s company while we share our love of music and food!
Use the link below to let Bea know you’re coming (via email to Pat Ferich) along with the number of people in your group. RSVPs will receive an email response with Bea’s address.
We hope you can make it!
I’ll be there! (mailto:violinefurmir@comcast.net?subject=Musical%20Potluck%20RSVP&body=Hi%20Bea!%20%20I’d%20like%20to%20RSVP%20to%20your%20Musical%20Potluck%20on%20Saturday%2C%20October%201st%20at%203%20pm.%20Here%20are%20the%20details%3A)
** Mill Creek Fellowship Dinner & Chili Cook-Off
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Bring it on!!
Plan to join us on Saturday, October 15th at 6:00 pm when we kickoff our 2023 Generosity Campaign and enjoy a friendly competition for various categories of chili. (Not a chili lover? No pressure – bring an alternative main or side dish, or dessert if you wish.) We will provide soft drinks. This is a perfect opportunity to gather together and enjoy good food and fellowship, and to get a sense of where this church is going and what it will take to get us there.
Use the link below to connect with Fran Gulino
with questions, and to let us know if you’re planning to bring chili or something else to share.
I’m bringing it! (mailto:frangu302@gmail.com?subject=Chili%20Cook-Off)
A word about stewardship…
Our hearts follow our investments. If you place $5 on a racehorse, you’ll follow that horse around the track. If you invest $2500 in the stock market, you’ll follow the Nasdaq. This is why the work of stewardship and generosity is so important. Because wherever we place our treasure, that’s where our heart will end up.
** Craft Fair at Mill Creek
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Saturday, October 29th
9 am – 3 pm
We are hosting a craft fair featuring local artisans and vendors, craftsmen and women who will be offering their wares, like:
* baked goods
* pottery
* wood-turned items
* candles
* Goat’s milk soaps
* hand-sewn items
* jewelry
* and MORE
Come join us to support the arts in our local community, and maybe score the perfect gift for someone you love. Contact Steve Selph (mailto:mutiny397@yahoo.com?subject=craft%20show) with questions or call the church office, 302-369-2712.
** Got an hour? Do you love how beautiful our grounds are? We invite you to join us on Wednesday evenings!
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Join our Natural Lands Stewards when they gather every Wednesday around 6 pm for weekly gardening tasks. The grounds need tending, especially our flower beds and our newer young trees. This is easy work – the crew works for just an hour or so and would love to have you give them a hand. Do as much or as little as you can – any help is greatly appreciated!
Bring your gardening gloves & clippers,
and join us next Wednesday, September 28th
(Set a reminder on your phone!)
Have a question about the meadow or the work we do? Ask it here! (mailto:jamie@dsofurniture.com)
** New Chalice Circle Forming
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We are forming a new Chalice Circle to give an opportunity to take advantage of this rewarding element of church life to anyone who may be interested.
Chalice Circles, our form of small group ministry, provide a supportive environment for people to meet and discuss topics relevant to our lives as well as share our stories, our experiences, and our ideas. Circles meet on a regular basis, usually once or twice a month, with some meeting in the church, others meeting in members’ homes, while still others meet via Zoom..
If you’re interested in joining with others to help form this new circle, click HERE to contact Jeanne Hanson for more information (mailto:jeanne.m.hanson@gmail.com?subject=Chalice%20Circles)
** Worship Service Information for Sunday, September 25, 2022
10:30 am
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Join us this Sunday when Rev. Greg shares his sermon….
Music will be performed by Rachel Sabella and the Mill Creek Choir.
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 is on hiatus throughout the summer months and will resume in the fall
* 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 (https://zoom.us/j/97806427419)
https://deeprootsinc.org/
**
Share Our Plate:
September & October
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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 September & October we are supporting the following charitable organization:
Deep Roots at Clairvaux Farm
Located on 20 acres in Cecil County, Deep Roots serves as a homeless shelter for children and families in the community while providing case management and assistance to break the generational cycle of homelessness. Situated at Clairvaux Farm in Earleville, Maryland, they provide stable and safe transitional housing featuring private apartments for up to 12 families with children. They operate a free café, have an on-site thrift store and furniture exchange, offer after-school programing, support services and programs, all with a focus on their mission, Ending homelessness one family & one child at a time.
LEARN MORE about Deep Roots HERE (https://deeprootsinc.org/)
Support this organization with your online donation today!**
DONATE to Share Our Plate HERE (https://onrealm.org/MillCreek/-/give/now)
**Be sure to select ‘Share Our Plate’ as the giving fund**
** What is Autumn Anxiety?
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The colorful Autumn season has officially begun and many of us revel in this time of year and look forward to cooler temps, wearing boots & sweaters, hayrides, and pumpkin spice everything. But not everyone welcomes fall with glee.
Many people experience Autumn Anxiety which is characterized by an increase in worry, fear, and other negative emotions related to the changing of the seasons. (It differs from Seasonal Affective Disorder, SAD, a form of depression which can seriously affect your daily life and may require professional help.)
Just as there are many wonderful things to appreciate about the fall, there are also many events that typically happen from September through December that can spur worry (start of a new school year, losing the freedoms of summer, cold & flu season, less sunlight & more hours of darkness, holiday season, etc.), particularly people already prone to anxiety. Consider the following ways to you cope:
* Practice yoga
* Reduce time on social media
* Integrate natural remedies (chamomile tea, lavender oil, increased omega-3s, Epsom salt baths, increased sunlight)
* Get regular exercise
* Include healthy, fresh foods in your diet
* Play with puzzle or coloring books to occupy your mind
* Consider recording your thoughts and feelings in a journal
Most of all, accept anxiety as a part of life. Don’t suppress your feelings and be patient with yourself. Embracing anxiety and learning to harness it will help you control it, rather than it controlling you.
Source: thehealthy.com
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!
How to make pledge payments, donations, and other contributions:
1. Mail a check: 579 Polly Drummond Hill Road, Newark DE 19711. 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 using your credit card or bank account (checking, savings, etc.): 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.
**Click here to GIVE NOW** (https://onrealm.org/MillCreek/-/give/now)
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 here (http://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
Rachel Sabella, Music Director
Hours by Appointment
music@uusmc.org (mailto:music@uusmc.org)
302-369-2712
** Happening in Our Local Community
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** Taco ’bout Taco Heaven!
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https://www.tacofests.com/delaware-taco-festival
The 6th Annual Delaware Taco Festival is taking place at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park this Saturday & Sunday, September 24 & 25 (rain or shine). There will be 25+ taco and food vendors featuring over 60 styles of tacos and other food items – like Mexican corn, churritos, churros, tamales, and nachos, with vegan and vegetarian options available. The event features live music, authentic Mariachi bands and DJs, plus a giant Margarita bar, kids Fun Zone, eating contests and MORE.
Delaware Taco Festival
Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park
80 Rosa Parks Drive
Wilmington, DE 19801
Click HERE for details, pricing & ticket info (https://www.tacofests.com/delaware-taco-festival)
** Organ Concert at First Unitarian Church this Sunday Afternoon
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David Schelat, one of Delaware’s finest organists, will perform on the Rieger Orgelbau Organ at First Unitarian Church this Sunday, September 25th at 3:00 pm.
David is Organist and Director of Music at First & Central Presbyterian Church (https://www.firstandcentral.org/) in Wilmington. He is founder, president, and artistic director of Market Street Music, and conductor for Center City Chorale and Mastersingers of Wilmington. David is a frequent organ recitalist in the United States, heard in broadcasts including Pipedreams, the nationally syndicated program of National Public Media.
First Unitarian Church (https://firstuuwilm.org/)
730 Halstead Road
Wilmington, Delaware
302-478-2384
Did you know…?
Tracker organs date back many hundred years, although there are still modern tracker action instruments being constructed today. In a tracker organ, the organist presses keys and pulls stops which control the organ’s pipes and couplers through a complex matrix of levers and valves. In a tracker organ, the valve, which admits air to the pipe in order to produce the sound, is directly controlled by the force of the organist’s finger on the key. Some improvements have been made to the lever systems over the years, so that large amounts of pipes can be controlled without an excessive amount of force having to be exerted by the musician, but basically the organist must overcome the wind pressure resistance on each valve in order to open it and play the pipe. When many ranks are combined as a tracker organ is played, the keys generally become more difficult to depress. Another limitation of the tracker organ is that the console must remain relatively close to the pipes and wind chests. This is
why most tracker organs have the console built as an integral part of the organ’s case. There are a few exceptions, but generally, the console must be no more than a few feet from the pipes.
(Source: http://www.museumofyesterday.org/saveorgans/tracker.htm)
** News from the UUA, the Central East Region, and the Delmarva Cluster
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** Climate Disaster Response Training Series
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https://www.uua.org/action/love
You are invited to join Side With Love’ (https://www.uua.org/action/love) s Climate Disaster Response – a 3-part series of workshops with activities designed to help you identify the climate risks, understand who is most at risk, and how your community will be impacted. From there, you will have the skills needed to make a plan – to prepare for and respond to climate disasters in your neighborhood.
The series takes place on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm and includes:
September 27: Assessing Climate Impacts & Making Connections
October 25: Mobilizing for Action
November 15: Community Conversation
Register HERE for the first event in the series (https://secure.everyaction.com/P00biXP7REi_bHOZxvM5CA2?contactdata=lf4nf%2bz1FdxIStyQcV22Rq66Embk9mmD%2f91ytlH9MP5H7cvOdBWPCHpYT7XWHSdT25ugZqykuvFIPY0H%2ftODQAXw%2bzYrWNIY29Yq5n%2fVlfE%3d&emci=dbf7f63c-0939-ed11-a27c-281878b83d8a&emdi=b7f7cebb-0b39-ed11-a27c-281878b83d8a&ceid=26372818)
Good to know…
Side With Love, sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), is a public advocacy campaign that seeks to harness love’s power to stop oppression. Side With Love amplifies the voices of the oppressed through online media; they show up in partnership at justice events across the country; they lobby national leaders on immigration reform, racial justice, equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, religious freedom, and more; and above all they work to make love real in the world. You can learn more about the organization by visiting their webpage (https://sidewithlove.org/) which includes a short introductory video.
https://www.uua.org/central-east
**
Opportunities for Connection: Central East Region Update
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SEPTEMBER 2022
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=2217ad1dd50c1017d3df6b44b7c45508.5851&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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