Here’s what’s happening at Mill Creek:
** Sunday Worship Service Information
January 18, 2026
10:30 am
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Radical Welcome and the Beloved Community
On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, we gather to reflect on radical welcome—not as hospitality alone, but as a spiritual and moral practice rooted in justice, love, and shared responsibility.
Drawing on the prophetic witness of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Unitarian Universalist commitment to inherent worth and interdependence, this service invites us to consider what it truly means to belong to one another. Join us for Rev. Christe Lunsford’s sermon, “Radical Welcome and the Beloved Community.”
Music for this service will be offered by Mindy Bowman and Chris Braddock. Flutist Mindy Bowman and guitarist Chris Braddock have played together continuously since 1998 and are at home in a variety of musical styles and settings. Their repertoire includes pieces from five centuries of classical music, as well as Celtic, ragtime, jazz selections, and various types of Mediterranean folk music. Together and separately, Chris and Mindy have played in concerts and community events at more than 100 popular sites in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, including Longwood Gardens, Swarthmore College, Tyler Arboretum, Winterthur, the University of Delaware, the Baby Grand, Schwartz Center, and the Smyrna Opera House.
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)
Meeting ID: 978 0642 7419
** Drop in to a committee meeting this Sunday after service – all are welcome!
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Committee: Social Justice
Location: Conference Room
Committee: Lands Stewards
Location: MacArtor Library
** Office Closure
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The church office will be closed on Monday, January 19 in observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
** January Art Class:
Gifts of Love
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All are welcome to join Jo Redbird in the Art Lab on Wednesday, January 28, 6:30-8:00pm for Gifts of Love crafting. Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or need a self-love boost, come create a unique and special gift for yourself or the love in your life.
Contact Jo HERE (mailto:redbirdartlab@gmail.com) questions. Please enter the building using the side entrance to attend.
** Yoga is Back
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Join Margaret in the library, 8:30am-10am, for gentle yoga & meditation.
Fridays: January 23; February 6, 13 & 20; March 6, 13 & 20. To register or with questions, contact Margaret HERE (mailto:margaret_bodine@comcast.net) .
** Join the Discussion
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Pssst….now available on Zoom!
Join us as we explore four powerful books that shed light on racism in America and how we can work toward achieving equity and justice. Together, these books (see below for the list) reveal how racism shapes our society through denial, injustice, economic harm, and backlash, and invite us to imagine and work toward a more just and equitable future as we uphold our Unitarian Universalist values. The discussions, led by Tracey Crook, occur on the last Wednesday of the month, January through April, and will last approximately 60-90 minutes.
January 28
Nice Racism: How Progressive White People Perpetuate Racial Harm by Robin DiAngelo
February 25
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
March 25
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee
April 29
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson
Zoom sessions now available!
Each book discussion is available in the following formats:
Afternoon: 2:00 pm in the conference room
OR
Evening: 7:00 pm via Zoom
Click HERE to participate in one or more discussions, and indicate your attendance option (afternoon in-person or evening via Zoom) for the session you’re interested in. (mailto:tacrook@swbell.net)
** Souper Bowl Saturday
Potluck Party
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We might not yet know which team will play in Super Bowl LX, but we do know where we need to be the night before the big game — at Mill Creek’s Souper Bowl Saturday Potluck dinner!
Join us on Saturday, February 7 at 5:00 pm and wear the colors of the team you want to win. Bring a pot of soup, a loaf of bread, salad, or a dessert to share. We will provide soft drinks. Join in our 50/50 fundraiser by bringing some cash with you.
We encourage everyone to participate in our canned food collection to benefit the Food Bank of Delaware – bring a can (or more) of soup.
Click the button below to RSVP to and let us know you are interested in attending and how many are coming. We don’t need to know what you plan to bring, but we do need to know by Sunday, February 1 if you are attending. Children are welcome, however childcare will not be available.
Looking forward to sharing a warm and spirited Saturday evening together!
RSVP HERE (mailto:reynoldschristine0@gmail.com)
** Wilmington Community Orchestra Performs this Sunday
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For anyone who likes classical music, come see The Wilmington Community Orchestra’s performance of “Viva L’Italia!” this Sunday, January 18, at 3 pm in the Wilmington Concert Hall at the Music School of Delaware (4101 Washington St., Wilmington, DE). Enjoy music from Carmen and more with guest opera singers, as well as symphonies by Mendelssohn and Rossini. Tickets: $15 for adults and $5 for students. See Diana Saunders for more info, or click HERE (https://www.musicschoolofdelaware.org/tickets.html) .
** Diaper Drive Coming in February
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Shop the sales NOW to participate in the Social Justice Committee’s Diaper Drive supporting Catholic Charities Diaper Bank, starting next month.
Catholic Charities Diaper Bank – an affiliate of the National Diaper Bank Network – helps low-income families keep their young children clean, dry, and healthy by providing much needed supplies at their monthly diaper distributions in Wilmington.
We are collecting the following items & supplies:
* Diapers, all infant sizes; especially toddler sizes (4, 5 & 6)
* Wipes
* Bath Wash
* Bath Cloths
Collection begins Sunday, February 1 and runs through Sunday, March 1.
Did you know…?
* Babies need 10-12 diapers a day; toddlers need about 8 per day.
* Disposable diapers, depending on brand, can cost up to $120 per month.
* 1 in 3 families struggle to provide an adequate supply of diapers for their children.
* Working families must provide an additional supply of disposable diapers to their child care provider.
* Cloth diapers are not accepted at most child care centers.
** Volunteers (still) Needed – yes, that might mean YOU
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With the increased attendance in the Faith Exploration classroom on Sunday mornings, (while very encouraging), comes the very real need for volunteers.
Help is needed on Sunday mornings:
* supervising play in the nursery (no diapering required!)
* engaging with the kids and helping out with simple projects in the classroom
Please see Margaret with your interest, or email dre@uusmc.org (mailto:dre@uusmc.org) .
Thank you for considering your involvement in this important ministry.
“If you want to touch the past, touch a rock. If you want to touch the present, touch a flower. If you want to touch the future, touch a life.”
** Current Share Our Plate Recipient
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We regularly donate a half of our undesignated plate collection to a local charity or non-profit organization. For the months of January & February we are supporting:
ACLU of Delaware
For nearly 100 years, the American Civil Liberties Union – ACLU – has worked in courts, legislatures and communities to protect the constitutional rights of all people with a nationwide network of offices and millions of members and supporters. The mission of the ACLU of Delaware is to preserve and advance civil liberties and civil rights in the State of Delaware as enshrined in the United States and Delaware Constitutions through education and advocacy without consideration of political association.
Learn more about ACLU of Delaware HERE (https://www.aclu-de.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)
** Church Cancelation Procedures & Notification Methods
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Board policy leaves the decision to cancel church service with the minster and the board president. We always endeavor to make such decisions in a timely fashion.
If the decision to cancel is made we will: send out an email to all congregants (if possible and time allows), and post notice on Facebook (both the public and private UUSMC pages).
We are also linked with the local SnoWatch system. SnoWatch reports are broadcast on 1150 AM WDEL and 93.7 FM WSTW and are available online at wdel.com (https://www.wdel.com/features/wdel-stormwatch/) and wstw.com (https://www.wstw.com/wstw-stormwatch/) . These links will also be available on the church website, uusmc.org.
So, particularly now through March, if the weather calls for any kind of dangerous precipitation, please check your inbox and/or the above media or call the church before heading out. We want everyone to be safe this winter!
** Dungeons & Dragons
A Recurring Event
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Sundays, January 18; February 8 & 22
(every 2 weeks)
12:00 pm, Classroom 4
D&D is a role-playing game about storytelling in worlds of swords and sorcery. 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. No registration required – just drop in. All are welcome to join the group in classroom 4. Occurs every 2 weeks on Sundays.
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. Christe Lunsford, Minister
Sundays, when preaching: 9am – 3pm
Monday & Tuesday, 10am – 4pm
Thursday by appointment only, click HERE (https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ08wOXSmX5fNN_vySxfpLP9VL2QqSZF5spIx5_9rxZm3e25LNywCGk4WoIlyFMvdn84osyy8XZl)
Or email minister@uusmc.org (mailto:minister@uusmc.org)
Debra Damiani, Congregational Administrator
Monday-Thursday 9 am to 2 pm
administrator@uusmc.org (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org)
302-369-2712
Margaret Borror, Faith Exploration Teacher
Sundays, and by appointment
dre@uusmc.org (mailto:dre@uusmc.org)
** Connect with the UUA, Central East Region, and Delmarva Cluster
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** 30 Days of Love 2026
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Love at the Center:
Reimagining the World
As It Could Be
30 Days of Love is the Unitarian Universalist Association’s annual celebration that runs approximately from Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January through Valentine’s Day in February with weekly offerings of spiritual nourishment, political grounding, and shared practices of faith and justice.
At a time when fear, violence, and extraction dominate our politics and our planet, we practice another way. We believe love is not fragile; it is fierce. It grounds our organizing, fuels our imagination, and sustains our communities. Over five weeks, we will move through a journey from imagination to action, rooting our freedom dreams in faith and bringing them to life in our world.
Each week, there will be a written reflection from Side With Love staff; a conversation with a UU theologian; a multigenerational family activity; reflection questions for journaling; a meditative body practice; and a coloring sheet connected to the weekly theme.
To learn more about the theme for 2026, the weekly highlights, and to sign-up to receive content, click the button below.
Engage with 30 Days of Love HERE (https://sidewithlove.org/30daysoflove)
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