Weekly News - June 18, 2026 - Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek

Posted on June 18, 2026 Posted By: Office Administrator Categories: News

Here’s what’s happening at Mill Creek:

** Congregational Life
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** Upcoming events, meetings and news to know
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** FREE Jazz Concert Tonight!
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** New Keyless Entry Code in Effect:
Monday, June 22
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The side entrance of the church building will have a NEW KEYLESS ENTRY CODE for members on Monday, June 22. The previous code will no longer work.

If you have a legitimate need to be in the building during off hours, plan ahead and call the church office to obtain the code before you arrive.

** Ice Cream + Fellowship + Balmy Weather = FUN
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Saturday’s Ice Cream Social was all smiles — plus sticky fingers, big laughs, good conversation, and plenty of games.

25 adults and 8 kids enjoyed a perfect summer evening together. Grateful to our Fellowship & Fun Committee: Laura Bonner, Julie Scherer, Andy Jenness, Bill and Chris Reynolds.

** Have you downloaded the Church Center App?
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Church Center is an easy app that helps you to stay connected with your Mill Creek community. It is secure, controlled, and accessed by invitation only. Invitations were emailed several months ago to members. If you can’t locate that email, contact the church office (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org) for a resend.

Once you download the app, then select UUSMC as your congregation and sign in, you can access the church directory and calendar. Only you can control what information about you is shared in the directory.

** Our Library Welcomes You!
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Thanks to members of the 2nd and 4th Thursday Chalice Circle, the MacArtor Library is now organized and open for circulation. All are welcome to visit—just follow the simple guidelines posted for checking out books.

** Are you OWL trained?
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Rev. Christe is assembling a list of all church members who are trained in Our Whole Lives (OWL). Please click HERE (mailto:revchriste@gmail.com) to let Christe know what level you are trained in and what your level of interest is.

** In the market for a new A/C unit? Call us before you buy!
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We have an opportunity for fundraising with a local HVAC contractor. If you’re in the market for a new unit or system, let us know (Rev. Christe (mailto:revchriste@gmail.com) or the church office (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org) ) and we will provide the information you need to obtain a quote; purchases of a new system will result in a donation made to the church.

** Sunday Worship Service Information
June 21, 2026
10:30 am
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Heather A. Petit, our worship leader this Sunday, has been using layered principles she developed in dialog with Quaker practice to navigate as a sibling, parent, spouse, manager, colleague, and UU candidate for ministry. Join us as Heather shares how a particular aspect of this approach can help us navigate complicated relationships and contexts.

Heather Petit (she/they) is a Candidate for UU ministry who is scheduled for their Ministerial Fellowship Committee appointment in December 2026 (last step before ordination). They graduated from Lancaster Theological Seminary in 2020 and interned with both EqUUal Access and the Mill Creek congregation. Heather is fat, white, queer/genderqueer, disabled, and neurodivergent. Heather’s entrepreneurial ministry is in creating and maintaining sustainable, relationally trustworthy workplaces. They currently employ this ministry in leadership and strategy work at a major data sciences firm. Heather is married and has four adult children and one grandchild. They live in Newark, Delaware.

Connect with Us In-Person
* Service begins at 10:30 am
* Children’s Faith Exploration programming is available for ages 4 and up (see below for what’s coming up)
* Child Care available (infant/toddler, ages birth to 3)

Connect with Us Virtually
* Click the link below: ‘Sunday Livestream’ (bookmark it on your preferred device for quick and easy access on Sunday morning).

Sunday Livestream – CLICK HERE (https://zoom.us/j/97806427419)

Meeting ID: 978 0642 7419

** Upcoming Activities in Faith Exploration
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This Sunday, June 21: Cooking Day

Next Sunday, June 28: Water Day
* Please bring your children to church dressed in their swimsuits or clothes they won’t mind getting wet
* Have sunscreen already applied
* Bring a towel

** Come to our Summer Solstice Celebration
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What does it mean to call yourself Pagan?
* A Pagan follows a spiritual journey informed by natural life and seasons, embracing the lessons and healing that nature provides.
* A Pagan considers all of Life sacred, recognizing and appreciating the abundance of the natural world, honoring that which provides Life—whatever you may call it: the Source, Great Spirit, Goddess…
* A Pagan celebrates in ritual the seasonal changes, Equinox, Solstice [and more] as the Earthly transitions and as personal, spiritual transitions.

Join us on Monday evening, June 22, and experience our Summer Solstice Ritual.
Contact Regina Guarino HERE with questions (mailto:regina139@msn.com)

** Soapbox Sunday is Coming July 5th
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What’s on your mind?

Once a year, the pulpit belongs to you. On Soapbox Sunday, every member and friend of the congregation has the chance to step up and speak — two minutes, any topic. Serious, silly, urgent, or whimsical — if it matters to you, we want to hear it.

A few ground rules to keep us all in good shape:
* Two minutes, strictly honored. Know what you want to say before you step on the box. When the timer sounds, please wrap it up.
* No partisan political speech. No campaigning or candidate advocacy. Speak from your values instead.
* Be mindful of the community space — please hold personal trauma for more intimate settings.

A sign-up sheet will be available in the room that morning, so come prepared and ready to claim your slot.

Come ready to speak. Come ready to listen. This is free speech in its most congregational form.

** Join us in the meadow every Wednesday
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Join the Land Stewards next Wednesday, June 24 (and every Wednesday, weather permitting) at 5:30pm and see what they’re doing to improve the biodiversity and natural habitat in the meadow areas.

** 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 May & June we are supporting:

Black Mothers in Power

This organization seeks to dismantle systems of power to eradicate the racial health disparities that harm Black birthing people and babies throughout Delaware while building new systems of care and healing. Black Mothers in Power envisions building a state where Black birthing people are informed, in control of their own bodies, and cared for—both within the current oppressive system and in the liberatory systems we’ve created for ourselves.
Learn more Black Mothers in Power HERE (https://www.blackmothersinpower.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)

** Yoga Offered on Select Dates during the Summer Months
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Join Margaret in the library, 8:30am-10am, for gentle yoga & meditation on the following Fridays:
June 12, 19 & 26
July 3
August 14 & 21
To register or with questions, contact Margaret HERE (mailto:margaret_bodine@comcast.net) .

** Dungeons & Dragons
A Recurring Event
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Sundays: June 21; July 5 & 19
(every other week)
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 other week 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
* Mondays & Tuesdays: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm in the office; calls and by email after 2pm.
* Thursdays: by appointment
* Sundays (when I preach): 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
* My regular days off are Friday and Saturday, unless I am scheduled for special congregational duties. I answer calls and emails Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Any non-emergency calls or emails outside of those hours will be answered during the next work day.
* Other times may be arranged by mutual agreement via email: minister@uusmc.org (mailto:minister@uusmc.org) or click HERE (https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ08wOXSmX5fNN_vySxfpLP9VL2QqSZF5spIx5_9rxZm3e25LNywCGk4WoIlyFMvdn84osyy8XZl) .
* I joyfully participate in committee meetings when I am able, with particular focus on the Board, Finance, and Worship teams.

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
dfe@uusmc.org (mailto:dfe@uusmc.org)

Rob Sylvester, Collaborative Accompanist
Sundays, and by appointment

** Connect with the UUA, Central East Region, and Delmarva Cluster
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** UUA Voices Support for Unitarian Universalists in Uniform After Military Policy Change
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The Unitarian Universalist Association has voiced its unwavering support for Unitarian Universalists in uniform and UU military chaplains in the wake of a move by the Department of Defense to remove 180 religious affiliations from the U.S. military’s list of religious affiliation codes.
Read more HERE (https://www.uuworld.org/articles/military-chaplains-faiths-removed-unitarian-universalists-statement?_gl=1*yie3t2*_ga*NjI0ODgyMDUzLjE3Nzc0ODUwMjY.*_ga_CN7F7RET4F*czE3ODE3MTYxODkkbzEzJGcxJHQxNzgxNzE2MjY0JGo2MCRsMCRoMA..)

** Central East Region News Update
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JUNE 2026
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.
Central East Region Update – click HERE (https://www.uua.org/central-east/blog/news/cer-news-0626)

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Weekly News – June 18, 2026

Weekly News – June 18, 2026