Weekly News - March 20, 2025 - Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek

Posted on March 20, 2025 Posted By: Office Administrator Categories: News

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** Upcoming events, meetings and news to know
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** Sunday Worship Service Information
March 23, 2025
10:30 am
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These are two things we know how to do: ground in our faith and gather in community. And yet when tension rises and chaos reigns, it is easy to forget the things we know. So once again we gather together as a collective reminder that another world is possible even when it feels very far away. Join us this Sunday for Rev. Cathy Rion Starr’s sermon, “Ground and Gather.”

Rev. Cathy Rion Starr (they/them) is a queer white minister, organizer, and parent. Cathy serves as Leadership Development Specialist for Side with Love on UUA Staff. Cathy lives in Southern Delaware on Nanticoke lands with their family. Cathy is a graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry and Stanford University and has served as a parish minister in Connecticut, Washington, DC, and Oregon. Cathy’s background is in racial justice and anti-racist community organizing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Cathy brings a passion for relationship-building, strives to hold complexity and contradictions honestly, and seeks more spiritually grounded justice work. Cathy also loves making music, contemplative and contemporary worship, dark chocolate, gardening and being silly.

Music for this service will be performed by Anusha Bala and Isabella Weber, with Emma Hull leading our hymns. Anusha Bala began playing the flute at the age of 4 and was featured at a young age as a soloist with several national and international orchestras, before studying with Jeanne Baxtresser at Carnegie Mellon University. Mill Creek member Isabella Weber has played the violin with a variety of classical, Bluegrass, Indie and Irish fiddling groups over the years. The two met on their first day of college and have been best friends ever since.

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)

** Land Stewards Meeting this Sunday
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Sunday, March 23

All are welcome to join the meeting in the conference room after coffee time this Sunday. This is a great opportunity to find out what we’re planning and to be a part of deciding priorities for the native habitat we manage.

In the meantime, we will soon be ready for our annual meadow cutting, followed by our weekly Wednesday meadow maintenance gatherings . We welcome one and all to help in any way possible – but what does that mean, exactly?

We’ve put together a list of suggestions for ways anyone can help – from minimal effort, to moderate activity, to using shovels and pulling weeds. Check it out by clicking the button below.

Contact Amy White or Jamie Kegerise with questions or ideas.
Learn how anyone can help – CLICK HERE (https://www.uusmc.org/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Support-Our-Natural-Lands.pdf)

** Group Hike
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The Fellowship & Fun Committee invites you on a group hike led by Bill Reynolds.
We’ll meet in the church parking lot at 10am on Wednesday, March 26 to hike the Pleasant Hill Paper Mill Loop trail, in White Clay Creek State Park. We’ll hike on dirt trails that are rocky with roots in some areas. The terrain consists of rolling hills and stream crossings via bridges. Poles are recommended if you have or use them. Bring water and bug spray. There will be an opportunity to go out together for lunch after the hike. Let Bill know you’ll be joining the group or if you have questions – click the email button below.

Trail Details:
Length 3.6 mi Elevation gain 187 ft
3.6-mile loop trail, generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 75 to 90 minutes to complete – features an early out if needed.
For questions or to register – CLICK HERE (mailto:Wmfxir@gmail.com?subject=church%20hike)

** Express Yourself with Art
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Jewelry Box Night in the Redbird Art Lab All are welcome to attend this fun and creative event back by popular demand. We’ll have the beads, just bring your creative brain: Wednesday, March 26, 7-8:30.

Come to the side entrance by mailbox or call Jo Redbird (302-747-6055). Or, for questions prior to the event, contact Jo HERE (mailto:redbirdartlab@gmail.com) .

** Service Auction Tickets on Sale this Sunday
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Tickets will be on sale after church service this Sunday, March 23. When purchasing tickets at the reduced price, please be prepared to let us know what category you will be donating:
FOOD (specify cold appetizer, vegetarian dish or dessert) or…
BEVERAGE (specify red wine, white wine, or beer).
Have a question and not sure who to ask? Access our Auction FAQ page! CLICK HERE (https://www.uusmc.org/wp-content/uploads/FAQ-Service-Auction-2025.pdf)
Our donation line is now open to receive donations of experiences, services and items. Ready to make your donation(s)? CLICK HERE (mailto:david@dlsk.net)

** Board Vacancies
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The Nominating Committee is looking for 2-3 people to serve on the Mill Creek Board of Trustees starting August 2025. It is a 3-year position.

This is an amazing time to start serving on the Board. Steve Selph, our current board president, and several other board members will remain in their positions, leaving experienced leadership in place. New board members will have the opportunity to collaborate closely with our incoming minister, Rev. Christe Lunsford, who will be joining us in August.

No experience in governance is required. Board members are not expected to do everything! Rather, they support each other and work together to make sure that the church runs smoothly by coordinating and overseeing the work done by the numerous church committees, like Finance, Building Maintenance, Land Stewardship, Faith Exploration, Worship, etc.

If you would like to serve on the board, or you know somebody that might be interested, please contact Fran Gulino, Nominating Committee Chairperson, by email by clicking HERE (mailto:frangu302@gmail.com) . Or feel free to speak with one of the other committee members, Bob Varlas and Amy White.

** Side With Love – the Organizing Strategy Team of the Unitarian Universalist Association
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Throughout history, people of faith and conscience have come together to resist injustice and build a better world. Now, it’s our time. Join us at the Side With Love Action Center, a one stop hub for:
* Weekly Action Updates featuring essential resources, upcoming events, and spiritual reflections to support work across our intersectional priority areas.
* Grounded Resilient & Responsible Toolkit – a practical guide for navigating rising authoritarianism, offering tools for responsible activism, social media engagement, and long-term organizing.
* The Gathering – a monthly Side with Love event for spiritual grounding, political analysis, & collective action (next one: April 14th).

Learn more & subscribe – click HERE (https://sidewithlove.org/actioncenter)

** 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 March and April we are supporting:

Moms Demand Action – Delaware Chapter
A Volunteer Chapter in Every State

Moms Demand Action is a grassroots volunteer movement of Americans working for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. They work to pass stronger gun laws and close the loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our families. Moms Demand Action is a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with nearly 11 million supporters. Our donation will support the legislative advocacy fund, “Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund.”
Learn more about Moms Demand Action HERE (https://www.everytown.org/state/delaware/)
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)

** Recurring Event: D & D
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A fantasy tabletop role-playing game

The Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game is about storytelling in worlds of sword and sorcery. It shares elements with childhood games of make-believe. In the Dungeons & Dragons game, 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. All are welcome to join the group on Sunday, March 16 & 30 at 12 pm in classroom 1. Occurs every 2 weeks on Sundays. Questions? Contact Tom Vincent (mailto:trv302@outlook.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!
Mill Creek Staff
Rev. Christian Schmidt, Minister
Rev. Schmidt is on leave now through Sunday, April 13. For immediate concerns, you may contact the pastoral care team (mailto:pastoralcare@uusmc.org) , the board of trustees (mailto:board@uusmc.org) , or the church office (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org) .

Debra Damiani, Congregational Administrator
Monday 9 am to 2 pm, Monday-Thursday
administrator@uusmc.org (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org)
302-369-2712
Connect with the UUA, Delmarva Cluster, and Central East Region

** How to Stay Connected to the UUA
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Would you like to stay in touch with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)? Now you can receive the bimonthly UUA Newsletter email. With timely messages from UUA staff including the UUA President, and collections of resources, the UUA Newsletter is a convenient way to stay up-to-date with UUA programming and initiatives.
Stay in touch with the UUA – click HERE (https://www.uua.org/about/stay-in-touch)

** Opportunities for Connection: Central East Region Update
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MARCH 2025

Featured Resource:
Partnership Portal
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 (https://www.uua.org/central-east/blog/opportunities-325)

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Weekly News – March 20, 2025

Weekly News – March 20, 2025