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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** Sunday Worship Service Information
November 16, 2025
10:30 am
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Join us this Sunday morning for our annual Transgender Day of Remembrance service – a time to honor, reflect, and renew our commitment to compassion and inclusion.
Once again, Mill Creek member Diane Hofer will lead this meaningful service by guiding us through stories, reflections, and moments of remembrance that speak to both the heart and the spirit. Expect a time that is deeply moving, thought-provoking, and filled with hope. Beautiful and carefully chosen music will weave throughout the morning, helping to hold the sacred space and support the emotions of the day. Whether you’ve attended this service in the past or are experiencing it for the first time, we invite you to come, listen, and be part of this shared moment of remembrance and love. Together, we honor lives lost – and affirm the beauty and resilience of our shared humanity.
Parents: Children should report directly to the RE classroom.
Meet our worship leader, Diane Hofer. Diane has been attending Mill Creek since November 2015 (Yes! 10 years!) and officially joined the congregation in 2017. She is a member of the Board, Live Stream Tech Team, and the Music Committee. She is an adjunct member of several other church committees, a Chalice Circle facilitator, and is involved with many Ad Hoc teams and projects. A Philly kid, Diane graduated from Drexel University and went on to hold various managerial positions in her 45-year career in the packaging industry.
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
** 2026 Generosity Campaign Underway
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Pledge cards have been distributed.
Our 2026 Generosity Campaign was presented on Sunday, November 9 when Adam Kegley and Diana Saunders had a fun role play about pledging. Their presentation included a cheeky Close-Up commercial circa 1978 featuring a young Tom Selleck and the slogan, “Put your money where your mouth is.” Unfortunately, the sound did not work but you can view it HERE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnQCTp1efqs) .
A big THANK YOU to those of you who have had a chance to carefully consider your pledge commitment for 2026 and have already submitted your pledge. If you did not pick up your packet after service last week, they were mailed on Monday, November 10 and yours should be arriving any day.
Why make a pledge?
Practical Reasons
* Our main source of income: Pledging is the primary way we fund this congregation.
* Budgeting and planning: Pledges provide a predictable income stream; this is important because our expenses are predictable and ongoing even if our income is not.
* Funding ministries: Pledges fund everything from staff salaries & benefits, mortgage & utilities, and facility maintenance expenses to Sunday worship services and outreach programs..
Spiritual Reasons
* Upholding values: Pledging is a spiritual statement of your commitment to the church’s mission and values.
* Community support: Your financial support helps sustain the church as a “beloved community” and enables us to provide a safe and welcoming spiritual home for everyone.
* Shared vision: Pledging allows you to actively participate in building the future of your church community.
* Personal reward: Supporting a cause you believe in can be a personally rewarding and spiritually fulfilling practice.
How to make your pledge of support:
* return your pledge card by mail in the envelope provided, or
* place your card in the offering plate or the collection box in the gathering space, or
* email your pledge to administrator@uusmc.org (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org) , or
* access your Realm giving profile – or click the button below**
Pledge Now! (click here) (https://onrealm.org/MillCreek/give/2026pledge)
**Clicking on the button above will allow you to declare your annual pledge amount AND set up electronic giving. If you do NOT wish to set up electronic giving and just want to declare your annual pledge amount, please do so by submitting the pledge card or let us know by email (administrator@uusmc.org (mailto:administrator@uusmc.org) ).
Members and friends, we encourage you to dedicate serious consideration and contemplation to this Campaign. We ask that you give from the intersection of your resources and the value and meaning your church has in your life and the life of the community.
The Finance Team is hoping to have all pledges received by
Sunday, November 30.
This gives the team adequate time to prepare the operating budget for 2026. Let us know if you have any questions – ask the finance team HERE (mailto:finance@uusmc.org) .
Thank you for your support.
** Be Wary of Suspicious Emails
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With the holiday season approaching, phishing scams are on the increase. Be wary of questionable emails by looking for red flags like urgent requests, poor grammar or unusual sentence structure, requests for money, special favors, or copies of church directories, and especially mismatched sender addresses. Suspicious or unusual email addresses are one of the most common indicators of phishing attempts.
Do not reply, forward, click on links, or open attachments – just delete and block!
Always be alert, suspicious, and cautious regarding any email you receive purporting to come from Mill Creek, or any staff or church member. If want to verify the authenticity of a church related email, contact the church office.
** Fall Tree Planting Day a Success
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Thanks to the help of our wonderful volunteers, we were able to plant around 25 native trees and shrubs in our church’s habitat areas. This has been a project several weeks in the making, and quite a few people took part and contributed. Several folks also picked up free native trees for us at the New Castle Conservation District giveaway as part of the Tree for Every Delawarean (TEDI) initiative https://dnrec.delaware.gov/tedi/.
Ann & Roy Draper, Anita Sgrignoli, Amy White, Peg Duffy, Chris Hull, Rudy Nyhoff, Ted Madron, Bob Varlas, Bill Reynolds, Ted & Diane Wendt, and Jamie Kegerise all helped out with the preparation work and the actual planting that took place last Saturday, November 8.
Our meadow now has several more White and Red Oaks, Red Maples, Eastern Red Cedars, River Birches, Magnolias, Red Buds, Spice Bushes, Fringe Trees, Winterberries, and Sycamores.
Our Land Stewards group has a meeting this Sunday, November 16, following Coffee Time and anyone is welcome to attend.
Social Justice Projects
The Mill Creek Social Justice Committee is offering ways you can help our neighbors get warm and fed. Check out the opportunities below, and see or contact Becky Varlas (mailto:rebeccavarlas@gmail.com) with any questions.
Bagged Lunches
The SJC is looking for 6 to 8 volunteers to help prepare and assemble 150 bagged lunches after service on Sunday, November 23; they will be donated to the Ministry of Caring to help alleviate the immediate need of those experiencing food insecurity. Look for the sign-up sheet in the gathering space. For more information about the Ministry of Caring, click HERE (https://www.ministryofcaring.org/) .
Winter Coat Drive
The SJC is sponsoring a Share Our Warmth winter coat drive for the month of November to benefit the children and parents of St. Michael’s School & Nursery, 700 N. Walnut St. in Wilmington.
We are collecting new or gently used coats, hats, scarves, gloves and mittens of all sizes (men’s, women’s and children’s sizes and styles) now through Sunday, November 30. Look for the collection bin in the gathering space. For more information about St. Michael’s, click HERE (https://www.stmichaelsde.org/) .
** Smart Phones Wanted
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Paco Samb’s large family in Senegal is in need of smart phones – this is their only means of phone and internet service. Paco will be traveling to Senegal during the first week of December and will be happy to help you avoid the landfill by taking your old, unused or unwanted phone(s) home with him.
ANY smart phone is acceptable, although you will need to remove your data by performing a factory reset, and unlock the phone from the carrier. Phones can be brought to church now through Sunday, November 30. If you choose to leave your name, Paco’s family will send back a small gift of thanks. See or contact Paco or Karen Rege, or contact the church office with questions.
** Hospitality Team Welcomes New Members
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Every Sunday before and after the service a small crew sets up and later tidies up the coffee hour snack spread. The tasks are quick, simple, and fun to do. It makes a huge difference in helping people linger and feel welcome, and it’s a lovely, low-pressure way to get to know other people in the congregation.
But they can’t do it alone – more volunteers are needed to round out the rotation. If you’re curious but perhaps unsure, just drop by the kitchen on a Sunday morning to check things out. One of the regulars will answer any questions you have and show you some helpful tasks that help keep hospitality running smoothly.
Please consider this opportunity to get more involved in church life. Even participating in just a couple of Sundays a month would be a huge help. See Diane Hofer, or email her HERE (mailto:dianehofer3@hotmail.com) .
** Blue Christmas: Elusive Joy
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Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning [mourning]. – Psalm 30
The holiday season can stir a wide range of emotions—grief, longing, gratitude, and hope, all at once. Blue Christmas offers a sacred space for those who find this season heavy or complex. Through music, candlelight, reflection, and quiet companionship, we will honor the fullness of our humanity—the joy and the sorrow that coexist within us.
Join us on Wednesday, December 10 at 7:00 pm as we gather in the stillness, light candles for what we carry, and allow the soft blue glow of love and remembrance to hold us. Whether your heart is full, weary, or tender, you are welcome just as you are.
** Winter Wonderland Party
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Make plans to join us on Saturday, December 13 at 5pm!
The Fellowship & Fun Committee is delighted to sponsor our second annual Winter Wonderland Party!
Share in the fun with church members and friends and enjoy fun and fellowship featuring appetizers/charcuterie boards, desserts, winter-themed music, trivia, ugly sweaters, photobooth, white elephant, and even MORE. Everyone is welcome!
** Artificial Christmas Trees Still Wanted!
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Yes – we are *still* collecting unwanted artificial Christmas trees: any size, any variety, any condition.
Planning to replace your tree this year? Are you downsizing? Upsizing? Have a Charlie Brown tree you’d like to get rid of? We’ll take any tree — no questions asked! We’re also looking for an artificial Ficus tree.
Drop off your donations to the church office at any time – thank you!
** Volunteer Greeters Needed
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We are looking for volunteer greeters to help implement our congregation’s new Radical Welcome initiative, a program that seeks to make every person who visits Mill Creek feel welcome, seen, and valued. Embracing all visitors will ensure that our community continues to change, grow and serve. Thank you to all who have already agreed to participate.
Volunteer Greeters will be trained and will serve in groups of four every four to six weeks (approximately). Extending a warm welcome is critical to a visitor’s first experience of our community and service as a greeter is a fun way to get involved. Interested? Contact Kathy Stamm (mailto:jstamm09@comcast.net) or Stephen Janick (mailto:sjanick@udel.edu) .
** Local Interfaith Events
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CONCERT
The First State Flute Choir welcomes everyone to their Fall Concert at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 701 S. College Avenue in Newark, Delaware on Sunday, November 16 at 4:00 pm.
Come and hear 18 flutists, including piccolo, flute, alto flute, bass flute and contra-bass flute. Learn more about the Flute Choir on their Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firststateflutechoir) page, or contact Diana Saunders (mailto:diana.h.saunders@gmail.com) with any questions about this event.
WORSHIP SERVICE
All are welcome to attend the 37th annual Newark Interfaith Thanksgiving Service at Temple Beth El , 301 Possum Park Road in Newark, Delaware on Tuesday, November 25 at 7:00 pm.
The service will include reflections from representatives of diverse faith traditions along with music and readings, and features our own Rev. Christe Lunsford as guest speaker. A freewill offering will be collected for the benefit of Friendship House of Delaware, which in June announced a new strategic partnership with Limen Recovery & Wellness. Singers are invited to join a combined choir which will rehearse at 6:00 pm. The music to be performed can be viewed HERE (https://www.uusmc.org/wp-content/uploads/Interfaith.ThanksgivingChoral.pdf) . Learn more – view the Facebook post HERE (https://www.facebook.com/events/1196557562300897/?acontext=%7B%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D&ref_source=newsfeed&ref_mechanism=feed_attachment) . This service will be livestreamed – click HERE (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/100614900#success) .
** Yoga and Meditation
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Join Margaret for a gentle yoga practice to relax and renew. We’ll explore asanas (held postures) and kriya (flowing through postures) using breath as our guide. We will end with mindfulness meditation practice.
When: Fridays, November 14 & 21 (no 28); December 5, 12, & 19 (no 26), 8:30 am – 10:00 am
Where: Church Sanctuary
Bring: Yoga mat, a small firm pillow, water
Requirement: Must be able to get down to and up from the floor
Registration: Required! Space is limited to 6 participants – click the button below if you have questions or to register.
Click HERE to register or with questions (mailto:margaret_bodine@comcast.net)
** 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 November & December we are supporting:
YWCA Delaware
The YWCA is proud to be one of the oldest and largest organizations supporting women in the United States, providing services for women and their families in our community.
This organization is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. This is done through:
* Community housing program which provides supportive services in a safe and stable environment for unhoused individuals with children and two-parent families. These services teach life skills and assist families in becoming gainfully employed, permanently housed, and completely self-sufficient.
* Client economic development through counseling, education and training in personal finance management, homeownership, work readiness, and self-employment.
* College and career preparation and diversity and leadership workshops for at-risk youth, gives students an opportunity for an accomplished future. The program challenges youth to become independent thinkers, advocate for their own success, and build self-esteem, social competence, and employability skills.
* Sexual Assault Response Center (SARC) provides comprehensive, free and confidential rape crisis services to sexual assault survivors and domestic violence survivors aged 12 and older and their non-offending family members, friends, and partners.
Learn more about YWCA Delaware HERE (https://www.ywcade.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)
** Local Fall Craft Fair
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The International Women’s Club (https://iwcdelaware.org/) (IWC) of Delaware is hosting a Crafts, Desserts, and White Elephant Fair on Thursday, November 20, 2025, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Everyone is welcome! Get a jump on your holiday shopping with a wide assortment of handmade crafts, original artworks, and more. Reach out to club members Debby Huertas, Anita Srignoli, or Diana Saunders with questions, or if you would like to join this fun club!
If you would like to donate a gently used decorative item or book, reach out to Sheridan Kingsberry (mailto:sqkingsberry1@verizon.net) .
Craft Sale Location:
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
1314 Foulk Road, Wilmington
(next to Brandywine High School)
** Thinking Ahead:
SERVICE AUCTION 2026
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We’ve reserved Saturday, April 11 for our annual fundraiser. This date is two weeks earlier than last year so NOW is the time to begin the planning!
We need a new lead to replace Janice Buckwalter (who chaired this event over the past several years – thank you, Janice!), as well as a team of willing volunteers who are committed to making the auction another grand success.
Reach out to the board (board@uusmc.org (mailto:board@uusmc.org) , or click the button below) if you are interested in participating in any capacity.
Save the date NOW on your calendar!
I can help! (mailto:board@uusmc.org)
** Dungeons & Dragons
A Recurring Event
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Sundays, November 23; December 7 & 21
(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, Delmarva Cluster, and Central East Region
** How UU’s are Helping During the SNAP Crisis
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UU congregations across the country are meeting the moment by responding to this crisis in their communities, and living up to the shared value of generosity by operating food pantries and mutual aid, coordinating food drives, planning meal-packing events, and more.
Read the story HERE (https://www.uua.org/pressroom/ingoodfaith/uus-snap-crisis)
** Opportunities for Connection: Central East Region Update
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NOVEMBER 2025
Featured Resource:
UU Institute
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-1125)
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