Worship at 10:30 a.m. - ONLINE ONLY

Join us this Sunday when we learn from some of the experiences of the young adults and others involved with ILYA. We will reflect on the ways that serving occurs in the Independent Living for Young Adults (ILYA) which First Unitarian Church of Wilmington launched and many of our members have been involved in for over 17 years. The spiritual teacher, Ram Dass taught that “When the experience of helping seems so natural, it's not surprising that we find ourselves wishing or wondering if things could be like that more or even most of the time.”

Look for our worship link which will be provided via email and includes all of the details on how to connect - if you have not signed up for remote livestream worship links, please click here.

You will also find the stream on our YouTube page, where it will appear when the broadcast starts on Sunday morning. Click the video window title to enlarge it.

Children’s Religious Exploration 9:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. on Zoom. The Zoom link is sent out in the CYRE News and Notes. Please email Catherine Williamson to be added to the email list. RSVP to attend.

Youth Group 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. on Zoom. The link is sent out in the YG News and Notes. Please email Catherine Williamson to be added to the email list. RSVP to attend.

Check out the Family Resources page for a Chalice Ritual and other ways to bring UUism into your home.

Howard Thurman is one of America’s most cherished religious thinkers. Moreover, he was a social activist, and spiritual guide, and mentor to many contemporary figures in the civil rights movement and to many today who seek to find some anchoring guidance about spiritual, personal, and social growth and transformation.

On February 20 we will also have a virtual café following worship. Zoom links for Virtual Cafés are included in our remote worship emails that go out on Saturdays. If you have not signed up for remote livestream worship links, please click here.

Look for our worship link which will be provided via email - if you have not signed up for remote livestream worship links, please click here.

You will also find the stream on our YouTube page, where it will appear when the broadcast starts on Sunday morning. Click the video window title to enlarge it.

Children’s Religious Exploration 9:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. on Zoom. The Zoom link is sent out in the CYRE News and Notes. Please email Catherine Williamson to be added to the email list. RSVP to attend.

Coming of Age 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. on Zoom. The link is sent out in the YG News and Notes. Please email Catherine Williamson to be added to the email list.

Check out the Family Resources page for a Chalice Ritual and other ways to bring UUism into your home.

During the Stewardship Moment, we announced the start of this year’s Stewardship Pledging Campaign.

We are having another pledging campaign? Yes, we have one every year, because First Unitarian Church of Wilmington, DE, needs resources every year, if it is to remain a healthy, thriving, engaged, and a programmatically productive congregation. As with all churches and non-profit organizations, our church needs pledged resources to meet all of its operating obligations and its programmatic obligations, from pastoral care to human rights and social justice, both right here and around the world. 

Our Mission: First Unitarian Church of Wilmington nourishes minds, and spirits, fights injustice, and transforms the world through loving action. To sustain and expand our mission our Church must have resources, which primarily come from pledges made and pledges kept annually. The reality is that resources are needed for us to fulfill our mission and build momentum for the future.  

Theme - GIVING WITH INTENTION

Goal - $490,000

What are the dates of the Campaign?  

February 6, 2022 through March 15, 2022. These are the dates of the main Campaign. And, we urge everyone to pledge during this time, limiting the amount of follow-up, which will be needed. 

Although the Campaign just started last Sunday, do we have any pledges? 

Yes, we have received 18 pledges and the total amount pledged so far is $97,980.

YES WE DO!! 

Our campaign is just starting, but we already have quite a few pledges. Our members and friends support First U for many reasons but here are just a few:

What inspires you to support First U? When you fill out your pledge, be sure to let us know!

Second Sunday is here! It’s the perfect time to celebrate and reflect on how ILYA (Independent Living for Young Adults) at First U is making a difference by hearing directly from some of our youth, interviewed by Rev. Larry. For 17 years, ILYA has assisted young adults as they navigate their new life after foster care. Year-round projects such as New Apartment Kits, Student Care Packages, Graduation Gifts and Loan Program help to set these young people up for success.

Another important ILYA program that you may not be aware of is the Baby Supplies Project that provides young moms with essential items for their newborns such as cribs, strollers, car seats and clothes. While in-person baby showers are not being held during the pandemic, the program still continues to offer support. First U member Crystal Oswald manages the project and explains that the items and supplies being provided to new moms is essentially what they would receive at a baby shower. She says “We take into account their living situations, the season, and the size of their apartment or home and try to accommodate their needs accordingly.”

ILYA is contacted by the State’s Independent Living Coordinators when there is an expecting or new mom in need and Crystal gets to work. She reaches out to the First U community and to her contacts at the North Wilmington Mom’s Group for donated items and/or financial resources. This past fall, for example, ILYA was able to support four young moms at West End Neighborhood House because of these generous individuals. All four mothers were provided with swings, high chairs, new car seats, baby clothes, pac n’ plays and blankets.

As ILYA has expanded to support youth in Kent County, our partner congregation at UUCD in Dover has come together to assist a new mother in that area. One UUCD member is also knitting a blanket and hat for the newborn. For our First U members who knit or sew, hand-made items like this are always needed and appreciated.

For Crystal, the Baby Supplies project is a family affair. Her three young daughters are involved and her mom often crochets blankets and hats. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to be a new mother and not have any family support. This project lets these moms know that they are cared about and they are not alone. We want to give them and their babies a successful start.”

This Sunday, we are thrilled to share video clips of some insightful and impactful conversations between Rev. Larry and three of our youth. You will hear first-hand the challenges these young adults faced and overcame as they aged out of foster care. We’re sure that after hearing directly from some of the youth, you will feel more connected to this wonderful social justice program at First U.

Be prepared to be inspired! Don’t miss this Sunday’s service!

In February, our worship services and children's religious exploration activities will continue online only. We hope to return to the building for worship and children’s religious exploration again in March, with new requirements, including a requirement for proof of vaccination. For details, please click here.

Our goal is to create an environment of safety and comfort for all. Thank you for helping us protect each other and our community.

Please do not hesitate to contact the church office if you have any questions. Office phone is 302-478-2384 or email Marina@firstuuwilm.org.

Sunday, February 20th, we will have a coffee-hour style Virtual Café immediately after the service. The format of this Zoom meeting will be a thirty-minute mixer.

Zoom links for Virtual Cafés are included in our remote worship emails that go out on Saturdays. If you have not signed up for remote livestream worship links, please click here.

Thanks to all who came to our Virtual Café last Sunday. If you enjoyed the discussion or are intrigued by the book, please join a group. If you missed the Virtual Café, we welcome you to join a group too. Attending a book group is a great way to connect with others from First U.

Both day time groups still have space! Even though Group B has already begun, it doesn’t meet again until 2/22 – so you have time to catch up on the reading.

Group B: Tuesdays (Skip 2/15), 2/22, 3/1, and 3/8 from 1:00 – 3:00p.m. by Zoom

Group D: Saturdays 2/19, (Skip 2/26), 3/5, 3/12, and 3/19 from 10:00 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Click to sign-up: Register for a Sum of Us Book Group

Click here for reading schedule and group info: Book Group Plan

Click to order the book: Amazon Order

In The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, Heather McGee gives an historical account of racism in America. She demonstrates how we all lose out and also provides hope for how working together benefits all of us. We will gather in small groups for two hours a week for four weeks. Join the Human Rights Task Force in these informative and meaningful discussions.

Brought to you by the Human Rights Task Force (HRTF). Any questions or comments, please contact Becky Laster, blaster102@verizon.net or 302-750-8524.

Because we had to reschedule this retreat due to a snowstorm on the original date, not everyone can make the new date. So, we have some limited spaces available to attend online or in the building. You must register by February 21st in order to attend.

If you already registered for the original date, we've already contacted you to ask you to let us know if you are able to attend on the new date. So, you do not need to register again here.

Join Rev. Rob Hardies and Rev. Larry Peers for a day-long retreat grounded in our own Unitarian Universalist spiritual tradition. Our UU ancestors practiced an array of spiritual disciplines that sustained their souls and strengthened their engagement with the world. These disciplines helped them encounter the holy in nature, literature, daily life, and within their own souls. In this retreat we will learn and practice the spiritual disciplines of our UU ancestors so that they might equip and sustain us in engaging our beautiful and broken world. Along the way, we will gain a better understanding of the spiritual and theological gifts of our tradition.

The retreat fee is $25 for members of First Unitarian; $35 for all others. Scholarships are available.

Register: This will be offered online and in the building to a limited number of registrants (masked, proof of vaccination, etc.) You can register, including information on payments and scholarship requests, here.

Proof of Vaccination: If you plan to attend in the building, our vaccination requirement applies. Please upload your proof of vaccination here or bring it with you to the retreat.

View our flyer here, for additional details. Please share it with friends and family!

In February, our Pastoral Care Associate is Dottie Ashcraft. Her email is DottieA@firstuuwilm.org.

Pastoral Care invites the opportunity to offer support for health issues & deaths, personal or family difficulties, loneliness, etc. We may only become aware of who may benefit if you let us know of the need. And also, as these extraordinary difficult times continue, please show our care & concern by reaching out to one another by phone or online.

Our doors, offices, dorms, campgrounds, and property are all open for retreats, programs, getaways, meetings and more. No matter the season, Murray Grove's property shines! With a consciousness about public health safety, our indoor spaces provide ample room for spacing, and our outdoor spaces are so inviting.

Together with other exciting community programs, we're putting together a spring and summer filled with fun, education, reflection, and all that Murray Grove has to offer. We will be bustling with programs! Learn more about Murray Grove, here.

Delaware Coronavirus Information is available, here. Testing resources are here. The Governor of Delaware lifted the mask mandate in public locations effective today! Masks are still required in schools and daycare centers.

For our Pennsylvania members, you can go here for information.