Living Justice
At Broad View United, justice and outreach are not just acts of charity but relationships of solidarity. Our partners teach us, challenge us, and walk alongside us as we share resources, energy, and hope. Through these collaborations, BVU both contributes to and learns from the wisdom, resilience, and actions of others.
What does Living Justice look like for BVU leaders?
Clare Attwell
Connecting Church and Community
“How do we take the valuable work we are already doing and connect it to what people outside the church are truly hungry for?”
Clare reflects on the challenge and opportunity of connecting the meaningful work already happening within the church to the deeper longings people carry beyond traditional church spaces.
She describes the community art installation as an expression of interconnectedness — a reminder that all lives are connected and interdependent. The project shifts people’s perceptions and challenges assumptions about what churches can be and do.
Many people are surprised to see a church leading something so creative, community-oriented, and justice-focused. Clare emphasizes that people are hungry for communities that are engaged, relational, and grounded in meaningful action.
She also notes that while churches often speak about creation, there is still little lived connection between faith, ecology, and nature. This work helps bring those connections to life.
Creating Spaces of Safety and Belonging
One of the most impactful moments during the visioning process comes when someone shares:
“I love coming to this community. Even though I’m not a Christian, I feel like I can breathe here.”
The absence of judgment and the sense of being welcomed and enriched deeply resonate with Clare. She reflects that creating safe spaces is essential, and hearing others describe that experience so clearly is especially powerful.
Emily McDonald
Building Neighborhood Connections
“The Evolving Church Team’s Spring Tea with seniors at Our Place is deeply meaningful to me. Over time, it becomes less about simply serving people and more about sitting together, listening, and learning from one another’s stories.”
Emily shares how involvement in the North Park neighborhood began with a desire from local residents who wanted the church to become more engaged in community life.
The neighborhood association plays an important role in fostering these connections through local activities and gatherings, beginning with spaghetti dinners and expanding into many forms of community engagement, including:
- Teas for Our Place seniors
- Participation in the North Park Community Festival
- Children’s skating programs
- Support for Moms Stop the Harm
- International Overdose Awareness events
- Non-traditional worship services
Much of this work through the Evolving Church Team is lay-led, reflecting new and creative ways of “doing church differently.”
Barbara Hansen
BVU Justice Fair: Finding Connection and Justice Work from Outside to Inside
“I see the BVU Justice Fair as ‘justice work from outside to inside’ — a space where people can come, share, connect, and participate together. Even someone who has previously left the church can still find the experience empowering, because it gives them a chance to reconnect through shared passions and meaningful action. The Justice Fair helps people rediscover where they might belong within the community again.”
Barbara speaks about Palestine as an ongoing thread within justice work and community awareness. She reflects on becoming more aware of how people are treated globally and shares simple but meaningful acts of solidarity, such as bringing Palestinian olive oil and dates into community spaces.
Having grown up in the United Church and having served as a retired minister in the United Church of Canada, Barbara connects this work to a longstanding belief in grassroots engagement, networking, and building relationships both within and beyond the church community.
Stephen Tyler
Collective Action and Relationship
“Change happens through connecting with others more than through brilliant ideas.”
Stephen speaks about the work of GVAT (Greater Victoria Acting Together), which brings together many faith communities and organizations to pursue social change through collective action and advocacy.
He reflects that the congregation helps him understand the value of relationship and conversation over analysis alone.
For Stephen, this becomes an important way of living out Christian values within the wider community — through collaboration, listening, and shared action.
Learn More About GVAT
- Greater Victoria Acting Together
Get Involved
- Justice Fair (On the 2nd Sunday of each month)
- Quilts for Survivors
- Palestinian Solidarity ("PalSol")
- Trans Family Dinner
- Evolving Church Team
- Caring for Creation ("Small Group")
Our partners
