Social Justice at First Unitarian Hamilton

Social Justice at The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton – 7 years later

Seven years ago, this congregation spent a year of reflection to determine how to live the second and third parts of mission statement: Serve the Community and Inspire Action that Heals the World.

After much discussion and thought, we chose three areas of focus:

• Eva Rothwell Centre – hands on work with a local agency (CLICK HERE)
• Affordable Housing – Learning about and advocating for affordable housing (CLICK HERE)
• Sexual and Gender Justice – exploring current issues of sexual and gender justice and renewing our status as a Welcoming Congregation. (CLICK HERE)

For that process of reflection and the subsequent work in the three areas, our congregation was honoured with the first Canadian Unitarian Council Shining Lights Award in May 2018 for outstanding work within the church and in the community.

In all three areas, we work with community organizations and with people who have lived experience with poverty, unaffordable housing and discrimination.

It was made clear, in that year of reflection, that social justice work is spiritual work, intended not just to make change in the wider community but to transform ourselves, as individuals and as a congregation. Like the three projects, that work continues. We are learning to face our biases, our pre-conceived ideas about people and their circumstances, and how our church needs to change to be more open and welcoming.

• For more information contact Kelly Wolf at socialjustice@uuhamilton.ca
• For Facebook updates CLICK HERE
• To see a sample Social Justice Friday post CLICK HERE