Fifteen years ago, Gillian Hunter’s life looked very different. Faced with a number of personal challenges while raising her children, she searched for somewhere to find connection. Little did she know that when she walked through the doors of
Victory Church
she’d be taking a small step that would impact every area of her life.
“I started going to Victory back in 2004. It took me a while to not be shy but once I started doing more groups and started talking to people, actually getting to know them and finding out their stories, I began finding who I was as well,” she shared.
Victory Church, whose humble roots began with three people meeting in a living room, is now the church home in Middlefield, Connecticut for nearly a thousand.
“Relationships are the most important part of what we do,” explained Mel Tavares, Pastoral Assistant at Victory.
Tavares works closely with Charles Mitchell, Director of Outreach Ministries at Victory, to oversee the church’s offering of a broad range of resources and help to anyone who needs it.
“It’s not that they need help, it’s that we all need help,” Tavares explained. “I don’t know that there’s one of us that hasn’t needed something at some point in time. We’ve all had something happen where we’ve needed care or physical resources or something.”
Mitchell added, “Personal relationships are so important. If you don’t have a relationship, most of the time people hold back because of the shame they feel for not having what they need. At Victory, we foster compassion and generosity and kindness. When people sense that, they’re more apt to open up and tell you more of their personal needs. And then, we go and fulfill those needs as best as we can.”
Over the years, Hunter has relied on these very relationships to get her through some of the toughest chapters of her life.
“I’ve been through DivorceCare, because I got divorced a few years ago,” she shared. “It helped me in knowing that I could be by myself and not worry.”
She added, “For a while I was out of work. I live with my mom now and we’re on Section 8. I’ve only recently within the past month gotten a job as a...