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Author: UnitingWorld

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Blogs
March 11, 2025

More than two thirds of Australians in a recent survey conducted by The Conversation admitted they avoid news at least some of the time, with news about climate change ranking third highest on the topics we scroll past.

Why? Does it feel too big to fight? Too overwhelming and negative?

Probably.

But for men, women and children who are already in the fight of their lives, small things can make a big difference. And you can help make those small things happen.

What can a seed provide?

Imagine you’re a family in Timor-Leste, living in an area prone to land slides and soil erosion, making it hard to grow food and leaving you constantly anxious about your house and family being swallowed by mud during the next storm – which are coming more and more often.

UnitingWorld partners are helping people plant out these areas to stabilise the land, absorb carbon, re-vitalise the soil for crop growth and provide protection from disaster.

Just $25 can provide seeds for the project.

 

 

Do kitchen gardens make a difference?

Imagine you’re a mum in Maluku. You worry constantly about the high price of food right across your region, forcing you to choose imported, low nutrition food. Food supply is difficult because of conflict over land and water and less predictable patterns of rainfall. Your youngest child is showing worrying signs of malnutrition.

UnitingWorld partners are helping people start their own productive kitchen garden to grow their own healthy, nutritious food – they’re supported with drought resistant seeds, irrigation techniques and training to improve the soil.

$90 from a donor in Australia this Lent can provide a place for you in the program.

 

Could a school be part of the solution?

Imagine you’re a child in rural Zimbabwe, watching the anxiety grow in your parents as your family crops fail once again. The rains won’t fall, or they fall too fast. Your parents give up their own meals to make sure you don’t go to bed hungry.

UnitingWorld partners are using schools as a hub where kids have reliable access to clean water, disaster risk reduction training and gardens to grow their own food – building the whole family’s resilience to climate shocks.

$250 can help support the program in a school – reaching hundreds of kids and families. 

 

If you think climate change is too big to fight, ask the families, mums and children of the world’s hardest hit regions. They’ll tell you the smallest things can have a big impact. And they’ll tell you your contribution matters.

In 2025, UnitingWorld’s Lent Event is focusing on 40 days of action for God’s creation.

Why? 

1. Our partners tell us climate change is the most critical issue facing their communities. Worldwide, changing climate and more disasters mean the poorest in our midst are going backwards in the challenge to grow food, find clean water, make a living and prevent death from disease.

2. We know that what we do together *actually* *genuinely* works. We meet people and hear stories of the way that our partners are saving lives and bringing hope person by person, in some of the world’s most vulnerable places.

Please GIVE today

 

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by
News
February 18, 2025

“You are here because you care about your community … you care about your country … you care about your culture and you want to play your part in making your community stronger.”
– Senator Penny Wong

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong addressed the Pacific-Australian Emerging Leaders Summit (PAELS) hosted by Micah Australia and the Pacific Conference of Churches in November.

Now in its third year, PAELS gathered a diverse delegation that included 34 young leaders from 16 Pacific Island nations, nine First Nations leaders and 23 leaders from the wider Australian family. UnitingWorld helped bring 11 delegates from our Pacific partner churches and 17 young leaders from Uniting Churches across NSW, VIC, QLD and WA to PAELS 2024.

It was great to see so many young people forging deep and valuable connections with other young leaders and change makers from our partner churches across our region.

Victoria Su’a Falo, a first-time delegate from St Johns Uniting Church in Essendon (VIC), said it was a powerful time spent shaping her values as a Pacific emerging leader. She said:

“I felt a strong sense of unity and empowerment being amongst Pacific indigenous, First Nations communities, Pacific diaspora and extended Australians.”

Following advocacy training in groups, PAELS delegates spent a full day of meetings with Members of Parliament to share their vision of a safer, more just and sustainable future.

Special thank you to the Synod of the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania and Uniting Mission and Education (UME) in NSW for sponsoring Uniting Church delegates to attend from interstate.

 

First published in UnitingWorld Update 2025-01 – download the full magazine PDF here.

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Campaigns, Village and Economic Development (West Timor, Indonesia)
February 17, 2025
A huge thank you to everyone who gave any of the life-changing gifts from our Everything in Common gift catalogue during Christmas, and to everyone who made a donation. At time of writing, you’ve helped raise more than $350,000 through the catalogue, supporting our partners to impact their communities in so many different ways. Thank you!

New for Everything in Common 2024 was our Healthy Kids and Mothers card, helping provide care and nutrition to expectant mothers, newborns and families in the Alor and Rote Islands in Nusa Tenggara Timur (West Timor Province), Indonesia.

These islands are home to some of the poorest communities in Indonesia, where many people still live off the land in traditional subsistence lifestyles. With the rise of imported foods and uncertain growing seasons, families struggle to get the food and nutrition they need. Mothers and babies are the hardest hit, with malnutrition leading to high-risk pregnancies and stunting of children.

Our local partner, the Christian Evangelical Church in Timor, and their development agency TLM are determined to make change, both now and into the future.

Working in eight villages, our partners are:

  • providing health checks and education for pregnant women, new mums and their children
  • distributing locally-grown fresh vegetables and resources for families to grow their own food
  • installing clean water sources in villages that need it.

Looking beyond, our partners are using the villages as models to inspire others, working with local governments and church communities to tackle the heath crisis for good. We’ll keep you updated about progress with stories like Irma’s (shared below).

First published in UnitingWorld Update 2025-01 – download the full magazine PDF here.

“She is so healthy…”

Our church partner in Nusa Tenggara Timur (West Timor Province), Indonesia, distributes vegetable seeds for expectant mothers to provide for healthy nutrition during pregnancy, and for the family in the future.

Irma (pictured) said “growing vegetables is good for pregnant mothers, health workers … told me that. [When] I gave birth to my third child, she is 3.8 kg. She is so healthy, maybe because I consumed a lot of vegetables.”

This project was supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). 

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Campaigns
February 14, 2025

As the saying goes, “Big change comes from small actions, repeated”.

Monthly giving as a UnitingWorld Global Neighbour is a way for you to ‘put on repeat’ your commitment to building a more just and equitable global neighbourhood.

Poverty and injustice have complex causes, and there are no quick fixes. Regular giving provides our partners with a reliable income stream to deliver powerful and effective programs, day in and day out, until the work is done.

Why give monthly?

Express your faith and values

Live out your values of justice and compassion as part of a community of givers, celebrating stories of progress and equipped to pray for our partners.

Have a greater impact

Monthly giving is one of the most powerful ways to support people fighting poverty. It creates a secure funding base for our partners, faster response in disaster, lower fundraising costs and more lives changed.

Accountability
As a monthly giver, we’ll tell you where your donations are used and how we’re resourcing our partners to continually assess, monitor and improve the projects you support.

Join our network of faithful monthly givers, working together to build a more just and equitable global neighbourhood. 

Become a UnitingWorld Global Neighbour today! Find out more or sign up at www.unitingworld.org.au/globalneighbour.

 

First published in UnitingWorld Update 2025-01 – download the full magazine PDF here.

by
Blogs, Campaigns
February 14, 2025

In a fast-paced world dominated by 24-hour news cycles, consumer culture and the dizzying expansion of technology, the season of Lent can feel like a relic of the past. One more tradition squeezed out by our busyness and distractions. As Ecclesiastes 7:12 reminds us,

“God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.”

But perhaps now, more than ever, Lent is a rare invitation to pause. To follow Jesus into the stillness of creation. It’s a time to give our full attention to God, to live more simply and to act generously out of love for our neighbours and this beautiful, fragile world.

Climate change is undoing decades of progress, driving poverty, food insecurity and forced migration across our world. There’s profound injustice at its heart: those who’ve contributed the least to this crisis are suffering the most, while those who’ve burned the most fossil fuels have largely insulated themselves from its effects.

What can we do? We can follow Jesus.

Our world urgently needs a movement of attentive and generous discipleship.

Lent can be that annual ‘spark’ that reminds us of who we are in Christ, and all the love and hope we have to offer a hurting world.

We’ve heard our church partners’ call for solidarity and support to help vulnerable communities build resilience to climate impacts. We invite you to join us in answering their call:

“We hope and pray the world will join us.”

Below, members of our partner churches from across the Pacific share about their experiences of climate change and environmental degradation.

“In Kiribati, we are experiencing coastal erosion, and we believe that increasing sea level rise contributes to the losing of some of our lands.”
Teraoi, Kiribati Uniting Church
“Climate change is severely impacting our land [West Papua]. In the highlands it is becoming harder to grow potatoes and catch animals. Without our staple foods it affects our health and nutrition.”
Ekyen, Evangelical Christian Church in Tanah Papua
“Here in Tuvalu, young people have anxiety about sea-level rise, droughts and migration. I fear for the loss of our culture and traditions, but I tell myself: “God has given us this land, and we must hold onto it for future generations to enjoy.”
Tetavaa, Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu
“Across our communities in Kiribati, climate change is causing reduced rainfall, droughts and lack of accessible clean water.”
Bubutei, Kiribati Uniting Church
“The dry season [in Solomon Islands] feels hotter and longer. Mass logging has removed so many trees, king tides wash the fertile soil away and it doesn’t come back. I’ve seen small islands that now look like deserts.”
Caleb, United Church in the Solomon Islands
“In Fiji, we feel the rising sea levels. There are burial sites that are now underwater and villages that are being forced to relocate. We all think it is a serious issue that needs to be tackled, and we pray the world will join us.”
Rev. Asinate, Methodist Church in Fiji

 

Lent Event offers a way to step into action, faithfully and meaningfully.

Commit to 40 days of faithful action for God’s creation. Fundraise or donate for communities on the frontlines of climate change. Speak out for justice.

Throughout Lent, we’ll share stories from our partner, the Free Wesleyan Church in Tonga, showing how your actions will help transform lives across the Pacific, Asia and Africa.

Will you join us? By acting together, we can challenge the status quo of a distracted and disconnected world, make a real difference in the lives of our neighbours, and inspire vital hope and courage for the future.

Sign up, get ideas for action and connect with a community of like-minded people at www.lentevent.com.au.

 

First published in UnitingWorld Update 2025-01 – download the full magazine PDF here.

by
Blogs
February 13, 2025

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
– Margaret Mead

We’re a small team here at UnitingWorld, but it never feels small. Every day, I am reminded of the extraordinary network of people and communities across our world who make change possible. You, our faithful supporters here in Australia, working together with our church partners overseas, turn love and generosity into precious resources, opportunities and improved quality of life for people who need it.

It’s God’s love in action.

Thank you for making 2024 another year of remarkable impact. Together we helped transform lives and communities in the face of a changing and uncertain world. I hope you take the time to read our Annual Report for FY2024 (see it here) and feel the full scope of all you are a part of.

As we begin another year, we must acknowledge the huge challenges before us.

Global inflation, stalling progress on poverty and extreme weather are making life harder and leaving millions behind. At the same time, authoritarianism and unjust wars are adding fuel to the fire when what we really need is all hands on deck to end poverty and address the climate crisis.

We can’t solve it all, not by a long shot. But what we must do is play our part, faithfully and ambitiously, as part of a global network empowered by God to make a big difference.

In that light, the UnitingWorld team and our partners are looking to the future with hope and possibility. We have a ten-year plan to do all we can to help vulnerable people and communities in the Pacific, Asia and Africa overcome poverty, adapt to climate change and tackle injustice together.

We need your help to do it. If you share our vision and want to be part of making it a reality, your support will enable our partners to scale up life-changing projects providing reliable food and water supplies, income and education opportunities, and life-saving projects to mitigate the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation.

It can’t be overstated how much our world needs thoughtful and committed people working together to bring hope, justice and lasting change for people in poverty.

Sureka

Dr Sureka Goringe
National Director, UnitingWorld

P.S. I hope you’ll join us. Donate now  or  become a monthly giver.

First published in UnitingWorld Update 2025-01 – download the full magazine PDF here.

 

by
Campaigns
February 13, 2025

In January 2022, the Pacific Island nation of Tonga faced one of its most devastating natural disasters—the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano. The eruption unleashed massive tsunamis and volcanic ash, destroying homes, crops and livelihoods across the country.

Entire communities were left reeling from the destruction, but for many women and girls, the disaster was particularly challenging as they shouldered the responsibility of caring for their families amidst the chaos.

Taisia Heiumuli, a senior pastor with the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga (FWCT), played a key role in the recovery efforts that followed. “Women and girls were deeply affected,” Taisia explains. “Many of them were responsible for finding safe places for their children while their husbands were away, leaving them to bear the emotional and physical toll.”

When Taisia led a project in partnership with UnitingWorld and the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP), aimed at addressing both the psychological trauma and providing practical tools for recovery, she made sure that the specific needs of women were given equal priority.

The project had two main components. The first was psychological support, aimed at helping people traumatised by the disaster. “The wounds were deep, especially for women and children,” says Taisia. “Through counselling and support, we aimed to heal those wounds and create a space where people could share their struggles and rebuild together.”

“We didn’t want to just give people fish; we wanted to give them tools to go get their own!”

The second component focused on rebuilding the livelihoods of families. People were provided with tools like sewing machines, cooking stoves, gardening equipment and fishing gear—resources that allowed people to regain a sense of autonomy and contribute economically to their families. “We didn’t want to just give people fish; we wanted to give them tools to go get their own!” Taisia says, emphasising the long-term empowerment the project aimed to foster.

This community-wide effort ensured that everyone was able to rebuild. Women learned new skills and shared them within the community, creating a powerful network of support. “One woman was able to sew children’s clothes for a ‘White Sunday’ celebration, earning $800 from her work,” Taisia proudly shares.

Another inspiring story to come from the project was that of Michelle, a young woman from another denomination whose business was destroyed by the waves. With the help of the project, she received new equipment and was able to rebuild her business. “She cried when she shared how blessed she felt,” Taisia recalls. “This project wasn’t for members of the Free Wesleyan Church—it was for the entire community, and we’ve been blessed to be able to support so many people.”

As the season of Lent approaches, we invite you to reflect on the power of faith, community and collective action through Lent Event! More of Taisia’s story will be featured in an upcoming six-part video series for Lent, highlighting inspiring stories from our partners in Tonga. Find out more on the Lent Event website.

Story from UnitingWorld Update 2025-01 – download the full magazine PDF here.

 

Part of this program includes working ecumenically through the Church Agencies Network-Disaster Operations consortium (CAN-DO) funded by the Australian Government as part of the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP).

 

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by
News
February 5, 2025

As the world faces an ever-growing climate crisis, our neighbours in the Pacific, Asia and Africa are living with its devastating impacts. Families are being displaced by disasters, lands are becoming infertile and clean water is becoming harder to find and store. For those already living in poverty, these challenges are immense, and the chance to rebuild after disasters can feel impossible without help.

That’s where you come in.

Lent Event invites you and your church/community to take 40 days of faith-filled action for God’s creation. It’s an opportunity to stand in solidarity with our international church partners, helping to create real, lasting change in communities at the frontlines of climate change.

Why Lent Event?

Lent Event is a great way to bring meaningful change into your Lenten season, no matter what you already have planned. Through storytelling, prayer, and action, your church can engage with communities like those in Tonga, who are rebuilding their lives after climate disasters.

Folau, a survivor of the 2022 volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga, shares his story of survival and hope. “Even though we faced this hardship, God has given us a new land, new houses. My hope is that as we move here, we become a community that helps each other, loves one another and builds a great future for our children…”

This Lent, you can help make that hope a reality.

How to get involved:

  1. Help us reach our fundraising target
    Your church’s generosity will empower communities like Folau’s to build resilience, improve livelihoods and prepare for future disasters.
  2. Show our video series
    Share stories of resilience and faith with your congregation by screening our Lent Event video series. These videos are perfect for Sunday services, small groups, or Lenten reflections.
  3. Take the ‘40 for the Future’ challenge
    Encourage your congregation to take 40 days of practical action for the planet—small steps like reducing food waste, using sustainable transport, or cutting back on energy use. These actions not only support our global neighbours but also raise vital funds for communities in need.

Ready to get started?

Lent Event 2025 is designed to fit into whatever your church already has planned for Lent, making it easy to get involved. Visit www.lentevent.com.au for resources, videos, and everything you need to make this Lent one of faithful action for God’s creation.

Join us in standing with communities on the frontlines of climate change—together, we can create lasting change.

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by
News
October 15, 2024

Wish your loved ones the hope, peace, joy and love of Christmas.

Sending our Christmas cards to your friends, family and loved ones is a great way to fight poverty, build hope and inspire others about the work of our overseas partners.

$15 for a pack of eight cards, with two of each design, and eight recycled paper envelopes. Each card design reflects a traditional Advent theme.

Order while stocks last!

Click here to order online

or call 1800 998 122 (9am-5pm, Mon-Fri AEST)

✅ Christmas greetings to your loved ones

✅ Send joy to the world

✅ Fight poverty!

Christmas card sales represent a donation to UnitingWorld and are tax deductible in Australia.

New Everything in Common Catalogue 2024

 

Every Christmas, we release a catalogue of gifts that represent many of our projects with overseas partners. It’s called Everything in Common.

In it you can find great poverty-fighting gifts like goats, pigs, clean water, education and livelihood opportunities, as well as gifts that support gender equality and care for creation.

Shop online today!

 

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Campaigns, News
October 15, 2024

Everything in Common is our annual gift catalogue, filled with gifts that fight poverty and build hope. Our new catalogue is out now! 

Each gift card supports one of the life-changing projects of our church partners overseas.

We also have a new set of Christmas cards with traditional advent themes..

Click here to browse the full catalogue and shop online

Want to host a gift stall in your church or community? It’s a great way to make a difference, provide an alternative to Christmas consumerism and start important conversations about global poverty and climate change.

Click here to host a stall

 

UnitingWorld is the international aid and partnerships agency of the Uniting Church in Australia.