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Blogs, News
March 26, 2026

“A world of fortresses will be poorer, more fragile and less sustainable.”

It was acclaimed as the most important foreign policy speech in years. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney chose to speak with unusual candour in his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos this year.

“We knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false” he said, “that the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient.”

He called out what the global south has always known – that the fairness of that order was a collective illusion, and that it has always been weaponised against the powerless. We now live in a world where superpowers exert military might and economic coercion with flagrant indifference. Whatever illusion we shared, it is now shattered. Carney called on ‘middle power’ nations to build something better, an order grounded in human rights, solidarity, and the dignity of every nation. I look forward to how Australia might step up to this invitation.

But as Christ-followers we do not put our faith in empires. Even well-meaning ones. The value of each human life, the duty of the strong to care for the weak, to love without condition – these are Jesus’ teachings. Are we ready to hold to them, even when the world seems to be forgetting?

Whenever I meet with our church partners and supporters, I find my answer. Whether among old friends or new partners, in the wealthiest cities here at home or the poorest communities of India, Timor-Leste or the Pacific, sitting on mats under trees, or in cafes, the word that rings true is family. Even when I visit for the first time, it always feels like coming home. The spirit of God is always there, always weaving us together, gently urging our hearts to act with love and justice.

We don’t build fortresses, we build tables to gather around. Not an alliance for power, but a living community of people, across cultures, languages and oceans. People who choose each other, who keep showing up, who believe, as Jesus told us, that how we treat the most vulnerable among us is the truest measure of who we are in Christ.

You and I are part of this family, a taste of the kin-dom that Jesus proclaimed was at hand. So the question we face is this: can we hold onto hope and each other, and keep loving with courage and generosity?

Thanks for being with us.

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Campaigns, News
March 26, 2026

 

Thank you to the churches across Australia that hosted an Everything in Common stall this year! Inspired by the radical generosity of the early Church described in Acts (2:44-45), you helped us raise more than $300,000 to support the vital work of our partners fighting poverty and building hope.

Lachlan (pictured above) grew up surrounded by people who care about the world around them. In a family that was deeply engaged at Brisbane West Uniting Church, Lachlan remembers there always being a call to help people who didn’t have many of the things he took for granted.

“My family was always fundraising for different missions of the church,” he says. “And I found it inspiring to see people in the community always travelling across Australia or oversees to love and serve anyone who needs help.”

It was an image that stuck with him. In school geography class he learned about water scarcity, so in 2019 he organised his church to fundraise for water wells through UnitingWorld.

“The more I learned about the world around me, the more I realised how much there was to do to help.”

When the devastating 2019 droughts and bushfires hit, followed by COVID-19, Lachlan and his church stepped up.

“During crises like that, the solutions become so clear,” he says. “During the pandemic, our church set up a food bank to help people who lost their jobs, and we fundraised to support struggling farmers in Roma and Mitchell.”

His passion led him to discover our Everything in Common Gift Catalogue, and he now champions his church gift stall each Christmas. “I love being able to support really tangible things like clean water, food gardens and school books,” he says.

Now studying at university, Lachlan hasn’t lost his heart to help others, pursuing an International Studies degree and volunteering as often as he can.

“I think people like me should use their abilities, skills and privilege to make a difference, to help people wherever there’s a need.”

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News
March 23, 2026

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters and determination of our partners, UnitingWorld’s projects reached 117,745 people, across 29 projects with 22 partners in 15 countries in Financial Year 2025 (1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025).

Our Annual Report tells stories of the impacts of our work with partners, from Africa, Asia and the Pacific – lives transformed through improved food security and water supply, livelihood opportunities, inclusion of people with disability, gender justice, disaster preparedness and emergency response, and climate resilience. You can download a copy here.

Thank you for being part of the work we do.

 

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News
March 11, 2026

In the face of humanitarian crises, cuts to foreign aid, and a changing climate, our church partners across Asia, Africa and the Pacific are responding with courage, compassion, and hope.

When Cyclone Senyar tore through Sumatra, Indonesia in November, killing more than 1,200 people and washing away entire villages. Survivors were left desperately short of food, water and shelter, but our church partners in neighbouring areas collected goods and donations and sent them to the affected provinces. Churches opened their doors, shared what they had, and stayed long after the cameras left.

In Bali, our church partners are responding to climate migrants from the nearby island of Sumba with care rather than fear, offering connection, practical support and dignity to families seeking stability. They are even expanding their poverty alleviation project into Sumba in partnership with the local church to help people before they’re forced to migrate! They have also opened a sustainable café as part of their work to curb Indonesia’s crippling pollution problem, serving their community and teaching sustainability at the same time!

In West Timor, hope looks like seedlings in the ground. More than 6,000 trees and mangroves have been planted to restore fragile landscapes. At the same time, our church partners are addressing chronic malnutrition among children and mothers through community health initiatives and kitchen gardens. The program is now expanding into new villages in Alor and Rote so more families can grow diverse, nutritious food close to home.

In Maluku, our church partners hosted multi-faith prayers for the victims of the Bondi massacre at the request of Muslim leaders in Ambon. Strong relationships between faiths are reflected in the long-running UnitingWorld-supported peacebuilding project to rebuild trust after years of sectarian conflict. The project has since transitioned to address chronic food insecurity and childhood stunting and is expanding to new villages this year.

In Timor-Leste, longer dry seasons and heavier rains are destroying food gardens. Our partners are helping farmers diversify crops, improve water systems and restore degraded land.

In India’s Punjab region, the worst flooding in four decades inundated 1,400 villages and vast stretches of farmland. Our church partners used boats to deliver vital supplies to stranded families. And despite increasing restrictions to Christian outreach under the Modi Government, our partners continue to stand with Dalit and marginalised communities facing discrimination, strengthening livelihoods and restoring dignity.

In India’s Durgapur region, study centres in ten rural communities, previously supported by UnitingWorld, are now entirely self-sufficient, owned and funded by their communities.

In Vanuatu, hope is preparing before disaster strikes. On the island of Tanna, our partner, the Presbyterian Church in Vanuatu, has launched an Anticipatory Action Project that equips local leaders and families to be disaster ready.

More than 1,300 people have attended awareness sessions, learning practical skills, identifying how to protect their most vulnerable neighbours, and building a local coordination network.

In the Philippines, twin typhoons killed more than 300 people and displaced half a million. Our partner, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, led both disaster response and peaceful ecumenical advocacy, speaking out against government corruption that has weakened disaster preparedness and left communities exposed. Love and justice, side by side.

In Sri Lanka, when Cyclone Ditwah killed 600 people and caused US$4 billion in damage, the Methodist Church stretched already-thin resources to reach those most in need. As families continue to navigate economic crisis and recovery, churches are supporting livelihoods and food security so hardship does not become despair.

Across our region, this is what hope looks like. Boats carrying supplies. Churches opening their doors. Mangroves restored. Children nourished. Corruption challenged. Forests defended. Homes strengthened before the storm.

Thank you for standing with UnitingWorld and our partners. Your prayers and generosity turn hope into action.

Originally published in UnitingWorld Update Issue 1 2026

In addition to news from across the lives of our partners, there’s a summary of our Annual Report (July 2024–June 2025) showing the impact of your gifts to communities in the Pacific, Asia and Africa. This Lent, we’re inviting Australians to stand with families on the frontline of climate change through Lent Event and 40 for the Future. National Director Dr Sureka Goringe also reflects on the global retreat from foreign aid and why Australia holding the line matters now more than ever.

Download a copy here.

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News, Social Empowerment for Excluded Castes (India)
March 4, 2026

This International Women’s Day, the global theme is ‘Balance the Scales.’ It is a call to address the structural barriers that continue to deny women and girls equal access to justice, opportunity and political power. For UnitingWorld and our partners, it is a theme we see reflected every day in the communities we work alongside.

Anya grew up in the Mirabai settlement, a low-income community in Durgapur, in northern India. Her father works as a driver and her mother as a housekeeper, together earning around AUD$100 a month to cover all household costs for a family of five. From an early age the odds were stacked against her. The life script for girls like Anya is a familiar one: leave school early, contribute to the household, and marry young. Her parents were hoping she would marry quickly, as often happens very young in their community. Poverty and social pressure made that script feel inevitable.

But it was not.

Since 2011, UnitingWorld has supported the Church of North India – Diocese of Durgapur to run an Education and Social Empowerment project in Anya’s community. Through study centres, life skills workshops, career counselling and vocational training, the project has transformed lives for many community members, giving young people the tools to write a different story for themselves.

For Anya, that meant access to a study centre and a teacher, Sophia Lakra, who invested in her potential. With that support, Anya completed primary school, went on to further study, joined computer classes and pursued her passion for basketball. She is now enrolled in a college degree and the National Cadet Corps, and is preparing for competitive exams she hopes will lead to stable employment.

Today, she also volunteers at the same study centre where her own journey began, helping to teach the next generation. “I would have drowned in darkness,” she reflects, “if the project and Ms Lakra had not guided me to the light of education.”

Anya’s story illustrates what balancing the scales can look like in practice: not sweeping policy change alone, but consistent, community-level investment in young women’s education, confidence and agency.

There are many more children in her settlement still without access to quality education. The work continues.

If you can support UnitingWorld’s partners as they expand this work, we would love to have you alongside us!

 

This project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). Thanks to ANCP, we’re making a huge difference together; lifting families out of poverty and helping people improve their lives.

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Blogs, Campaigns
February 18, 2026

Outdated and irrelevant tradition, or the perfect season for our modern age? 

Every year, sometime between when hot cross buns unscrupulously appear in supermarkets and the eating of a chocolate egg, many of us catch a vague mention of “Lent”. 

To many the word will sound ancient, dusty. Locked in books and church halls from another time.  

For those of us who attend a mainline church, it will involve literal dust. Ashes marked on foreheads to remind us of our finite lives followed by a 40-day season of prayer, fasting (usually from chocolate) and giving to others. 

But to put it down to just a list of duties to perform would be to undercut one of the most powerful and contemporary aspects of the season: intentional time to clarify and refocus our lives on what really matters. 

And rarely has that felt more necessary. 

We live in an age of relentless fragmentation. Our attention is no longer simply divided; it is actively hunted. Algorithms are engineered to keep us anxious, scrolling, comparing. Every app, advertisement and news cycle competes for a piece of us. We are invited to perform our identities, signal our values and consume our way to meaning all at once, all the time. 

Nowhere is this divided loyalty more visible than in our relationship with material wealth. We accumulate position and possession, often not out of greed, but out of anxiety. Out of the quiet fear that we are not enough, that we do not have enough, that we must hold on to everything we can. Life becomes cluttered. Generosity becomes difficult. God recedes to the back of the queue. 

The disciplines of prayer, fasting and generosity are a direct challenge to that condition. They loosen the grip of status anxiety. They relocate our identity not in what we own or achieve, but in our relationship with God and with the people around us. They give us back what the algorithms are stealing from us: attention and focus. 

This is why Lent is not a relic. It is a rescue. 

Lent is the 40-day period leading up to Easter, a season the Church has observed for nearly two thousand years. Forty days echoes the time Jesus spent in the wilderness before his public ministry began. Hungry, tested and stripped of comfort, prayer and fasting didn’t diminish him. They clarified him. He knew who he was and what he was for. 

So we follow in those footsteps. 

The season of Lent has always been marked by three practices: fasting, prayer and almsgiving. Three disciplines that together orient the Christian life not just inward, but outward. 

The logic is simple, but radical. When you fast, you create space, in your body, in your budget, in your attention. The tradition has always said: don’t leave that space empty. Fill it with something that matters. Feed someone. Clothe someone. Build something that lasts. 

Right now, that call has a particular urgency. 

Climate change is not an abstract future problem; it is an unfolding catastrophe for the world’s most vulnerable people. Harvests are failing. Coastlines are disappearing. Families across the Pacific, Asia and Africa are being forced from their homes and their livelihoods, not because of choices they made, but because of choices the wealthiest nations made for them. 

The injustice is stark: those who contributed least to this crisis are suffering the most. And they have the fewest resources to adapt. 

This is precisely the kind of moment that calls us back to the traditions of Lent: not to retreat into private spiritual exercise, but to look outward, let our hearts be moved, and ask: what am I willing to give? 

Lent Event

Since 2004, UnitingWorld has been inviting Australian Christians to make Lent a season of outward action through Lent Event and, for 2026, the call is as urgent as it’s ever been. 

Lent Event is built around a simple, powerful idea: that the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and generosity can be channeled toward the lives of our global neighbours. 

This year, the heart of Lent Event is 40 for the Future: a climate challenge for individuals, families, and whole congregations to live more simply during Lent and raise funds for UnitingWorld’s life-changing projects.  

From helping families in Timor-Leste to grow their own food gardens, to planting trees in Indonesia to stabilise landslide-prone hillsides, to stocking evacuation centres in disaster-prone parts of the Pacific, every dollar raised goes to community-led climate action in places that need it most (see the impact your fundraising can have!). 

And it’s not just about the money. Lent Event is a way for your church community to walk through the season together, with shared stories, prayers, and reflective resources each week that connect the ancient rhythms of Lent to the urgent realities of our world right now. 

This year, consider what it might look like to let Lent be bigger. To let the ashes on your forehead be a reminder not just of your own mortality, but of the millions of people whose lives are being shaped by forces beyond their control, and of the power that ordinary people of faith have to change that. 

Don’t just give up chocolate. Give your prayers, fasting and generosity to shape a fairer world for all. 

Join us for Lent Event 2026 and sign up for 40 For the Future!

Lent Event 2026 runs 18 February – 2 April. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top photo: A woman in Timor-Leste waters her raised food garden made possible thanks to UnitingWorld supporters.

 

UnitingWorld’s work in Timor-Leste is partly funded by the Australian Government as part of the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).

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News
January 23, 2026

Are you:

  • Motivated to use your administrative and donor care skills to support meaningful work worldwide?
  • Interested in joining a purpose-driven team dedicated to justice, partnership and positive global impact?
  • Looking for a flexible part-time role – 19 hrs per week, with potential to go full-time?

We have a part-time position based in Sydney (SYD).

As a Donor Care Officer, you’ll be the first point of contact for our supporters, providing warm, professional donor care while ensuring donations are processed accurately and efficiently. From managing regular giving and maintaining donor records to supporting fundraising campaigns, your attention to detail and care for people will make a real impact every day.
This role is central to building strong supporter relationships and ensuring smooth operational processes that underpin our fundraising success. You will combine precision in financial administration with a genuine commitment to exceptional service, helping us deliver programs that tackle poverty and injustice worldwide.

Full Job Advertisement

Position Description

About UnitingWorld

 

Please submit your resume and cover letter to careers@nswact.uca.org.au.

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Campaigns, Community Health & Infant Nutrition (Timor Leste), Community Health Clinics
January 10, 2026

Our world needs a movement of committed, courageous discipleship.

Across the Pacific, Asia and Africa, communities who have contributed least to climate change are living with its harshest impacts. Crops are failing, water is harder to find, and extreme weather is pushing families deeper into poverty. For many, the chance to recover after climate disasters feels increasingly fragile.

This Lent, you’re invited to stand alongside our neighbours and share in what God is already doing through communities responding with resilience, courage and hope.

40 days of faithful action for God’s creation.

Lent is a season shaped by prayer, generosity and everyday choices that reflect our call to love our neighbours and care for the earth.

Together with congregations across Australia, we walk in solidarity with international church partners who are supporting communities to grow food, protect water sources and build resilience in the face of a changing climate.

This is not charity from a distance. It is shared discipleship, grounded in relationship, faith and hope for the future.

Stories of hope from Timor-Leste

In Timor-Leste, Australia’s nearest neighbour and the poorest country in our region, climate change is being felt deeply. Unseasonal drought and catastrophic flooding are destroying crops that families rely on for food and income. One in four people is hungry, and half of all children are stunted due to failed harvests and lack of clean water.

Yet there is hope to share.

Through UnitingWorld’s partner FUSONA, families are restoring livelihoods, improving food security and strengthening their communities. Meet people like Martha and hear how her family’s life has been transformed through this work.

These are stories of dignity, local leadership and faith in action.

How you can take part:

  • Sign up now! Join a movement of people putting their faith in action to fight poverty and protect creation.
  • Give generously
    Your gift will support community-led responses to climate change, helping families grow food, access clean water and prepare for future shocks.
  • Share the stories
    Use the Lent Event videos, reflections and prayer resources in worship, small groups or personal devotion. They are designed to deepen connection and inspire faithful action throughout the season.
  • Take on 40 for the Future
    40 for the Future is a simple fundraising challenge you can take on as an individual or a team. Choose one change for 40 days, like the way you eat, travel, consume or use energy, and invite others to donate in solidarity with communities living with less as the climate changes.

Lent Event 2026 is designed to fit alongside whatever your church or community already has planned for Lent.

Find resources, videos, stories and ways to get involved at
www.lentevent.com.au

Together, over 40 days, we can grow hope, stand with our neighbours and live out our calling to care for God’s creation.

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News
December 5, 2025

The 2025 Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders’ Summit (PAELS) brought together young leaders from across the Pacific, Australia and First Nations communities for a week of formation, relationship-building and high-level advocacy. 

Now in it’s fourth year, PAELS is a joint initiative of Micah* and and the Pacific Conference of Churches.  

The 2025 summit included delegates from our partner churches across the Pacific, ten delegates from the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) and three UCA elders there to support in pastoral roles.  

Delegates spent the first days deep in worship, cultural exchange and advocacy training, before a day spent lobbying Australia’s federal leaders on the urgent issues that matter to them and their communities.

For many, the most significant moments happened well before meeting with the Members of Parliament. Delegates spent their early days in worship, story-sharing and cultural practice, creating a space that felt honest, vulnerable and deeply relational. 

Uniting Church PAELS delegates Raul Sugunananthan and Michael Ramaidama

Returning delegate Raul Sugunananthan (pictured left) said he continues to be shaped by PAELS. 

“The fourth annual Pacific Emerging Leaders’ Summit was yet again a profoundly transformative experience bringing together a unique combination of faith, culture and action for social justice,” he said. 

“While the day in parliament meeting federal politicians was a powerful opportunity for the prophetic voice of the Church to speak, it’s the days leading up that left a lasting impact.” 

“Those days of worship, training and talanoa are what stay with me.” 

First-time delegate and UnitingWorld Project Manager Shivani Patel described PAELS as “an incredible experience that created genuine space for connection and sharing.”  

“The delegates, alumni, and elders spanned from across the Pacific, First Nations, Pacific diaspora, and an extended Australian family, all of whom are doing meaningful, impactful work in their communities.”

She said the environment was marked by warmth, empathy and openness. 

“People listened deeply. Delegates, alumni and elders created a space where everyone could be honest and vulnerable. It felt like a community that extends far beyond the week in Canberra.” 

Uniting Church delegates and elders at the Government House reception.

Her reflections echoed the strength of the growing Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders’ Network (PAELN), which stays connected outside in-person events like PAELS.

Throughout the summit week, delegates prepared together for meetings with politicians, drawing on The Pacific We See framework, a set of priorities shaped over four years of dialogue across the region. 

The advocacy day inside Parliament House saw delegates take part in 45 meetings with MPs, senators and ministers. They shared personal stories, realities from their communities and calls to action grounded in their own experience. 

“Meeting politicians was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Shivani.  

“PAELS delegates shared their stories and daily realities during meetings, creating a bridge between Pacific and First Nations communities and Australian leaders. The politicians my group spoke to were open and respectful, and were interested in understanding how they could work with us.” 

Two major events complemented the advocacy: a reception hosted by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and an evening at Government House with the Governor-General, Ms Sam Mostyn AC, alongside senior government and opposition figures.  

UnitingWorld Program Manager Shivani Patel with Governor General, Ms Sam Mostyn AC

Delegates shared culture, conversation and song in Indigenous and local languages, moments that affirmed the significance of the network and the maturity it has developed in just four years. 

Beyond the formal program, delegates connected over shared meals, kava evenings and a vibrant cultural night, where dances and traditions from across the Pacific were performed with pride. 

Shivani left feeling energised for the work ahead. 

“PAELS left me feeling inspired and motivated in my own work,” she said.

“It reaffirmed the power of locally led action. Local communities have generations of experience and a deep understanding of their challenges. Our role is to listen first. This week offered a rare chance to learn from one another in a deep and meaningful way.” 

 

Foreign Minister Penny Wong hosted PAELS delegates at Parliament House.

PAELS 2025 highlighted again the leadership, wisdom and courage rising across the Pacific and First Nations communities, as well as the growing recognition from Australian leaders of the essential role churches and faith-based organisations play across the region. 

*Micah is supported by a coalition of Australia’s leading Christian international development agencies, including UnitingWorld. Find out more.

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News
October 16, 2025

Our new Everything in Common Gift Catalogue has arrived for Christmas and it’s full of gifts that fight poverty and build hope through the power of shared generosity.

Every card represents a real, practical way to help families overcome poverty and create a more secure future. Goats that grow into herds, seeds that become food gardens, small business support, clean water and more.

When you choose a gift for a loved one, you’re not just giving a card, you’re sharing love in action and helping our global neighbours build livelihoods, access clean water, and adapt to the changing climate.

Browse the full range and order physical cards, e-cards or print-at-home options today.

And if you’re part of a Uniting Church, you can take generosity even further by hosting an Everything in Common gift stall this Christmas. We’ll send you everything you need to make it simple and inspiring. Register to host a gift stall today!

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