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A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar on Friday, March 28th, the strongest the country has ever recorded. Tremors were felt throughout the region, as far away as Thailand and China. 

As of April 1st, the death toll has risen to over 2,000, with thousands more injured and in urgent need of food, shelter, clean water and medical assistance. 

Rev Charissa Suli, President of the Uniting Church in Australia has shared a pastoral statement in response to the devastating earthquake. 

“We join with the global community in mourning. We lament the loss of life and the destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, and churches. We are deeply concerned for those who remain buried beneath collapsed buildings, and we give thanks for the courageous search and rescue workers who are risking everything to find survivors. Their persistence is a beacon of hope.

The devastating effects of this earthquake will be felt deeply by this vulnerable part of the world, which continues to suffer from ongoing civil war and is without the resources to respond effectively to disaster. We are encouraged by the rapid response from the international community. Nations including China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Russia, to name a few have sent aid and resources. These signs of solidarity remind us that love and compassion transcend borders.

In this season of Lent, we remember that God is close to the brokenhearted. May we be vessels of that compassion—through our prayers, our offerings, and our care for our neighbours in Myanmar and Thailand. In this spirit, I encourage all Uniting Church communities to hold the people of Myanmar and Thailand in prayer, and to consider giving generously through trusted relief partners.”

Want to help?

UnitingWorld is working through our membership in the ACT Alliance, a global Christian humanitarian coalition, to resource a coordinated response.

Your donations will provide lifesaving aid to those hit hardest by the earthquake and help distribute urgent necessities such as food, water, shelter and medical aid to the people most impacted. 

Donate now! 

Make an online donation here or call 1800 998 122 (9am – 5pm) 

Pray for Myanmar and Thailand

 “Rev Charissa Suli has shared a prayer for those affected by the earthquake.

Loving and faithful God,
You are our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.
Today we lift before you the people of Myanmar and Thailand,
those who mourn, those still waiting for news,
and those working around the clock to save lives in the midst of devastation.

We grieve the lives lost and the homes destroyed.
We pray for the injured, the displaced, and the traumatised.
Be their shelter in the storm, their light in the darkness, and their peace in the chaos.

We give thanks for the hands and hearts offering help—
for the emergency workers, medical teams, neighbours, and leaders
responding with courage and care.

We are grateful for nations who have extended help and support.
Bless their generosity and multiply the impact of every effort.

God of all peoples,
bind us together across oceans and cultures.
As members of your global Church, may we be a witness to your love in action.
Move our hearts to give, to pray, and to stand alongside our neighbours in need.
We pray all this in the name of Christ,
our hope and our healer.
Amen.

Australia is now spending ten times more on defence than on foreign aid, which is one of the widest gaps in the developed world according to new data modelling from the Australian National University. 

At a press conference in Parliament House this morning as part of the Safer World for All campaign, Uniting Church in Australia President Rev. Charissa Suli joined key voices from politics, security and faith to urge Australia’s leaders to commit to growing aid, before the gap widens further. 

“Australian Aid transforms lives—and I’ve witnessed that first-hand. After the devastating volcano and tsunami in Tonga in 2022, I travelled there and saw the incredible impact of our aid program—vital supplies, shelter, and long-term recovery support,” said Rev. Suli. 

“Tongan communities still tell the story of those first days of fear and uncertainty. Through the ash and silence, the first humanitarian plane they saw carried the image of a kangaroo. It’s a moment they will never forget.” 

“As a person of faith, I believe love must be shown in action—and our aid program is exactly that: a lifeline, an act of justice, and a reflection of our shared humanity”

Rev. Suli publicly released a letter signed by the heads of every major Christian denomination in Australia. 

Australia’s aid program is supported by all of Australia’s mainline churches, and we stand together here today. Our support for Australia’s aid program goes far beyond words, we wholeheartedly co-invest in it as partners,” said Rev Suli.  

“We urge our nation’s leaders to affirm their commitment not just to preserve aid, but to let it grow, forging stronger partnerships and transforming more lives together.” 

Independent MP Zali Steggall also spoke about aid’s role in helping Pacific nations adapt to the climate crisis. 

“Aid that supports climate resilience for our Pacific neighbours isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a smart, strategic move for Australia. By helping communities withstand rising sea levels, extreme weather and displacement, we’re strengthening relationships, promoting regional stability and protecting lives,” she said.

“It’s not enough to invest in defence alone. True security means helping our neighbours prevent crises — by building resilience before disaster strikes.” 

Aid funding has seen significant cuts in the last decade and made up only 0.68% of the Federal Budget in 2024-25. The Safer World for All campaign is calling for aid to make up 1% of the 2025-26 Budget. 

Church leaders and members have conducted over 55 meetings in the past six months with MPs from all parties, organised by Micah Australia. These meetings, led by constituents who care deeply about Australia’s role in the world, have highlighted the strong and widespread support for aid within the Christian community. 

Regardless of the outcome of the 2025-26 Budget, the Australian Church is committed to ongoing support for Australian Aid.

Sign the open letter: Australian Christians support Australian Aid!

UnitingWorld is a member of Micah Australia and supports the Safer World for All campaign. The campaign brings together voices from faith, development, security, and the community to advocate for a stronger, values-driven approach to Australian Aid. 

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

 

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.

Growing up in an ecological crisis. 

 An Australian child born in 2023 will experience four times as many heat waves, three times as many droughts and one and a half times as many bushfires during their lifetime as someone born in 1960. And for those born in more vulnerable parts of the planet, hunger, disease and homelessness are all on the rise due to the impact of changing climate.  

Childhood provides very little respite from these realities. If young people aren’t seeing evidence in their own communities of extreme weather events, there’s plenty of information at their fingertips via social media. 

It’s not surprising then that a recent survey of 10,000 children and young people (aged 16-25 years) in 10 countries, including Australia, found that 59% were  very or extremely worried about climate change, with 84% at least moderately worried 

Action can also be an antidote to anxiety! Acting on climate, in ways large or small, can give hope and courage to others.
Lent Event is a great place to start.

If the young people in your life are worried about climate change, here’s a good article about how to manage eco-anxiety

 

At the same time, spare a thought for children growing up in our immediate neighbourhood, the Pacific and South East Asia.  

These are children who already know what it’s like to live in communities that flood too often, where fresh food is scarce, and waterborne disease keeps them from school. For some, ‘home’ will be uninhabitable by the time they’re adults – in Tuvalu, for example, young people are resigned to the fact that they have no future on their island homes and plan to relocate to Fiji or other parts of the Pacific as soon as they’re old enough.  

In the face of overwhelming challenges, where is the next generation finding hope? Who has the task of educating, equipping and inspiring them to overcome anxiety with action? 

Rev Nyoman Agustinus, Bishop of the Bali Protestant Church (GKPB), believes the Church can play a unique role. 

“We are called by God to see this earth as our home, care for it, protect and preserve its beauty,” he says. “This means that as early as possible we must provide education for children. If children learn to love the earth from the beginning, this will help them to protect the earth so it will be a healthy and comfortable home for them in the future.” 

Parts of the Church throughout the Pacific and South East Asia have been proactive during the past decade in educating members about the important role they can play in protecting the environment, many with the support of UnitingWorld theologians and resources. They see the critical role that the next generation will play and are committed to inspiring children to face the future with hope. Rev Agustinus says:

“In the Balinese church, we urge all pastors to show their love of nature and teach creation care in everything they do. This means catechism education and providing material for Sunday school teachers. We strongly encourage Pastors, Vicars and Sunday school teachers to provide education that is not limited to learning just in the classroom but can extend to a ‘natural school’.  Children can have direct contact with nature, step on mud, and plant trees with their families – as they grow, these trees will remind them of the role they play in looking after the earth for generations.” 

Part of the approach is helping children see that their individual actions are connected to a wider global reality. What impacts people in Bali – difficulty predicting when to grow and harvest crops, extreme weather events that destroy livelihoods, displaced communities due to flood – impacts people all over the world. 

“We want children here to know that individual acts become collective acts, and this is what will change the world. Let’s all be good role models and with our actions we will set an example: our children need to see this solidarity from other Christians around the globe.”

Watch Rev Agustinus’ message in the short video below.

You can play your part in encouraging our young people to overcome eco-anxiety and take action for the planet, both here in Australia and around the world. 

Learn more at www.lentevent.com.au 

 

Under a sky bluer than an eye, fisherman Kekai sets his line and waits.

He’s further from the shore than ever before and, with the crippling cost of fuel for his boat, he’s hoping for a catch. Fast. But it’s quiet on the sea; warmer water means the fish are seeking the deep, and trawlers are cleaning out the area more and more frequently.

As Kekai scans the horizon, he contemplates yet another canned dinner – salt in the water table from multiple king tides is poisoning his vegetable garden and no more fresh food will arrive at his tiny Tuvaluan island until next week.

“This is the frontline of changing climate for Pacific islanders,” says Rev Seforosa (Sef) Carroll, Fijian-born Australian theologian and academic.

“Diabetes is on the rise because of the change in diet; malnutrition and waterborne diseases plague the children because it’s so hard to grow anything. Clean water and sanitation are really difficult when the land is constantly flooded by salt water.

And it’s really sad, because these are people who are traditionally independent, used to caring for their land, taking from it what they need to survive, and generally in tune with creation.”

Changing climate has wrought havoc on what should be a delicately woven web of relationships between humans and the natural world. And while there’s much more agreement these days about the reality of climate change – most people are aware that we now face not just an ecological crisis, but a ‘here and now’ climate emergency – implementing solutions is more challenging.

So ‘which God’ can fix climate change, and how?

“People in the Pacific are inherently spiritual, it’s just in their DNA,” Sef says.

“But they have this hangover from colonial encounters with missionaries that gives them a view of God that actually isn’t all that helpful. The God many worship is generally seen as transcendent and uninvolved with humanity, responsible for weather and other big events, but somewhat distant.

“Many believing Islanders are convinced that this God won’t let their lands be destroyed because of the promise to Noah in Genesis after the Great Flood. So they wait patiently for the next miracle, even while their entire sense of identity is eroded as they watch their land disappear. Doubt creeps in: where is God in their suffering?”

This is where theology really bites and cultural views of God matter deeply. The temptation to see increasingly devastating weather events as evidence of God’s punishment for sin can lead to doubling down on morality codes, while at the same time jettisoning any sense of personal responsibility or agency in the face of the emergency. Sef says:

“‘Which God’ we worship – our understanding of God’s identity – really matters.  That kind of purely transcendent God is not the God of Jesus, of Emmanuel, God with us. It’s not the God that says we are caretakers with responsibility and empowerment by God’s Spirit. And helping Pacific people to shift from this kind of inheritance theology to one that says that through Christ, God is suffering with creation and God is suffering with us, is really critical. That theology can help people to be proactive and inspire them to action.”

Faith drives meaning and behaviour in many parts of the Pacific Islands. But shifting long-held understandings takes time, and that’s a commodity we simply don’t have.

“We’re sitting on a ticking bomb here,” Sef says. “And it takes time for people to unlearn and relearn theology, and to gain a new understanding of faith.”

It’s why UnitingWorld’s partnership to train ministers and theological colleges is so critical. Resources like Bible Studies and workshops are opening eyes to who God is and how God is at work in and through God’s people in the world. But the work is slow and painstaking, and it can’t be the only solution.

“Pacific Islanders might be the ones most impacted in our region by changing climate, but it’s on all of us to step up to acknowledge the impacts in our own neighbourhoods and across the globe, and to play our part. Every single one of us needs to ask ‘which God are we worshipping?’ A God who is only concerned with our ‘spiritual lives’ or a God actively involved in collaborating with us in reclaiming creation? I dream of a rigorous theology embraced by Christians around the world, inspiring us to action where we are, with what we have. It’s going to take all of us, doing everything we can.”

Watch Sef’s message in the short video below.

This year, UnitingWorld’s Lent Event is creating a movement of people committed to urgency, solidarity and faithful action for God’s creation.

We’re calling on you to do something personal – make a change to your life that benefits creation during the 40 days of Lent and pray it sticks throughout the year.

We’re calling on you to do something practical – make a donation to support projects across the Pacific and elsewhere that open minds to new understandings of God and drive faithful action, empower communities to protect their environment through tree planting initiatives and provide clean water.

We’re calling on you to get political – contact your local representative to chat about their approaches to climate change, educate yourself about policies, and help hold government accountable for their actions.

‘Which God’ will fix climate change? The God of Emmanuel, who is with us in suffering, invites and empowers us for action.

How will it happen? All of us, acting in solidarity and with urgency.

Join us today at www.lentevent.com.au

 

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of coming home – to a physical place, a person or community. In English, the word home perhaps feels a bit restrictive, conjuring up bricks, mortar, a mortgage and soaring interest rates. But for our Pacific neighbours, language has gifted words with stronger wings.

Vanua, for Fijians, means land, home or village. But with multiple subtle variations throughout the Pacific Islands, it captures so much more than that. It gives voice to the connections people have with land, sea and sky, as well as their relationships with one another and their obligations to stewardship. Theologian, Rev Dr Cliff Bird from the United Church of Solomon Islands, explains:

“When we start with the idea of ‘home’ among Pacific Islanders, we instantly have an understanding of relationship and mutual obligation. When we say that creation is ‘home’ not only to people and animals, flora and fauna, but God too, then we are expressing a powerful theological concept that is woven throughout Genesis. And this is a critical part of our framework for teaching people about what it means to act in the midst of this current ecological crisis.”

The period of Lent, Cliff says, is a perfect time of reflection on our relationship to the home we share with our neighbours and God. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the human impact we bring to our home and on the kind of activities that shape the place that nurtures and sustains us.

“When we think about how we treat our individual homes, it can bring focus to the way we treat our collective home – the planet,” Cliff says. “How does what we buy impact on this home we share? What are the commercial and industrial activities that we support, and how do they damage the earth and ocean? How do we dispose of garbage, including the clothes we wear?”

Cliff is heartened by the knowledge that individual acts become community acts and from there, they can become national and global realities.

Watch Cliff’s message in the short video below.

This year, UnitingWorld’s Lent Event is creating a movement of people committed to urgency, solidarity and faithful action for God’s creation.  

We’re calling on you to do:

  • something personal – make a change to your life that benefits creation during the 40 days of Lent and pray it sticks throughout the year.  
  • something practical – fundraise or make a gift to support critical climate action in vulnerable communities
  • something political – use your voice to influence your community to demand urgent climate action

We’ve put together this list of things you can do to make ‘home’ more liveable for all of us, for longer.  Check it out and share it with those who are looking for ideas and encouragement.  

Join us today at www.lentevent.com.au

Even before she was conceived, Mery Kolimon had a calling.

Her parents, Timorese nationals from one of Indonesia’s most beautiful archipelagos, dedicated their first child to God’s work even before Mery’s mother fell pregnant. It was a promise with a profound impact.

Rev Dr Mery Kolimon is now the first woman to become Moderator of our partner church in West Timor, the Christian Evangelical Church in Timor (GMIT). Under her leadership, GMIT is deeply committed to helping transform every aspect of the society it serves.

“I’m glad that my parents promised me to the Church and to the world,” Rev Mery says, via a Zoom call squeezed in between many others. She is recovering personally from COVID-19 and leading a team responding not only to the pandemic, but to the worst cyclone in West Timor’s history.

“I believe the role of the Church is to be actively immersed in every part of our society- the economy, environment, socially, politically and spiritually.

It’s not enough for us to teach or proclaim the Good News. We must work hard to become it for those around us.”

It’s an absolutely no holds barred approach to the meaning of faith, refreshingly clear about the role of the Christian church. In a country where COVID-19 is decimating the population and the economy, and where poverty has always stalked families and hollowed out dreams, Rev Mery’s vision of the good news leaves no room for debates between word and deed.

“We are here to strengthen people’s faith and spirituality, but we can’t be only busy with ourselves,” Rev Mery says. “Malnutrition, human trafficking, poverty, disaster – how is the Church the good news in all of this?”

A church relevant to its people

GMIT is right where its community needs it most. They offer prayer, trauma counselling and activities to engage children who lost everything in the recent cyclone.

Their preaching focusses on finding God in suffering, care for creation and environmental stewardship.

They help re-train those who are in desperate need of income, offering small business start up loans and education on everything from livestock breeding to marketing.

They’ve been actively assessing disaster-struck regions to support government efforts to provide help, and on the ground providing their own resources like solar lamps, food, clean water, school uniforms and building material. And they’ve been in touch with other partners in the region to find out how to build back better.

In other words, they’re a people with an impact upon every aspect of life. Their ministry really matters.

Unique perspectives

As the first woman to become Moderator of her church, Rev Mery is often asked what she wants her legacy to be. GMIT has a long history of women’s engagement in ministry, with ordination of women beginning in 1959. But what would a church led by a woman in the top job look like, she’s asked?

“I don’t know if its about gender as much as it is about power,” Mery responds. “I see my role as being about empowering others, about how power is managed especially for those who have the least. This has always been the way of Jesus – standing with those who are poor, bringing liberation to those with heavy burdens.”

Each year, GMIT chooses a passage of scripture to guide its ministry for the next twelve months.  This year, Rev Mery says, Ezekiel 37:10 has provided the vision the Church needs.

“God commanded Ezekiel to prophesy that the dry bones in the valley would come back to life,” she says.

“That’s our role – to breathe life back into that which seems dry and hopeless. We are building something new for the child who dreams of going to school and can’t afford the fees… for the family looking for hope… for the earth itself as we look for ecological renewal.”

Rev Mery and GMIT stand among so many of our partners who share similar holistic, inspiring approaches to their life together. This month, we’re highlighting their work and hope you’ll join us in prayer and giving as we live the gospel among our global neighbours.

Donate here to support our partners like Rev Mery and the Christian Evangelical Church in Timor

The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) has made a submission to the new International Development Policy currently under review by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

The review was announced in December 2019 and invited members of the public and international development community to give input into the new policy.

UnitingWorld helped develop the UCA submission, and recommended that the International Development Policy:

      • targets the alleviation of poverty and inequality as a primary objective, understanding that this will best serve Australia’s national interests
      • prioritises development that is demonstrably owned and driven by the communities it seeks to impact
      • recognises the unique roles of churches and faith communities in delivering social change and seeks to target them as development partners
      • acknowledges climate change as the most significant cross-cutting issue that impacts security, stability, prosperity and resilience in Australia and beyond.

Read the full UCA submission here

UnitingWorld, as a member agency, also contributed to the submissions of the following coalitions: the Australian Council For International Development (ACFID), Micah Australia and the Church Agencies Network. (Click  links to read the submissions).

Submissions close Friday 14 February 2020.

UnitingWorld is the international aid and partnerships agency of the Uniting Church in Australia, collaborating for a world free from poverty and injustice.

Read about the work of our church partners in Ambon helping communities recover from the devastating earthquake that hit in September; an update about how your donations are supporting our Pacific church partners in their work to address inequality and violence against women; the unique fundraising efforts of Adamstown Uniting Church to support disaster readiness in Tuvalu and other small island nations; updates from Zimbabwe, South Sudan and Timor-Leste; a ‘Prayer During Times of Disaster’ and lots more.

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