1st Birthday FAQs

What has Common Grace achieved in its first year and what's next?

Common Grace launched at the beginning of December 2014 and has grown to become a community of more than 17,000 Christians. We have achieved a great deal in such a short space of time, building a movement that is marked by its genuinely diverse membership that is committed to placing aside those things that have the potential to divide Christians as a group, for the sake of a shared passion for Jesus and justice.

You can also read a report on the achievements of each of our teams:

How has Common Grace been funded and operated until now?

Common Grace has initially been made possible through the generous provision of seed funding from like-minded organisations, along with additional funding sourced through specific campaign partnerships.

The Common Grace Team is comprised of a Board, a small team of staff, and several campaign-specific teams of volunteers. All of us are scattered across the country, generally meeting on Skype and phone calls. This skeletal team has made an amazing start! However, for Common Grace to become financially viable heading into the future, we need to know that we have the financial support of the whole movement.

Why does Common Grace need this money now?

As mentioned above, in our first year we were funded by a variety of like-minded organisations, but our biggest partner has had to step back due to unforeseen reasons related to funding cuts experienced by the whole Aid and Development sector. This means, that Common Grace now needs some help to take its next big steps.

What's happening with Common Grace's Founding Director, Jarrod McKenna?

As many are aware, our Founding Director, Jarrod McKenna, was generously seconded to Common Grace from his position as World Vision Australia’s National Advisor for Faith & Activism.

Unfortunately, due to the funding cuts experienced by the wider Aid and Development sector, World Vision Australia is no longer able to fund Jarrod in this role and he is therefore sadly unable to continue in his position as National Director at Common Grace.

Looking ahead, Jarrod is pursuing some new opportunities that we can’t announce yet, as well as continuing his work at First Home Project and as Teaching Pastor at Westcity Church. We are excited for all that God has in store for him and grateful for all he has done to see Common Grace established.

As Common Grace moves into our new season, looking to raise the funds for and appoint a new National Director, we are especially delighted to announce that Jarrod has agreed to continue his involvement with us, and will take on a new role as our Special Advisor on Formation.

What's the future for Common Grace?

There is much that we have planned for Common Grace in the year ahead and it is best communicated by reading the ‘Hopes and Plans’ for the year ahead that our teams have prepared:

Common Grace's vision is to see Australian Christians UNITED for the COMMON GOOD. TOGETHER, finding COMMON GROUND. SHARING in COMMON GRACE. Seeking to be MORE LIKE JESUS. There's so much more to come...