January 2026 News Update
Read our January 2026 News Update as Gershon Nimbalker reflects on being a faithful presence in fractured times.
Faithful Presence in Fractured Times
January has arrived with both sunscreen and sorrow. The familiar soundtrack of my summer, my children splashing in the ocean and lively arguments over Sushi-Go, has been accompanied by a piercing baseline of tragedy and turmoil.
In the wake of the Bondi attack, we’ve been left with deep grief for the lives taken and the fear echoing through families and communities. The ripples of this horrific act of terror are reshaping our politics and public discourse, and sadly, have been marked by further division at a time when we so dearly needed unity. Islamophobic attacks and incidents continue to rise, and the Jewish community continue to brace against antisemitism.
January 26th saw a home-made bomb lobbed into a crowd of invasion day protesters. The fact the bomb failed was the only thing that stopped a second act of terror in as many months. January 26th also saw anti-immigration protests in many cities that platformed far-right extremists, and self-proclaimed Neo-Nazis
Beyond our shores, it feels like we are being fed almost daily reminders that the global order is shifting, and a commitment to international law, human dignity and shared responsibility is becoming increasingly fragile. Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, speaking to world leaders, described it as a rupture to the global system; “the rules based order is fading. The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must”.
Social cohesion is being stretched thin here at home, while internationally a ‘might makes right’ approach to diplomacy and democracy by our largest and militarily strongest ally, the United States, threatens to normalise fear, coercion, exclusion, and violence.
As disciples of Jesus, it is in moments like this that our faithful presence and costly witness are most needed. Scripture does not call us to bury our heads in the sand, to simply protect what we have, or to mirror the fear and exclusion of the communities around us. Instead, it calls us to a love that draws closer to need, courage that takes responsibility, grace that extends to all, and justice that stands alongside the most vulnerable.
The call of Scripture is clear: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). This is not a call to comfort or control, but to faithfulness, lived out in public, costly ways.
As theologian Walter Brueggemann reminds us, “The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture.” In a time when fear, exclusion, and self-protection are offered as common sense, following Jesus means resisting those narratives and living into a different story - one shaped by love, faith, grace, justice and a hope held together, not by the possibilities and probabilities of our own action, but by God’s enduring work to renew all things.
And this alternative story is not abstract. We see it taking shape, imperfectly but faithfully, in the Common Grace movement itself.This year, more than 600 churches across the country engaged with our Aboriginal Sunday resources under the theme Be Strong and Courageous, coming together in prayer, truth-telling, and action to call for children to Loved, Not Locked Up in response to Australia’s low age of criminal responsibility and its disproportionate impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. These communities bear witness to a different way of being: one that refuses fear, centres love, and insists that every child is worthy of dignity and care.
In the weeks following the Bondi attack, I found myself returning to a simple but searching question: what kind of people will we be? I’ve shared some reflections on that question in a recent blog, and I invite you to spend time with it as part of your own prayerful discernment in this moment.
Thank you for being part of this movement, for choosing faithful presence, courageous love, and hope grounded not in our own certainty, but in God’s ongoing work of renewal.
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January 2026 Updates
At the end of last year, a renewed Senate Inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system was established, reopening up a critical conversation about how our nation treats children in its care. For many years, Common Grace has been calling on the Government to lead meaningful, national reform because we believe every child deserves safety, dignity, and the opportunity to thrive, not punishment that causes further harm. We were grateful for the opportunity to contribute a Submission to the Committee, advocating for a youth justice system that truly puts the wellbeing of children first. You can find our Submission here.
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In a time of fraying social cohesion, Common Grace is committed to recognising the image of God in our neighbours and responding in love regardless of culture, creed, or distance. Out of this concern, we made a submission to the inquiry into the Combating Antisemistism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026, unequivocally condemning the deep harms of antisemitism while expressing concern for the Bill’s unintended consequences and rushed process. You can read our full submission here.
As communities across Australia endure record heat, bushfires, floods, and drought, we are again confronted with the reality of a warming climate. This summer has brought relentless extremes impacting every region. In grief and lament, we join in prayer and action, calling on our nation’s leaders to act boldly to prevent catastrophic impacts and protect neighbours and God’s beautiful creation. Today we invite you to join us in praying a 'Prayer For When the World is Overwhelmed’, written by Jane Kelly, Common Grace’s Community Organising Lead and Creation and Climate Justice Coordinator.
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Call for Participants: Research on Faith and Healing After Violence. If you work (paid or unpaid) in a church or Christian organisation and have responded to disclosures of domestic or family violence, we invite you to participate in a research project led by Dr Rosie Clare Shorter and Dr Erin Hutton.
The study explores how the Bible is read and used as a source of healing after violence. Participation involves a 90-minute focus group in Sydney, Melbourne, or online. More information about the research, including details of Ethics approval and Support can be found here.
Submit an Expression of Interest by Friday 27 February 2026.
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Thank you for journeying with us as we seek to live out justice, grace, and goodness together. It is a joy to walk together in the pursuit of flourishing for all people and all creation, as God intends.
With deep gratitude,
Gershon Nimbalker
Common Grace National Director
This is Common Grace's January 2026 eNews update.
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