June 2026 News Update

The Socceroos, 'Monoculture' and the God Who Gathers

Over recent weeks, multiculturalism has again become a significant part of our national conversation.

Pauline Hanson has called for Australia to reject multiculturalism and become a 'monoculture'. When Opposition Leader Angus Taylor was asked about this, he chose not to distance himself from her comments.

I was born in Australia to a Malaysian-Indian family. My wife is Australian of Chinese and Anglo heritage. Our children are a joyful melting pot of cultures, histories and stories. They are unmistakably Australian, yet they carry with them the gifts of generations that have come from elsewhere. Admittedly, at this stage of their lives, those gifts are mostly recognised as dumplings and curry - but still, objectively pretty good gifts.

On the nights that we sit down to say grace, I’m reminded that our family is formed by such an amazing breadth of traditions and are held together by love, belonging, and most deeply for us, by Christ.

Those stories and traditions, I feel as a gift. It is also a gift that I see reflected in the story of Australia.

That is why the recent public conversation has felt so troubling, and a bit strange.

In the same week Senator Hanson was addressing the National Press Club, Australia was celebrating Refugee Week, and the settlement of the one millionth refugee on our shores. An amazing feat of welcome, that has enriched us all.

Also, our Socceroos had just begun their World Cup campaign – leaving me and many others loudly yelling at our TV screens at 5am.

The Socceroos tell a beautiful story of modern Australia. Players whose families have come from Malaysia, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey, Greece, Croatia, England and many other places now wear the green and gold together. Of the 26 man squad, 18 have immigrant backgrounds and four have refugee backgrounds. Together, they represent the country so many of us know and love.

Today, more than half of Australians were either born overseas or have at least one parent who was. Ours is one of the most multicultural nations on earth.

Layered into this story is the extraordinary reality that the First Peoples of these lands carry the oldest continuing cultures anywhere on the planet: cultures that are not one flat or uniform thing, but many, held in the particularity of Country, language, law, kinship, story and responsibility.

So Australia has never been a monoculture. And I’m convinced that it is in honouring this ancient and living inheritance, alongside the richness brought by newer communities, that we become more truthful about who we are, and more hopeful about the Australia we might yet become.

Aboriginal leader Noel Pearson has spoken powerfully about Australia needing to bring together its three great stories: the ancient Indigenous heritage of these lands, the British institutions that helped shape our modern democracy, and the gift of multicultural migration.

It strikes me as a truly wonderful vision. A country that tells the truth about its ancient past, honours and celebrates its First Peoples, cherishes what is good in our shared institutions, and welcomes the gifts of people from every corner of the world (beyond just the curry and the dumplings).

I see, in this vision, something of the world God is moving us towards. 

The Scriptures tell us that in Christ, God is creating “one new humanity” and breaking down “the dividing wall of hostility” between peoples (Ephesians 2:14-16). At Pentecost, the Spirit gathers people across language and culture, age and class into the community of believers (Acts 2). And in Revelation, the great vision of worship is of people from “every nation, tribe and language” (Revelation 7:9).

This is the community Jesus is forming: a multi-ethnic, many-cultured family where strangers become neighbours, enemies are reconciled, and there is a vision of shared flourishing. 

I find myself longing for such a vision to take hold. But friends, I’m also increasingly worried that too many in the Church are being shaped by ideas and voices that shrink our sense of neighbour and teach us to respond to the world with fear rather than love.

This is why I’m so grateful you are on this journey with us.

Together, we are bearing witness to a more generous gospel and a more beautiful vision of Australia: reconciled, welcoming and just.

As we approach the end of the financial year, I do have a request. We’re facing a funding shortfall next year, and I’m convinced this is not the time for Common Grace to step back. As divisive theologies gain ground in parts of the Church, we need to keep nurturing a Christian imagination shaped by Jesus, justice, welcome and reconciliation. Would you consider becoming a regular giver to Common Grace, or increasing your regular gift, to help make that possible?

Thank you for walking this road with us, and for helping us bear witness to the generous, reconciling love of Jesus.

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June 2026 Updates

Our Reconciliation Appeal ends tomorrow! Across Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continue to be disproportionately impacted by incarceration and punitive youth justice policies. This must change.  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christian leaders are courageously calling the church to stand alongside them in seeking a different future for children, families, and communities. Your donation helps amplify the voices of those calling for change through videos, podcasts, resources and advocacy that inspire Christians to pursue justice for First Nations young people. Find out more about our Reconciliation Appeal and give today to have your donation doubled by 30 June.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us in marking Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week this year. It was wonderful to see more than 400 people sign up to use our resources!

With NAIDOC Week just around the corner (5–12 July), we invite you to celebrate the deadly wisdom, faith, leadership, and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year, we've partnered with CityLife Church Melbourne to create a special video asking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and community members: What makes your Mob so deadly? Their answers reveal the strength that comes from deep connections to culture, Country, family, and community. The video will be released on 3 July, and we'd love for churches to share it during their NAIDOC Week services. You can also explore ways to get involved in NAIDOC Week and access a beautiful responsive prayer by Safina Stewart, Common Grace's Storyteller and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lead, on our website.

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Throughout Refugee Week 2026, we have joined together online, engaged with stories, and reflected on this year's theme, A Million Stories. Celebrating the more than one million people welcomed through Australia's humanitarian program since 1947, the theme invited us to recognise the gifts, contributions, and resilience of those who have sought safety on our shores. Together with the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce (ACRT), Common Grace has also just launched the next phase of the #EndTheWaiting campaign, calling for a more generous and compassionate response for those still seeking safety, certainty, and belonging. Find out more about how you can be involved in this campaign.

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On Show Your Stripes Day (21 June), people across the Common Grace movement joined voices with people around the world to reflect on the reality of a warming planet and the hope found in collective action. Wearing Climate Stripe scarves knitted by faithful supporters, we remembered that each stripe tells a story of a changing climate and our shared responsibility to respond. This year, Common Grace has also released an updated pattern for our climate scarves, featuring the 2025 stripe, to mark another year of record-breaking global temperatures. Head to our website to learn more about this campaign and sign up for the climate stripe scarf pattern.

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We were grateful to join faith and community leaders from across Australia for the launch of Settlement Services International’s (SSI) free Train Engage, Connect and Support online course. Common Grace was honoured to help adapt the training for a Christian audience, equipping faith leaders to respond safely and effectively to domestic, family, and sexual violence. Together, we share a vision of faith communities where all people can flourish in safety. We invite church leaders and volunteers to complete this important training and help ensure our churches are places of welcome, care and hope. Find out more about the resource and sign up here.

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Pray for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
Join us in prayer for Aboriginal communities affected by the recent diphtheria outbreak. Pray for healing for those who are unwell, protection for vulnerable community members, and equitable access to healthcare and vaccination services.

Pray for the global displacement crisis
As Refugee Week celebrations close for another year, we encourage you to continue praying for people who have been displaced by conflict, persecution and violence. Pray that Australia would be a place of welcome, safety and belonging, and that churches would continue to stand alongside people seeking refuge with compassion and hope. You are welcome to join in a prayer written for Refugee Week by Charles Louwrens here. 

Pray for Let Justice Flow
Pray for preparations for Common Grace's Let Justice Flow Conference in August, and for opportunities to meet with parliamentarians from across the political spectrum. Pray that MPs would be open to listening to First Nations leaders and people with lived experience, and that these conversations would help shape policies that promote the flourishing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

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Thank you for being part of the Common Grace movement. Every prayer offered, action taken, conversation started, resource shared, and voice raised helps build a more just and compassionate Australia.

Thank you for partnering with us in this work of following Jesus and pursuing justice.

Blessings,

Gershon Nimbalker

Common Grace National Director