Sunday 5 - Sunday 12 July 2026

Celebrating 50 Years of Deadly

NAIDOC Week is a soul-deep celebration for Mob - a time to feast on the joy and pride of culture, connect with community, and honour the strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Even in years marked by hardship and upheaval, NAIDOC Week remains a powerful reminder of survival, resilience, and the ongoing achievements of First Nations Peoples. 

NAIDOC Week began as a movement for justice, growing out of the 1938 Day of Mourning when Aboriginal leaders, including William Cooper, gathered to protest injustice and call for the rights and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Today, it remains a time of celebration, remembrance, advocacy, and action.

This year's NAIDOC Week theme is 50 Years of Deadly. In Aboriginal communities, deadly is a term of high praise. It describes something or someone as excellent, inspiring, strong, and worthy of celebration. More than a compliment, it is a language of resilience and pride that honours the gifts, leadership, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

So when we celebrate 50 Years of Deadly, we honour the Elders, advocates, artists, leaders, and communities who have carried this movement forward, and we recognise the many ways Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to stand strong despite ongoing racism, injustice, violence, and the silencing of their voices.

As Christians, this theme echoes the invitation of Philippians 4:8:

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

In other words, think about what is deadly.

For this year's NAIDOC Week celebrations, we partnered with CityLife Church to ask Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and community members a simple question: What makes your Mob so deadly?

While each person shared a unique story, a common thread emerged: our communities are deadly because we are deeply connected - to culture, Country, family, and one another. We lift each other up, share wisdom across generations, and carry our stories, identity, and belonging wherever we go.

This video will be released on Friday 3 July - published on this page, across Common Grace's social media pages and through email for those signed up on our website.  

We invite you to share this video in your church service on Sunday 5 or Sunday 12 July as a way to celebrate the deadly wisdom, leadership, faith and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We hope that you will be encouraged, challenged and inspired by their voices, and by the many ways they continue to enrich communities, the Common Grace movement, the Church, and our nation.

As we honour the past and celebrate the present, may we also commit ourselves to the ongoing work of justice, healing, reconciliation, and flourishing.

Special thanks to CityLife Church for their generous support in helping develop our NAIDOC Week 2026 video. 

Ways to celebrate, learn, and take action this NAIDOC Week:

 

Attend Events

One of the best ways to celebrate NAIDOC Week is to show up, listen, learn, and join in community celebrations. Find a NAIDOC Week event near you and support the incredible work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the country. You can search for local community events through the official NAIDOC Week website.

 

Pray

Join us in praying for justice, healing, and flourishing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples this NAIDOC Week.

Use our Responsive Prayer for NAIDOC Week written by Safina Stewart, Common Grace's Storyteller and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lead, for your small groups, church gatherings, or community events. You can also explore our collection of prayer resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice.

 

Learn More

NAIDOC Week is an opportunity to deepen our understanding, celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, and learn from the wisdom of First Nations peoples.

  • Read about the history of NAIDOC Week, and explore the NAIDOC Week resources Common Grace has created over the years to help churches engage, celebrate, listen, learn, and take action together. Read more here.

 

  • Explore stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christian leaders of the past whose faith, courage, and leadership continue to inspire the Church today. We first shared stories of William Cooper, Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls, Aunty Pearl Gibbs, and Pastor Don Brady as part of our 2022 NAIDOC Week celebrations, and they remain a powerful reminder of the many ways First Nations Christians have shaped our communities and nation. Read their stories here.

 

  • Last year, we were honoured to share a special three-part NAIDOC Week podcast series hosted by Safina Stewart, Wuthathi and Mabuiag Island woman and Common Grace's Storyteller and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lead. Safina had conversations with three remarkable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christian Elders who have shaped her life and ministry. Through stories, wisdom, prayers, and reflections, these Elders share their hopes for future generations and inspire us with their faith, resilience, and love for community. Listen to the podcast series here.

 

  • You can also learn more about incorporating an Acknowledgement of Country into your church services, events, and gatherings. An Acknowledgement of Country is a respectful practice that honours the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples whom God placed as Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we gather. Explore Common Grace's Acknowledgement of Country guidelines here.

Donate

Can you help us pursue justice, healing, and flourishing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?

In Australia today, children as young are being locked up, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are disproportionately impacted by this injustice. Common Grace is standing alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christian leaders to advocate for change, including raising the age of criminal responsibility.

Your donation helps amplify First Nations voices, ensures resources continue to be created and shared freely with churches, and equips communities to pursue Jesus and justice in practical ways.

Donate today.

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We would love to hear how you celebrate NAIDOC Week 2026. Share your reflections and stories with us at [email protected] or tag us social media @commongraceaus 

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Our 2026 NAIDOC Week graphics are by artist and proud Wuthithi and Mabuiag Island woman Safina Stewart. This page also features the National NAIDOC logo.