September 2025 News Update

All Things New: Joining God’s Work in a Fractured World

Spring has arrived! At our place, that means my kids are suddenly “botanists,” bringing home fistfuls of daisies, wattles, and flannel flowers (mostly stolen from the neighbour’s garden, I suspect) and announcing discoveries like, “Dad, this tree has exploded!” There’s something beautiful in their joy: the reminder that creation renews, blossoms burst, and hope insists on showing up.

As I’ve been watching them, I’ve been reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 8, that creation itself is groaning in hope of renewal, longing for freedom from decay. Spring reminds us that God is still in the business of making all things new. But it also presses us with the question: Will we join God’s renewing work, or will we let injustice, greed, and violence have the last word?

Because even in this season of colour, seismic cracks in our world - wars, forced migrations, a heating planet - threaten our present and the future our kids will inherit.

In September, Donald Trump took the stage at the UN General Assembly. He dismissed climate change as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” urged nations to slam shut their borders, and ridiculed the very idea of multilateral cooperation. His vision for the future? Nations acting alone, with little regard for shared responsibility.

When a major power pulls back from global cooperation—and at times even works against it—the whole system trembles, and the most vulnerable bear the cost. Refugees lose safe harbour, climate action slows, development is disrupted, and peace becomes harder to secure.

By contrast, our Prime Minister affirmed the importance of multilateralism and called for nations to work together on climate and peace. That’s a welcome note of sanity!

Sadly, just days earlier, the government announced its 2035 climate targets: a 62–70% emissions cut. Better than before, yes, but still a recipe for warming above 2°C. According to the Climate Risk Assessment released this month, that would mean doubling heat-related deaths, saying farewell to coral reefs, and burdening Australians with mounting financial costs. Sadly, the ambition reflected in our Prime Minister's rhetoric has yet to be reflected in the actions the government is taking.

This month also brought the UN’s most sobering finding yet on the war in Gaza: its International Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. This comes on the back of findings from independent experts and humanitarian organisations, which have likewise identified patterns of genocide and war crimes.

These include the targeting of civilian infrastructure, the denial of humanitarian aid, the forced displacement of populations, the use of sexual-based violence, and indiscriminate attacks on homes, hospitals, and schools. The Commission urged the international community - including Australia - to act, to prevent further atrocities, and to stop enabling violence.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed: climate inaction, war, retreating global leadership. But all these crises are connected. Each shows what happens when we fail to act together, or when we choose short-term interests over justice.

It's a reminder to me of the importance of our wonderful movement—one animated by a vision of the world where all people and all creation flourish as God intends. This vision allows us to imagine differently, knowing that God is acting in history to ensure that, in the words of the prophet Amos, "the waters of justice roll on like a mighty river."

It means we can act with confidence for a world where justice flows, where peace is tended, where creation flourishes, and where the vulnerable are not trampled but lifted.

Can I invite you to join us in doing just this at our upcoming Let Justice Flow Conference? It’s not just an event on the calendar. It’s a chance to gather, to imagine a different future - and to act together.

On November 1-3 Common Grace will hold our 2025 Let Justice Flow Conference on Ngunnawal & Ngambri Country, Canberra. Together we’ll focus on:

• Supporting Aboriginal children through care and community, not incarceration.
• Pushing for bolder climate action that safeguards the future for our children.
• Weaving faith, justice, and action into a hopeful vision for Australia.

This is about the kind of world our kids will inherit — whether they’re chasing blossoms in spring or facing floods and fires.

Registrations close October 17. Please Sign Up Here.

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September 2025 Updates

Your heart for justice can be a gift to those experiencing injustice beyond your lifetime. By leaving a gift in your Will to Common Grace you will help equip the next generation to follow Jesus and pursue justice so that all people and creation experience the goodness that God intends. The decision to leave a gift in your Will is deeply significant and personal. You can learn more on our website, or to have a confidential conversation, please contact our Gifts in Will Coordinator - we would be honoured to hear from you as you consider this step.

This month, Safina Stewart, Common Grace’s Storyteller and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lead, and Gerson Nimbalker, Common Grace’s National Director, spoke on a faithful Christian response to Acknowledgement of Country and reconciliation at Christian Media and Arts Australia’s Connect25 on the Gold Coast. Safina also spoke at the Yakila Gathering of First Nations staff from the Salvation Army. Throughout September, we have also been honoured to deepen relationships with Mob through our Common Grace Community Connection events, especially with Senior Aboriginal Christian Leader Dr Aunty Jean Phillips OAM and Bianca Manning, Common Grace's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Justice Coordinator (currently on sabbatical) - dear friends of Common Grace, whose voices continue to inspire and guide us.

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During an address at the United Nations last week, US President Donald Trump launched a push to dismantle key protections in the global refugee system - calling for asylum to be granted only in the first country entered and urging nations to deny the right to seek refuge across borders. As the world faces its greatest displacement crisis, our advocacy in this space is more urgent than ever - to ensure Australia upholds international law and shows generosity and welcome to those in need of safety. 

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This month, the Government announced a new 2035 emissions reduction target of 62-70%. This falls far short of what the science says is necessary to keep warming below 2 degrees, and to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. We will continue to pray and call for bold, compassionate leadership and action on climate that will see us meet and exceed that upper target of 70%, so that all people and creation may flourish. We will be meeting with Parliamentarians at our Let Justice Flow conference (Nov 1-3) to call for stronger action on climate. We’d love you to join us in this powerful expression of Christian advocacy.

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Thanks to the generosity of Common Grace supporters, we have begun updating our SAFER resource and website. One exciting new feature is a new site-wide search function, making it easier to find information on the topics you are looking for. SAFER continues to reach a global audience, including those searching for insights around theology and domestic violence. Check out one of our most visited pages here: ‘What the Bible Says About Domestic & Family Violence’. 

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Thank you for joining us as we pursue Jesus and justice together.

With deep gratitude,
Gershon Nimbalker

Common Grace National Director