A season for prayer, simplicity and generosity

Right now, it feels like our world has never needed it more.

It’s hard not to spend time dwelling on the state of our world today.

Escalating conflicts, rising poverty and hunger, floods, fires, environmental and economic uncertainty, a global pandemic lingers on...

So many crises pull our attention in endless directions. We want to help, but where do we even begin? Can any of us make a real difference?

Lent is coming. A 40-day season to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, seeking to practice a life focused on simplicity, generosity and prayer. It’s a precious opportunity to step back a little, choosing to carve out intentional time to pray more regularly, live more simply and refocus on what we can do to love our neighbours and make a difference to a hurting world.

We invite you to join us for Lent Event in 2023.

From The National Director

Finding extra seats at the tables of power

We know that the power to drive development belongs in the hands of the local communities, and that churches are powerful partners in the delivery of effective and sustainable development led from the grass-roots.

As a Board member of ACFID*, I was able to carry this message into consultations with the Foreign and International Development ministers of the new government, to briefings with the new Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and even to a briefing with US government officials as USAID plans to reengage in our region. The USAID Pacific strategy paper now identifies churches as key parties.

As members of Micah Australia, I accompanied South Sudanese/Australian UCA minister Rev Amel Manyon with other prominent UCA leaders to Canberra in a delegation to meet with members of the new government and advocate for international aid. Amel spoke powerfully about the famine affecting her homeland:

“I’m asking the government in Australia, please do something now. People are dying because of hunger and it’s not good for us to sit and listen to their stories and not do something.”

$15 million was provided to urgently assist the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa and Yemen. The Australian Government’s commitment in October to increase life-changing Australian Aid by $1.4 billion over the next four years was a really encouraging shift in government policy. And the energy in Australia’s leaders for fostering genuine and stronger relationships in our region goes beyond just funding. We’ve also been able to connect DFAT more closely with our Pacific partners.

We supported the Pacific Conference of Churches to become accredited to receive DFAT grants, and helped DFAT set up a Pacific Church Partnership Advisory Network – a group representing churches across the Pacific and Australia raising issues of shared concern to the Australian Government. Development aid and Pacific migrant labour have been subjects of fruitful discussion between churches and DFAT in this forum.

Our partners are formidable leaders, changemakers, teachers, scholars, peacebuilders, advocates. But more than that, they are disciples of the one who calls us all to this life of love, compassion, and generosity for all creation.

Thank you so much for helping us to bring their voices to the tables of power, and holding them in your prayers.

40 days of prayer, simplicity and generosity.

• Pray: join in prayer for our partners across the globe

• Live simply: give up something in solidarity with those who have less

• Give: raise funds to help bring hope and healing

Sign up today at www.lentevent.com.au and get some great resources, including a daily prayer guide with short prayer prompts from our partners across Asia, Africa and the Pacific.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @UnitingWorld is an agency of the Uniting Church in Australia.

Dr Sureka Goringe National Director UnitingWorld

P.S. I really encourage you to join us for Lent Event in the new year as we seek to live more like Jesus in prayer, simplicity and generosity. It’s such a great chance to make a difference in our own lives as well as others.