Common Grace began in 2014 as a story of prayer and conversation from around Australia and the world, woven together by the power of God’s spirit.
Throughout Australia, a number of Christian changemakers were questioning why they were looking outside the church in order to take action on issues of justice. They believed that pursuing justice is a core part of the Christian faith and tradition but were not seeing it lived out in their communities. As conversations evolved, they began asking broader questions about the type of change that God desires – for individuals, for societies, and for the world.
Common Grace emerged to fill a gap in Australian society, where there appeared to be a lack of both positive Christian action platforms and gracious public Christian voices.
Common Grace seeks to not only encourage followers of Jesus to act on issues of injustice, but also to provide them with tools and training so they have an effective voice in the public sphere. This is a movement of people coming together to pursue the justice, beauty and generosity we see lived out abundantly by Jesus, helping to positively transform Australian society.
We have come together as those from different Christian traditions who stand in the continuity of the historic Christian faith, centred on the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ as witnessed to in Holy Scripture.
- We have read the scriptures and heard God’s call to seek justice and love mercy (Mic 6:8).
- We have been loved by Jesus, and therefore must love our neighbours and our enemies (Mt 22:39).
- We have received the Holy Spirit and are empowered to be salt and light (Mt 5:13-14).
- We’re on about ‘doing good’ (Mt 5:16).
- Given these scriptural mandates, we want to be a faithful presence united for the common good.
Together for the common good, discovering common ground and sharing in common grace.
At the centre of what justice means in an Australian context is truth-telling about our history and therefore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christian leaders are fundamental to all our work.