By: Mike Crooks
Former One Direction member Liam Payne has died, after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday night.
Liam Payne: “I Cannot Believe He’s Gone”
“Stop it Now”: Faith Communities Rally for Change
By: Michael Crooks
Leaders and followers of religions across Australia have come together for the common cause of saving a warming planet.
Continue reading ““Stop it Now”: Faith Communities Rally for Change”
Standing Together Through Snuggle Season
by: Susan Holt
“Snuggle season”. That’s what I call winter. It’s the time of year when the uggies are thrown on (and sometimes worn in public!), the blankets come out and all the winter woollies get first pick from the wardrobe.
I’ve recently become very aware that I’m afforded the privilege of having winter as my favourite season as someone with a safe home.
Across Australia, 3000 people are expected to reach out to homeless services, such as Mission Australia, in the next hour. Around 122,000 people are experiencing homelessness, many of them Australia’s hidden homeless, on any given night.
Hearing these numbers can feel overwhelming. Mission Australia, however, are unswerving in their passion to serve the needs of these Australians, moving each one towards independence.
Mission Australia stand with individuals and families across the country to provide practical support, find suitable housing and target the main known causes of homelessness in a bid to prevent more people facing a night without a safe home.
As such, we are standing together with Mission Australia whose founding purpose is, “Inspired by Jesus Christ, Mission Australia exists to meet human need and to spread the knowledge of the love of God.”
Right now you can share your stories of how someone has stood with you through a difficult time, just as Mission Australia does with Australians in need.
Mission Australia believes homelessness can be ended in Australia. This instils great hope in me that one day, all Australians will be safe and warm throughout snuggle season.
To pray for the work of Mission Australia and find out more, click here.
Stand Together Day Awards: Who Will You Vote For?
By: Susan Holt
Inspired by the work of Mission Australia with Australia’s homeless community, the 2024 Stand Together Day Awards give you the opportunity to nominate someone who stood alongside you during a difficult moment in your life and honour their role in your story.
Every day, Mission Australia is working towards a goal of ending homelessness in Australia, delivering homelessness crisis and prevention services, collaborating with people in need to tackle the root causes of their challenges.
Mission Australia have been committed to standing together with Australians experiencing homelessness since 1859. In 2023, over 149,000 people were served through their tireless efforts.
As such, Mission Australia know how important it is to have someone stand alongside those who are struggling in life and, along with Christian Media and Arts Australia, have created the Stand Together Day Awards.
The Stand Together Day Awards exists to honour the people in your world who have stood with you, providing support through a challenging time that you have faced. All of us at some point face difficult times and all too often these times come unexpectedly.
We want to hear the stories of those who, like Mission Australia, have provided practical support and stood with you as you faced your most challenging times. Our hope is that through hearing these inspirational stories, we’ll see more and more people recognise their capacity to make a difference for those around them.
To make your nomination for the Stand Together Day Awards, fill in the nomination form here and tell us about you and the person you are nominating. Together, you could be heading to the Gold Coast, expenses paid, to receive the Stand Together Day Award at a special event, hosted by Christian Media and Arts Australia.
To find out more about Mission Australia and pray for their work, click here.
Voting is Now Open for the 2024 People’s Choice Awards
You have the power to decide who will be Australia’s favourite Christian Artists for 2024.
What does your favourite Christian music mean to you? Does it help you connect with God? Bring you peace? Or simply help you get through the day?
Now it’s your chance to vote for your favourite Christian artist.
Voting is open now – and will remain open until 5pm, Friday 16th August, 2024.
See who has been nominated and cast your vote for both your favourite Aussie and International artist.
The People’s Choice is a ’listener voted’ category in the Annual CMAA Excellence in Media Awards, celebrating the excellence, innovation and creativity of Christians in Media and Media Arts across Australia and New Zealand.
The People’s Choice Award is broken into two categories, Australian and International Christian Music Artists, with the top 5 artists being those who were the most played on radio in the past 12 months.*
The People’s Choice winners will be announced live from the Gold Coast at the Annual CMAA Excellence in Media Awards Tuesday evening, 24th September.
*In the spirit of championing a wide number of artists, winners of this category from the previous year take a 12 month hiatus from being nominated
Article thanks to Christian Media and Arts Australia
Power Up Your Commitment to Sustainability – World Earth Hour
By: Joni Boyd
Earth Hour is a grassroots movement which began in 2007. Best known for its “lights out” challenge, this year Aussies are also encouraged to get outdoors and do an activity of their choice every day for 60 minutes in the lead up to Earth Hour on 23 March.
Key points:
- Aussies are being encouraged to get outdoors for 60 minutes daily in the lead up to Earth Hour.
- Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction on the planet.
- Earth Hour is the world’s biggest grassroots movement.
“Earth Hour has grown into the world’s biggest grass root movement to protect our planet,” says Rachael Lance, Head of Individual Giving at WWF-Australia.
“Historically known for its signature lights out moment, where millions of people and landmarks around the world switch off their lights in support of stronger action on climate change and biodiversity, landmarks will still be switching off for Earth Hour this year but we’re also encouraging Aussies to make an impact beyond the hour by taking part in a new initiative called Challenge 60.
“From March 1st until Earth Hour on March 23rd, we’re challenging people to get out in nature and walk, run, swim, cycle for 60 minutes a day and raise funds to regenerate nature.
“The funds raised will drive critical conservation projects that help protect our wildlife and the planet.”
Landmarks will still be switching off for Earth Hour this year.
Research conducted by WWF Australia has revealed that we’re spending less time outdoors.
“30% of the Aussies surveyed admit their time spent outdoors has decreased by up to 50% in the past year,” Rachael says and explains that this has been linked to due to mindlessly scrolling our phones, heading back into the office full time and having a jam-packed social calendar.
“That’s one of the reasons we’ve launched a new challenge to encourage people to get active in nature for Earth Hour this year.”
We’re known around the world for our diversity of flora and fauna but sadly, our wildlife is suffering.
Climate change and nature lovers are two of the biggest threats facing people and wildlife here in Australia, with bushfires, floods and mass coral bleaching events taking their toll, among many other factors.
“We also have the highest mammal extinction rate in the world and our list of threatened species continues to grow.
“Our precious wildlife and wild places are on a really tragic trajectory and need us to urgently take action.”
The community-led movement is known for its signature “lights out” moment, with millions of people and landmarks around the world switching off their lights in support of stronger action on climate change and biodiversity loss. Landmarks will still be switching off for Earth Hour this year, with the addition of Challenge 60, a more personal challenge available to help individuals become more active and aware.
“We’d love for as many Aussies as possible to join us in switching off and getting active in nature to power up their commitment to a sustainable future,” Rachael says.
Register for Challenge 60 at earthhour.org.au.
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
About the author: Joni Boyd is a writer, based in the Hawkesbury Region of NSW. She is passionate about the power of stories shared, to transform lives.
Feature image: Photo by CanvaPro
Gender Pay Gap Report: “The time for excuses is over”
By: Mike Crooks
From women’s fashion retailers to a major jewellery chain, Australia’s gender pay gap has been laid bare.
Continue reading “Gender Pay Gap Report: “The time for excuses is over””
“We’re so proud to come back” for KING + COUNTRY Return
By: Laura Bennett
From our vantage point in Australia, the global success of Aussie brothers Luke and Joel Smallbone and their band For King & Country can feel intangible.
They’ve toured Europe and the Americas, won four Grammy Awards, collaborated with Dolly Parton, made two feature films including the upcoming Unsung Hero and continually feature on the Billboard and Dove Award winners list – and yet, because it all happens “over there” away from the shores they once called home, their impact can be overlooked.
However, this May and June, for KING + COUNTRY will bring the full force of their musical heritage to Australia.
“On our Homecoming Tour [we’ll] be bringing more of the bells and whistles [and] take a lot of what we’ve been doing here in the Northern Hemisphere down south more officially for the first time,” says Joel Smallbone.
Testing the waters in 2019 with what became two sold out shows at the Sydney Opera House, for KING + COUNTRY’s return to Australia solidifies what, at one point, they thought was an uncertain bond with their birth country.
“[In 2019] we were pretty frightened coming down.”
“It was our first official time as a band, and you know the adage a prophet’s not welcome in his hometown? We [knew] we still consider ourselves Australian, but do Australian’s still consider us Australian?”
“[But] there was this beautiful poetry to our returning to Australia, and our first event being at the Sydney Opera House.”
In the years since, the band have expanded into a more “theatrical space” with Joel appearing in the Christmas musical movie Journey to Bethlehem, and filming the upcoming feature film Unsung Hero which tells the story of the Smallbone’s disgraced exit from Australia in the 80’s, onto their success in the States beginning with the career of sister Rebecca St. James.
“[We’ve] told our family’s story from stage at nearly every concert we’ve ever done,” the band shared on Instagram.
“As many of you may know our Dad was a concert promoter in Australia, and on one particular tour things didn’t go very well and we lost everything that we had.”
“He got a job offer in Nashville, and thought it’d be a good idea to bring his 6 kids and his wife (who was pregnant at the time) to America, then shortly afterwards actually lost that job.
“It dawned on us about four years ago that this story of immigrating from Australia to America and all the adventures and challenges we’ve walked through in between was a story that needed to be told – so we made a movie.”
It might be easier said than done to make a movie, but there’s a tenacious pace and commitment for KING + COUNTRY seem to operate with that makes the achievement totally plausible.
Will they ever slow down?
“Creativity is seasonal,” Joel said.
“You get to a point in anything where you start asking yourself, ‘what is the next era of for KING + COUNTRY?’
“I think [the next era] has to do with stepping into a more theatrical space, [and] quality over quantity as far as touring [so we can] leave space for family and our wives and space to create in this season.
“I feel like there’s a change afoot.
“What that is we’re just going to stay sensitive to the spirit on, but we’re enjoying it and we’re not slowing down – don’t be worried.”
Tickets are on sale and selling fast – get yours now
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
About the Author: Laura Bennett is a media professional, broadcaster and writer from Sydney, Australia.
Take Time to Pause and Learn about Refugees this Refugee Week
By: Amy Cheng
The path to finding freedom can be a difficult one for refugees, but the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) would like that to change. Continue reading “Take Time to Pause and Learn about Refugees this Refugee Week”
Mother’s Day can be “Heartbreaking” for Many
By: Amy Cheng
As many celebrate Mother’s Day this Sunday, the day will be particularly difficult for those who don’t have mothers. Continue reading “Mother’s Day can be “Heartbreaking” for Many”