Victorian Council of Churches

07/09/2026

Overlooking the change to the subject line, but it's definitely 7th SEPTEMBER 2026.

Tuesday 8th September 12-1.30pm Boys, Belonging and the Manosphere: Early Action in a Digital Age Information and registration  Wednesday 9th September, 6-7pm Beyond “tough on crime”: preventing youth offending with early support, strong families and connected communities Information and Regist...

01/09/2026

Humanity must stop pretending it doesn't know what it's doing to the Earth.

That's the message from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, marking 1 September as both the start of the Orthodox ecclesiastical year and the Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Natural Environment, an observance the Ecumenical Patriarchate established in 1989 and which now brings Christian communities together worldwide: "a symbol and practical promotion of the unity of Christians," as he put it.

"Humanity must at last cease acting as though it does not know and definitively cast aside the illusion that planet Earth can in perpetuity withstand the burdens and destruction caused by human activity, or that nature has the power to renew itself of its own accord."

He's calling for "ecological responsibility" to become "a categorical imperative," for individuals and for humanity as a whole, pointing to the Gospel's parable of the "foolish rich man" as a warning against the consumerism still driving the crisis. What's needed, he says, is nothing less than a "Copernican Turn" in how we understand progress and creation itself.

Read the Patriarch's full message, and find out how your community can join the Season of Creation 👉 https://www.oikoumene.org/news/patriarch-bartholomew-calls-for-global-ecological-solidarity

➡️ More about Season of Creation: https://www.oikoumene.org/news/wcc-to-join-season-of-creation-prayer-amid-climate-extremes

📷 Albin Hillert/WCC

01/09/2026

The Victorian Council of Churches is one of the peak faith bodies on the Faith Communities Council of Victoria, which has issued a statement on the Nepal-Tibet floods.

30/08/2026

30/08/2026

A candlelight vigil organised by the Nepalese community will be held tonight (31 August) to remember those killed in the Nepal Floods.
6.30pm, Federation Square

25/08/2026

https://multiculturalyouthawards.com.au/nominations

Multicultural Youth Award nominations close 31 August.

Is there someone in your network you could consider nominating?

A nominee is eligible if they:

have a culturally diverse background.
are within the age range of 16 – 30 years old.
reside in Australia (for individuals); or
are part of a community or volunteer organisation, service provider, government agency or business nominated for a specific project, program or initiative that benefits Australians.

Would be great to see some young adult leaders in our churches be nominated for the Multicultural Youth Awards.

A national awards platform recognising diverse achievements, resilience, community impact and emerging leadership of Australia's multicultural youth.

17/08/2026

PIEN Palestine Israel Ecumenical Network e-news

To all those who attended and helped with the ‘Bearing Witness: Palestinian Christian Voices’ tour, a huge thank you. Many hearts and minds were impacted by what was shared by Dr. Yousef Khoury and Dr. Lamma Mansour.

14/08/2026

Australia’s Catholic bishops have called for a “culture of encounter” to combat growing polarisation, racism and social isolation, warning that disagreement must never become an excuse for hatred, abuse or violence.

14/08/2026

Motion 24.1 at the Anglican Church of Australia’s General Synod

The motion, moved by Mr Howard Benson, and seconded by Canon Dr Dianne Rayson draws on Anglican Board of Mission report on the impact of the conflict in the Middle East, particularly on the Diocese of Jerusalem and the Al Ahli Arab Hospital and its field clinic at Al Ahli Kahn Younis in Gaza.

In passing the motion, General Synod:

1. Noted critical shortages of medicine and medical supplies, and critical shortages of food and clean water, with an estimated ten thousand children living with life-changing injuries.

2. Encouraged the members of General Synod to pray for the work of the ministry of the Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East and the ministry of the Diocese of Jerusalem and the Anglican Board of Mission Australia in that diocese.

“This motion is a meaningful step by the Anglican Church of Australia to stand with Palestinian Christians in this moment of profound suffering,” said John Na’em Snobar, Director of Advocacy for Palestinian Christians in Australia. “As the grandson of Bishop Faik Ibrahim Haddad, the first Palestinian Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem, I know how much it means for our church family to have its voice heard and its suffering acknowledged by the wider Communion. We thank General Synod for its overwhelming support and call on all Australians of faith to keep praying for, and acting in solidarity with, our brothers and sisters in Gaza and the West Bank.”