Australia’s Modern Slavery Act will be strengthened with a new criminal offence and civil penalties.

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland announced mid-July of proposed changes to the Modern Slavery Act, including a criminal offence which will apply where companies with annual consolidated revenue of more than $100 million fail to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains. The proposed offence includes a defence where companies can prove that they took reasonable steps to prevent such harm. 

David Braga, CEO of IJM Australia welcomed the announcement and the opportunity to consult on the proposed legislation.

“Modern slavery affects an estimated 50 million people across the world,” Mr Braga said.

“The International Labour Organisation estimates that half of those trapped in modern slavery are located the Asia Pacific, and frighteningly, one in four of those people are children.” 

International Justice Mission works to combat modern slavery across our region in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and South Asia. In 2025 across these countries, IJM and partners secured freedom for over 2,500 victims of forced labour and saw over 180 trafficking suspects charged. 2025 also saw 66 criminals convicted of trafficking offences as a result of IJM’s work.

“As a regional leader Australia must take a firm stance to stamp out this horrific practice. Adding a criminal offence is an important step to show how seriously the Albanese Government takes modern slavery.”

While Australia has existing provisions that require companies to report on the actions they are taking to assess and address risks of modern slavery in their supply chains, the proposed changes are a significant step in requiring companies to take stronger actions. IJM also welcomes the intention flagged by the Attorney-General to consult on options to provide remedies to victims. 

“Consultation will be important to lift up survivor voices and ensure that their experience is heard and understood alongside the experience of businesses in finalising this legislation,” Mr Braga added.

“In particular, we welcome consideration of remedies for victims as a key part of this process. We need to recognise the reality of modern slavery for real people and that the standard of living we enjoy in Australia, at times, comes at a horrific human cost.”

“What we cannot allow in the passage of this legislation is to see the intention dulled. This cannot be about profits at the cost of people. The Attorney-General has made clear that the intention of this legislation is to give the Modern Slavery Act the teeth it needs.”

“The Australian public expects the government to lead from the front on this issue, and IJM Australia is very pleased to be part of that process.”

Article supplied with thanks to IJM.

IJM is committed to protecting the dignity, privacy and safety of vulnerable people. Names, details and images may be changed or represented by actors to protect identities. All stories and images are used with informed consent and safeguarding practices.

Feature image: Canva

In this time of global unrest, is there room for the return of hope?

As this year opened with local unrest and worldwide conflict, a growing sense of instability and unpredictability took hold.

To better understand the impact of current events across our communities, researchers at McCrindle have researched our current responses to world events, comparing them with the ways we acted in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, publishing The Impact of Global Events on Australia’s Morale and Behaviour report.

“Taking the pulse of the nation matters because people matter. The best leaders understand people and this study provides the evidence needed to transition from reactive responses to strategic, empathy-based leadership,” the report stated.

From how Australians feel about safety through to their thoughts on electric vehicles, the report provides a window into how the community is responding to current events.

For more than a quarter of Australians the world doesn’t feel safe now

A sense of safety underpins strong communities, yet many Australians feel unsettled: 27% say the world feels unsafe, and concern about global conflict has risen sharply since 2023.

According to the report, “Younger generations are disproportionately affected by negative emotions, feeling more overwhelmed or scared than their older counterparts. This mirrors experiences from the pandemic.”

While most people feel safer close to home, this uncertainty can lead many to withdraw, spend less and stick to what feels familiar.

Building connection across our communities is essential in these volatile times.

Australians are divided on how long the Iran conflict might last

Behaviour is shaped more by perceived risk than present conditions, so expectations about the conflict’s duration reveal how deeply habits may shift.

Over a third of Australians (36%) expect the situation in Iran to stabilise within three months, while 28% anticipate instability lasting a year or longer.

Longer timelines can result in reductions in spending, investing and career moves as people try to manage their own risk.

Anxiety and frustration are higher now than in March 2020

Even though the Iran conflict is happening at a distance, it’s resulting in higher levels of anxiety and frustration than Covid 19 did for the average Australian.

While we might not feel as likely to be impacted by the unrest in Iran, our levels of frustration are higher, with 50% or Australians using the word to describe their current feelings about the conflict.

Younger generations are more likely to be feeling negative emotions

In Australia, Gen Z and Gen Y are feeling the impact even more than the older generations.

…people are changing what they do, reducing non-essential spending and travel and changing behaviour to support their own wellbeing through prayer, managing anxiety and turning off the news.

According to the report, “Younger generations are disproportionately affected by negative emotions, feeling more overwhelmed or scared than their older counterparts. This mirrors experiences from the pandemic.”

The majority of Australians are changing their behaviour as a response

While the conflict is happening on the other side of the world, the impact is being felt by Australian households and businesses every day. As a result, people are changing what they do, reducing non-essential spending and travel and changing behaviour to support their own wellbeing through prayer, managing anxiety and turning off the news.

“These shifts are important because they demonstrate a proactive focus on maintaining personal stability and resilience during times of uncertainty,” explains the report.

Even in these volatile times, the older generations are bringing stability to the country, with 36% of Gen X and 43% of Baby Boomers making no change to their routines.

The impact on cars and their drivers

It’s at the petrol pump that most Australians are feeling the impact of world events, with only 23% reporting no change in their driving habits due to petrol prices.

The pressure of rising fuel prices is also pushing more people to consider moving to electric vehicles either now or in the future, with 31% indicating that they are very open to making the switch and another 37% being somewhat or slightly interested.

What next? Leading through challenge

The truth is that with challenge also comes opportunity. Opportunity to do things differently, to engage communities together and to develop creative solutions to what is in front of us.

In the same way that Jeremiah called the Israelites to be fully committed to seeking the best for the place they were in, we too can choose to be wholehearted in bringing hope and life to our country even in uncertain times.

The report illustrates the opportunity we all face, to respond with hope and step up to lead those around us, in our families, workplaces and especially in the wider community.

In the same way that Jeremiah called the Israelites to be fully committed to seeking the best for the place they were in, we too can choose to be wholehearted in bringing hope and life to our country even in uncertain times.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

Feature image: Canva

His story is a testimony to his resilience, courage and the power of survivor-led advocacy.

Through his words and actions, Jerry is protecting children from ever experiencing the harm he once faced on Lake Volta – the largest man-made lake in the world. 

Like many children in vulnerable communities, Jerry was lured into exploitative labour by traffickers who promised food, education, and a better future. His mother thought that by sending Jerry away she was giving her son the chance of an education she would struggle to afford. Jerry estimates he was about nine years old when he left his home, believing he was stepping into a new chapter filled with opportunity. Instead, cruelty and exploitation awaited him. 

Jerry was forced into hazardous child labour on the Volta Lake. He spent his days hauling heavy fishing nets, his small hands swollen and bruised, while older fishermen barked orders and threats. He was beaten, starved, and denied rest. On his very first day, he nearly drowned. The dream of security and education quickly dissolved into a daily struggle for survival.  

“I was supposed to be there for four years,” Jerry recalls, “but two years in, my mother learned the truth, how I was beaten, starved, and forced to work without rest. She fought to bring me home.” 

Jerry’s mother, a quiet but determined woman, was devastated when she discovered what had happened to her son. Another mother in the community had shared the truth with her, and from that moment, she vowed to rescue him. 

“When I heard what was happening to my son, my heart broke,” she says.

Jerry returned home malnourished and traumatised, but with a fierce determination to reclaim his life. He walked back into a classroom, ready to pursue the education that had once been promised to him. 

His journey to freedom was not easy

The scars, both physical and emotional, ran deep. But Jerry refused to let his past define him. 

Today, he is a pupil teacher and a passionate advocate against child trafficking. In the classroom, he is admired not only for his dedication but for the strength of his character. 

“Jerry is one of the most hardworking young men I have ever met,” says one of his senior colleagues. “He gives back to this community, ensuring no child goes through what he did.” 

In 2022, Jerry met Josephine Aparo as a chapter of survivors was forming in his region, and Jerry was voted in as leader of the Courageous Crew chapter of the Ghana Survivor Network. 

The Ghana Survivor Network, in alliance with the Global Survivor Network (GSN), is a group of survivor leaders who desire and pursue safe communities through justice systems that protect the most vulnerable from violence.

Now, Jerry works tirelessly to educate families about the dangers of trafficking. He collaborates with law enforcement and NGOs, speaking at community gatherings and warning parents about deceptive tactics used by traffickers. Despite facing stigma and threats, he remains resolute. “There is a stigma,” Jerry admits. “Some people see us as damaged. Others think we should just move on. But I refuse to be silent. I know what it means to suffer. And if I can stop even one child from going through what I did, then my pain has meaning.”

“No child deserves what I went through,” he says. “If you see something, say something. If you suspect trafficking, report it. Together, we can end this.”  

From the shores of Lake Volta to the frontlines of community activism, Jerry walks forward with purpose. His past fuels his mission, and his voice carries the weight of experience and the promise of change. 

Article supplied with thanks to IJM

IJM is committed to protecting the dignity, privacy and safety of vulnerable people. Names, details and images may be changed or represented by actors to protect identities. All stories and images are used with informed consent and safeguarding practices.

Feature image: Supplied

International Justice Mission Warns of Growing Forced Scamming Crisis.

30 July marks World Day Against Trafficking in Persons – a global day dedicated to raising awareness about human trafficking and promoting the protection and rights of victims and survivors.

International Justice Mission (IJM) Australia CEO David Braga said, “Human trafficking is a crime that thrives on vulnerability, denying people their freedom, dignity, and fundamental human rights. It affects millions of people worldwide and takes many forms, including forced labour, sexual exploitation and forced criminality.

This year’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons aims to raise awareness of trafficking into forced criminality in online scam centres, also known as forced scamming.

 “Forced scamming is a rapidly evolving form of human trafficking where victims are trafficked via fake job ads, stripped of documents and confined in guarded compounds under threats of violence and torture where they are forced to run lucrative online scams, such as crypto fraud and sextortion.”

“This human trafficking crisis has its roots in Southeast Asia in countries including Cambodia and Myanmar and is expanding globally to set up operations in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, affecting hundreds of thousands of trafficking victims – often vulnerable migrant workers from over 80 countries around the world.

Archangela* is an Indonesian survivor of forced scamming in Manila who IJM assisted and is now a founding director of the United Resilience Network. She said, “I hope what I went through never happens to anyone else—the ordeal I experienced as a victim of human trafficking… It was a decision I made in the midst of my vulnerability, driven by fear and anxiety about meeting my basic needs and securing my future.

“I faced many challenges in trying to return home and escape this terrifying situation, such as exorbitant fines imposed by the company… I had to work for hours on end if targets weren’t met or if I had to put in long hours; on top of that, various punishments awaited me, and I never received the salary I had hoped for,” Archangela said.

IJM has worked to support over 2,700 people whom we have determined to be victims of forced scamming in Southeast Asia’s scam compounds. We have secured 18 convictions against scam bosses responsible for human trafficking offences, including a landmark 30-year sentence handed down in Thailand and recently three sentences of life imprisonment in the Philippines.

“IJM is also partnering with tech platforms to monitor and remove fraudulent recruitment ads targeting potential trafficking victims. We have collaborated with the UNODC on the #TrappedInScamCrime awareness campaign aimed at preventing trafficking into online scamming, and are supporting survivor-led movements like the United Resilience Network who are shaping solutions to this crisis,” Mr Braga said.

As communities around the world mark World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, IJM is encouraging Australians to learn more about the realities of modern slavery and the role each of us can play in helping end violence and exploitation against vulnerable people. You can read more here.

*Pseudonym used to protect the identity of this survivor.

Article supplied with thanks to IJM

IJM is committed to protecting the dignity, privacy and safety of vulnerable people. Names, details and images may be changed or represented by actors to protect identities. All stories and images are used with informed consent and safeguarding practices.

Feature image: Canva

As lives are thrown into chaos amongst the devastation, kindness and care matters more than ever.

The people of Venezuela are reeling after two 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck within minutes on Wednesday, June 24.  The quakes collapsed buildings, leaving people trapped inside. Aftershocks continue to trigger distress in an already devastating situation.

As the death toll rises to 1,700 people, with more than 3,200 injured, tens of thousands of people remain missing.  Search and rescue teams continue to look for signs of life, with civilians digging through debris with their hands and shovels, calling out for survivors.

Christian media disaster response partner Convoy of Hope is already working locally, providing vital emergency supplies and support. Joel A’Bell, National Director of Convoy of Hope Australia and New Zealand said that an estimated 1.8million people, including 680,000 children, are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

“Convoy of Hope is on the ground providing people with essential relief including hygiene kits, food, bottled water and warm meals from mobile kitchens,” he said. 

“In times like these, kindness to other humans in need matters. We are reaching families whose lives have been overturned.”

“Convoy of Hope is committed to restoring hope and providing long-term support to aid children and families in Venezuela as they face the difficult journey of recovery.”

“Please join us in prayer for the situation, and give towards relief efforts if you’re able to,” said Mr A’Bell.

This is Convoy of Hope’s 50th disaster response of 2026.  You can donate towards relief efforts at convoyofhope.org.au 

Convoy of Hope is a faith-based, humanitarian organisation that delivers hope where it’s needed most.

Feature image: Supplied (Kirsten Jennings, Convoy of Hope)

This documentary reveals the struggles behind the success

The documentary offers an intimate look at Australian brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone, charting their journey from early struggles to global success. While many fans were introduced to their story through the 2024 biopic Unsung Hero, this latest project goes further, revealing the challenges and defining moments that shaped their careers and faith.

Originally announced in October 2025, the film was billed as an “intimate” portrait that would give fans an inside look at the band’s journey, including years of failed starts, industry rejection and health battles.

Speaking about the documentary, Joel highlighted just how personal the project became.

“[The documentary] was kind of an opportunity to peek behind the curtain at the struggle and the visceral bits, the illness and the ego and the issues we faced as a family and then the grace of God literally weaving the narrative together,” Joel shared.

The film has been described by the brothers as a companion piece to Unsung Hero, but with a grittier and more reflective tone. It dives into pivotal moments in their lives — including career setbacks, family challenges and health struggles — and how those experiences ultimately shaped their music and message.

Luke also reflected on how those lived experiences have influenced their songwriting. “I’m not a good enough songwriter to write songs about things I don’t care about… I need the songs to feel like we’ve lived them,” Luke said.

For Australian audiences, the arrival of for KING + COUNTRY: NO TURNING BACK marks the first opportunity to see this chapter of the Smallbones’ story unfold on screen. The documentary combines archival footage, behind-the-scenes moments and personal reflections to paint a full picture of the duo’s journey from Australia to international success.

for KING + COUNTRY: NO TURNING BACK is rated PG.

This article was researched and prepared by Rise 96.5 staff writers, with assistance from AI in its presentation. Final review and fact-checking was undertaken by our Digital Team prior to publication.

Article supplied with thanks to 96five.

Feature image: Supplied

Every five years, the Census gives Australia a shared moment to reflect on who we are and how we live.

Read more: Why the Census matters to Christians in Australia

It is more than a statistical exercise. The Census helps governments, institutions and communities understand how Australia is changing, and how to plan funding, services and support for the years ahead.

For Christians in Australia, this matters.

Our faith is not simply a private belief. It shapes how we worship, serve, gather, raise families, care for others, build community and contribute to public life.

When the Census asks about religion, it is asking a question that connects directly with identity, belonging and the role faith continues to play in Australian society.

More Than a Box to Tick

For many Christians, answering the religion question may feel straightforward.

If Christian faith is part of your life, your worship, your community and your understanding of who you are, then the Census is one way that identity is recognised in the national picture.

But the question still matters.

The Census does not measure the depth of anyone’s faith. It cannot capture prayer, discipleship, service, church life, generosity, conviction or devotion.

What it can do is record how many people in Australia identify with Christianity.

That makes the question important, because what is recorded helps shape how Australia understands its communities.

Faith Has a Public Presence

Christianity in Australia is lived out in many visible ways.

It is seen in churches, schools, hospitals, aged care, charities, chaplaincy, community services, crisis support, family life and everyday acts of service.

It is present when Christians gather for worship, care for neighbours, support the vulnerable, educate children, visit the lonely, pray in times of hardship and serve their local communities.

The Census helps show that faith is not absent from Australian life. It remains part of the story of who we are.

Why Visibility Matters

Census data informs how governments, organisations and communities understand the nation.

Religious identification data contributes to the broader picture used in planning services, understanding community needs, supporting cultural and social research, and recognising the role different communities play in public life.

If Christian identity is under-recognised in the data, the contribution and presence of Christian communities can become less visible in the national conversation.

This is not about seeking special treatment.

It is about truthful representation.

Answering With Clarity

For Christians, the Census is an opportunity to answer clearly and thoughtfully.

The religion question is not asking how often you attend church, how strong your faith feels, or whether you meet someone else’s standard of religious commitment.

It is asking how you identify.

For those who identify as Christian, the answer matters because it contributes to a fuller and more accurate picture of Australia.

Helping Others Understand the Question

Many Christians also have family members, friends or neighbours who may have a connection to Christianity, even if they are unsure how to answer the religion question.

Some may have been shaped by Christian family, schooling, community, prayer, tradition or values, but may not immediately think of themselves as “religious”.

This is not something to force or assume.

But it may be something worth discussing gently and honestly.

The aim is not to persuade people to choose an answer that does not feel true. It is to help people understand the question and respond in a way that reflects their own story.

A Moment for Reflection

The Census gives each person a simple but meaningful opportunity to reflect.

What is my faith?

How do I identify?

What story does my answer tell?

For Christians, this is a chance to be counted clearly as part of the national picture.

Not defensively. Not politically. Not to make a point.

Simply truthfully.

A Broader Picture of National Identity

Australia is changing, and so is how people understand belief and identity.

The Census doesn’t resolve these complexities, but it does record them. Those records shape how Australia understands itself over time.

For Christians, this isn’t about defending a position. It’s about being clear on how our identity is communicated in the public square.

Because in the end, the Census is not just about categories.

It is about people, stories, and how a nation learns to understand itself.

And that is something worth getting right.

Article supplied with thanks to Christian Media & Arts Australia.

Is it riskier to be Christian in Australia today?

Millions of Christians across Australia are being forced to keep their religious beliefs secret despite society “championing” other religions, according to Australia’s first comprehensive audit of Christian freedom.

The Australian Christian Freedom Index report benchmarks legal, institutional, social and cultural pressures on Christians in 2026.

Its survey of 10,808 Christians found an overwhelming majority (92%) saying it is riskier to identify as a Christian in Australia today, than it was five years ago.

Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) CEO Michelle Pearse who is one of 11 co-authors, revealed 73% of Christians felt pressured to keep their religious beliefs private at work, online and in public.

“Christians are self-censoring, their freedoms are being eroded”

The ACL boss declared that in Australia, Christian beliefs underpin our values, our democracy, our way of life and Christians should not be discriminated against, persecuted or made to hide their faith.

But they are.

“Nearly half (43.9%) of all Australians are Christians who find themselves living in a country where they are self-censoring, where institutions don’t feel protected, and our freedom of religion and speech are being eroded,” Ms. Pearse observed.

The report which analysed documented cases of persecution and scores of Acts of Parliament from nine jursidictions, was launched at a breakfast at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday May 28, with cross-party MPs and church leaders among those receiving a hand-signed copy.

Seven of the report’s 11 authors addressed the event.

“Prayer is criminalised, sermons attract vilification complaints”

According to the 108-page report, laws and regulations about healthcare referral mandates for euthanasia and abortion; rules and regulations about teaching and praying about sexuality; and vilification laws, have all contributed to a worsening environment for Christians.

It ranks Victoria as the most restrictive state in the country for Christians followed in order by the ACT, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

Western Australia was the least restrictive.

Pastoral conversations and certain forms of prayer are now criminalised under Victoria’s conversion practices legislation; sermons on Biblical sexuality can attract vilification complaints; and Christian schools face narrowed hiring exemptions.

“74 Acts of Parliament restrict Christian freedoms”

Human Rights Law Alliance Principal Lawyer and report co-author John Steenhof said a legislative audit found 74 Acts restricting Christian freedoms introduced in the past 25 years.

Almost half of them in the past five years.

“Legislative overreach has tripled in the past five years, and the Index reports more than 40 cases of discrimination and persecution of Christians across Australia,” Mr. Steenhof said.

“Workplaces are among the most high-risk [environments] with education and healthcare the most pressured sectors.”

“Public servants are sanctioned for their faith, HR depts are weaponised”

“We’re seeing public servants being sanctioned because of their beliefs and HR departments being weaponised to remove Christians from the workplace,” Ms. Pearse reported..

“We heard one story of a lady who wears a crucifix to work.”

“She was told by the leadership in her workplace that it was disrespectful for her to wear the crucifix when there were Muslims in the workplace.”

“The Muslims were allowed to wear the hijab, but she was confronted about wearing the cross.”

“Inclusivity stops at the point of including Christians”

“As a society, we champion tolerance and inclusivity as the greatest of values, but what’s come through clearly in this report is that Christian belief is not tolerated.”

“Inclusivity stops at the point of including Christians,” Michelle Pearse asserted.

A majority (92%) of Christians surveyed said hospitals and healthcare workers were restricted or not free to operate according to their beliefs.

Religious freedom is “being plundered” amid attempts to remove faith from public square

“The right to religious freedom is being plundered in Australia,” said Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney Anthony Percy.

“This Index lays the ground for some rearguard action.”

Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher said the Index brought to light “recent attempts to minimise the role of faith in everyday life and exclude it altogether from the public square.”

Former Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies said the report “carefully analyses the erosion of freedoms in our country over 40 years or more,” and called on parliamentarians and religious leaders to read it.

What action the report recommends

The Index makes 42 recommendations including a Register to document anti-Christian incidents.

Other recommendations include restoring religious hiring exemptions for faith-based schools and institutions across all jurisdictions, and ending compelled participation in abortion and voluntary assisted dying for healthcare workers and institutions with conscientious objections.

The report identified six primary drivers of discrimination against Australian Christians — four external, two internal.

Drivers of anti-Christian discrimination

• Secular progressivism has recast Biblically orthodox belief as social harm
• An expanding state apparatus has given that moral vision legal teeth
• The combined effect is a legal asymmetry in which religious freedom rests on narrow exemptions that can be litigated away or later repealed
• Islamist extremism as documented in the high-profile 2024 stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel
• Doctrinal drift where institutions accommodate secular-progressive values at the cost of legal protection for those who will not
• Misplaced meekness: The belief that Christian humility requires silence in the face of injustice.

The Index is an initiative of the Canberra Declaration which produced it with the support of the Australian Christian Lobby, FamilyVoice Australia, the Human Rights Law Alliance, CitizenGo and the Australian Family Coalition.

It will be published annually.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision Christian Media – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.

Feature image: Canva

Global Christianity is growing and shifting, with new challenges and opportunities shaping how believers live out their faith today.

The latest ‘Status of Global Christianity 2026’ report from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary offers a clear snapshot of how Christianity is changing around the world.

According to the report, there are now more than 2.67 billion Christians globally, up from around 2.5 billion in 2020.

Yet their share of the world’s population remains relatively steady at around 32 per cent. This points to an important reality. Christianity is not declining globally, but it is shifting.

The centre of the Church is changing

One of the most significant developments is the movement of Christianity away from the Global North and towards the Global South.

Africa alone now accounts for almost 780 million Christians, making it one of the fastest-growing regions for the faith.

At the same time, Christianity in Europe is gradually declining, with numbers projected to fall further in the coming decades. This shift does not mean the Church is weakening, but it is becoming more global.

The mission is still unfinished

Alongside growth, the report highlights a significant challenge.

Other religions are also growing, with the global Muslim population now exceeding 2.1 billion and increasing at a faster annual rate than Christianity. This is reshaping the global religious landscape and increasing the importance of Christian witness.

Growth brings both strength and responsibility

There are many encouraging signs. Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity continues to expand rapidly, with more than 670 million believers worldwide.

There has also been strong growth in Bible translation, with the New Testament now available in over 2600 languages, opening access to Scripture for more people than ever before.

At the same time, challenges remain. Global Christian giving has surpassed $1 trillion annually, yet financial misuse within church contexts is also rising. These trends highlight that growth in numbers must be matched by integrity and maturity.

What this means for Christians today

The report is not only about statistics. It is a reminder of how the Church is called to live and respond.

It shows that Christianity is no longer centred in one culture or region but expressed across diverse communities around the world. It also reinforces that the mission of sharing the Gospel is ongoing.

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19 NIV)

In a world that continues to change, the call to follow Christ does not.

This article was prepared with AI assistance and then carefully reviewed, fact-checked, and edited by our Digital Team.

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

Feature image: Canva

Swedish-born songwriter Jonas Myrin reflects on his own full circle moment as Delta Goodrem’s Eurovision entry Eclipse reached the world stage.

In May last year Jonas was invited by Delta to collaborate on what she hoped would become her Eurovision entry. Jonas presented the “seed of the idea” for Eclipse, and together with songwriters Michael Fatkin and Ferras completed the successful submission. When it was sung on the Eurovision stage for the first time during the semifinals, Jonas had a surreal moment of gratefulness for what God had done.

“I have to pinch myself and say to my 9-year-old self, ‘Look what God can do’,” Jonas said.

“Look what happened, when you have a dream in your heart and when you stay true to that dream and don’t compromise on the way and just follow that heart.

“Standing in the arena and seeing 15,000 people sing along to every word of this song that started as a small idea made me so grateful.”

With Delta marking our 11th entry into Eurovision, Australia are relative newcomers to the competition but in Europe the event isn’t just a song contest – it’s part of the “cultural history”.

“Growing up in a small town in Sweden I remember watching [Swedish entry] Carola Häggvist win in 1991 and feeling the magnitude of what the stage represented for us back then,” Jonas said.

“It was this global stage and Sweden got to win.

“I was just a little kid, but it made such a big impact on me.”

During this year’s contest Jonas has become an “honourary Australian”, seeing countless messages of support pour in for Delta and “carrying the vision” of what they wanted to achieve with Eclipse.

“I wanted to reflect the Eurovision Song Contest’s message about being united by music, and alignment between creation and alignment in life,” Jonas shared.

“Alignment in creation is the eclipse when the sun and moon – two opposite things – meet in this divine, miraculous moment.

“To represent Australia and a message of hope, with a song of hope, in these times is such a privilege as co-writer.”

Delta has spoken often about how former Eurovision entrants Olivia Newton-John (her mentor) and Celine Dion inspired her on her journey to Vienna, and Jonas knows she did them proud.

“Watching her this week has just been amazing,” Jonas said.

“Delta’s mission has always been to touch people through her music, [and] she has such an ease and flow and a grace about her.

“In that third chorus [of Eclipse], she’s being elevated into the sky, and she just does it so effortlessly, like she can just make anything come alive.”

After Eurovision the focus now turns to the November release of Delta’s next album Pure, on which Jonas is also a collaborator.

“Delta is entering an incredibly powerful creative season,” Jonas said.

“Pure has some really beautiful songs that come from really personal and emotional places from all of us who’ve been part of this process.

“Delta poured her own heart into this album, [and] what I love so much working with her is that she’s not just an amazing singer and performer, but she’s a great musician.

“Collaborating with her – not just as a singer, but as a writer and musician – has been such a joy.”

Jonas’ message to the fans that supported Delta through Eurovision is simple: thank you.

“We are overwhelmed by the love, by the support, by all the messages,” Jonas said.

“Thank you to the Hope listeners for also being part of this journey, for your prayers, for your encouragement and for your lovely messages on Instagram and social media.

“It’s been so, so fun to do this journey together with Australia.”

Young Jonas wouldn’t believe it.

“That’s probably been the most incredible gift of this Eurovision adventure, for young Jonas in Sweden, seeing that one day he would be standing on the other side [of the stage] and have a song that’s done so well.

“It’s such an amazing privilege.”

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

About the Author: Laura Bennett is a media professional, broadcaster and writer from Sydney, Australia.

Feature image: Supplied