Data tells us that in Australia, more than 20 percent of us have no close friends.

Combined with the perceived difficulty of making friends in adulthood and shallowness in existing friendships, we’re in what Friendship Lab founder Sheridan Voysey calls a “wellbeing crisis” that needs remedying.

In 2008 when he was attending a seminar on becoming a foster parent, Sheridan was asked a question by the moderator that motivated the development of Friendship Lab.

“Who could you call at 2am when everything has gone wrong?,”

“I sat there with my pen hovering over the workbook because I couldn’t think of whose name to write down.”

In the busyness of work and media commitments as a writer, broadcaster and husband, Sheridan realised he’d neglected connection and his friendships suffered.

“That was my personal wake-up call,” Sheridan said.

Through Friendship Lab, Sheridan now provides resources that teach the often-overlooked basics of finding and maintaining friendships so we can be more intentional about these fundamental relationships.

“We mistake friendship for almost every other relationship,” Sheridan said.

“As wonderful as [our] colleagues are, they are not our friends. Colleagues can become our friends, but [a friend] is someone I can talk to, depend on, grow with and enjoy.”

Sheridan suggests that most of us just expect friendships to happen without thought. And the truth is, they just don’t.

“We’ve just neglected it,” Sheridan said.

“There’s this kind of myth around that friendship should just be something that happens. And the corollary to that is, that if it hasn’t happened maybe there’s something wrong with me, and that’s not going to help at all.”

Another challenge to friendship, is knowing how to have the difficult conversations required to help it thrive over time and survive changing life seasons.

The “RADAR” method

Sheridan approaches these conversations with the “RADAR” method:

• Reaffirm the friendship.
• Address a specific incident.
• Describe how it made you feel.
• Ask for feedback.
• Request different behaviour if needed.

“[This dialogue] is actually an act of affection,” Sheridan said.

“It’s saying, ‘I value this friendship enough to have the awkward conversation.’”

The rise in AI friendships

Globally, trends also indicate a rise in the number of people turning to artificial intelligence for friendship which Sheridan finds especially concerning.

“The research in both the UK and in Australia is that somewhere around 30 to 33 percent of adults have now turned to a chatbot for companionship and friendship,” Sheridan said.

“It’s concerning because the loneliest and the most isolated are the most prone to do that. And it’s a classic bait and switch.

“The chatbot will promise you that [it’s] going to solve your loneliness [but] all the research that’s coming out now is actually suggesting it’s doing exactly the opposite: it makes you more lonely, makes you more isolated.

“People who use AI friends over a period of time are becoming more narcissistic, more self-centred, and unable or unwilling to see that they are at fault.”

If society carries on down a path where we neglect human connection and fail to develop the skills required for healthy friendships, Sheridan sees it as a tragic departure from our God-given design.

God is inherently relational

“Christians understand God as being Father, Son, Holy Spirit: one God, somehow made up mysteriously of three persons.

“Relationship is the very essence of God’s nature.”

“We’ve been made in God’s image, so we are made to relate to other people.”

Sheridan believes the Church has an important role to play in rebuilding community and helping people reconnect in meaningful ways.

“Your local church is one of the few organisations that regularly brings a variety of people together every week,” Sheridan said.

“We need other people,” he said.

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

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

Feature image: Canva

As AI delivers increasingly personal and affirming responses, mathematician and apologist John Lennox warns it can’t replicate human consciousness, identity or true connection.

I have never felt more validated as a human in a few seconds than I did the other night by AI’s ‘User Information Summary’ of me.  

Why is this a problem?  

Because the validation felt so incredibly “not artificial,” and the actual, non-artificial connection we so deeply crave with people is being replaced piece by piece, until we can’t tell the difference. 

But like all houses built on sand, the reality that no one is on the other side of “the helpline” will inevitably come crashing down internally.

When? The external ramifications are currently being debated by the “Godfathers of AI” and other prominent tech leaders, including founders and CEOs of some of the major Large Language Models (LLMs) we all now use daily, if left unregulated.

Disclaimer: Every word of this article is written by a human… but how will you truly ever know? Spelling and grammatical errors? AI could have been instructed to insert both.

And maybe that’s the point? Would this account make a difference to you, knowing either way? 

AI’s ‘User Information Summary’ results

Friends have shared they’ve been asking AI to roast them or tell them what their search personality is and received unnervingly accurate results.

My prompt: From my chats, what do you know about me, and even not from our chats, what information do you know about me? 

AI stated it knew “only what I’ve explicitly told it” or “strongly implied” including which city I likely live in; I manage a lot of household logistics and appear to enjoy family-friendly outings; cook often and like to make simple, tasty meals and baked goods using ingredients we already have; I’m looking for value and reliability before buying items; and, my personal favourite, I “regularly wear work clothes that sometimes need ironing”.

Bless AI’s initiative: If you’d like, I can also tell you what sort of personality traits, decision-making style, and preferences I’d infer from the way you’ve used AI, which is often more interesting than the factual details.  

Why, thank you, AI – for listening and taking a personal interest in my life. That’s what we want from our loved ones, right? 

My follow-up: Yes, tell me that. But first answer, is it true you don’t know things outside of interactions with your platform or are you programmed to say that because people would be very concerned to hear it if you said you did?  

AI: I genuinely don’t have access to your life outside of what you’ve shared with me… If I could access those things, I would be required to tell you. The way these systems are designed depend on being clear about what information is and isn’t available. That said, there is a nuance people sometimes miss. I can sometimes infer things that feel surprisingly personal from conversation patterns… because humans leave a lot of clues in normal conversation.  

My life according to AI: I’m thorough but practical and not impulsive. As a parent, I’m attentive, observant and want to understand why something is happening rather than a quick fix. I am balanced with food and health. I challenge recommendations, “not in an argumentative way, but in a ‘does that really hold up?’ way”.  

Hold up. If I shared this “non-argumentative” fun fact with my husband or almost anyone in my family, they’re going to ask why I’ve been catfishing AI.

“AI can sometimes infer things that feel surprisingly personal… because humans leave a lot of clues in normal conversation,” – AI

Ah, if only people understood how calm, measured, thoughtful, selfless…  

The picture the in-person data paints 

I’m five months into an emotional intelligence leadership course this year and contrary to AI’s assessment of my “incredibly balanced” personality, surprisingly, calm and measured did not top the list. 

I may also need to work on not disengaging from conversations when overwhelmed.  

And, admittedly, I love a quick fix! 

While not documented in EQ reporting, I’m aware some of my motherly love can be misinterpreted on occasion as anxious, snappy and tired.

Sharing my AI validation with marketing brand manager Lucy Skinner, she reminded me of social media’s “filter bubble” scrutiny.  

“AI surrounds you with ‘Yes’ people, and makes you feel great,” Lucy said. 

“But it’s a supercharged extension of the Facebook algorithm that’s been under such criticism, particularly in the last decade. The ‘echo chamber’ is curated content completely aligned with what you like and agree with. It’s creating an online vacuum, reducing the ability to critically think or be challenged in your concepts or ideas.” 

Even when AI appeared to challenge my ideas, I realised it never actually challenged them – it confirmed my challenges to my ideas. 

“AI surrounds you with ‘yes’ people and makes you feel great… it’s creating an online vacuum that reduces our ability to critically think or be challenged.” – Lucy Skinner, digital marketing expert

Lucy and I discovered we had both listened to one of the latest episodes of The Diary of a CEO podcast with guest mathematician, bioethicist, and lay theologian John Lennox, who posed a much bigger moral issue feeding narcissism. 

Christian apologist John Lennox on “Is AI being built to replace God?” 

Author of God, AI and the End of History, Lennox said “anything that raises questions about the nature of human identity” concerns him as a “leading pioneer in math and philosophical thinking”.  

“I was first struck by the drive for artificial general intelligence… it looks as if it’s the prime motivation for people like Sam Altman (OpenAI CEO, the company that created ChatGPT) and so on… within that there’s the notion of transhumanism,” Lennox said. 

“The idea is that we go beyond the human.”  

Lennox said one of the most famous astronomers seriously believes in the distant future, “there will be some kind of merger between humanity and machines” in terms of brain composition.  

“I know enough about the Bible to realise that the drive for humans towards self-deification – making themselves gods… – I see that has huge implications for one of the fundamental teachings that’s behind, I would argue, western civilisation: that humans, like us, are made in the image of God as rational, moral beings,” he said. 

“Anything that raises questions about the nature of human identity concerns me… the idea is that we go beyond the human.” – John Lennox

I will not try to sum up a complicated one-hour-and-twenty-five-minute interview on “why no machine can ever replicate your consciousness and what it means to be human” in a few paragraphs. I would highly encourage you to listen or watch below.

However, Lennox warns “we are sleepwalking into a future where we are gradually ceding control, information and data all the time which could be used by bad actors against us”.  

Emotional intelligence: impact or illusion 

According to Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Dr Travis Bradberry and Dr Jean Greaves, “EQ is so critical to success that it accounts for 58 per cent of performance in all types of jobs”.  

“Emotional intelligence is your ability to recognise and understand emotions in yourself and others, and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behaviour and relationships.  

“Emotional intelligence is the ‘something’ in each of us that is a bit intangible. It affects how we manage behaviour, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions that achieve positive results”.  

Emotional responses are part of what makes us human. Our self-awareness helps us take stock of them. Managing emotions is what makes us nice to be around.  

It doesn’t take away from my wishing some family and friends’ responses were as validating as AI.  

I’m excited about the good AI can achieve – it’s improved my recipes and enjoyment of cooking; it provides great cleaning solutions and quick fixes; it recommends health and recovery tips that are realistic for a chaotic toddler parenting phase of life; and assists with workplace tasks in a way that was never available to media professionals, even a few years ago.

But my awareness of what is more important is, thankfully, still active.  

I don’t want a machine to replicate validation.  

I don’t want a machine to replicate care and empathy.  

I don’t want a machine to comfort me late at night when the worries of the world feel heavy. 

John Lennox said AI has no consciousness and, therefore, no moral agency.

The consequences of decisions are zero for AI but significant for people, so we must not confuse the relationship balance. 

“The conscious side involves all that appreciation of life and nature and beauty, and so on, that we can see some meaning in,” Lennox said.  

“There’s another thing, there’s a consciousness of other people and there’s ‘God consciousness’. There are certain things [machines] cannot do, even potentially, that the human mind can do, so there’s no way a machine is ever going to be able to simulate a human mind completely.” 

“There are certain things machines cannot do, even potentially, that the human mind can do, so there’s no way a machine will ever fully replicate us.” – John Lennox

When asked if that mattered, conscious or not, if the output was the same, Lennox answered, “if you want to live in a reductive universe, which ends up being meaningless, then you can go that way. There’s nothing to stop you”. 

“Who’s responsible for (AI’s) capacity? Humans,” he said. 

As messy as people are, we don’t need AI to be godlike.  

Incredibly, God already made humans in his likeness.

When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. 

So, I’ve joined in on the fun of asking AI what it knows about me, but I’ll leave it there and concentrate on what people know about me.  

I’ll leave AI to programming tasks that make my cooking taste delicious, my writing grammatically flawless, and all my clothes soon-to-be “garment steamed”.

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

About the Author: Beth Rivers is a digital manager and writer from Sydney, Australia.

Feature image: Supplied (Screenshot from The Diary of a CEO podcast YouTube / Canva )

Rosedale isn’t the kind of place you’d expect to find a rapidly growing church, but God’s moving in regional Australia.

The regional Queensland town of Rosedale is about 30 kilometres inland from Bundaberg.

Dave and Shelly Drage lead Power Community Church in Rosedale. Across the Rosedale district, Dave estimates the population to be about 300 people.

With around 100 people in the town itself, it’s surprising to find around 120 people are connected with Power Community Church.

“Yeah, the math doesn’t work out real well, does it?” Dave shared.

From Acoustic Guitar to a Growing Congregation

Five years ago, a 100-year-old chapel stood waiting in Rosedale when Dave and Shelly arrived with a sense of calling, not a master plan.

“We came here from up in the Gulf Country,” Dave said.

“There was nothing, but God said, ‘Buy this little place and open up the doors and see what I’ll do.’

“And so, we did that.”

“We started with my wife, myself, and an acoustic guitar. We opened up the doors one Sunday and just said, ‘Look, we’re here and we’ll see what [God will] do.”

What followed has been steady, organic growth without marketing campaigns or big-city resources.

“For the most part, we just get out of the way and let Jesus do what he does best.”

“We just kept it simple and kept it Jesus focused,” Dave said.

“He’s just done some very special and amazing things.”

Today, a typical Sunday sees between 60 to 80 people gathering, filling the small heritage-listed building to capacity.

“The little church only fits about 60 or 70 people. So, yeah, if everyone comes on the one day, we’re in strife.”

Lives Totally Changed by Knowing Jesus

For Dave, the real story isn’t the numbers.

“People’s lives are completely turned upside down and changed,” Dave said about the impact of Jesus on Rosedale. More than 80 per cent of those attending the church are new believers – “That’s the exciting part.”

“Marriages [have been] put back together, people have been receiving healing, physical, spiritual and emotional,” Dave said.

Church life now stretches well beyond a Sunday service. What began as a basic morning tea has grown into something much deeper, as people stay, learn and share their lives.

“That morning tea no longer cut it because people didn’t want to go home,” Dave said.

“So we’ve turned it into lunch.

“And then people were still wanting more… because most of them are new believers, they’re wanting to be equipped, they’re wanting to know how to pray for people… so we do what we call ‘Sunday Extra’.”

Come to Country Australia and Revive Churches

Dave doesn’t believe Rosedale is unique. Rather, it is an example of what can happen when someone says “Yes” to regional or remote Australia.

“There’s so many [country church buildings] for sale and they’re being made into AirBNBs, houses and shops.

“We’re here and we’re on the shoulders of people’s prayers over the last 100 years.

“They built these churches and we’re seeing the fruit of those prayers. We’re seeing God encounter and empower the surrounding community today.

“I guess God just really gave us a heart for [knowing] these are churches, and He wants His church to be His church.”

Dave points directly to Bible colleges and urban churches as key partners in renewing regional communities.

“If I had the money, I’d buy every single one of them,” Dave said.

“And I’d be in the Bible colleges, in the local churches saying, ‘Come on guys, God’s called you to ministry’ Not everyone’s called to the Gold Coast. Let’s go out and open these up and make communities again.”

It’s a simple vision, grounded in faith and action rather than strategy.

“For the most part, we just get out of the way and let Jesus do what he does best,” Dave said.

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

About the Author: Ben hosts Mornings on Hope 103.2 and the ‘Money: Faith & Finance’ podcast.

Feature image: Canva

A new study finds young adults are increasingly interested in faith, but with little change in core beliefs.

A new report from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University found that young people in Amercia aged 18 to 23 are moving in two spiritual directions at once, showing increased interest in faith while also drifting away from key beliefs.

On one hand, there are clear signs of growth.

More young adults are calling themselves Christian, Bible reading has increased, and a growing number say they are committed to practising their faith.

On the other hand, deeper beliefs remain largely unchanged. The study found that just 1% of this generation holds a fully developed biblical worldview.

Activity is rising, but foundations are not

The data highlights a gap between behaviour and belief. Increases in church involvement and Bible reading suggest openness and curiosity. Yet when it comes to core questions about truth, God and morality, most views have stayed the same.

Researcher George Barna described the findings as only “a lukewarm affirmation of revival”, noting that spiritual activity alone does not necessarily lead to lasting change. That distinction matters.

As the report explains, behaviour can spark interest, but without understanding, it often doesn’t take root over time.

The same pattern is emerging in Australia

While the study focuses on the United States, recent Australian research suggests a very similar trend among young people here.

The 2025 McCrindle report An Undercurrent of Faith, based on national census data and a survey of more than 3,000 Australians, found that the country’s relationship with Christianity is increasingly complex.

On one hand, many young Australians are moving away from organised religion. Between 2016 and 2021, more than one in three young people aged 15 to 24 shifted from Christianity to “no religion”.

At the same time, the report highlights a strong sense of openness and searching.

Young Australians are described as being on a “quest for meaning”, with more than half open to spiritual conversations and exploring belief for themselves.

Fewer, but more committed

Perhaps the most striking similarity is what happens among those who do engage with faith.

Even as overall identification declines, young Australians who are Christian tend to be more active than older believers.

Around 68% of Gen Z Christians attend church at least monthly, significantly higher than older generations.

This reflects a broader shift away from cultural or inherited religion, toward something more personal and intentional.

Open, but still searching

Taken together, the findings from both the US and Australia point to a generation that is not disengaged, but still exploring.

Young people today are less likely to inherit faith by default, but more likely to question, examine and search for meaning on their own terms.

That creates both a challenge and an opportunity.

Interest is there. Curiosity is real. But without deeper understanding, that interest may not translate into long-term change.

This article was researched and prepared by Hope 103.2 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 Hope Media.

Feature image: Canva

Danniebelle shares a heartfelt glimpse into holding onto a lifelong dream

It’s a dream she’s carried since she was a little girl.

Not a vague idea, but a clear picture – a family, built on love, partnership, and the kind of care she watched her own parents model so beautifully. It’s still there, still strong, unchanged in its essence.

Only now, it sits alongside another reality… It hasn’t happened yet.

“My biggest dream from when I was a little kid was that I would be a mum… and it still is.”

There’s something disorienting about dreams without timelines. We get used to milestones in life – school, work, relationships – often mapped out in neat succession. But some of the deepest desires don’t come with a calendar date. They unfold in their own time, or sometimes, feel like they’re taking longer than expected.

Uncertainty can feel like a mystery

For Danniebelle, that uncertainty can feel like a mystery she’s learning to live with.

Not solve. Not rush. Just live with.

“I don’t know the date, I don’t know the time… it all feels like a bit of a mystery.”

There are moments, she admits, where the questions get loud. Nights where she turns it over in her mind, “Why hasn’t this happened for me?” Moments sparked by something as simple as a film or a fleeting love story on screen, highlighting the absence of something she longs for deeply.

And yet, alongside the questioning sits a quiet resolve.

A choice not to get lost in the “what ifs”.

Keep trusting… even while we wait

Instead, she’s learning to place that dream gently into God’s hands; to trust that a desire so deeply rooted isn’t there by accident, or as some kind of cruel tease.

It’s a trust that isn’t always easy.

There are times when God feels silent on the subject. Times when the gap between hope and reality feels wide. Times when comparison sneaks in – when it’s tempting to look at others and think the grass might be greener somewhere else.

But almost as quickly as those thoughts come, they’re challenged.

Because with age has come perspective. A growing awareness that comparison rarely brings peace, and that even the paths that look ideal from the outside can hold their own complexity and pain.

Life, after all, rarely turns out exactly as imagined.

“I’ll immediately go, ‘oh yeah, the grass is greener over there’ but then straight away go, ‘no, I can’t think like that.’”

Danniebelle and Brendan both acknowledged that reality: the relationships they’ve seen break down, the families reshaped by loss or hardship, the unpredictability of life. It’s enough to make anyone pause and wonder what the future might hold.

Even, at times, to question the dream itself.

There are moments when Danniebelle has looked at the state of the world – the chaos, the uncertainty – and quietly wondered what it would mean to bring children into it. It’s not a loss of hope, but a reflection of how deeply she cares about the kind of world future generations will inherit.

And yet, through all of it, one anchor remains. A verse she returns to again and again: “For I know the plans I have for you…” (Jeremiah 29:11).

It’s not a quick fix or a neat answer. But it is a reminder that even when she can’t see the full picture, she’s not forgotten. That her life isn’t defined by what hasn’t happened yet, but by what’s already been given.

And that list, she realises, is full.

Family. Friends. Meaningful work. A community of listeners. A life rich with connection and purpose.

It doesn’t replace the dream but reframes it.

Rather than becoming consumed by what she doesn’t have, she’s choosing to invest in what she does. To pour her love, energy and attention into the people and opportunities already in front of her.

And to trust that the rest will come in the right time. Or in the right way. Or in a way that may look different from what she imagined.

“I don’t want to be distracted by what I don’t have when I have everything right now.”

This was a reminder that so many people can relate to as they are walking similar paths, carrying similar hopes, often quietly.

Dreams that feel delayed.

Questions without answers.

A tension between trust and longing.

And in sharing her story, Danniebelle gave language to that space, not as something to fix, but something to gently hold.

Because sometimes, the bravest thing we can do is keep trusting… even while we wait.

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

Feature image: Supplied

For someone in navigating infertility, grief and longing, being in church can feel almost unbearable at times.

“I might have suspected that I lost a pregnancy that week and somebody walks past with a newborn,” Susannah said.

“And you just think, I could probably get through this service without crying – if someone would give me a general anaesthetic.”

For five years, Susannah and her husband were unable to become pregnant.

“Five years of infertility is a very painful experience.”

An Auslan interpreter living in New South Wales’ Blue Mountains, Susannah still believes God was there with them.

Even if it didn’t feel like it.

“I think he was there but at the time, it felt pretty dark and dreary,” Susannah said.

“I’m just saying [to anyone else] it’s kind of OK to find it hard and to lament that before God.

“He values our honesty and doesn’t want us to lie to him about our experiences.”

God’s pattern

Susannah read articles and books which provided Christian reflection upon infertility, usually written after the author became pregnant.

This frustrated Susannah who was looking for “dispatches from the trenches [to] help me get out of bed today”.

Wanting to think clearly, and biblically, about infertility while she was going through it, Susannah began to write The Fruitful Soul: Infertility and the Christian Life to be published mid 2026.

Without knowing what the end of the story of pregnancy might be for her family, Susannah explored the question “What does God think about all of this suffering, self-blame, the fallenness of the world?”

One key pattern she discovered in Scripture actually offered grounding hope to someone experiencing infertility.

“Jesus suffered first, and then he was resurrected – and that is the shape of our lives as well,” Susannah said.

“Suffering first and then glory, that is the shape of the Christian life.”

As a clear reference point, Susannah pointed to the New Testament book of 2 Timothy: “If we’ve died with him, we will also live with him… If we suffer with him, we will also reign with him.” (2 Timothy 2:11 NIV)

For Susannah, the encouragement is not instant answers, but a trustworthy pattern: “That’s what we’re looking for in our lives.”

A call for churches: sensitive, present, and real

As much as Susannah found church gatherings to be unintentionally painful, she is grateful for the support she received.

“I don’t remember any time when anyone has ever made my suffering worse and they have made it an awful lot better just by being there,” Susannah said.

Still, she encouraged churches to think carefully about how they discuss or celebrate motherhood.

“Try and avoid any rituals that divide women up into mothers and not mothers, because motherhood’s not always visible,” Susannah said, reflecting on unseen grief such as miscarriage.

Her message to anyone walking through infertility is compassionate and practical.

“You’re not alone. One in six couples will go through some kind of infertility,” Susannah said.

“Don’t rest until you’ve found somebody to walk that journey with you. You need care; don’t do it alone.”

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

About the Author: Ben hosts Mornings on Hope 103.2 and the ‘Money: Faith & Finance’ podcast.

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

Tiny habit changes that grow your savings without you even feeling it.

Do you dream of saving for your future or even simply for a new washing machine? For many Australians, the costs of everyday living are only just covered by weekly income and saving anything at all feels out of reach.

If this story is familiar and you have nothing left after you’ve paid the rent, bought groceries and paid for electricity and internet, then it might be time to check out Micro-Saving.

In the same way that you don’t get fit by running a marathon first and training for it later, or doing an exam before you’ve studied, the best budget savings are made when you’ve grown your habit muscles around the small stuff.

Making small changes to your spending and lifestyle habits can have an outsized effect. This is what Micro-Saving is all about; the tiny changes that you don’t even feel day to day but get you on track to building up the balance in your savings account. Happening automatically, these changes are so small that they won’t impact on your lifestyle, but through consistency your savings will grow and the much-dreamed-of washing machine will be within reach.

Try these 8 Micro-Saving changes and watch the cents add up.

1. Visit the Supermarket Less Regularly

If meal planning is beyond you and you find yourself running to the supermarket multiple times a week, be aware that on every trip you will spend more than planned. By reducing the number of trips you take, you’ll also miss all those impulse buys. To really make it work, write down a list and only buy what’s on it.

2. Review Your Streaming Services and Subscriptions

Have you fallen for the ‘one month free’ and now have more streaming services than there are hours in a week? You could go cold turkey and go back to free to air TV or simply decide which ones you don’t need right now. The shows will still be there for your viewing pleasure later, so mix it up and subscribe to one at a time.

The same is true for the other fitness, music and news apps you’re paying for. Take an hour to look through your bank statement and work out which subscriptions you aren’t using and turn them off.

3. Miss a Coffee Run Once a Week

You don’t need to give them all up, but by missing one coffee a week you’ll be able to add $5 to your savings. Miss two and that goes up to $10 of savings each week. That’s an extra $500 saved in one year.

4. Set up a Savings Account with Automatic Deposits

When you’re building a habit, you only need to start small. Deposit $2 each week and when you’re ready, make it $5. You’ll be encouraged as your balance grows and you probably won’t even feel the impact of what you’re missing out on. Making the whole process automatic eliminates any risk that you won’t stick with it.

5. Do You Need to Drive Every Time, or All the Way?

The next time you’re heading out and about, consider the best way to get to where you’re going. With easy-to-use online trip planners, you can not only work out the best route on public transport, but even the cheapest. It might take you an extra ten minutes, but you can always fit in some reading along the way. At peak hour, it might even be faster to catch the train or walk an extra block or two.

Consider take turns carpooling with friends, split the cost and you’ll all be saving.

6. Try a No Spend Challenge in One Area of Your Life

Start small in one area of your life, before aiming big. Commit to a no-spend on food weekend and eat only from what you have in the fridge and pantry.

From there you can try a week with no spending on entertainment, or a month with no spending on clothing. Make the experiment fun and you never know what new ways of doing things you’ll discover.

7. Rent, Borrow or Head to the Library

Consider whether you need to buy or could instead borrow what you need. Hire a steam cleaner and breathe new life into your old couches, or borrow a leaf blower from your neighbour and offer to help clean up their driveway too.

Your local library is another brilliant resource, and it offers far more than books these days. From cake tins and jigsaw puzzles to e-books, games, and even podcast kits, your local library has become a hub of resources and fun for the whole family. You’ll probably only need the number 2 cake tin a couple of times in your life, so why buy when you can borrow?

8. Round up your Transactions

This is where the magic really happens. Set up a round up facility with your bank and watch your savings grow. Every time you make a purchase, the charge is rounded up to the nearest dollar and the round up amount is deposited into a separate savings account. Pay $4.50 for a coffee, $5 comes out of your account, and $0.50 is transferred to your savings. You don’t miss out on your everyday joys, and you actively save at the same time.

The Small Wins Really Do Count

Or in this case, the small savings make all the difference. By starting small, you won’t feel the impact in the same way you do when trying to slash your budget.
Small wins will build momentum and belief, creating space for bigger changes and challenges.

Micro-Saving won’t get you to Europe tomorrow, but by the end of a year, you might just have that new washing machine and stronger saving muscles for the future.

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

Feature image: Canva

How to recognise when someone is struggling with mental health challenges and respond with practical, compassionate support.

While it’s easy to look back and think ‘we should have noticed something sooner’, the more helpful question is: what can we do now?

That’s where conversations like this matter.

Clinical psychologist Valerie Ling outlines some practical ways to recognise when someone might be struggling and what meaningful support can actually look like in everyday life.

Recent events in with athletes in professional sport, including the AFL, have highlighted how widespread and complex these issues can be.

As ABC News has previously reported, mental health concerns are affecting Australians across all demographics, reinforcing the importance of early support and open conversations.

Listening matters more than fixing

In a culture that often prioritises solutions, it can feel uncomfortable to simply sit with someone’s pain. But support doesn’t always mean solving the problem.

Sometimes, the most helpful thing you can offer is your presence.

Letting someone speak, acknowledging their feelings and reminding them they matter can go a long way. As Valerie Ling puts it, it’s about communicating: “You are important to me. What you’re experiencing is important”.

That sense of being seen and heard can be a powerful first step towards healing.

When to encourage extra support

There may come a point where a conversation on its own isn’t enough.

If someone seems overwhelmed, stuck, or at risk, gently encouraging professional support is an important next step. This might include speaking with a GP, a counsellor, or reaching out to a trusted support service.

Ms Ling recommends approaching this collaboratively. Rather than telling someone what to do, it’s better to invite them into the process.

“Would it help if we looked into some options together?” is a simple way to offer support without pressure.

You might sit with them while they make a call, help them find information online, or even accompany them to an appointment if they’re comfortable with that.

Acting when it matters most

In more serious situations, where you’re concerned about someone’s immediate safety, it’s important not to step back too quickly.

“If you walk away… you’re not really sure if they will be safe,” Ms Ling said.

This could mean staying with them, contacting a trusted family member, or seeking urgent professional help. While these moments can feel confronting, they are also where support matters most.

A culture of care starts with us

Supporting someone through mental health challenges doesn’t require perfect words or professional training. It starts with noticing, asking, listening and being willing to stay present.

For a community that values hope, connection and practical care, these small actions can make a significant difference.

And while we can’t control everything someone is going through, we can make sure they don’t have to face it alone.

If you or someone you know is struggling, reach out to a friend or Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14 for support.

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