Kerrod Trott 
Senior Aboriginal Christian Leader, Aunty Jean Philips will be calling our nation to listen to the cries of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the evening before January 26th, for the annual Change The Heart national service.
For many Australians, January 26th is a public holiday, but for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, it is a day of mourning, survival, and invasion.
Common Grace CEO and Aboriginal Christian Leader, Brooke Prentis says, “January 26 is a difficult time for many people across these lands now called Australia. Many Aboriginal peoples are mourning, commemorating survival, acknowledging invasion, or just hurting from present day injustices.
“Through Change The Heart, we create the space for listening, learning, and loving.
“It is a unique opportunity to be led by Aboriginal Christian Leaders, to seek justice for the past and present, and to lead the nation in prayer for love to win over hate.
“It is a time to listen and learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as the world’s oldest, living, continuing cultures.”
This year marks the 10th Anniversary of Change The Heart and a time to celebrate how this prayer service has grown to become an important moment for our nation in the lead up to January 26.
Last year, an estimated 20,000 people tuned in to this national event with more than 90 places across the nation navigating COVID safe arrangements to host a screening of Change The Heart and gather with their local communities. As support for Change The Heart grows and solidarity with First Nations peoples grows, we are expecting many more to hear the call in 2022.
The national Change The Heart service will be simulcast on 25 January 2022, 7:30pm AEDT through ACCTV, on commongrace.org.au and through radio.
Full details on #ChangeTheHeart 2022 can be found here: www.commongrace.org.au/change_the_heart
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