God is in the business of hearing the cries of the oppressed. In the Exodus story and ultimately in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, God graciously and intimately responds to those in need. As followers of Jesus, we know we are called to make God’s justice our business too.

• We sit within a long history of Christian social movements that have joined God in hearing the cries of the vulnerable and responding in mercy in the context of their time

• We live in a changing world - more global, more complex, more connected - where opportunities and challenges abound to witness in creative ways to God’s unfailing love. 

• Aotearoa New Zealand is a unique context. Any pursuit of justice here requires addressing the legacy of colonisation and working to see Te Tiriti o Waitangi honoured.

• We are not seeking to enforce Christian morals and the Christian worldview on others who do not share our beliefs and values.

• We uphold many of the principles on which our democratic institutions are founded, including the right to freedom of speech and action for all members of society

• However, we believe that Christians can and should engage in the public sphere, and that this can be a witness of God’s love and the good news of Jesus to many

• Moreover, we believe that such engagement can and should be done humbly and respectfully, emulating grace and compassion, driven by service of others rather than protection of our own communities or rights.

• Though it is a broken institution, we love the Church and seek to activate and equip it to be a gracious and prophetic voice in the public sphere.

We seek to hold space for a diversity of views and theological positions within our community. When views differ, we seek to listen to each other well, and to be a reconciling community that attempts to resolve conflict in a restorative and timely way. 

We aim for our community to be a place of welcome for people of any religion, ethnicity, ability, gender, sexuality, and socio-economic status. That includes our campaign teams. Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ageism and ableism are not acceptable in Common Grace movement activities.

Individuals of any religion or none are welcome to get involved with Common Grace Aotearoa, provided they are comfortable being part of spaces where the core culture and practice will be shaped by Christian practices of prayer, biblical study, worship and following the way of Jesus.