M I S S I O N : YO U T H S ERVI CES
MO R L E Y TH E ME R R I E R FO R
energetic youth ministry
We provide a place where all our leaders believe in our young people and encourage them to be the best version of themselves.
The Morley Corps youth ministry team in Perth engages with more than 300 kids every month. The team is led by Youth Pastor Davis Bode, with assistance from Community Case Managers Jodie Egan, who recently relocated from Karratha, and Michael Dawson. Together, the dynamic trio approaches holistic ministry with energy – and it’s palpable, even when you’re watching their youth group antics online. “The young people we engage with just want somewhere to belong,” says Davis. “We provide a place where all our leaders believe in our young people and encourage them to be the best version of themselves.” Youth ministry at Morley seems to operate 24/7. It includes a Friday night youth program (Morley YTH), case management, school engagement, and school holiday and breakfast programs. It’s a lot of work, and the trio estimate they reach up to 400 young people. And the best part is they are seeing lives changed. “One of the biggest struggles we had this past year was facing the isolation caused by COVID-19. Thankfully, we have had such great support from the Territorial Youth and Young Adult Department,” says Michael. By connecting with young people online or over the phone, the Morley youth team experienced growth, even in lockdown. “Young people are already on their phones, so we as a team thought, ‘Why not put good content, that gives life, into the palm of their hands?’,” says Davis. “We decided to take our Friday night YTH online, and during this period, we were able to have our ‘Summer YTH Experience’, where we engaged
38
T HE SA LVATIO N A RM Y AU ST RA L IA ( S O C IA L F UN D ) A n n u a l R e p o r t 2021