Healing balm for inner west youth
After a few rounds, Father Dave takes a break with Dulwich Hill Corps Officer Lieutenant Tara McGuigan (left) and Salvo team members Kyle Harrison and Frances Haywood.
The Salvation Army and the Anglican Church in Sydney’s inner west has joined forces to launch ‘Alive and Free’ – a new program to engage with young people in the area.
The Salvation Army’s youth and community hall at Dulwich Hill was filled with the excitement for the launch of ‘Alive and Free’ on Sunday afternoon, 4 August. The new program offers young people a drop-in centre that operates Monday to Friday afternoons with boxing training on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and a Sunday afternoon variety program. Plans are also in the works for a regular Sunday night ‘hi-octane’ youth worship event.
Over 200 people from diverse backgrounds joined together for the launch. They enjoyed market stalls, multicultural food, a great Aussie barbecue, and a fair-trade booth.
The hall has been outfitted with a high-quality, floor-level, demountable boxing ring, and a boxing exhibition on the day featured Father David Smith and anyone who would do a round or two with him.
Major Peter McGuigan explained to the crowd how the relationship between the two churches had developed rapidly after Holy Trinity's parish hall burned to the ground in April.
"My wife Lieutenant Tara McGuigan rang our sister church on the day of the fire and offered our help," he said. "It started with tables for their church fete the following weekend, and now we are hosting the entire Dulwich Hill youth program while the parish hall is being rebuilt.
"But it's more than hosting," he added. "We are partnering with Holy Trinity to ensure that what has grown and blessed the youth of Sydney's inner-west over so many years will continue while the parish hall is rebuilt. With some of our own younger people part of the team, we’ve called this partnership 'Alive and Free'."
Major McGuigan said the partnership was "healing balm" for the community and introduced Father David Smith who expressed his gratefulness for all that happened to bring about 'Alive and Free'. He then prayed for God's blessing and powerful presence in the lives of the young people and the 'Alive and Free' team.
Comments
"Alive and Free" ... why not. a great story and my prayer is that it will continue work already going, continue and long after a new hall is rebuilt this "Alive and Free" friendship and commitment will be a blessing the the folk of that area.