Two and a half years ago, Sienna took on the role of Next Generations Lead at Baptist World Aid Australia (BWA). It seemed like a great opportunity to Sienna, who had worked for BWA for five years in digital marketing.
“I love what we do,” says Sienna, “I really believe in it. But I’d also been a youth leader for ten years, and one of my favourite things to do was to see young people step up and become who God’s calling them to be. All these things came together in this new role.”
Children and young people have always been a large focus of BWA around the world. In their international programs, children play a big role in the change that happens in communities. Sienna wanted to put the tools in the hands of Australia young people to do the same.
“There’s a really practical element,” explains Sienna, “we need to inspire the next generation to be involved in ending poverty and injustice. Poverty is going to need addressing for the given future.”
Sienna’s main tool is taking the Ethical Fashion Workshops into high school and youth groups. “We take them through the problem with the way our clothes are made – the low wages, the poor treatment of workers, the impact on God’s creation. We show young people the impact that the way we consume has on our souls, and how our culture is teaching us that we need stuff to feel joy and contentment. And then we explain that Scripture tells us a different story. We talk about how God satisfies, not stuff. We explain God’s heart for the world, and that God created all humans equally, deserving of dignity and opportunity.”
And then, after talking about the brokenness of the world, they explain how God is on a mission to restore all things. And He doesn’t just invite adults to be part of it, but all followers, regardless of their age. They invite young people to be part of this change.
The young people get a copy of the Ethical Fashion Guide and are encouraged to think about how they can be global citizens and agitate for change in the fashion industry. The young people are enabled to take action right then and there. They get out a device and sign their name to an email to their favourite fashion band, demanding they do better.
“I get to show young people that God wants them to be involved in His mission of restoring all things,” explains Sienna, “I get to show them that God wants to use them and He wants to use them now. There are practical ways that young people can be part of seeking justice and working together towards a world without poverty. They start to see how their individual actions can influence the people around them and have an impact for people on the other side of the world that they’re never going to meet”.
BWA runs these workshops in church youth groups and Christian schools across NSW. In 2025, they had around 2,000 students engage with a presentation or workshop and are set to well exceed that in 2026.
“What I’ve heard from the chaplains and SRE teachers in the Christian schools we visit is that lots of kids see religion as just as another school subject,” explains Sienna, “the Ethical Fashion Workshop helps these students see their faith has an action and gives them something practical they can get involved with.”
After every school workshop there are students coming up to the teachers and wanting to do something in their school context. “We should support these young leaders,” says Sienna, “it would be a real shame to miss out on that passion”.
Sienna’s dream is that Christian schools would take their kids on a journey, educating them, in age appropriate ways, about our world, what’s happening in it, and what they can do to be a part of God’s mission and what He’s doing about poverty and injustice.
And in the same way, BWA is speaking to young people in churches about the change they want to make in the world. “The Bible speaks so often about caring for the poor and vulnerable – it can’t just be for one part of our church,” explains Sienna, “it’s about us all joining in God’s mission. It’s the kids and the young people in our churches that are the most passionate about injustice and are leading the way. So maybe it’s our responsibility to pay attention to what’s lighting them up and be led by them in that.”
“We are so lucky to have so many churches in NSW and ACT that are engaged with BWA and partner with us already,” says Sienna, “this is another way we can partner with these churches and engage their young people.”
“We want young Christians to see their faith interact with the real world and that God wants to use them in His mission to restore all things,” summarises Sienna.
To find out more about the Ethical Fashion Workshops check out their website: baptistworldaid.org.au/schools-workshop/ or email Sienna at Sienna.Corkill@baptistworldaid.org.au
