When Audrey got the call about a full-time role to help run the Catalyst program, she knew it was a great opportunity to step into “something that I'm passionate about, that also aligns with my purpose, and spiritual gifts.” Originally from Sydney, Australia, Audrey has spent the past 10 years in Perth, WA, as a registered paramedic working towards a career in medicine.
In May 2024, Audrey took a break from her career and completed the 12-week Catalyst program. She describes this as a time to “take inventory” of her relationship with Jesus and reflect on her personal life. During this time, Audrey reflected on her career path, values and goals. She says it took “a bit of digging to figure out my true passion, which is serving, teaching and ministry. I figured out the why behind what I do. The career path I was taking before, the why behind it was that it's stable, and I can do it and I'm good at it, but that didn't really push me on the hard days.” She realised that while her previous career provided stability and suited her skills, it didn’t give her the deeper sense of purpose she longed for.
Her time in Catalyst taught her to look beyond herself and recognise the needs in the community around her. “It's a mindset, perspective shift of ‘how can I serve myself and do what's good for myself’ towards, ‘I have a purpose, and now I'm going to figure out how I can meet a need in my local community and make a change.’”
Through Catalyst, Audrey not only deepened her faith but also discovered her true passion for serving and teaching. The 12-week discipleship program gave her the tools to step into a purpose-driven life, shifting her mindset from personal success to community impact. Designed to equip participants with practical missional skills, Catalyst partners students with pastors and churches near Avondale University for hands-on ministry experience. Whether through the full 12-week Discipleship Adventure or the shorter Catalyst Express, participants leave prepared to serve their local communities and further the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church—just as Audrey is doing now. Audrey is currently serving as senior administrative assistant for the Institute for Discipleship.