Welding Faith and Work

After two decades in the metal trades, Luke Davies knows the value of hard work and hands-on learning. But last year, he sensed that it was time to invest that same energy into his faith.

Growing up in Sydney’s Parramatta area, Luke was raised in a Christian home and grew up going to church, but it wasn’t until he was in his mid-20s that he really took stock of what’s important in life.

The turning point came not through crisis, but through conviction. 

“There wasn’t any life drama,” he explains. “I think it was just the Holy Spirit saying, ‘What are you doing? Are you gonna give me your life, or are you just gonna go along to church and be a pew warmer?’”

Together with a group of friends, Luke began re-examining his faith from the ground up. 

“We just started at creation and worked our way through: what’s prayer, what does God want from us, what’s it all about,” he says. 

That season sparked a more active involvement in church life, from joining the deacon board to helping lead Bible studies and teaching Sunday school.

At the end of 2020, Luke relocated from Sydney to Taree. He now helps manage a fabrication business and serves at Manning Bible Church. But even with work and ministry ticking along, he still wanted more. 

“It just started with a desire to want to do better: to learn more about God in a different way, and be more effective in serving Him,” Luke explains.

That desire led Luke to Vocational Bible College.

He first heard about VBC through church, when another member, Sarah, shared her experience. Skeptical at first, Luke explored other options too, unsure of how deep VBC would go. But he quickly discovered it was the right fit. 

“I suck at English and I couldn't write an essay to save my life,” he laughs. “So I gave VBC a go, and I think it’s right up my alley.”

Luke is working through a Certificate IV in Ministry and Theology over 18 months, balancing classes and assignments around his four-day workweek. 

“I can finish work on Monday, get home and start classes at 4pm, and I’ve got Friday off to do assignments and other bits and pieces,” he explains.

One of the biggest surprises so far has been the renewed passion for evangelism: “I’ve been really encouraged—or forced even, I guess—to get out and evangelise,” he smiles. 

Energised by both the course and a fellow church member doing the same subject, Luke found himself back on the streets sharing his faith—something he hadn’t done in nearly 20 years. And he’s loved it so much that he’s planning to keep going back, even though he’s finished the subject.

Luke has also appreciated the practical nature of the coursework. 

“Just being encouraged to study something and then present it to a Bible study… that’s been really good,” he says. Getting feedback from trainers before leading has helped him grow in confidence and clarity.

While he doesn’t have full-time ministry on the horizon at the moment, Luke is open to whatever God might have planned. For now, his focus is on becoming more effective in the ministries he’s already doing. 

For others like him—busy, hands-on, and perhaps put off by traditional academic settings—Luke is quick to recommend VBC. 

“You’ll get out of it what you put into it… even just sitting in the class and learning would still be beneficial,” he shares. “They’re really nailing the vocational thing. For people like myself that are in a trade—it’s right up our alley.”