Transforming Work Project Leader – Chris Gribble

Chris? working life began as an office clerk in a large farm implement manufacturing company in Dalby Qld. After a year he began an apprenticeship as a fitter and turner in the same company and successfully completed his indentures four years later.

Looking for an adventure he then travelled to Israel to work on a Kibbutz. He primarily worked in the farm section of the Kibbutz producing turf for many of the major tourist and residential developments in Israel at that time.

On his return to Australia he began working at the local Dalby Hospital and completed his training as an enrolled nurse. He then worked at Baillie Henderson Hospital in Toowoomba for a year.

Chris completed several years of Bible College training and worked as a teacher and then Dean of Cornerstone Bible College in Emerald, Qld. He moved to Charters Towers in North Queensland to commence employment as a church Pastor with the Churches of Christ and Baptist Churches. During this time he also worked as a Nurse, Newspaper Photographer, School Teacher, Chaplain and a variety of other jobs to augment his role in the church.

Chris? interest in education was developed through his studies at the University of Southern Queensland where he completed a Bachelor in Further Education and Training. Chris moved to the Gold Coast in 2002 and completed his Masters in Education (Online Learning) that year. At this time he began applying some of the ideas formulated during his studies to the development of a Cert IV in Christian Ministry. A number of students were engaged in individually adapted learning that sought to provide learners situated learning within their community of practice.

In 2007 Chris moved to Toowoomba with the aim to develop an applied spirituality in the workplace. He became a builder?s labourer working on site with the purpose of developing a holistic mentoring model that produced positive learning outcomes for the business.

In 2010 Chris spent 6 months teaching Business and English in China. This was an adventure and educational experience for the whole family. Chris and the family returned in February, 2011.

In 2014 Chris began a 6 month leadership course with the Centre for Courage and Renewal in Austin, Texas. He will complete this in April 2015. One of his recent learning influences has been the work of Parker Palmer who founded the Courage and Renewal Academy and authored the work, The Courage to Teach.

Chris is active in his local church at Highfields near Toowoomba and continues to pursue a bi vocational pathway to ministry.

Transforming Work Volunteer

Murray Wright was engaged by the College to lead the?Transforming Work?project within the Leadership Centre.? Murray has a diverse working background having been a teacher, Scripture Union staff worker, school administrator and senior local government executive.? Murray is now working for Malyon Workplace on a voluntary basis.

Transforming Work Project Sponsor

Rev. Dr. John Sweetman started his working life as a Maths/Science teacher with Education Queensland before becoming a Baptist pastor.?John pastored Baptist churches at Kenmore and Bracken Ridge for 23 years and has wide experience in pastoral ministry, church health, team ministry, mentoring and preaching. John began lecturing part-time at Malyon College in 1993 and was appointed full time Principal in 2002.? His research has mainly been in the areas of leadership development and contemporary preaching. John has a passion for developing effective missional Christian leaders for the 21st century.??To support this passion, he?established?the Malyon Leadership Centre which aims to?develop and equip the next generation of Christian leaders for the church, workplace and community. Transforming Work is a project within the Malyon Leadership Centre.

Transforming Work Project Associates

Dr Neil Parker worked in Bangladesh as?medical missionary for many years before returning?to?Australia in 1990 to establish?the Darling Downs Public Health Unit.? In 2010 he was registered as a minister with Queensland Baptists.? His medical interests are travel medicine and zoonoses (Q fever for the uninitiated!) and his theological interests include Isaiah and social ethics. Currently, Neil is working to establish a church plant in a small rural community, as a volunteer school chaplain at the nearby primary school and ocassionaly finds time to do some travel medicine!

Graham Hooper (Details to come)