From Retail to Youth Ministry

Vocational Bible College has welcomed a bunch of new students this year. So what sorts of people have started training in 2025?

When Mandy Wu moved to Sydney from Hong Kong at the age of six, she had never heard about Jesus. That changed very quickly, however, because her family stayed with her Dad’s sister for a few weeks when they first arrived—and they were Christians, who took them along to church.

“I didn't even know English, and the first verse that I learned was John 3:16,” Mandy smiles.

Despite learning about Jesus from a young age, Mandy says the gospel didn’t click for her until she was in her late 20s. She was spending time with a cousin who was visiting from Canada at the time when they started talking about her aunty and uncle.

“We were asking each other, ‘Why are they so amazing? Why are they such great people?’ And it dawned on us that it's because they have Jesus,” Mandy shares. That was a turning point for Mandy, so she decided to explore Jesus for herself. She started attending Drummoyne Presbyterian Church, and it was at a church camp that she grasped the truth of the gospel for the first time—and gave her life to Christ.

At the time, Mandy was working in retail. She spent a long time praying over it and asking God where she could be used for His Kingdom, because retail didn’t feel like the right place for her.

God started answering Mandy’s prayers by introducing her to the idea of serving as a leader at her church youth group.

“ I started helping out as an extra adult, and it was quite small back then,” Mandy reflects. “And then it grew, and I just stayed on, and I fell in love with it.”

Mandy started serving in youth ministry eight years ago, and she’s still serving to this day.

“I think it's really helpful for the teens to have a great grounding of the knowledge of Jesus, so that even if they did what I did by walking away, they still know that Jesus is there, they love them, and hopefully there is hope that they can come back just like I did as well.”

God answered Mandy’s prayers to serve His Kingdom in a second way—He opened up doors for her to transition into a role as Chaplaincy Youth Worker at Presbyterian Ladies College, Sydney (PLC), which she also sees as a huge privilege.

“It's been so rewarding to see how God works in every facet of our lives,” Mandy shares, “and to see how Jesus has changed the lives of so many of these girls—and is continuing to change them as they learn more. It’s been amazing.”

Mandy works four days a week at PLC, and this year she started a Diploma of Christian Ministry and Theology through VBC.

“When I looked into training with VBC, I thought, ‘Oh, I think this is what I've been looking for!’” Mandy says. “The thought of doing exams and doing essays just petrifies me, but knowing that I can learn something and then practically put it to use straight away just appealed to me so much.”

So far, Mandy says she is “thoroughly” enjoying it. 

“The trainers really encourage us to be very involved in discussions, which I think has been exceptionally helpful,” she shares. “I think my training will give me more confidence in my role at PLC, especially when the girls ask challenging questions or when I’m planning to give a talk.”

The other aspect of VBC that Mandy appreciates is the diversity. In her classes she’s met people not just from across different parts of Australia, but from overseas as well, and she has really benefited from hearing different perspectives during class discussions.

Mandy highly recommends VBC to anyone who is considering theological training, but finds the prospect daunting.

“The trainers are incredibly helpful,” Mandy says. “They're available for us to approach them, to ask questions—even ‘dumb’ questions! They're just so supportive in everything that we do.”