About this Site

Formingfaith.com is dedicated to the joyous challenge of forming faith in children, youth and families in and through the ministry of the Christian congregation.  As a pastor and a father of two children, I am passionate about developing communities of faith where persons of all generations can grow together in Christ, and through which households can be resourced and supported as primary units of faith nurture.  Below you can read something of my personal journey.  Pastor Greg Priebbenow

Married to beautiful Kylie, I am the very proud father of two lovely daughters, Tayla and Jessica and co-carer of a very active Australian Terrier (Sandy).

I am currently Lead Pastor of the Bundaberg Lutheran Parish.  Bundaberg is a city of approximately 50,000 people on the coast of central Queensland.  The parish includes five congregations, a P-7 Lutheran Primary School and a retirement home ministry.  The largest of the congregations is St. John's Lutheran Church, Bundaberg.

My involvement in child, youth and family ministry began with my own participation in church and regional youth groups while a teenager.  In 1993 I made my first foray into "professional" ministry, serving as a volunteer youth intern with the South Australian District of the Lutheran Church of Australia.  From 1994-1997 I served as a parish youth director in Loxton, South Australia, with additional employment as chaplain at Loxton High School from 1994-1995.

In 1998 I commenced pastoral ministry studies at Australian Lutheran College in Adelaide (the seminary of the LCA).  After three years there, I took up a Scholarship from my denomination to do specialised studies in child, youth and family ministry in the USA.  For the next two years (2001-2002) my family and I lived in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Enrolled at Luther Seminary (ELCA), I had the opportunity to learn from some outstanding teachers and figures of Christian faith.  I also had the great privilege of involvement with the Youth and Family Institute.  While in the US I was certified as a youth and family minister by Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.

Returning to Australia in December 2002, I completed the final two years of my pastoral ministry studies in Adelaide, graduating with a Bachelor of Theology (Honors) and a Graduate Diploma in Ministry.  Ordained as a pastor of the LCA in December 2004, I was assigned to serve St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Box Hill, Melbourne, Victoria.  My primary areas of responsibility as Associate Pastor at St. Paul's were in child, youth and family ministry (including baptismal ministry, confirmation ministry, marriage ministry, cross-generational ministry) and outreach and assimilation.  

In April 2009 I moved to Murray Bridge, South Australia, to serve as School Pastor at Unity College. My ministry at the College included oversight of the school's devotional program, pastoral care of students and staff, support of student ministry and the spiritual nurture of staff.  In January 2011 I returned to ministry in a congregational setting in Bundaberg 

Qualifications & Ministry

1992       Bachelor of Arts (University of Adelaide)

2002       Certified Youth and Family Minister (Wartburg Seminary)

2003       Bachelor of Theology with Honours (Australian Lutheran College)

2004       Graduate Diploma of Ministry (Australian Lutheran College)

2004       Ordained as a Pastor of the Lutheran Church of Australia

2005-8    Associate Pastor, St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Box Hill, VIC.

2009-10  School Pastor at Unity College, Murray Bridge SA

2011-      Lead Pastor, Bundaberg Lutheran Parish, QLD

Recent Presentations

2003      Australian Lutheran College  "Bringing Faith Home" Evening Course

2004      Adelaide Hills "Focus on Faith" Workshop Series

             Congregational Presentations:  Eudunda, Saddleworth, Underdale

             SA District Continuing Education for Pastors Event

2005      Victorian District Leader's Day (Ballarat)

2006      Lutheran Church of Australia General Pastor's Conference (Toowoomba) - 
             Download Powerpoint Presentation

2007      Victorian District Study Day (Ballarat) - Workshop "Living as a Christian
             Household Today" -  Download Presentation

2009      Child, Youth & Family Ministry Conference, Portland, Victoria

2010      SA District "Invigorate" Children's Ministry Day, Nuriootpa -  Download Presentation

2010      Unity College Spiritual Retreat - "The Spirit of the Child"

Publications

• 'Family Ministry in the Light of Luther's Doctrine of Vocation', Lutheran Theological Journal, 2003 (37:3), 119-132.
• From 2005 I have been contributed various articles to the Australian Lutheran magazine, including one series on Passing on the Faith through Church and Home, and another on Faith Practices.