Six days a week, Josh Cocks gets up before the sun to milk his neighbours’ cows.
Many locals know him as the pastor of Beaudesert Baptist Church, where he has served for 18 years this June.
Josh, 42, has dedicated most of his adult life to serving Beaudesert as a pastor, but he is just as connected in the broader community as he is in the church.
You don’t have to go much further than the local farming, school and social sports scene to find Josh’s reach extends well beyond the pulpit.
When 25-year-old Josh first got a tap on the shoulder to become a pastor, he said no.
He and his wife Jade – who had two kids with their third on the way – were part of Beenleigh Baptist Church, and Beaudesert needed a pastor.
That ‘no’ reluctantly became a ‘yes’ and Beaudesert got one of the youngest pastors it had seen.
“I think they were nervous, I was nervous, and after the first few weeks I said to Jade, ‘What have we done?’” he said.
These days, Josh knows Beaudesert is where he is supposed to be.
“I find great purpose in what I’m doing, and I’ve discovered it’s how I’m wired – I want to help people practically, emotionally and spiritually to find their purpose, place and rhythm in life.”
Both Josh’s parents were off dairies, and he grew up visiting his grandparents’ farms.
The family moved around Rosewood, Cloncurry and Gympie for his dad’s work with Telecom, and he recalls mustering cattle out west on their travels.
Before Josh and Jade came here, he was three and a half years into his first full time job as quality assurance supervisor at the Inghams processing plant at Murarrie.
He put himself through uni by working at a rose farm while studying a Bachelor of Agricultural Science specialising in plant nutrition and soil science.
These days, he applies those skills by doing bits of farm work, lawnmowing and landscaping on the side and, whenever he gets the chance, tinkering with old tractors to make them work again.
Josh’s faith, family and community keep him grounded and he counts Jade as one of the biggest influences in his life.
“We’ve loved bringing up our kids here and being part of a smaller community,” he said.
“I’m still on the primary school P and C even though our kids are long gone from primary school, I’m chair of the high school P and C now and I play mixed netball, touch football, six a side soccer and cardio tennis when it’s on.
“Working jobs for somebody else keeps my feet grounded. I know what it is to work for a boss. It allows me not to be insular just with those who are associated with church, but to have a greater connection in the wider community.
“You can only feel connected if you’re actually involved.”
You can read the full article in the Beaudesert Times by clicking on the following link – Josh Cocks – a man who finds purpose in helping people.