Arrival of Jenny Mossman

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On 1st September Jenny Mossman started her new job as Children's Worker for KMC..

Here is a photo of her. (photographer : Kirsty Mossman).

And here is the Personal Testimony that she has written for September's "Open Doors" :

"I spent my first 19 years in Wakefield. My father grew up as a Methodist and is the son of lay preacher (George Mayfield). He became an organist and choirmaster in the Church of England and so I grew up as an Anglican, singing in robed choirs from a very early age. In 1985 I left home to study at Glasgow University for a joint MA in Music and English. Although I have always believed in God, university was a time of searching, so I decided to opt for ‘Theology and Church History’ as my third subject, which was at best baffling and didn’t help me much.

After university I became a peripatetic woodwind instructor in both primary and secondary schools. I was still drawn to church and worship and so I joined an Episcopal church with a semi-professional choir. During this time I met and married Graham (married for 20 years now!). A few years later something even more amazing happened: I had a baby, Kirsty, who is now 14. My pregnancy was not a time of radiance and blooming, but of hospital stays due to hyperemesis. It was during this time that I began to do a daily Bible-reading and started to pray...a lot!

After Kirsty was born I returned to the Episcopal church, and on one particular morning as the minister said, “We are God’s children, we love because he first loved us”, I suddenly realised that if I had such incredible love for Kirsty because she was my child, how much love must God have for me if I were His? It was a very intense moment, which not only reawakened my search but it was one of the many times that God has used Kirsty to teach me deep truths.

Meanwhile, Kirsty and I began to attend a Mother and Toddler group at the local Baptist church. The group was run by a fantastic team of ladies from the congregation, but there was something different about them and whatever it was, I wanted it! It was from these ladies that I learned that (a) it’s all about a personal relationship with Jesus and (b) the Holy Spirit is alive, active and powerful.

I joined the Baptist church, I took the Alpha course and out of the blue, I was asked to do a children’s talk. On 16^th March 2000 I had the opportunity to go and see Nicky Gumbel, which was a life-changing night. God clearly called me to evangelism. I remember walking out for prayer, with my feet on fire, thinking: ‘But Lord, I don’t even know what evangelism is. You can’t mean me!’ I believe He did, and just hours after that evening, door after door opened for me to deliver the gospel in different ways to different toddler groups, children’s groups, nurseries and even ‘grown-up’ events. My enthusiasm and passion for working alongside children continued to grow and I began to help organise and present holiday clubs, children’s events, weekly outreach clubs and Family Services. I began to teach Sunday Morning groups as well as organising crafts, writing and acting in sketches and even giving a workshop on leading ‘toddler praise.’

In 2005 we moved ‘down south’ to Wilmslow.  My ministry continued to develop in different areas and in June this year I graduated from Cliff College with a diploma in Children’s Evangelism and Nurture (CEN).  My interests include children’s spirituality, children and prayer, and children in revival.  I also love talking to and listening to children, creative prayer, lively worship, craft, the film ‘Elf’, wearing odd socks, and making a mess.  Although I do recognise the importance of tidy-up time too!"