Jenny Cooke (nee Auton)

Jenny was at Clare. She started the SPEAK cell in spring 2006 and led it until June '08. (What a trooper!) Here's what she's been up to since getting married in November.

In Leeds, I host a Methodist church cell, which is a very new thing for many on the circuit but is generally well supported by the older members of the congregation. I'd love to see more under 40s involved though, including the third of the church who are African.
Ed's been getting involved in local youth work through the SPACE Network: there's a big project called Kidz Klub which is a cross between Brownies/Cubs and Sunday School, with a lot of family contact through visiting each child in their home every week, but it only caters for primary school kids. SPACE is intended to be the next level, and Ed's aiming to help with the year 9 cell starting in the new year. So the Fusion experience is standing me in good stead round here!

I've recently read "God's Smuggler" and Corrie Ten Boom's book "Tramp for the Lord" and they're both full of experiences of trusting God and seeing Him do amazing things, and I want more of that in my life! For the time being at least, we're pretty sure that we're not being called abroad, but I want to know how to do mission right here with all the nations on our doorstep. I thank God that Churches Together in LS11 is very strong and that we work together, but I'm longing for more and deeper contact with non-Christians in my area. Churches Together were invited to the local mosque a few weeks ago to share food and celebrate Eid, and I would love to see more love and friendship growing up between us, with respect and learning from each others traditions without being scared to talk about the Lord we love.

Going into the city centre the other day made Ed and me a bit glum: its all enormous shops and packed out with bargain hunters. It feels a bit commercial and soulless, with a few shouty street preachers telling people about Jesus in the least engaging way possible. But amazingly (praise God) at work two of my close colleagues are also Christians, and two others have Christian backgrounds. We've had a few interesting conversations about prayer and the release it can bring. Work itself is very good, usually challenging in a good way but sometimes a bit boring, but that can be to do with being tired!

Annie Holmes, 17/01/2009