Mick Moffett could never have foreseen the extent to which God would change his life. Now he is a Faith Guide and sharing Jesus’ message of hope with children and young people in the South Wales Valleys.
Mick, originally from Northern Ireland, was a drug addict until two Christians helped him into rehab at a Christian centre in Wales. ‘I only planned on coming for two weeks – that was 12 years ago!’ jokes Mick. ‘I had to go to church as part of rehab, where I received the gospel. I’ve been all over Wales since, sharing it with others.’
In 2021, he joined SU Local Mission Partner Hope for the Valleys, set up by five small churches to reach out to young people in the valleys in South Wales.
‘The valleys are beautiful,’ says Mick, ‘but they mask a lot of deprivation. There’s a widespread drugs problem, and my background means I can speak into that. The young people here need the hope and the truth that only Jesus can offer. The Lord has released me from addiction, and I think that has helped to drive the gospel message home.
‘The other thing that has helped is sport! It’s at the heart of this community, so we use it to connect with young people. Because we’re giving them what they want, they are starting to listen to us speak about faith.’
From Mission Partner to Faith Guide
As a Faith Guide, Mick is supported by SU Mission Enabler Jack Newbould. ‘I’m the charity’s only employee, so I really appreciate Jack’s support. I can talk things over with him, he’ll come and help me, and I’ve got access to lots of great SU resources which cut out a lot of time and work.
‘For the past two summers we’ve gone to five schools with SU’s football cage. We play, then look at a Bible passage at halftime. So far we’ve reached over 2,000 children. Word has spread, and we’ve just been invited into another school with 1,600 children.’
Mick’s work is starting to bear fruit. ‘I took some lads on a camp. One was very troubled, from a broken home. I could see myself in him, so I put some time in. When I left, he wrapped his arms round me and said “Don’t go…”
‘He comes to our after-school football club too. He used to always say something cocky when I got the Bible out. Now he sits and listens attentively to how Jesus can change lives.
‘During a halftime break recently, one of the rowdier lads started asking questions about the Bible. So instead of them all running off after the club finished, we got the Bible back out and explored. In the early days, they didn’t even want to hear about faith at halftime. Now they’re hanging on afterwards so they can hear more!'
Once a month, Mick and James, a local pastor, run a Youth Link where the churches bring young people together from the different valleys to play games and learn more about faith. ‘At the last session, we had over 40 young people, too many for the hall so we had to go outside,’ says Mick. ‘We’re having to hold the next Youthlink at a bigger venue down at Merthyr Tydfil!
‘Sharing the gospel here can be a challenge. But with Scripture Union’s support and God’s blessing, I pray we’ll start to see a new generation in the valleys coming to know Jesus for themselves.’
Watch Mick sharing his story
If you’re passionate about committing to journeying alongside children and young people as they find and grow in faith, like Mick, you can find out more about becoming a Faith Guide here.
Mick's story is a powerful one, and it's awesome to see how God is now using him to impact so many young lives. We caught up with Mick in person and you can watch and listen to more of his story by clicking the button below.
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