Terri Kent
Terri was hired at Abundant Life Church (later named Gateway) in the fall of 1999 to teach in the Ark Preschool. She and her husband Dennis began attending Abundant Life in early 2004 before the church moved to our current building. They attended an Alpha membership class, where their small group became their life group which has been together ever since. They served as greeters at the main doors until becoming small group leaders for children’s ministry in 2006.
In 2006, Mandy Mouser transitioned from being The Ark Director to Children’s Ministry Director. She asked Terri to implement Elementary Ministry. Terri resisted at first, unsure she was up to the job, but Mandy said, “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.”
“The only quality I felt I had was my deep love for children and a desire to share the Gospel with them,” Terri said. “I prayed over it for a little while before accepting the position.” The first year, she continued to teach at The Ark for half-days and added children’s ministry for the other half.
Terri and Dennis went on to serve as Celebrate Recovery group leaders, as well as helping with Church Under The Bridge and Church in The Park with their life group. Dennis continues to serve as an elementary small group leader – that’s 19 years! He also served in Student Ministry – Sunday evenings and camp. Terri joined him his last year, including attending Passion Camp in Daytona.
Terri says that she prayed for 10 years for “a special person” to come in and take the two-service kids (children whose parents worship one service and volunteer during the other service) and do an in-depth Bible Study with them, so they don’t attend the same class/lesson twice each Sunday. “In October of 2024, after talking to Susan (Hageman), I followed her recommendation to ask Ashley Voss. I met with Ashley and knew right away that she was exactly what I had been praying for. She has been such a huge answer to prayer with those 12 children and me for the last year.”
When asked to share about remarkable seasons of ministry, Terri says it’s hard to choose, as “all of it has been such a huge blessing. SKC (Summer Kids Club) every year amazes me - how God moves through so many great volunteers to accomplish His purpose. It’s always so heartwarming to watch the children get excited about collecting money to support the needs of children halfway around the world at Starfish Kenya during SKC.
“Working with ‘His Kroo’ (student worship team) has been one of my favorite parts of my job. What a great group of young people I have had the privilege of serving with, while teaching them what it means to be leaders. My first year I had 12 on the team and now have 38. So many have gone on to be in ministry themselves. That is exciting!
“Helping my daughter Jessica (Dudley) start our Special Blessings Ministry around 2008 was also a highlight, and it has expanded over the years. Helping families with special needs children attend church was our goal!
“My reason for doing what I do is that I have a passion for every child to hear the Gospel in a fun and engaging way, and to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are loved by God and He desires a relationship with them.
“My favorite part of my story is how God faithfully equipped me, like Mandy said He would, to do what He called me to do,” said Terri. “Being shy and an introvert by nature, He had to move me out of my comfort zone to grow me. He stretched me in so many ways. It was hard to do Children’s Ministry as an introvert, so He had to challenge me to come out of my shell. Once SKC was handed off to me I had no choice but to become an extroverted introvert.”
Terri says she will never forget “the best compliment I ever got” was Pastor Randy (Hageman) introducing her to someone and saying, “If you cut her, she would bleed children!”
“To be honest, I don’t really know what my next step is. I am praying for clarity on that. For now, in the waiting, I want to spend more time with my family and do some traveling.
“My hope for Gateway is that we will continue to grow and draw people through the doors who need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ, people who have a desire to be part of a biblical community. Gateway has been such a blessing to our family. I am praying that we continue to make disciples who make disciples, and I have a desire to see the whole body of Christ serving in some capacity.”
In 2006, Mandy Mouser transitioned from being The Ark Director to Children’s Ministry Director. She asked Terri to implement Elementary Ministry. Terri resisted at first, unsure she was up to the job, but Mandy said, “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.”
“The only quality I felt I had was my deep love for children and a desire to share the Gospel with them,” Terri said. “I prayed over it for a little while before accepting the position.” The first year, she continued to teach at The Ark for half-days and added children’s ministry for the other half.
Terri and Dennis went on to serve as Celebrate Recovery group leaders, as well as helping with Church Under The Bridge and Church in The Park with their life group. Dennis continues to serve as an elementary small group leader – that’s 19 years! He also served in Student Ministry – Sunday evenings and camp. Terri joined him his last year, including attending Passion Camp in Daytona.
Terri says that she prayed for 10 years for “a special person” to come in and take the two-service kids (children whose parents worship one service and volunteer during the other service) and do an in-depth Bible Study with them, so they don’t attend the same class/lesson twice each Sunday. “In October of 2024, after talking to Susan (Hageman), I followed her recommendation to ask Ashley Voss. I met with Ashley and knew right away that she was exactly what I had been praying for. She has been such a huge answer to prayer with those 12 children and me for the last year.”
When asked to share about remarkable seasons of ministry, Terri says it’s hard to choose, as “all of it has been such a huge blessing. SKC (Summer Kids Club) every year amazes me - how God moves through so many great volunteers to accomplish His purpose. It’s always so heartwarming to watch the children get excited about collecting money to support the needs of children halfway around the world at Starfish Kenya during SKC.
“Working with ‘His Kroo’ (student worship team) has been one of my favorite parts of my job. What a great group of young people I have had the privilege of serving with, while teaching them what it means to be leaders. My first year I had 12 on the team and now have 38. So many have gone on to be in ministry themselves. That is exciting!
“Helping my daughter Jessica (Dudley) start our Special Blessings Ministry around 2008 was also a highlight, and it has expanded over the years. Helping families with special needs children attend church was our goal!
“My reason for doing what I do is that I have a passion for every child to hear the Gospel in a fun and engaging way, and to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are loved by God and He desires a relationship with them.
“My favorite part of my story is how God faithfully equipped me, like Mandy said He would, to do what He called me to do,” said Terri. “Being shy and an introvert by nature, He had to move me out of my comfort zone to grow me. He stretched me in so many ways. It was hard to do Children’s Ministry as an introvert, so He had to challenge me to come out of my shell. Once SKC was handed off to me I had no choice but to become an extroverted introvert.”
Terri says she will never forget “the best compliment I ever got” was Pastor Randy (Hageman) introducing her to someone and saying, “If you cut her, she would bleed children!”
“To be honest, I don’t really know what my next step is. I am praying for clarity on that. For now, in the waiting, I want to spend more time with my family and do some traveling.
“My hope for Gateway is that we will continue to grow and draw people through the doors who need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ, people who have a desire to be part of a biblical community. Gateway has been such a blessing to our family. I am praying that we continue to make disciples who make disciples, and I have a desire to see the whole body of Christ serving in some capacity.”
From Ashley Voss:
Let’s go back to 1999 for a minute.
“I’ll abandon every selfish thought.
I’ll surrender everything I’ve got.
You can have everything I am
And perfect everything I’m not.
I am willing, I am not afraid.
You give me strength when I say,
I wanna be Your hands,
I wanna be Your feet,
I’ll go where You send me.”
Yes ... Audio Adrenaline. Those were the good days.
This song reminds me of Terri’s heart.
Her posture of surrender has defined her ministry. She has never served out of fear but out of trust in God’s strength, His timing, and in the people He called alongside her. Terri has truly lived out the prayer, “I wanna be Your hands, I wanna be Your feet, I’ll go where You send me.”
She has been more than Gateway Kids. She has been a friend, a mentor, and a quiet example of what it looks like to be His hands and feet. She has shown us what it looks like to love God’s children wholeheartedly. Through consistency, gentleness, a whole lot of fun, and deep love for God and His children, she has shaped lives in ways that can’t be measured.
Terri has not only poured into our children but into everyone she has come in contact with. One of the most beautiful expressions of her heart has been through her leadership of His Kroo. She didn’t just lead a worship team ... she created a place where high school students could serve with purpose and confidence, and where younger children could experience joy-filled worship led by people they could look up to.
I’ve had the privilege of watching that impact up close through my daughter, Avery. She came into His Kroo unsure of herself, afraid to mess up, and hesitant to be seen. Terri saw past the fear and spoke His life into her. With patience, encouragement, and unwavering belief, she helped Avery find her confidence.
That kind of influence doesn’t fade: it transforms, takes flight, and soars.
It feels fitting that Terri loves butterflies because her ministry has looked just like that. She nurtured growth, protected fragile beginnings, and then released them when the time was right. Terri has nurtured, encouraged, and released so many of our children when the time was right, trusting Jesus with their future and sending them forward better than before.
Because of her, children felt seen and loved. Families felt supported. Leaders were raised up. And most importantly, every single person she met knew that Jesus loved them.
Terri may never fully know the eternal impact she has had until she stands with our Savior in eternity. But I’ve been given a small glimpse in the two years I’ve been at Gateway. I will forever be grateful for the time she poured into my own child and into me.
She prayed fervently for God to answer a long-held prayer for our two-service kiddos, and she saw something in me that allowed her to entrust such a precious thing to my care. She let me blossom. She let me grow. And then, with grace and trust, she released me to love on these kids and share Jesus with them.
Thank you for trusting me.
Thank you for loving our kids.
Thank you for being such a faithful servant of our Lord and for being part of so many children’s testimonies.
You have made an eternal impact, and I know there will be many in Heaven because of the love you poured into them.
Thank you for being His hands and feet ... and for going wherever He sent you.
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Let’s go back to 1999 for a minute.
“I’ll abandon every selfish thought.
I’ll surrender everything I’ve got.
You can have everything I am
And perfect everything I’m not.
I am willing, I am not afraid.
You give me strength when I say,
I wanna be Your hands,
I wanna be Your feet,
I’ll go where You send me.”
Yes ... Audio Adrenaline. Those were the good days.
This song reminds me of Terri’s heart.
Her posture of surrender has defined her ministry. She has never served out of fear but out of trust in God’s strength, His timing, and in the people He called alongside her. Terri has truly lived out the prayer, “I wanna be Your hands, I wanna be Your feet, I’ll go where You send me.”
She has been more than Gateway Kids. She has been a friend, a mentor, and a quiet example of what it looks like to be His hands and feet. She has shown us what it looks like to love God’s children wholeheartedly. Through consistency, gentleness, a whole lot of fun, and deep love for God and His children, she has shaped lives in ways that can’t be measured.
Terri has not only poured into our children but into everyone she has come in contact with. One of the most beautiful expressions of her heart has been through her leadership of His Kroo. She didn’t just lead a worship team ... she created a place where high school students could serve with purpose and confidence, and where younger children could experience joy-filled worship led by people they could look up to.
I’ve had the privilege of watching that impact up close through my daughter, Avery. She came into His Kroo unsure of herself, afraid to mess up, and hesitant to be seen. Terri saw past the fear and spoke His life into her. With patience, encouragement, and unwavering belief, she helped Avery find her confidence.
That kind of influence doesn’t fade: it transforms, takes flight, and soars.
It feels fitting that Terri loves butterflies because her ministry has looked just like that. She nurtured growth, protected fragile beginnings, and then released them when the time was right. Terri has nurtured, encouraged, and released so many of our children when the time was right, trusting Jesus with their future and sending them forward better than before.
Because of her, children felt seen and loved. Families felt supported. Leaders were raised up. And most importantly, every single person she met knew that Jesus loved them.
Terri may never fully know the eternal impact she has had until she stands with our Savior in eternity. But I’ve been given a small glimpse in the two years I’ve been at Gateway. I will forever be grateful for the time she poured into my own child and into me.
She prayed fervently for God to answer a long-held prayer for our two-service kiddos, and she saw something in me that allowed her to entrust such a precious thing to my care. She let me blossom. She let me grow. And then, with grace and trust, she released me to love on these kids and share Jesus with them.
Thank you for trusting me.
Thank you for loving our kids.
Thank you for being such a faithful servant of our Lord and for being part of so many children’s testimonies.
You have made an eternal impact, and I know there will be many in Heaven because of the love you poured into them.
Thank you for being His hands and feet ... and for going wherever He sent you.
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
From Andy Vidal:
What can we say about Miss Terri, as all three of our children lovingly call her!!? Her example of selfless service and genuine care for all of her students and their families has been an inspiration to our family for as long as we've been attending our church. Her love for Christ has always shone through as she used her giftedness to love on every child and family that came through Kids Town.
The message The Vidals would want to relay to Miss Terri is
"Thank you, we love you, and we thank our Heavenly Father for blessing us with such a wonderful sister in Christ for so many years. We will miss you, but the impact you made on our family will never be forgotten. We pray that God bless and keep you and Dennis and all your children and grandchildren".
What can we say about Miss Terri, as all three of our children lovingly call her!!? Her example of selfless service and genuine care for all of her students and their families has been an inspiration to our family for as long as we've been attending our church. Her love for Christ has always shone through as she used her giftedness to love on every child and family that came through Kids Town.
The message The Vidals would want to relay to Miss Terri is
"Thank you, we love you, and we thank our Heavenly Father for blessing us with such a wonderful sister in Christ for so many years. We will miss you, but the impact you made on our family will never be forgotten. We pray that God bless and keep you and Dennis and all your children and grandchildren".
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