Staff

Meet the Team

Jessica Spooner

Interim State Coordinator
HR & Donor Development
(603) 289-2357 – Cell
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NEWSLETTER

Jessica was brought up in a Christian home and raised in Southern NH. Since her young teen years she has had a heart for missions. She went through CYIA in the mid 90’s and helped with 5-Day Clubs during many summers as well as running a few Good News Clubs during the school years.  She went on to work with “Youth With A  Mission” in Pittsburgh, PA. She has traveled to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Italy, Peru & Canada training & sharing the Good News of Jesus, as well as running the Children’s Ministry part because of my CEF training. In 2006 she and a team of 5 others moved to Boston, MA to plant a “Youth With A Mission” base there.  Since then she met and married her husband Aaron. They have been blessed with 2 wonderful children.  Jessica now serves with CEF of NH as the Interim State Coordinator, HR helping to oversee many tasks such as coordinating the Child Protection screening process and in Donor Development helping with finances and to meet the needs of our donors.

Karen Illian

Office Manager
(603) 369-4566
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NEWSLETTER

Karen is originally from southeastern Virginia and was raised in a Christian home. After high school, she
went to Cedarville University in Ohio, and during her summers at home she worked in her church office. It
was at Cedarville that she felt the call to work in ministry in a behind-the-scenes way, and she has had
the opportunity to work in several different Christian ministries since that time. It was also at Cedarville
that she met her husband, Brad. Since their marriage in 1997 they have had the opportunity and
privilege to serve together for many years in church ministry in Ohio, Tennessee, and New Hampshire.
While they enjoyed years of doing ministry together, something was missing during the first 10 years of
marriage: they were not able to have children of their own. After receiving news that nothing further
could help medically, they had started to pursue adoption. It was then that God, in His perfect timing,
had a surprise for them as Sadie was born into their family in 2007. After being told, “Don’t expect that
to happen again,” Jadon, whose name means “God has heard,” came along in 2010.
In 2020 and 2021, the Illians were able to serve as a family at His Mansion Ministries, and in 2022 Brad
began work as an Addiction Counselor. Karen is excited about the opportunity to support the staff of
CEF NH and having a behind-the-scenes part in making an impact on the hearts and souls of New
Hampshire’s children with the Gospel.

Jens and Sheila Beck

Northern NH Local Director
(603) 558-2068
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NEWSLETTER

The Becks – Jens and Sheila and their daughters Jane and Ellen

Jens and Sheila became acquainted with the ministry of Camp Good News as they would bring their youth group to do service projects in the spring and fall. In the spring of 1997, Jens was asked to help build a challenge course at camp. He agreed and spent many weekends that spring building the course, a zip line, and climbing wall. Upon its completion, Jens was also asked to train the staff. He agreed and many weeks that summer were spent making sure the facilitating staff was following his training.

During this time, the Lord was calling Jens and Sheila to full-time ministry. Because of their past experiences, camping and children’s ministry seemed to be a natural place to serve the Lord. In the winter of 1997/1998, the Becks were asked to come to Camp Good News to serve year-round as Program Directors. After speaking with the CEF State Board, it was agreed to use the summer of 1998 as a test season for both CEF and the Becks. After that summer, both Jens and Sheila felt that God was calling them into full-time ministry with CEF at Camp Good News. While raising their support, they served at Camp Good News during the summers and lived in Littleton, NH, where Jens worked as a Special Education Paraprofessional during the school year. In April of 2002, they finally raise enough support to join the camp staff year-round. During that spring and summer, they lived in a trailer on camp’s property. That fall the Lord provided a house to rent only one mile up the road from camp.

In the fall of 2008, Jens completed his requirement of Children’s Ministry Institute at CEF International Headquarters in Warrenton, Missouri and had served faithfully at camp for many years.

In the fall of 2016, Jens moved from being the full-time Camp Director to being the Director of the Northern NH Ministries of CEF of NH.  In this area of the state, he will be promoting the ministry, overseeing Good News Clubs, training volunteer teachers, recruiting Summer Missionaries and Summer Interns for the 5-Day Club ministry and supporting local churches in their children’s ministries.

The Beck family teaches a Good News Club during the fall and winter in their local elementary school and are also involved in their local church ministry.

Over the years, the Becks have seen many changes. Each season has brought changes in camp staff, volunteers, and facility. Through all the changes, they have seen God’s sovereign hand at work in shaping the Camp Good News ministry and the lives it touches, and they continue to look forward to what God has in store for the next season and their new ministry in Northern New Hampshire.