Like many young New Zealanders Josh Mills came to Britain with a plan to enjoy a 'gap year' and see something of the world. Fifteen years on he's a permanent UK resident, and father of four having met and married Priscilla.

Quietly-spoken, Josh hails from Hamilton, New Zealand's fourth most populous city (165,000 people). Dairy farming is a major industry there. It's also the home of The Chiefs rugby team and Josh remains a fervent supporter. He grew up one of four boys on a small chestnut orchard on the edge of the city. His grandfather founded a Christian school which Josh attended. An aunt was on the teaching staff. After school, he did a variety of jobs and worked in a call centre to save money in order to travel.

'All my family were believers. I grew up in a strong Christian culture. The Bible was absolutely central, leading us to Jesus, showing us who he is and how to have a relationship with him.' On arrival in the UK, Josh became a volunteer with Oak Hall Expeditions, and was quickly drawn into the life of Oak Hall Church. Along the way, he met Priscilla, who was training to be a paediatric nurse. He was engaged at 21 and married at 22. Priscilla now works as a school nurse, a job that meshes well with being Mum to Coral, Oakley, Savannah and Asher (aged 2-8).

With the prospect of marriage and needing paid work, Josh found work as a council-funded care worker. Clients were adults with serious learning difficulties. Some suffered from mental health issues. The work presented both challenges and opportunities. 'Spiritual issues often came up in conversation. I found it a challenge to explain things of faith to people with limited understanding.'

Josh was a care worker for a decade, but gradually the balance of his working life changed. Throughout this time, he stayed connected to youth work at Oak Hall. An initial two days a week as a paid youth pastor became a full-time job, speaking about the church Josh said: 'We are an independent evangelical church, and the birthplace of Oak Hall Expeditions. We hope to move into a larger building this autumn after outgrowing our present facilities'.

'With the new building comes lots of new opportunities. I'm stepping aside from leading youth work there to enable someone fresh to come in and shape the next chapter of our church life and outreach with the new opportunities the new building will present.'

Looking back over his dual careers, Josh sees important common themes. 'These days mental health is a big issue among young people - you come across a lot of depression and eating disorders.' A background in care meant having well-honed empathy for young sufferers.

The need to move on from youth work gradually dawned. 'Leadership wasn't necessarily my strength. I preferred a supportive role. I began to look for support roles in the voluntary sector. The more I looked into the role at CMF and its work it appealed to me more and more.'

'I'm particularly excited to be part of the team. I'm particularly impressed by the advocacy work. CMF is an incredibly busy office. What it produces is remarkable given it's such a small staff. I look forward to being part of an organisation upholding Christian values and helping those on the medical frontline maintain their Christian witness.'