Track 7 – Change From Inside Out
The church is a spiritual movement and leading a church is a spiritual task. Come and learn how to tap into the spiritual gifts and tools that are going to change the way you lead and the way you engage with God, with your siblings in Christ, and with the rest of the world. The track will be led by a team of Finnish pastors and lay people.
Saara Heimonen Is a young leader from Finland called to serve the church. She was elected as a lay leader of the UMC Finland-F in 2017. Saara dreams about revivals and seeing the Holy Spirit move more and more in people’s everyday life. She studies part-time to learn more about Web Design and works part-time to have time to serve the church. Her home church is Pori UMC.
Kreetta Heiskari, executive assistant, is a 47 years old woman from Lohja, Finland belonging to the Helsinki UMC.
She is keen to listen and observe and values the delicacy of the Holy Spirit for passing the words of encouragement. In 2014, she went to UMC Helsinki for the first time, accepted Jesus' invitation and 5 months later got married to the very same man who invited her to the church.
She is part of a recently begun ARM* Finland team and a lay delegate at the General Conference.
*) ARM Aldersgate renewal ministries are equipping the local church to minister to the world in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Sarah Tiainen is a 37 years old pastor in Kokkola and Jakobstad UMC married to Tomas and mother of Theo (6) and Nikolai (2). Her passion is to see the people of Christ become equipped to function and serve in a time like this. Our secularized societies are more and more looking like the societies that the first believers lived in. Christianity is becoming a marginalized part of society. That is an advantage, not something to be worried about. When people do not know Jesus through socially acceptable and moulded religion, they have the chance to meet the real Jesus. And as believers we need to represent him as honestly as possible.
Fun fact: participated in season 4 of the Voice of Finland and made it to the last round before the live shows.
Jori Brander is a 48 years old pastor and DS in Kuopioi in the Finnish speaking AC. He is married and has 5 children. Jori loves to worship Jesus when he is running outdoor trails, and he thinks that Jesus wants to spend more time with us not only when we are gathered together in His name, but also everywhere else. Jori’s life is worship 24/7; and it includes everything, highs and lows. Jesus is present when he feels blessed but also when he falls.