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YWAM ALTERNATIVES NETWORK

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YWAM Leaders

Jari Koivu's ministry to spiritual seekers is tapping into a vast ripe mission field largely unrecognized in the church today. Millions of westerners are seeking spiritual reality and the last place they expect to find it is in the church. Jari has pioneered an incarnational missions approach inviting the non-churched to discover the reality of the biblical God and is often overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of those wanting prayer and spiritual guidance. Just as those called to reach isolated unreached tribes need to learn their languages, customs, beliefs and practices, so Jari and his coworkers have developed methods that resonate with seekers without compromising biblical principles. He has my full endorsement and support.

Jeff Fountain
Director, Schuman Centre for European Studies/University of the Nations 
former director YWAM Europe

Norway

Jari came to teach on our Discipleship Training School in Skien, Norway. We were a group of many ages, nationalities, and various spiritual backgrounds. Jari was able to train us in a way that was perfect for such a diverse audience. He taught us in way that did not scare people, but gently introduced them to the Holy Spirit (HS). Our minds were in engaged by exploring scriptures, then our hearts by Jari's numerous testimonies, and finally we were led through encounters with the HS. In the end Jari left us with valuable tools and a growing hunger to go deeper with the HS. No matter where you are in your walk with HS, Jari will challenge and stretch you in the way that fits you best. 

Jeremy Holcombe,
former DTS Director, YWAM Norway



Montreal, Quebec

Jari Koivu's ministry is that of a man called by God to pursue and to persevere in making the gospel relevant and readily available to people of this generation.

I've known Jari for 20 years and he has always been a pioneer, entering into spheres of ministry most people would decline. Whether it be evangelism in a New Age Fair or a Pregnancy Counselling Center, Jari is always looking for ways to show the gospel as the Alternative choice where people will find hope and life.

Pierre LeBel
Director YWAM Montreal
Member of the YWAM Canadian Leadership Team
Member of the YWAM NA Cities Leadership Team
Author


Europe

I have known Jari and Tanya for many years and have walked with them as they pioneered ministries in Austria, Russia, Cyprus and Canada.

Recently I visited Jari as he ministered at a New Age Conference in Helsinki, Finland. I was so impressed with the loving yet very contextualized ministry to these people who were there searching for spirituality. Jari and his team gave them Jesus as though this was the most natural thing in this very different setting. I was blown away by how the gospel when it's translated into the context of the people you are with is understood and accepted. Jari has a wonderful gift of bringing Jesus into every situation. I continue to learn so much from Jari and Tanya and I endorse them and their wonderful ministry.

Al Akimoff
Director, Slavic Ministries
Member of YWAM Global Leadership Forum


Finland

Jari Koivu is a dynamic, lively speaker who teaches from what he also lives out. This fits in well with one of the values of Youth With A Mission, “do first, then teach”. Having invited him to teach on a Discipleship Training School on the topic of “Holy Spirit and Evangelism”, and seeing him in action, I can say that Jari teaches in such a way to give time to practically learn to recognise the Holy Spirit’s leading through various classroom exercises. Jari also inspires and equips the hearer in missional evangelism. You cannot but be stirred up in your faith while sitting in on his teaching!

Jonathan Lemmetti
former National DTS Coordinator, YWAM Finland.


                                                       What do other YWAM leaders say?

North America

Cyprus

California

Jari Koivu is a man of Word and Spirit. He is passionate about addressing injustice and about intimacy with Jesus being the ultimate solution to injustice. Having ministered throughout the world, Jari lives out the message that he brings through providing practical tools for engagement and also through being the messenger himself on a regular basis. His ministry is Biblical, rooted in the power of the Holy Spirit and effective. I recommend him to you.

Phil Gazley
Social Justice Ministries Coordinator YWAM City Initiatives 
Team Three City Ministries Leader YWAM North America
Coordinator for the Kern Coalition Against Human Trafficking

Finland

We had Jari teaching for 5 full days in our DTS this past February, his topic for the week was "Holy Spirit and Evangelism"

The first thing I can say about Jari as a DTS teacher is that everything he taught us is based on his own personal experiences in his spiritual walk, held up to the Word of God to ensure proper interpretation and accuracy. Jari teaches the things we believe he is living and practicing in his own life. His week was very encouraging for the students as well as the staff, as he gave plenty of time for the Holy Spirit to work and speak, but at the same time kept the week busy using plenty of examples for the group to draw from. Everyone of us in the school received revelation from God during the time Jari was with us, and we all better understood as individuals our place and role in the Kingdom of God as His witnesses. One of the most important points that Jari emphasizes during his teaching is the importance of the work of the Holy Spirit in Evangelism, he uses the scripture to teach these points as well as his own experience in his "New Age" ministry in Toronto, Canada.

I highly recommend Jari Koivu to speak in future DTS's.

Erik Davidson
DTS leader, YWAM Koivumaki,
Finland



At any given time in history are some people more receptive to the gospel than others? The answer is an obvious yes! Identifying those people that are ready, open and having being prepared by the Holy Spirit is a major key for breakthrough.

Jari has identified a certain people group that are receptive and ready to encounter Jesus Christ.

His training of local churches in Cyprus to engage in such outreach has born much fruit over the years.

I can highly recommend Jari's ministry for equipping those who are wanting to minister effectively to a receptive people group and work fruitfully among them.

Martin Dolan
Senior Leader Living Stones House of Prayer, former YWAM Cyprus National Director.
​

Romania

2010 I invited Jari  Koivu to teach in our pro-life DTS about "Holy Spirit and Evangelism".

We were blessed by the way he understood the work of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts. 

In a world that believes more and more in the supernatural and new age we need to have a response that is godly.

If you would like your students to learn how to discover what God is about to do in your midst and  to learn how to be guided by Him while praying for people and sharing Jesus, Jari's teaching will be a great addition to your DTS curriculum.  

Along with the teaching times Jari gave us the opportunity to practice hearing God's voice and to wait for the Holy Spirit to lead us. 

Ana Maria Fumey
Director, Pro-Life DTS
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Jari Koivu is a cross-cultural missionary to a rapidly growing segment of Western society--spiritual seekers.  When I returned to North America after 14 years of pioneer missions among the Muslims of Central Asia, it was obvious to me that churches in the West are facing a cross-cultural missionary task in their own neighborhoods... and I'm not just talking about immigrant populations.  The people outside our churches are culturally distinct from those inside.  They think differently, have different values, and speak a different language.  This is not a problem--every missionary knows that these barriers can be overcome. Jari and the teams he trains are willing to take creative risks and step out of what is familiar in order to reach hungry hearts with the only message (a lived, spoken, and demonstrated message) that can satisfy them.

With the collapse of the skeptical and rationalistic "modern" worldview, a ravenous spiritual hunger is reasserting itself in the post-Christian West.  People are eager for spiritual experience, divine revelation, miraculous healing, and other manifestations of spiritual power.  For most Christians, the "New Age" is an alarming development.  Jari and his team know that this hunger and search are actually an opportunity for followers of Jesus willing to learn another language, enter another culture, and lovingly demonstrate the reality of Jesus.  Jari helped our ministry understand how to enter this community and be a witness among them.  He gave us principles and tools for effective ministry.  Most importantly, he inspired us to step out, experiment, and take risks.  I can't think of anyone better qualified than Jari for equipping your church or ministry for the missionary challenge facing us in North America.

Nathan Andrews
YWAM Mendocino Coast




                         
                                
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