A journey that began in 1998
Lars and Mandy’s journey with Jesus began in 1998.
At the time, Lars considered himself an atheist, while Mandy believed in God but wasn’t actively living out her faith. After being challenged by a Christian university lecturer, they began seriously investigating the claims of Jesus for themselves.
Over the following months, questions turned into encounters. Both gave their lives to Jesus, were baptised and experienced the reality and presence of the Holy Spirit. It changed the direction of their lives.
In the years that followed, Lars and Mandy served as missionaries, church planters and pastors in different nations around the world. They planted churches, led communities, discipled believers and increasingly discovered a calling to equip others for the work of ministry.
But in 2020, something happened that would radically change the direction of their lives again.
The encounter that changed everything
In 2020, Lars had a profound encounter with God in which he sensed the Lord specifically calling him to teach people how to hear His voice.
That encounter became a defining moment — not only for Lars, but for Mandy, their family and ultimately the ministry God had entrusted to them. What followed was a season of extraordinary change.
As they began helping ordinary believers recognise God’s voice and respond to Him, they saw people transformed, gifts awakened and believers stepping into things they had never imagined themselves doing.
The impact extended far beyond their immediate community. Significant changes began taking place within their local church network, new relationships and ministry networks formed internationally, and doors began opening into nations. What had begun as a very personal encounter with God became a call to equip the wider Body of Christ.
Alive in Christ Ministries grew out of that journey.
Equipping the saints
At the heart of Lars and Mandy’s ministry is Paul’s description of fivefold ministry in Ephesians 4:11–12: leaders are given to the Church “to equip his people for works of service.” For Lars and Mandy, that means ministry cannot simply be about people coming to meetings and watching gifted ministers do the work.
The goal is to equip people to do it themselves.
So when they teach about hearing God’s voice, people are given the opportunity to listen and respond. When they teach about healing, people are equipped and activated to pray for the sick. When they teach about sharing Jesus, discipleship or the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the goal is not simply greater knowledge. It is to help believers confidently put into practice what Jesus taught His followers to do.
This emphasis on practical equipping and activation has become a hallmark of their ministry. Through healing activations at gatherings and church services, they equip ordinary believers to minister healing themselves. At times, they have seen hundreds of people healed in a single service as believers step out in faith, pray for the sick and put into practice what they have just learned.
The testimony isn’t simply, “Look what God did through us.” It is:
“Look what God can do through His people when they discover who they are and become equipped to follow Him.”
Prophetic ministry with a heart for people
Lars and Mandy carry a strong prophetic dimension in their ministry, with a particular emphasis on helping people recognise the voice of God and respond to what He is saying. They love people.
Much of their ministry happens simply by coming alongside individuals — listening, encouraging, praying, helping people recognise what God has placed within them and giving them the courage to take their next step.
For them, prophetic ministry isn’t primarily about delivering impressive words from a platform. It is about helping people encounter the heart of God and equipping them to develop their own relationship with Him. Their desire is always to point people toward Jesus rather than create dependence upon a ministry or minister.
For the whole Body of Christ
Alive in Christ Ministries does not exist to promote one particular denomination, church movement or expression of Christianity. Lars and Mandy love the whole Body of Christ.
Their journey has connected them with believers and leaders from many different denominations, cultures and nations. They feel increasingly called to serve across those boundaries — strengthening churches, equipping leaders and helping believers step into everything God has called them to be. They have a deep love for the Scriptures and a deep hunger for the presence of God.
For them, Word and Spirit belong together.
They believe we don’t have to choose between being deeply grounded in the Bible and passionately pursuing the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus demonstrated both — and His disciples are invited to follow Him.
From local church to the nations
After years of missionary work, church planting and pastoral ministry, Lars and Mandy increasingly sensed God calling them to serve the wider Body of Christ. This calling has opened doors to equip pastors, leaders and believers throughout Australia and across the nations.
A significant part of their heart is for places where pastors and Christian leaders have limited access to practical training and resources. Rather than bringing an Australian model of Christianity, their desire is to recognise what God is already doing, come alongside local leaders, strengthen churches and equip people to multiply what they have received.
Equip people who will equip others. Make disciples who will make disciples. Strengthen leaders who will strengthen others.
The goal is multiplication — from one life to another, from one community to another, and ultimately to the nations.
Oasis of Hope
Lars and Mandy live at Oasis of Hope, a beautiful property set among the forests and mountains of the Coffs Harbour hinterland on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales.
More than simply their home, Oasis of Hope has become a place of encounter, rest, community and equipping — somewhere people can step away from the noise of everyday life, spend time in God’s presence, build meaningful relationships and be refreshed and equipped for what God has called them to do.
It is also home to many of the Hub gatherings, retreats and equipping events of Alive in Christ Ministries, and reflects something very close to Lars and Mandy’s hearts: creating space for people to encounter God, connect deeply with others and be released into their calling.
Lars and Mandy share Oasis of Hope with their three sons, and it has become as much a family home as it is a place of ministry — a reminder that the life they’re inviting others into is the same life they’re seeking to live day by day.
Our heart
After almost three decades of following Jesus, Lars and Mandy remain convinced that the Christian life was never intended to be lived from the sidelines. Jesus still calls ordinary people to follow Him.
He still speaks. He still heals. He still transforms lives. And He still sends His disciples into the world. Lars and Mandy’s desire is to spend their lives helping people discover that reality for themselves — and equipping them to give away what they have received.