About us
Who we are
The planting of a new fellowship involves a lot of people, serving and praying for the work of building a new community. We are currently growing that team as we seek to give people an opportunity to serve in their areas of giftedness.
Our current leadership team is chaired by Malin Lantz, candidate pastor at Equmeniakyrkan.
Members of LIFE International are a diverse group of people – we are students, expats, and locals. We come from every corner of the world, yet are united in our fellowship.
What we believe
The Christian Church is spread all over the world - today with more than two billion followers of Jesus Christ. As a congregation, Västerkyrkan is part of this large movement and LIFE International is an integral part of this local church family. Together with the other churches in Lund, we want to take responsibility for a Christian presence and testimony among people who live and work in our municipality. We commonly express the center of our faith through the words of the Apostle’s Creed – an affirmation of the Christian Church that has been used for generations.
The Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hades; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; The holy Christian Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, and the Life everlasting.
And these verses from the Gospel of John summarize the promise of God’s overwhelming desire for us to come into a faith relationship with Jesus:
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Our his
Västerkyrkan (the Westside Church) has served generations in Lund as a fellowship within Equmeniakyrkan, the Uniting Church of Sweden – a free church denomination that grew out of spiritual revival in the mid-19th century. Nestled on the near-west side of Lund, Västerkyrkan’s current church building and adjacent resident student housing (Micklagård) have been home to this active congregation since 1964.
Establishing an English-speaking fellowship has long been a dream among visionary members of the Västerkyrkan congregation. They recognized the international nature of Lund and profound need for more places of Christian connection among English-speaking expatriates, both students and long-term residents.
With the arrival of Pastor Eric and Bonnie Sparrman, LIFE International started meeting in the fall of 2023, with the offering of a weekday evening Alpha Course. The response was overwhelming with over 30 people participating during that season. In late 2023, monthly Sunday afternoon worship services were added and in the autumn of 2024 the frequency was expanded to every-other Sunday afternoon. Eric and Bonnie continued to serve at LIFE International until the end of 2025, when they had to return back to the US. They continue to be close friends and passionate supporters of LIFE International in Lund!