Rovaniemi Parish Magazine September 2020 English Summary

 You never know where God may lead you

Valtteri Ylä-Jääski

Valtteri Ylä-Jääski moved to Rovaniemi seven years ago. He originally applied to the University of Oulu, but things turned out better than he expected.

“I come from Nurmijärvi in southern Finland. Originally I applied to the University of Oulu, but God had a different plan for me and I got into the University of Lapland to study to become a teacher. I quickly felt that Rovaniemi was the right place for me to stay. People here are very welcoming, even though I was new here. My first encounter with a local was a lot of fun and we ended up having tea at their house. I have felt blessed that God led me here to Rovaniemi. I feel at home here.”

How did you find your way to the congregation?

Valtteri began to search for a spiritual home when he moved to this new city. Ultimately he found OMA evenings through the university.

“OMA evenings were organised at the congregation home on Saturday evenings. Nowadays there are OMA masses which are organised every other week. I enjoyed the OMA evenings and that became my spiritual home in the Evangelical Lutheran church”, Valtteri explains. 

Rovaniemi parish supporting students for decades

Milla Purosalo-Vandenbrouke

What meaning can faith bring to a young adult in the 2020s when there are so many options? “Why would I come to church and use my time in the congregation? Where and how would I find my place to serve?”

Community and meaning!

Our student pastor Milla Purosalo-Vandenbrouke refers to Timo Pöyhönen’s summary and says: “There are many reasons to come, but the reason to stay is friendship.”

In student work at the Rovaniemi parish, we try to work as normally as possible during this autumn. On-call duties will be done remotely only if the pastor has to be quarantined.

“Bible studies have been held online during this corona period and the significance of social media has increased. I talk to students a lot online, but if someone wants to have a discussion, I suggest meeting face to face. I try to be here for the students and also want to offer refreshment, meaning coffee”, Milla explains.

40-year-old Pääsky is renewing

Communications Team of the Church. Left: Jouni Hagsrtöm, Pasi Kokko,
Susanna Karila (trainee), Noora Hietanen.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland renewed their visual design in 2019 and started using the Martin font, which is a font based on gothic lettering. In the beginning of next year, the regional parish register for the Rovaniemi parish will need its own stamp and for instance envelopes.

“It is natural for the Rovaniemi parish to combine the whole church’s graphic guidelines to its logo and visual design. Especially as we are celebrating the 70-year-old Rovaniemi church and the 40-year-old parish magazine, the new design is justified and it is a transition to the 2020s”, says head of communications Noora Hietanen.

A large-scale renovation has begun at the parish centre, during which almost everything will be renewed both inside the building and in the garden at Rauhankatu 70. As the offices moved for a year to the so-called OP centre, the new visual design for the parish was revealed in the windows of the offices at Koskikatu 10 and Valtakatu 27.

Remember to vote for the new parish vicar

Anyone who has joined the Rovaniemi parish by August 30, 2020 and has turned 18 years of age at latest by the election day on November 8, 2020 can vote for either 1) Hanna Kuusela, 2) Tuomo Törmänen or 3) Ilari Kinnunen as the new parish vicar. The election day is November 8, 2020 and voting starts in the Rovaniemi church after the 10 AM mass and will continue until 8 PM. The early voting period is from November 2 to 6 in the parish office, in the chapels of Autti, Jouttikero, Korkalovaara, Meltaus, Muurola, Ounasrinne and Sinettä, as well as in the Aapa Chapel, the Viiri congregation home and absentee voting from home.