The fundamental mission of the church is to preach the gospel and serve others. The church is missionary which means it reaches out: the message of God’s love is spread out through words and deeds. The basis for this is Jesus’ Great Commission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).
God’s love leads Christians to declare the gospel, serve others, and pray together with other churches and Christian communities. Christians are one, because they have been joined through baptism to Christ, his church, and each other. The church is one and it is global, though it looks different in different places around the world. The faith in the Trinity – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – joins Christians all around the world.
The church and its members have been invited to continue Jesus’ work in this world. Jesus says: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21). Missionary work abroad and international aid is primarily done through the church’s missionary organisations. These organisations are partners of local parishes and they implement missionary work comprehensively. The organisations do their work abroad in cooperation with partner churches or organisations. Their work is interaction, sharing common efforts, and mutual learning.
Rovaniemi parish works through six partner organisations in multiple Asian counties as well as in eastern and western Africa. The task of the parish is to pray for our missionaries and their work areas as well as provide financial support. The financial support is made up of an allocated budget, church collections, other donations, and sales profits. Some of the products sold are made in handicraft workshops. Each member of the parish can pray on their own, during church services, and in different types of groups for our missionaries and the places they work. Rovaniemi parish has missionaries in different places around the globe.
“We have worked hard and I am very happy about this! In our application we emphasised our prior results which have been achieved with the help of Rovaniemi parish. They were proof that we can do this work.”
Photo: Jenni Naumanen
Hilde Paco works as an administrative expert in western Africa in Senegal and Mauritania: “I want to share God’s love and the joy in my heart to others.”
Photo: Maija Hagberg
Ella and Janne Henriksson went to do missionary work in Mongolia six years ago. The family is from Raahe and when in Finland, they live in Oulu. In Mongolia they live in Zuunmod. Along the way, two new members have joined the family.
“The most important thing that we have learnt is that Jesus plants seeds and the Holy Spirit brings faith. We may be serving as helping hands carried by prayer – but through our own strength we cannot do it. This also gives us peace in our work, as we know we are in God’s hands.”.
Photo: Jouni Hagström
Environmental work of Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland in Rovaniemi parish
Rovaniemi parish takes part in national environmental work of Evangelical Lutheral Church of Finland. The Church's environmental diploma, developed for environmental work, gives cincreteness to the implementation af environmental responsibility in the church's work and activities. Environmental work in Rovaniemi parish is ongoing and in continuous development.
"The beauty and variety of creation is astonishing. But the sensitivity and vulnerability of the entire biodiversity also often leaves us speechless. We have been given the task of tending all creation, but human activity can also be corrupting and irreversible. There are no words there, when you witness destruction of nature.
The Lord hears even the unspoken prayer, but not doing anything to protect the ecosystems and the life they provide us with should leave us with a guilty conscience. However, the responsibility does not only lie with the individual alone, but especially with those who make decisions on behalf of large organizations. Us, the members of the parish council, are the ones who can direct our common parish to do our best to protect biodiversity: we decide what kind of purchases we make, what kind of energy we use, what kind of activities the parish has.
An old grove with its mighty oaks, a Lappish swamp dotted with hare's-tail cottongrass and a free-flowing rapid are all valuable signs of creation. They should also be a joy for future generations."
The Lord hears even the unspoken prayer, but not doing anything to protect the ecosystems and the life they provide us with should leave us with a guilty conscience. However, the responsibility does not only lie with the individual alone, but especially with those who make decisions on behalf of large organizations. Us, the members of the parish council, are the ones who can direct our common parish to do our best to protect biodiversity: we decide what kind of purchases we make, what kind of energy we use, what kind of activities the parish has.
An old grove with its mighty oaks, a Lappish swamp dotted with hare's-tail cottongrass and a free-flowing rapid are all valuable signs of creation. They should also be a joy for future generations."
- Miikka Keränen, Chairman of the Rovaniemi parish council
Photo: Jenni Rautavaara
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