Forging Gospel Links in Finland
Like many countries in Western Europe, Finland has a post modern character which has led Brother Tapio Satilla and the workers in Finland to embrace a small group model to advance the work. These groups are called links but they are essentially home groups that utilize a profoundly relational approach to evangelism and ministry. Timo Salo shared in a recent report, “This year the Christians in Finland had arranged a Jesus March in several different cities/towns at the same time. This happened the Labor Day, the 1st of May. As the Link church in Helsinki/ Vantaa area we attended the march in Helsinki. There were approximately 4000 marching Christians all together that day for Jesus in Helsinki! Radio Dei arranged his March…The 5th of June we had Helsinki and Vantaa Links coming together. Timo preached to us and we had communion. Markku from the Vantaa Link testified and our pastor prayed. Two school age boys played instruments for the Lord: Lassi Astala played a guitar and Eetu Keski-Lusa played a clarinet. May God bless these boys! We were blessed! Pray that they will continue serving the 
Lord in the days to come. As a congregation two seventh graders blessed us by praise dance and by singing. We had a privilege to pray for these girls Heidi and Miisa for their English language course trip to Malta for two weeks and maybe serving our church there by praise dancing and singing, too. As a small house church it is nice to be able to bless active young people for short mission trips this way. Pray for us to be able to bless more young people or adults for short mission trips!”
Fellowship and connections are vital for the brethren in Finland. God is blessing them to be able to share ministry and receive from other national churches both in Europe and North America. Brother Timo relates, “We are grateful to the Lord that He provided for our family to be able to travel to Bulgaria this summer and meet our church family. Sister Donka invited us to come and visit her church when she met Anu and Hanna in the Ladies Retreat 2007 in England. While we were there Brother Peter (the overseer of Bulgaria) blessed our marriage (21st anniversary) with the congregation. He also asked Timo to share from his heart few words from the Bible, which he gladly did. Anu and Tiia were asked to sing a song. That was blessed time. The church in Bulgaria sends the greetings to the church in Finland.”