International Mission Partnership Consultation 2024

In August 2024 the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland will host its second International Mission Partnership Consultation in Helsinki. The theme will be ”Your Will Be Done – Church and Mission in Changing Landscapes”. The theme of the second International Mission Partnership Consultation in 2024 has  been taken from the Lord’s Prayer. It underlines the importance of the Prayer as a common heritage shared by all Christians and, as such, emphasizes their unity. At the same time “Your Will Be Done” describes the participation of the church and Christians, together, in the great mission movement of God (missio Dei) and the doing of God’s will in a rapidly changing world. Christians pray and act together for the coming of God´s kingdom and for the doing of God’s will in this world. This is common witness. In addition, see the link below to the “Common Witness 2023”, which is the global mission policy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

The International Mission Partnership Consultation will remind everyone of the unity of Christians and the task of witnessing to Christ that has been assigned to them. Christians are united as one so ”that the world may believe.” (John 17:21). Churches and Christians need one another. The mission of the church is being undertaken in a globalized and rapidly changing world in which churches in their many diverse contexts are facing the questions and phenomena posed by a postmodern environment. The diverse contexts provide a wide variety of conditions for Christian witness in word and deed.

The purpose of the consultation is to come together with more than 40 international representatives of mission partnership churches from around the world, in addition to more than 40 Finnish mission and ecumenical guests. They will reflect on a number of current themes arising from their various contexts, telling and listening to stories originating in their various contexts, so that they can search for common and best practices, and learn from one other. The International Mission Partnership Consultation will provide a concrete reminder of the universality of Christ’s Church: what happens to churches and Christians elsewhere in this world has a direct impact on the life of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and on that of all Finnish Christians.

Another living reminder of the universality of the Church and of its inextricable connection with the Church’s mission will take the form of visits by the international partners to a number of Finnish dioceses and parishes before and/or following the consultation organized by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland in Helsinki (26 – 30 August 2024). In addition, the Church’s mission agencies and the Finn Church Aid will organize their own meetings with their respective partners in order to strengthen their partnerships and to plan more effective ways of performing the tasks that they have in common. The updated list of meetings will be posted here.

The first International Mission Partnership Consultation of the Church was organized in Järvenpää, Finland, in the spring of 2014, and its theme at that time was, “Your Kingdom Come”.  It was the first time that the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland had gathered representatives of its mission partner churches from all over the world to reflect on, discuss, and celebrate mission in unity and unity in mission. Previously, some of the mission agencies of the Church had invited their own partners to Finland, but the 2014 meeting gathered together representatives of all the Church´s then seven Finnish Lutheran mission agencies.

The Office for Global Mission as part of the Department for International Relations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland develops, coordinates, and guides the mission of the Church together with its parishes, dioceses, and partner organisations. The Synod of the Church has admitted nine organisations as mission and international diakonia agencies of the Church. They implement the mission and the international diakonia of our Church together with their international partners.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland’s organisations and signatory agencies in mission and international diakonia:

• ELY
• Finn Church Aid (FCA)
• Finnish Bible Society (FBS)
• Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission (FELM)
• Finnish Lutheran Mission (FLM)
• Finnish Lutheran Overseas Mission (FLOM)
• Lutheran Evangelical Association of Finland (LEAF)
• Sansa (Media Mission the Messengers)
• The Swedish Lutheran Evangelical Association in Finland (SLEAF)

Common Witness 2023 is the global mission policy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. The Bishops’ Conference approved it in its meeting in October 2022. The first part of the policy describes the church’s basic theological understanding of mission. The church is missionary, and the church and all its members should lead a missional life. The second part of the text lists the document’s key policy principles.
Mission organisations and organisations working in the field of international diaconia that have signed a framework agreement with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland are committed to the global mission policy approved by the Bishops’ Conference and the principles contained within the policy. Both framework agreements for mission and for international diaconia are valid for a five-year period.

Read it in English and in Spanish:

International Mission Partnership Consultation is an event by invitation-only. The invitation to our guests have been sent at end of 2023. Guests of the consultation and parishioners of the Church can be met at events organised by our partner organisations, dioceses and parishes before and after the consultation. Information on these events, as well as on the open events and streamed plenary sessions of the International Mission Partnership Consultation, is updated on this website.

The International Mission Partnership Consultation is meant to be a space that secures the spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional well-being of all participants. The purpose of the Code of Conduct is to prevent all forms of misconduct, exploitation, fraud, harassment, mental and sexual abuse. The Code of Conduct is a covenant among all consultation participants to treat one another with respect and dignity. It is rooted in Christian teaching and responsibility and underpins the legal responsibility of each participant under the law of the host country. Participation in the International Mission Partnership Consultation in Helsinki 2024 presupposes agreement and adherence to this Code of Conduct and it is applicable at all times and in all venues during the consultation. 

As a participant in the International Mission Partnership Consultation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, 26-30 August, 2024, I commit to:   

• Act in ways consistent with the Christian principles, by treating all persons fairly and with respect, courtesy and dignity because they bear the image of God. (Genesis 1:26-27)
• Recognise and affirm the diversity in the body of Christ and relate with others according to the spirit of the Christian love. (Galatians 3:28)
• Respect individual personal boundaries, both verbally and physically, both in person and virtually. (Romans 12:18)
• Ensure that my personal and professional behaviour is honourable and does not bring my faith, my church or my organization into disrepute. (1. Timotheus 4:12)

The consultation is based on these guidelines to be followed: 

• Respect and promote fundamental rights of each person, without discrimination, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, displacement, political affiliation, religion or socioeconomic status.
• Ensure not to make any person feel vulnerable, powerless, excluded or persecuted.
• Avoid any behaviour that is considered an offence under criminal law or may be legally understood as abuse, exploitation, misconduct, or sexual harassment.
• Respect the narcotic-free and violent-free zone of the Consultation.

Participants for the consultation are invited to register in the lobby of the Cultural Centre Sofia on Monday, August 26th, starting at 12.00. Upon arrival and registration, participants will receive welcome bags containing information about the event and their accommodation.

Please note, that the programme for Monday starts at 14.30 in Sofia Auditorium with Introduction and Welcome. You should be registered and checked in before that. If you arrive later that day or sometime during the consultation, please come to the Sofia Lobby. The registration desk in Sofia Lobby will serve as a information booth during the consultation and a steward or member of staff will be there to help with later registration or any questions you may have.

At the beginning of 2024, eight stewards were selected to participate in the International Mission Partnership Consultation. Stewards are young adults aged 18–30 and they are active in their communities in a different way.

The goal of the steward program is to increase youth participation in international church events and to facilitate the smooth running of meetings. Stewards participate in the concultation and help with the practical arrangements of the event. The steward program started in the spring with bot online and in-person meetings and culminates in the event at the Cultural Center Sofia in August 2024.

Organising the meeting includes a variety of tasks, such as managing social media, streaming, photography, assisting with worships, helping with plenaries and workshops and transportation tasks.

The official logo of the International Mission Partnership Consultation is available to be used for events and communications related to the consultation. Download the logos from here.