- Hilkka Laine
The first United Methodist Church worship service in Imatra was held in August 2009. Three years before that God had placed the city on the heart of pastor Hilkka Laine, working in the Finnish-speaking UMC-church in Lappeenranta. She and her husband, pastor Veikko, took a group of musicians and singers with them and did a first outreach in the city. In September 2009 Hilkka also participated in the School of Congregational Development in Oslo. For her, the church-planting track became a real kick forward. She understood that the Imatra-project has to continue.
- Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus, Hilkka says. And our vision is to plant a church, sooner or later. My goal is to see it planted before I retire. We hope to create a place where people feel accepted, loved and welcomed. These are our main values. In our work in Lappeenranta, esp. through our food distribution ministry, we are used to seeing people struggling with poverty and many personal difficulties. I believe this has helped us to develop good values. We want to strongly communicate freedom; people can and should come as they are.
The plan is to continue with worship services at least once a month in Imatra. Hilkka has no explicit church-planting team but her help is a group of mature believers that use their gifts in music and singing. They also give their personal testimonies. After service there is always coffee and fellowship. Hilkka thinks it is important to stay and discuss with the people that come. The services are simple in their format. The group sings older and contemporary songs, the emphasis on music is strong and this is what the people attending the services seem to want.
How does Hilkka train her leaders for the work? At the moment the UMC-church in Lappeeranta educates lay preachers. Hilkka feels that the people on her team doing meetings in Imatra are experienced believers that don’t need any particular training.
Hilkka defines church as follows: - “Church” is to me a home where you can live, grow, rest and function. It is life. Church is also the fellowship of believers, it is unity among friends. And church is a channel through which everyone may serve the living God.
- My inspiration, Hilkka says, comes from the fact that I so strongly remember and feel that God himself placed Imatra on my heart three years ago. Seeing the members of my church in Lappeenranta involve 100% in this project gives me a lot of energy. Of course I get tired at times. But knowing that I don’t do this alone fuels me anew. And yes, prayer is truly a source of strength.
Camilla Klockars