My Grander Vision for Finland | Churches Influencing & Impacting Society

Finland is a small country of about 5.4 million people with two official religions: the Lutheran Church, and the Orthodox Church. Markus Osterland, a member of the GLS steering committee in Finland since 2006 said the influence of the church in society has been at times stronger and other times weaker. “In the era we’re living right now, there are quite a few challenges to be a leader in a church in Finland since the world is changing.”

“We have many issues dealing with secularization and other Nordic countries are also quite secular,” said Markus. “Many people think that it’s okay to believe in something, but that your beliefs should have no effect on the society. According to the Bible, and Jesus’ teachings, beliefs have a great ramification for what’s going on around you. It’s something that is tricky for churches. We wonder if we should stay in our own bubble, or try to influence society.”

Markus says the Summit has been excellent and very good for leaders in Finland, both pastors and lay leaders from the business world, as it gives them the tools they need to actually explain how the beliefs that we have can play out in society. That is a big strength. “The good thing about having the GLS in Finland is that it has been uniting churches,” says Markus. “We have people coming from all denominations, and that’s a great thing. It creates a leadership movement within the churches in Finland. On the other side of it, the GLS is also including people from the marketplace, politics, and media. We have one site, where we had about 35-40% of the attendees from the business world, and not just church leaders. The GLS is a great way to impact and influence society.”

My Grander Vision for Finland

Markus says his grander vision is that the small things happening in Finland would bloom in a way that the people inside churches could realize that there is no division between church and society. The biblical principles should be played out in business life, politics, and at universities. “I want to see a movement where church leaders wouldn’t be afraid, and would be influencing society,” he said. “We know that the church is the hope of the world. I really think that we need to have good leaders who will believe in themselves in a positive way in order to impact society.”

According to Markus, one of the best GLS sessions was presented by Craig Groeschel when he talked about “It.” Craig most Christian people today are living as if they were atheists, and do not believe in God. They go to church, are active in the choir, will listen to a sermon, but it will not play out in their life with their family and in their workplace. Basically, that is not what Jesus taught. “That was a very relevant message that impacted my personal life,” said Markus. “How do I live my life? Am I a submarine going to church and putting up my periscope, and then taking it down when I go out from Monday through Friday?” Craig Groeschel and “It” have been influential within the context of influencing Christian leaders in Finland.

Encouragement to leaders around the world

“I would encourage leaders not to stand alone,” said Markus. “That is something I’ve learned in my own life. Leaders are struggling, and if you struggle alone, and don’t share your life with people around you, it is much more difficult. In order for us to have an effect on society, we need to share our lives with other leaders. I would encourage leaders not to sit alone, but to reach out and build community.”

What is your grander vision? Share with us in the comments!