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Thursday, February 23, 2012
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Finnish Lutheran Church of North Texas
Evangelical Lutheran Finnish Lutheran Church of North Texas is a worshipping community within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Services are conducted mainly in Finnish. Coffee is served after services.
Dates and times for Spring 2011 worship services:
- Sunday Jan. 23 at 4 pm. Candle Day Mass
- Sunday Feb. 13 at 5 pm. Valentine Mass
- Sunday March 6 at 5 pm. St.Thomas Mass
- Sunday April 17 at 3 pm. Childrens Eastern Mass, Egg Hunting, (Palm Sunday)
- Sunday May 8 at 3 pm Confirmation Mass, Mothers Day
All worship services take place at Faith Lutheran Church, 6000 Morriss Rd. Flower Mound, TX 75028.
Finnish Lutheran Church of North Texas
Annual Report (summary) 2009
GENERAL
As a worshipping community the Finnish Lutheran Church of North Texas has no actual membership record. The people gathering in the church are mainly Finnish people living in the DFW metroplex. Officially the congregation is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and has a status of a Synodical Authorized Worshiping Community (SAWC). Most Finnish people in the area are families of working parents with children. Another character of the congregation is that there is a considerable amount of moving to and from its geographical area within the Finnish community.
The congregation has gathered in the premices of Rejoice Lutheran church in Coppell.
Finnish Church operates under the 10-member Chapel Council which met 9 times during year 2009.
ACTION
2009 was a good year of for the the Finnish Church. In addition to full time pastor Seppo Vesala his spouse pastor Irene Erkko was volunteering in the congregation.
The central feature of the congregation has been providing worship services. There were 12 worship services in 2009. The total attendance was 901, which results in an average of 75. Volunteer music directors, the Finnish Kaamos-choir and the youth wind ensemble as well as individual performers provided worship music.
In 2009 there were five baptisms and three wedding ceremonies.
In fall a Mother-Child music group started to gather every second week. It is designed for 0-4 year old children. The biggest group had 17 children and 15 adults. Age of childrens have been 0-4 year.
The youth group continued to meet in the spring during weekends. It was targeted for 8-14 year old children and teens. The group went for example ice skating and to a game arcade. There was also a camp in Briarwood for this age group in which 16 persons attended.
The teen gatherings continued as well. They were targeted for Middle School and High School aged students. Attendance was 10-17. At times there were also younger people present.
Confirmation school completed the group that started in fall 2008 and its eight student were confirmed May 10, 2009. In the fall of 2009 a new group started with 14 students. There were two weekend camps for confirmation school students during the year.
There have also been various gatherings for both men and women during 2009.
Family centered events have included Fat Tuesday Event, Easter Egg Hunt, Family Concert, Confirmation Song Event, Spring Event, Midsummer Celebration, Octoberfest, The Most Famous Christmas Carols and Christmas Basaar. The attendance have bee2 25-150 in these events. They have also been part of church fundraising.
The pastors of the congregation have also provided their services for the Finnish communities elsewhere; San Diego 6 times, once in Houston and three times in Mexico. These have included worship services, three baptisms and two wedding ceremonies.
THANK YOU
We would like to thank the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland for the support we have received and we would also also like to express our warmest gratitude to the Rejoice Lutheran church and the ELCA Northern Texas and Northern Lousiana synod for their good co-operation. Yet above all we would like to thank all the parishoners who have in many various ways participated in the life of our congregation.
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