FINLAND & PALESTINE Proceedings of a Joint Workshop

2. Finnish citizens living abroad, tourists and also immigrants
in Finland {4 persons}
There are some 180,000 Finnish citizens and 1 million persons
of Finnish origin living outside Finland. Hundreds of
thousands of Finnish tourists stay abroad, from a few days to
several months. CIR provides spiritual and diaconal services
for them in 40 countries.
3. Mission o/the Church {S persons}
Modern terms in cooperation between churches are "partnership,"
or "accompaniment," and the latest is "ownership".
Those have become central themes in global mission, as
churches share the task of witnessing and serving in this world.
However, it was a different language some 100 or 150 years
ago. Naturally, so was the whole world. Terms as "pagans" or
"Negroes" were used with no hesitation, and no one complained.
Around 1850, there was a strong revival movement in
Europe. Also, in Finland, some active persons started to speak
of the importance of spreading the Gospel to places and countries
that had not heard it yet. The Finnish Missionary Society
was established in 1859 by some 150 individuals. Then, later,
other similar organizations started. Especially in 1960 and
1970, some new societies became very active in, and outside,
Finland. The ELCF was in a situation that was, in the field of
mission, in many aspects, out of touch, and out of control.
To balance and clear the situation, the Office for Global Mission
was established in 1976. Its task is to coordinate cooperation,
and prevent overlapping activities, and unhealthy
competition between these organizations. The Office of
Global Mission tries to guide those involved in mission to exchange
information, and to cooperate in activities abroad. It
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