When Tom and Linda Ruhkala’s small church in Tampere, Finland, faced yet another move from rented facilities, the option to rent no longer seemed wise. A permanent address and roof over their heads would increase the church’s credibility and help its numbers grow. One Sunday night in January 2007, 10 church members and regular attenders gathered around a table and took their most difficult step of faith: purchasing property.
Finland is one of the most challenging places to plant a church. Missionary work is an uphill battle against the Finns’ apathy and indifference to spiritual truth. The Ruhkalas have taken on this challenge since 1980, and their persistence has yielded a congregation of 12. When Tom proposed buying property, it seemed too risky to the small group of believers, even impossible.
A faith-stretching experience
For many months, their doubts seemed to be substantiated when no suitable property materialized. But God was about to demonstrate His power. He providentially revealed an ideal 700-square-foot new property near Tampere’s university. Encouraged but cautious, the Finnish believers brought the church’s building fund up to modest $1100. But as the church gained confidence and as word spread among Tom and Linda’s supporting churches, the fund soon shot up to $15,000.
Yet the believers’ faith continued to be tested. Finnish banks require a 40% down payment— $60,000, an astronomical figure for their group. But God was greater and overcame the barriers through new loan options and the continued generosity of God’s people. The congregation was able to move into its very own building in time for Easter.
Bitter turned sweet
In October 2007, God topped off His blessings through an unexpected gift of $100,000. In a bittersweet turn, the Ruhkalas’ sending church in Alaska had closed but was able to breathe new life into the Finnish church with its liquidated assets. With this gift, the Ruhkalas’ church debt shrank to only $5000, freeing Tom and Linda to buy advertising and to fund more outreach projects.
Since the move, four new adults have begun attending regularly, and more visitors are coming out. In recent years, many immigrants have made Tampere home. Tom and Linda’s outreach to them is proving fruitful, and the church’s location near the university gives them added potential to draw new people into the family of God.