Summer services
# Summer services

Summer services (Finnish: suviseurat, Swedish: sommarmötet, Russian: Большое Летнее Собрание) is the annual meeting of the Finnish Lutheran movement known as Conservative Laestadians. In addition to the primary Finnish gathering, similar meetings are arranged in North America, Sweden and Russia.

## Suviseurat in Finland

Summer services (Finnish: Suviseurat) is a large gathering of Laestadians in Finland. The event occurs every year at the end of June. It is organized and hosted by a Finnish Conservative Laestadianism association known as the Suomen rauhanyhdistysten keskusyhdistys (SRK). Summer services are among the most visited Finnish summer festivals and the largest spiritual meeting. Summer services are attended by tens of thousands of visitors from Finland, Russia, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, United States, Canada and many other countries. The number of visitors reaches its peak usually on Saturday night, when the services have 80,000 simultaneous visitors.

Summer services take place over the course of four days, usually a Friday through Monday. The program consist mainly of sermons and hymns and songs of Zion. The Summer services areas is about 100 hectares (270 acres). The size of the event requires the need for loudspeakers to carry sermons to all of the listeners. On Saturday Holy Communion is offered and in the evening there is a presentation which is mainly for younger listeners. A gathering for pastors is also held during the Summer services.

The Summer Services take place in a different location every year. 2020 summer services in Reisjärvi will be 112th in order. Services were held in for the first time in 1906 with Oulu being the host city.

Recently, sermons have been broadcast via the Internet into many languages.

### Host cities in Finland

| 1906 Oulu | 1907 Oulu | 1908 Ylivieska | 1909 Tornio-Haaparanta | 1910 Helsinki | 1911 Kokkola | 1912 Rovaniemi | 1913 Kajaani | 1914 Oulainen | 1915 —† | 1916 Oulu | 1917 Ii | 1918 Jyväskylä | 1919 Kemi |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1920 Vaasa | 1921 Ylivieska | 1922 Viipuri | 1923 Kajaani | 1924 Oulu | 1925 Rovaniemi | 1926 Haapajärvi | 1927 Jyväskylä | 1928 Oulu | 1929 Tornio | 1930 Kajaani | 1931 Rovaniemi | 1932 Iisalmi | 1933 Oulu |
| 1934 Oulu | 1935 Oulu | 1936 Rovaniemi | 1937 Jyväskylä | 1938 Kajaani | 1939 Kemi | 1940 Oulu | 1941 —†† | 1942 Oulu | 1943 Haapajärvi | 1944 —††† | 1945 Nivala | 1946 Pori | 1947 Joensuu |
| 1948 Kuopio | 1949 Haapajärvi | 1950 Ylivieska | 1951 Rovaniemi | 1952 Tornio | 1953 Iisalmi | 1954 Tampere | 1955 Kemi | 1956 Oulu | 1957 Kuopio | 1958 Jyväskylä | 1959 Helsinki | 1960 Kajaani | 1961 Kuusamo |
| 1962 Raahe | 1963 Ylivieska | 1964 Joensuu | 1965 Rovaniemi | 1966 Oulu | 1967 Jämsä | 1968 Reisjärvi | 1969 Nivala | 1970 Alajärvi | 1971 Ruukki | 1972 Pudasjärvi | 1973 Ranua | 1974 Hollola | 1975 Turku |
| 1976 Sievi | 1977 Haapajärvi | 1978 Kajaani | 1979 Rovaniemi | 1980 Keminmaa | 1981 Perho | 1982 Oulunsalo | 1983 Kalajoki | 1984 Hollola | 1985 Kuusamo | 1986 Outokumpu | 1987 Hankasalmi | 1988 Vihti | 1989 Ranua |
| 1990 Haapavesi | 1991 Jämijärvi | 1992 Iisalmi | 1993 Haukipudas | 1994 Tornio | 1995 Toholampi | 1996 Alajärvi | 1997 Rovaniemi | 1998 Pudasjärvi | 1999 Kronoby | 2000 Petäjävesi | 2001 Ruukki | 2002 Maaninka | 2003 Muhos |
| 2004 Nivala | 2005 Perho | 2006 Sotkamo | 2007 Valkeala | 2008 Sievi | 2009 Oripää | 2010 Liperi | 2011 Lumijoki | 2012 Loppi | 2013 Pudasjärvi | 2014 Pyhäjoki | 2015 Vaasa | 2016 Tornio | 2017 Pori |
| 2018 Äänekoski | 2019 Muhos | 2020 Reisjärvi | 2021 Loppi | 2022 Kauhava | 2023 Pudasjärvi |

* (†) 1915 summer services in Alakainuu, Sweden were cancelled due to typhoid fever epidemic.
* (††) 1941 summer services in Haapajärvi were cancelled due to Continuation War.
* (†††) 1944 summer services in Nivala were officially cancelled due to Continuation War. Nevertheless, the cancellation message did not reach everyone and thousands of guests and speakers arrived. Services were held unofficially.

## Summer services in North America

Summer services in North America are arranged by members of the Laestadian Lutheran Church.

They take place every year during the first weekend of July. They are mostly attended by North American guests, but some guests come from Finland, Ecuador, Togo, and elsewhere.

The service schedule consists of devotional speeches and Songs and Hymns of Zion. The purpose of the services is to invite all people to hear the Word of God. The core of the proclamation is the message of Jesus as the redeemer of sins and the call to repentance.

2013 - Deer Park, Washington hosted by Spokane Laestadian Lutheran Church

2014 - Rogers, Minnesota hosted by Rockford Laestadian Lutheran Church

2015 - Outlook, Saskatchewan hosted by Outlook Laestadian Lutheran Church

2016 - Essa Township, Ontario hosted by Toronto Laestadian Lutheran Church

2017 - Howard Lake, Minnesota hosted by Cokato Laestadian Lutheran Church

2018 - Snohomish, Washington hosted by Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church

2019 - Monticello, Minnesota hosted by Rockford Laestadian Lutheran Church

2020 - Loretto, Minnesota hosted by Laestadian Lutheran Church

2021 - Monticello, Minnesota hosted by Laestadian Lutheran Church

2022 - Kelso, Washington hosted by Longview Laestadian Lutheran Church

2023 - Monticello, Minnesota hosted by Monticello Laestadian Lutheran Church

2024 - Monticello, Minnesota hosted by Northern Minnesota Congregations

## Sources

* ↑ Suomen ev.lut. kirkko: Aamenesta öylättiin – lestadiolaisuus (in Finnish)
* ↑ SRK: SRK SUMMER SERVICES IN MUHOS JUNE 27-30, 2003 - BULLETIN. 2003
* ↑ SRK: The SRK Summer Services Archived 2007-06-30 at archive.today. 2007
* ↑ "SRK:n Suviseurat". SRK. 2010. Archived from the original on 6 January 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
