The motto for the Äänekoski Summer Services is ”Thy sins be forgiven thee” (St. Mark. 2:5). The motto is Jesus’ own words to a man sick of palsy who he healed in a house. Four men carried the paralyzed man onto Jesus. So many people had gathered to those services that these men carrying the paralytic could not get through the doorway into the house. They removed parts of the roof to lower the man down in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw the faith of these helpers, He said to the paralytic man, ”Thy sins be forgiven thee”.

The motto is a living reality even at the Äänekoski summer services. According to His own promise, Jesus is present at these services through His Spirit and wants to forgive people their sins – anyone who desires to believe. “Condensed in this one sentence is the core message of Christian faith,” is why the service committee chairman Jukka Palola claims this verse was selected as a service motto.