Our Goal: A Child-Centered Finland
The Finnish Association for Children and Youth (LNK) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization. Our goal is to make sure no child or young person is left alone. We connect children and young people with safe adults and support families with practical help and early support models. We work across Finland together with our member churches and many partners.
Training, cooperation, and activities
LNK is a service organization for children and young people in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. We provide training, support cooperation, and organize activities. Every year, more than 20,000 children and young people take part in our camps and events.
Child- and youth-centered perspective
We see the world through the eyes of children and young people. Everyone should be able to take part equally and be accepted as they are. Our organization supports early childhood education and school-age children in parishes. We also highlight the importance of youth work in public debate and decision-making.
History and roots
LNK has 275 member parishes in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and four member associations. The highest decision-making body is the annual spring meeting, where every member has one vote.
Between these meetings, the board makes the main decisions. The board is elected at the spring meeting, and one third of the members change every year. A board member’s term is three years.
Our association was founded in 2017 when three organizations merged: Seurakuntien Lapsityön Keskus, PTK – poikien ja tyttöjen keskus, and Nuorten Keskus. The organization was first called Nuori kirkko ry.
What kind of services does the Finnish Association for Children and Youth provide?
Promotion of participation and prevention of exclusion
At LNK, we want to make sure that children and young people are heard in everyday life, both in the church and in society. We support their participation in many ways:
- helping the work of children’s affairs officers,
- producing material for child-rights impact assessments,
- organizing the Nuorten tulevaisuusseminaari (Future Seminar for Young People),
- supporting the NAVI youth advocacy group, which encourages young people to take part in church elections as voters and candidates.
LNK also coordinates the Moving Congregation model in parishes.
Preventing exclusion with concrete models
At LNK, preventing exclusion means offering ready-to-use activities for parishes, schools, and youth groups. Examples include:
- Saapas – outreach youth work,
- Moottoripaja – youth garage project,
- PIKI – bullying prevention for young children.
Since 2022, LNK has also coordinated Walk in therapy. It is free, anonymous, and meant for people under 29. Walk in therapy is a single-session therapy model, where every visit is treated as a stand-alone session. The service is already available at more than 30 locations in over 20 Finnish cities, and the aim is to expand it nationwide.
Training, events and international activities
LNK offers training and education for young people and adult volunteers. Every year, we also organize international confirmation preparation, as well as events and camps for children, young people, and families.
Materials and media
The Finnish Association for Children and Youth creates materials and methods for many purposes, from sports to music and digital tools. These support Christian education and are made for professionals and volunteers working with children and young people of different ages.
We also publish digital and print media, such as Lastenkirkko, Villimedia online, and Pieni on Suurin magazine.
International connections and networks
The Finnish Association for Children and Youth works together with European Christian youth organizations and builds international connections for young people. Every year, we run international projects especially for Finnish youth.
Building connections through Christian youth networks
Our international work connects us with Christian children’s and youth networks. Together with parishes and Finnish partners, we build cooperation that benefits children and young people.
Bringing new models to Finnish parish life
LNK takes part in international networks of Christian children’s and youth work. From these, we bring new models that fit Finnish parish life and develop them further together with the parishes.
International networks of Christian children’s and youth work
- European Conference on Christian Education – ECCE
- European Fellowship of Christian Youth – EF, which is an ecumenical cooperation network for Christian youth work and LNK is a member of the EF.
- Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe – EYCE
- International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry – IASYM
- International Association for Children’s Spirituality – IACS
- The international Godly Play network
- Association for the Study of Religion, Belief and Education Uskonnon, katsomuksen ja kasvatuksen tutkimusseura UKKT
In addition, we follow the subsequent networks and join their activities at time to time:
- Nordic Sunday School Network
- The international confirmation preparation research network
- InterEuropean Commission on church and school ICCS
- Nordic Pedagogical Network
- GTI – The Finnish Gordon Training