LNK – The Finnish Association for Children and Youth promotes the participation of children and young people in the society and in church activities. We are a service organisation for children and young people within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland providing training, cooperation development and activities. More than 20,000 children and young people participate in our camps and events annually.
We always look at the world from the perspective of a child or a young person, making sure that everyone can participate in an equal manner just as they are. Our organisation strengthens the position of early childhood education and school-age children in parishes and the significance of youth work in social debate and decision-making.
What kind of services do we provide?
Promotion of participation and prevention of exclusion
We find it important that the voice of children and young people is heard in the daily activities of parishes as well as in the church and society. We promote the participation of children and young people in parishes in different ways, such as by supporting the work of children’s ombudsmen, producing material for child-rights impact assessment, holding the Nuorten tulevaisuusseminaari (Future Seminar for Young People) and convening the youth advocacy group NAVI as well as supporting young people as candidates and voters in church elections.
We prevent the exclusion of children and young people by means of activities such as the Palveluoperaatio Saapas and the Motor forge project, the Nettitupu service and bullying prevention of young children (PIKI). Parish workers and volunteers listen to the children, help them out and be there when they need support.
Training, events and development projects
LNK provides professional further training and up-to-date training both independently and in cooperation with stakeholders such as Seurakuntaopisto and the Church Council. We arrange meetings and professional encounters for people working with various age groups and provide international confirmation training, events and camps for children, young people and families on a yearly basis.
We also carry out development projects together with our members and our cooperation network. At the moment, we focus especially on promoting children’s and young people’s participation and ability to influence and the prevention of their exclusion.
Materials and media
LNK produces materials and methods from sports to music and digital solutions that support Christian education and are intended for instructors and volunteers who work with children and young people of different ages. LNK also produces various digital and print media. We publish the Lastenkirkko-media and the Ttila Youtube channel for school-age children and the Villi and Pieni on Suurin magazines.
LNK – The Finnish Association for Children and Youth was founded in 2017 by the merging of three organisations, Seurakuntien Lapsityön Keskus, PTK – poikien ja tyttöjen keskus and Nuorten Keskus. The organisation was previously known as Nuori kirkko ry.