Diaconia is church social work or work of church deacons

You may contact your local parish’s pastor or diaconal worker for counselling if you, for example,

• face problems in significant relationships,
• wish spiritual or emotional support,
• are burdened by sickness or grief,
• have lost your job or suffer from loneliness or
• perhaps have concerns relating to moving to Finland.

We offer individual support according to your life situations and help you find ways to move forward.

You do not need to be a member of the Church to receive help. We respect your religious or non-religious convictions based on the principle of freedom of religion and belief. All consultations are strictly confidential and free of charge. Under certain conditions, you may be entitled to temporary material or financial aid.

Support for youth

The staff of Snellu, the Church’s youth work center, support young people under 29 years in their various life situations. Snellu’s Saapas teams do community work amongst young people. Saapas is on duty on the streets during weekends and annual festivities. Snellu works from St. Matthew's Church (Matteuksenkirkko) in Itäkeskus next to the Metro station. Snellu workers and volunteers can assist you in English.

Special diaconia at the Hermanni Diakonia House works with the homeless, prisoners, and people with substance abuse issues. Migrants and refugees can also get help and support there. The staff at Hermanni can assist you in English.

Support for those with disabilities

The Church’s diaconia offers support for people with visual or auditory impairments. Diaconal work with the blind offers special activities such as groups and camps for the blind with the help of the Church’s volunteer guides. For those with an intellectual developmental disorder there are special confirmation schools and other activities available.

You may join also peer support groups for people with mental health issues. In these groups, you may share your experiences with others who have faced similar situations. There are also recreational camps and peer support groups for caregivers.

Support in other languages than Finnish

The Lutheran Church in Helsinki consists of 16 Finnish-speaking and 3 Swedish-speaking parishes. You are free to join church services and events in any of these parishes.

In addition, seven language groups have their own small communities within the church. Our English language community, St. Matthew's, is situated in Itäkeskus next to the Metro station. For more see St. Matthew's Home Page.

There is also communities for speakers of Arabic, Chinese, Estonian and Russian, which all have regular church services. You can find links to these other language parishes here: Parish work in different languages

Helsinki's neighbouring municipalities Espoo and Vantaa also offer international parishes and international worship services held in other languages, including English.