25 February 2026 | Helsinki, Finland [Averonika Beekmann with tedNEWS]
Two Seventh-day Adventist groups in Helsinki, Finland, the Finnish-speaking Annankatu congregation and the Estonian-speaking home group Elutee Kodukirik, are joining together for joint Sabbath worship services, a move organisers hope will strengthen the groups and help them reach more people, as the Estonian group marks 20 years of meeting together this year.
The Elutee Kodukirik group’s leader, Marianne Valtna, said the past year has brought significant changes in attendance, prompting conversations with local pastors about how to support the ministry. “A year ago, there were more of us in the spring season, but fewer again in the autumn season: some moved away from Finland, others got sick, and so we discussed with the Finnish pastors what to do to have more people in our group,” Valtna said. The idea that emerged was to organise joint services with the Annankatu congregation.
“I complained during the meeting with the pastors that our group was regressing a little, and then Pastor Atte Helminen had the idea that if we couldn’t move forward, we had to take a step back and organise a joint worship service with the Finns,” Valtna said.
The first joint service took place on 21 February, with the next scheduled for 30 May. Valtna noted that the Finnish congregation benefits from the shared preaching responsibilities and that the joint programme creates variety for both communities. The partnership also expands the Estonian group’s visibility, as Annankatu services are streamed on YouTube.
“Maybe some Estonians living in Finland will notice us, and people in Estonia will learn more about us and be able to find the Elutee Kodukirik home group. This way we can increase our visibility,” Valtna said.
Outside the joint worship months, the Estonian group still meets once a month in Helsinki. Valtna said everyone is welcome, and that meeting dates, along with future joint service times, are shared on the group’s website.
[Photos: Marianne Valtna]
The original version of this article was posted in Estonian on the Estonian Conference website.
