The religious education of the young was co-ordinated by the Youth Work Centre, which re-started its work in 1991. The Centre’s annual most important and vital task is the organising of the nation-wide Days of the Church Youth which bring together hundreds of young people to common prayer, services and discussion groups to tackle some specific and topical subject. It has become a welcome tradition for hundreds of young Estonian church members to take part in the turn of the year meetings of young European Christians.The work with children in the congregations commenced already in 1988. Sunday schools started to invite dozens and hundreds of children to the rather cramped congregation rooms where older or younger congregation members began to teach them. In the majority of cases those members had neither the experience nor training for such work. In 1990, the Sunday School Union was established which, mostly on the basis of the Finnish church experience, started off regular teaching, publishing methodical materials and books for children.The Youth Work Centre and the Sunday School Union joined in 2004. The new organisation is the Association for Work with Children and Youth.
Association for Work with Children and Youth of the EELC
Kiriku plats 3, 10130 Tallinn, ESTONIA
phone +372 5621 0613
e-mail: lny@eelk.ee, website: lny.pusa.ee
Leader of the Youth Work Triin Salmu
Ever more responsibility for religious education is being transferred to the Theological Institute. The Theological Institute of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church is an educational center for the entire church as a place there theological education is developed, coordinated and given to the theologians, clergy and church co-workers in various ministries, the complementary theological, pedagogical and musical training (hopefully a life-long one) is provided for clergy and laymen, and there theological research and publishing of theological literature takes place. In addition to the congregation-related ministries (clergy, cantors, Sunday school teachers, youth leaders), also those dedicated to the social and prison work, and teachers of religious education in schools (pedagogical branch), are being prepared for their work. The pastoral seminary is obligatory for all graduated theologians who wish to become priests within the EELC. There will be practical work in congregations in addition to the lectures of practical theology.
Institute of Theology of the EELC
Pühavaimu 6, 10123 Tallinn, ESTONIA
phone +372 611 7400
e-mail: ui@eelk.ee, website: ui.eelk.ee
Acting Rector Very Rev. Marko Tiitus
Head of the Rector’s Office Mariann Münter
Director of the library Jana Lahe
Director of the Department of Sacred Music Kersti Petermann
Director of the Pastoral Seminary Very Rev. Marko Tiitus
Besides the proclamation of the word, music has always been equally important. The years of occupation had little effect on it. In 1993, the Church Music Association was established which unites all church musicians and co-ordinates the church music. The Association’s aim is to spread the Word of God and strengthen the faith through music. Besides traditional church choirs, the congregations have set up choirs for children, young people and also chamber choirs. Many well-known musicians and ensembles have taken part in church concerts to perform, in proper surroundings, the work of others and their own for the glory of God and spiritual enlightenment of the listeners.There are over 100 organs in Estonian churches, many of them are highly valuable instruments with beautiful sound, and congregations sometimes find it financially straining to restore them and to keep them in good working order. But the regal instruments keep producing fine music. The long-standing Estonian organ building tradition (the Kriisa family) is being supported by new foreign experience (Scheffler). The Tallinn Cathedral Organ Foundation was established in order to raise the necessary millions for restoring the cathedral’s magnificent Sauer organ.
Church Music Association of the EELC
Kiriku plats 3, 10130 Tallinn, ESTONIA
phone +372 5590 2059
e-mail: kml@eelk.ee, website: kirikumuusikaliit.ee
Leader of the Church Music Association Tuuliki Jürjo
The founding of the Mission Centre in 1996 has demonstrated that the church is forever prepared to take on all sorts of tasks and concern itself with problems of a stranger or distant brothers and sisters. Following the more than a hundred-year-old tradition, the Estonian church has been able to send missionaries not only to its own people but even to further places.
Mission Centre of the EELC
Tehnika 115, 10139 Tallinn, ESTONIA
phone +372 646 4760
e-mail: mk@eelk.ee, website: misjonikeskus.ee
Director Rev. Leevi Reinaru
The newspaper “Eesti Kirik” is the weekly newspaper of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. With its circulation (3000 copies) and size it is the largest spiritual periodical newspaper in Estonia. The newspaper was founded in 1923 but was closed during Soviet times. “Church of Estonia” was re-established in 1990.
Editorial office of the newspaper “Eesti Kirik”
Ülikooli 1, 51003 Tartu, ESTONIA
phone +372 733 7790, +372 5743 0227
e-mail: ek@eelk.ee, website: eestikirik.ee
Acting Editor-in-chief Liina Raudvassar
Saku Youth Camp (Camp Center of the EELC)
Mihkli tee 6, Rahula küla, Saku vald, Harjumaa, ESTONIA
phone: +372 509 1912
e-mail: talu@eelk.ee, website: talu.eelk.ee
Leader of the Camp Center Sten Luik
OÜ Kiriku Varahaldus (Real Estate Bureau of the EELC)
Tatari 25-201, 10116 Tallinn, ESTONIA
phone +372 642 2002
e-mail: varahaldus@eelk.ee, website: kirikuvarahaldus.ee
Director Jüri Parbo
