Important information for the international community in English
Evangelical Free Church of Tampere
A warm welcome to Vapis (Tampereen Vapaakirkkoseurakunta, Puutarhakatu 17), Evangelical Free Church of Finland in Tampere.
Our community is diverse and welcoming, with over 10 different nationalities, including internationally-minded Finns!
This variety of backgrounds, languages and viewpoints enriches our wider church community. The church was founded over 100 years ago by a pioneer of the Free Church movement in Finland, and we continue their legacy as we welcome all internationals to join us for activities and become part of our community.
Join In
We run various events on a regular basis in English and Finnish in our church building at Puutarhakatu 17, including:
Kielikuppila (language cafe) – Wednesdays 4-6pm
Family Club (perhekerho: info page in English) – Thursdays 10am-12pm
Open Doors, prayer meeting for the persecuted church – fortnightly on Mondays, 5:30-6:30pm
We also organise two Activity Days e.g. outings or baking together in spring and two in autumn.
For details of all our international activities, click here.
Our next outing will be:
Afternoon at Toimela for sauna and socialising on the 6th of September, 2025
Sunday Services
You are warmly welcome to join us for our Sunday services, from 11am. These are in Finnish with simultaneous interpretation into English. There is Sunday School for children up to 12 years old.
Our focus is to be a family in Christ that everyone feels welcome to become a part of. After the church service, there is an opportunity to get to know each other over a cup of tea and coffee.
Alpha Course
What is Alpha?
Alpha is an opportunity to explore the meaning of life in an informal, fun and friendly environment. The Alpha course consists of a series of talks, looking at topics including ‘Who is Jesus?’ and ‘Why and how do I pray?’, with the option of a day away. We meet for supper and each talk is followed by discussion in small groups. To find out more visit alpha.org
Who is Alpha for?
Alpha is for everyone; no serious question is out of bounds and you are free to discuss as much or as little as you wish. We don’t assume any background, knowledge of, or belief in Christianity and everyone is welcome.
The next Alpha Course will start on Tuesday the 21st of October. For more information you can contact je.juvonen@svk.fi
Contact information
Contact our International ministry coordinator Elke Juvonen with any questions or if you would like to know more about our church.
Or come and see yourself!
You can contact Elke at je.juvonen@svk.fi or call her on +358 44 9766877