ORGANISATIONS The religious education of the young is being 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 Youth Work Centre of the EELC Kiriku plats 3, 10130 Tallinn, ESTONIA Phone +372 627 7377 Fax +372 627 7378 e-mail: ntk@eelk.ee http://www.eelk.ee/ntk/engl/index.html General Secretary Mari-Ann Oviir Secretary Eva Sirel 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 Sunday School Union of the EELC Kiriku plats 3, 10130 Tallinn, ESTONIA Phone +372 627 7372; +372 627 7373; +372 627 7374 e-mail: pu@eelk.ee Director Toomas Maarand Ever more responsibility for religious education is being transferred to the Institute of Theology. In addition to the clergy (pastors and deacons), also those dedicated to the education of children, young people, social and prison work, and teachers of religious education in schools (pedagogical branch), are being prepared for their work. The pastoral seminar is primarily meant for students graduating from the Tartu University faculty of theology who wish to become pastors within the EELC. There will be practical work in congregations in addition to the lectures of practical theology. The first graduates of the faculty of theology, which was re-opened in 1991, have already started work in congregations. Institute of Theology of the EELC Pühavaimu 6, 10123 Tallinn, ESTONIA Phone +372 644 9579; +372 644 4210 e-mail: ui@eelk.ee Principal (rector) MA Tiit Pädam Dean lic theol Randar Tasmuth Director of the library Aivi Maasalu Director of the pastoral seminar Ove Sander Besides the proclamation of the word, music has always been equally important. The years of occupation had little effect on it. In 1993, the Union of Sacred Music was established which unites all church musicians and co-ordinates the church music. The Union'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. Union of Sacred Music of the EELC Kiriku plats 3, 10130 Tallinn, ESTONIA Phone+372 627 7375 Fax +372 627 7376 e-mail: kml@eelk.ee Chairperson of the Board Piret Aidulo People can turn to church and their congregation not only when in mental or physical distress, they are able to receive competent advice and understanding also in economically hard times. The Diaconal Centre with its network of diaconal-social places and the Centre of Hospital pastoral work are doing a lot of preparatory work so that very soon nobody need feel himself lonely and abandoned in any situation. Good relations with the Ministry of Social Affairs and their will to give financial support are essential. The Diaconal Hospital was opened in Tallinn in 1999. There are 60 hospital places for the dying and incurable persons. Diaconal Centre Tehnika 115, 10139 Tallinn, ESTONIA Phone +372 646 1027; fax +372 646 1039 e-mail: dk@eelk.ee http://www.eelk.ee/dk/ Director Mart Salumäe Centre of Hospital Pastoral Care Postimaja pk 568, 51003 Tartu, ESTONIA Director Naatan Haamer 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 Pühavaimu 6, 10123 Tallinn, ESTONIA Phone/fax +372 646 4038 e-mail: mk@eelk.ee Director Leevi Reinaru The newspaper "Church of Estonia" 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 "Church of Estonia" Ülikooli 1, 51003 Tartu, ESTONIA Phone +372 743 1437; fax +372 744 1231 e-mail: ek@eelk.ee http://www.eelk.ee/ek Editor-in-chief Sirje Semm