Like many churches around Europe, the Finnish Lutheran Church struggles to persuade people to come to church even at Christmas. But one congregation near Oulu has pioneered a whole new way of fillings pews - sending a text message to parishioners inviting them to come to church.

Kiiminki congregation piloted this idea on Finnish Independence Day (December 6th) with the message roughly translated as, 'You are welcome on independence day to God's church service.' According to Rev'd Pauli Niemelä, the Kirkkoherra (head priest) of the area, 'The idea is new,' and seems to have worked quite well. He thought of the idea after text messaging was used to reassure and connect people after the Tsunami catastrophe in which a relatively large number of Finnish lives were lost. 'The message spread fast,' after the Tsunami, said Niemelä. 'So why can't it be the same with a service?' In a interview with Kaleva, Niemelä also commented that people might think that they won't bother going to church then the text message can act as a reminder.

Nimelä emphasised that the text message is just one new form of communication that can be helpful but anything that encourages people into church is a positive thing because people can be connected as a community through the sermon and the music. The vicar admitted that the message did not bring especially large numbers to the service but it did at least 'connect' people to the church at a special time nationally. The vicar met a number of people, however, who had come in response to the messages. Allowing the service to be broadcast on the internet is also another possibility as a national service is already broadcast on television.

The text message idea comes at a time when the Lutheran church in Oulu has begun to re-brand itself. The church's website now includes advertisements with very modern feel. On the front page, there is a picture of a young man sitting at a lap-top in darkness next to an inspiring quote from the Old Testament. Other posters include a beefy man lifting a weight - again in darkness - next to the line, 'Strength in the Lord' and a baby's feet in the darkness next to a quote fro  Psalms. Some of the advertisements have gone for a slightly witty feel as in one in which there are three naked, bust-manikins, again on black, next to the line, 'Model yourself on Jesus Christ.'  The church has also started advertising itself on the sides of buses.

However, modern commercial advertising has not yet reached all of Oulu's churches. The website of Oulu's Orthodox church has no such thrills. There is a photograph of the church on Torikatu, basic information and little else.