Teenager attends both secular and Lutheran summer camps in Finland

Fifteen-year-old Evert Anundi spent this summer at both a secular coming-of-age camp and a Lutheran confirmation camp, a rare combination, Yle reports.

Only about 1,000 Finnish youth attend the secular Prometheus camp annually, while nearly 50,000 participate in the Lutheran Church’s confirmation camps. Anundi initially planned to join the confirmation camp to follow friends, but later decided to experience both.

He found the secular camp allowed more time for open discussion, while the confirmation camp followed a stricter schedule with structured religious instruction. The secular camp in Nuuksio National Park covered topics like substance use through interactive exercises, while the confirmation camp in Suomenlinna focused on religious teachings, prayers, and group activities.

Anundi noted that both have value but felt the secular camp’s themes were more immediately relevant to young people. Only 3% of Prometheus camp attendees in 2025 also went to confirmation camp, down from 15% in 2016, according to feedback forms.