Mega City Media Campaign in Finland, Helsinki (2011)
In 2011, the Helsinki-area campaign launched as a 30-day Mega City Media Campaign was designed to reach people across the region with a clear invitation to explore faith and request a free book. Around 80 churches and Christian organizations partnered together, and 1,000+ volunteers were trained to support call centre response and local follow-up.
Response came quickly. During the first 30 days, the campaign recorded 185,023 total contacts, including 112,000 unique website visits, 63,000 life-story videos watched, and 9,882 book requests through phone, online, and text—showing strong engagement across the wider Helsinki area.
Secular Media Reacts
Finland’s largest tabloid and leading daily newspaper published highly favourable coverage of the campaign. A nationally known television host — often referred to as the “Jay Leno of Finland” — interviewed campaign representatives on one of the country’s major TV networks. The host expressed amazement, saying they had never witnessed anything like the campaign’s media presence before. Numerous talk shows also highlighted the outreach as something unprecedented in Finland. Finland’s Telecommunications Commission granted the campaign a rare three-month exceptional broadcast license just before the campaign started, extending viewership. Helsinki became a catalyst for additional province-wide campaigns in Finland. The same model was carried into new regions in the years that followed.
Mega City Media Campaign in Finland — Regional Expansion (2013–2016)
Following the memorable 2011 Helsinki launch, other cities caught the vision, prompting a paradigm shift in how churches approach evangelism— to reach entire cities by strategically harnessing every available media channel simultaneously over an extended period of time— meeting people where they are.
The campaign model gradually expanded into other parts of Finland, including the Turku and Hämeenlinna regions. Each new campaign followed the same simple pathway: visible public messaging, personal life-change stories, and a clear invitation to request a free book and connect for follow-up.
As the campaign reached new communities, local church partners strengthened their response and follow-up systems so people could take the next step locally. In Satakunta, for example, 100,000+ books were distributed, and 85,000 website visits were recorded during the campaign period—showing strong engagement beyond the first launch region. In Kymeenlaakso, 94,000 homes received the campaign books, and another 6,000 were distributed in churches and 65 different events were held across the region. In Kouvola, a thought-provoking special event was held at the local library titled: Faith and Work – Should Personal Beliefs Be Visible at Work?
2022 — Finland (Nationwide) “I Found It”
The nationwide momentum reached in 2022 reflected Finland’s Mega City Media Campaign story of growing reach, long-term partnership, and sustained impact. The “I Found It / Se löytyi” campaign brought churches and Christian organizations together across the country, with 394 congregations and 39 Christian organizations participating in the nationwide effort.
Many Finns still have some familiarity with Christianity through baptisms, weddings, funerals, and holiday traditions. Yet over the past 20 years, faith in God has significantly declined, and many no longer see faith as a source of hope or help in life’s struggles.
The campaign offered a simple and accessible way for people to encounter the Gospel through strong public visibility, authentic stories of transformed lives, and clear opportunities to respond and connect locally. A large-scale campaign book distribution to 2.2 million households shared four basic truths: God loves everyone, every person has sinned, God reconciled humanity through Jesus Christ, and God desires communion with people.
The campaign also drew attention from newspapers, including national coverage from Helsingin Sanomat. Even when reporting was critical, it opened public dialogue around faith. For many churches and individual believers, the campaign renewed zeal and vision for evangelism, with hearts open to the Gospel across Finland.
A Life Can Change
Lauri (Late) Johansson, formerly known as a criminal gang leader and convicted murderer, participated in the 2012 campaign first through a TV interview from prison, and applied for a pass to attend the campaign event at the Helsinki Ice Hall arena in person. He hopes that even someone could benefit from his experiences — that after even such difficult circumstances, life can change.
Pastor Markku Tuppurainen