Denmark’s national church, Folkekirken, has launched a TikTok presence featuring altar wine shots and rap music to reach young people who increasingly encounter religion through the platform. The move responds to growing curiosity about Christianity among youth, even as church membership declines in the same age group.
Church Takes to TikTok With Modern Approach
The camera rolls as youth pastor Mia Schmidt-Mikkelsen stands before the altar in St. Lukas Church in Aarhus, arms raised toward the ceiling, wearing a priest’s robe and sunglasses. The video will soon appear on Folkekirken’s TikTok profile, where young viewers already find clips of a priest pouring shots of altar wine and rap versions of traditional hymns playing in the background.
Folkekirken created the profile in mid-January following a rise in religious curiosity among younger generations. The church recognized that if young people are exploring faith questions on social media, the institution needs to meet them there.
Ellen Aagaard, editor at folkekirken.dk and responsible for the church’s communications, explains the reasoning. When so many people show interest in Christianity and faith, the church cannot simply be absent from such an important medium. She acknowledges the decision came after considerable deliberation, partly due to concerns about TikTok’s Chinese ownership and data privacy issues.
Rising Interest Meets Declining Membership
TV2 Østjylland previously reported that several churches in East Jutland noticed renewed curiosity from young people. Representatives from seven free churches in Aarhus and Randers confirmed they also experience greater attention to Christianity among youth. A survey conducted by Voxmeter for the Atheist Society shows the younger population is more religious than the generation before them.
Despite this increased interest, the 15 to 24 age group showed the largest increase in church resignations from 2023 to 2024. For the first three quarters of 2025, people aged 15 to 29 accounted for approximately 32 percent of the 7,704 total resignations, according to Statistics Denmark.
Aagaard is not particularly worried about these relatively small numbers. She believes the withdrawals often occur when young people first notice their salary contributing to the church and begin questioning their membership. Many rejoin later in life, she notes.
Meeting Young People Where They Are
Schmidt-Mikkelsen, who serves as a priest at the youth church Ung K in Aarhus, sees the work as essential. Her church targets young people unfamiliar with church traditions, many of whom are not Folkekirken members but are searching and non-judgmental.
She finds the role of representing the entire national church somewhat boundary-pushing but necessary. Young people do not necessarily knock on church doors when facing problems. They turn to social media, making it natural for the church to establish a presence there. This approach aligns with how Danish greetings and social interactions evolve with cultural shifts.
Strategy Balances Fun With Depth
The initial strategy focuses on creating entertaining and attention-grabbing videos before moving into deeper subjects. Aagaard compares this to how people naturally interact. It would be overwhelming if the first conversation topic was death.
Content will develop based on what young people want to learn and will tap into current trends. The team feels confident they will address mental wellbeing and fundamental interest in Christianity. During one filming session, Schmidt-Mikkelsen reacts to clips from Paradise Hotel, demonstrating the varied content approach.
Nicolai Burmann, production manager at the agency A Gen Z Company, handles filming. The same bureau helped Aarhus Mayor Anders Winnerskjold promote himself on TikTok. In just one day of shooting, they capture content for an entire month of videos.
Competing With Foreign Religious Content
At the time of writing, Folkekirken’s most-viewed TikTok video exceeded 200,000 views. However, significant work remains in creating additional ways for young people to encounter Danish Lutheran Christianity.
Aagaard points out that much Christian content on TikTok copies conservative American Christianity. These are different Christian traditions that young people encounter before finding Folkekirken’s content. The church aims to provide an alternative that reflects its inclusive Danish values rather than the more conservative interpretations dominating the platform.
Delayed But Deliberate Entry
Folkekirken considered its social media strategy for a long time before launching on TikTok. The decision faced delays due to multiple concerns about the platform. Aagaard admits they may have taken too long, something critics might point out today.
The church previously maintained active presences on Facebook with 43,000 followers, Instagram with 15,000 followers targeting ages 25 to 34, and LinkedIn with 4,000 followers. TikTok represents the latest expansion in reaching audiences where they spend time online.
In fact, TikTok has become a crucial platform for reaching Danish youth, with over 1.49 million users aged 18 and older in Denmark as of late 2025. The platform shows particular strength among the 15 to 19 age group, where over half access it daily.
Content Plans and Future Direction
The videos aim to be approachable and relevant to young viewers. Beyond entertainment, the church wants to address substantive topics that matter to this demographic. Mental health, life questions, and basic Christian teachings will feature prominently as the content evolves.
Aagaard emphasizes that the church must offer credible information amid the various religious voices on TikTok. Foreign influences, particularly from American conservative Christianity and Russian Orthodox traditions, present worldviews that often clash with Folkekirken’s inclusive approach to issues like sexuality, gender, and minorities.
The national church hopes its TikTok presence will help young Danes explore faith in ways that align with Danish cultural values. By combining modern presentation with traditional spiritual guidance, Folkekirken aims to remain relevant to a generation navigating big questions through short-form video content.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: How to Say Hi in Danish: An Insight into Danish Greetings
The Danish Dream: Best English Courses in Denmark for Foreigners
TV2: Shots med altervin og rapmusik: Folkekirken vil nå de unge på TikTok
