koguduses

Kogudused is the Estonian term for church communities or congregations. The word kogudus refers to a local religious community, often belonging to a larger denomination such as the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church or the Estonian Orthodox Church. In everyday language kogudus connotes the people and activities of a particular church group rather than the physical church building.

The plural form kogudused denotes multiple congregations or church communities. In Estonian grammar, different case forms of the word appear depending on the syntactic role. For example, koguduses is used to express location or context within the congregations, roughly translating to “in the congregations” or “in the church communities.” The exact meaning can depend on number and grammatical case.

Kogudus is distinct from kirik, which more directly refers to a church building or its physical premises. In ecclesiastical and sociological contexts, kogudused is common when discussing local church life, administration, and community activities, such as worship services, education programs, and charitable work, conducted within the congregations rather than at the building level.

Examples of usage include sentences about activities within a community or organization: “Meie koguduses peetakse jumalateenistusi iga pühapäev.” and “Kogudused eri piirkondades teevad koostööd.” The term appears frequently in church newsletters, denominational reports, and general Estonian-language discussions of religious life.