Diakonia is a biblical word that means "service". Diacons see the life of Jesus as the true model of a diacon as he cared for the well-being of people he met - not only their physical needs but also their spiritual. As Jesus served us we are also called to serve one another. This is the Christian calling.

In Denmark a diacon is a lay person with a Christian education within the area of social work.

A diacon is - in short - a professional servant in the biblical sense of the word.

This means that diacons are often educated as pedagogues, nurse assistants or nurses but the education also covers subjects such as Christianity, ecumenism, ethics, religion, pedagogic mediation of Christianity, dicaonal and church history and more.
The professionalism of a diacon is therefore linked to his or her faith and ethical foundation - which means that the social help of a diacon is aimed at caring for the whole human being - body, soul as well as spirit.

Diacons in Denmark are not inaugurated as assistant ministers in churches, as is the case in other Christian traditions around the world, but work as lay people in social work either in public institutions or in the church or in church-related organisations.

At the Diaconal College the education of diacons stresses the fact that diakonia - the Christian calling to help others - is part of the professionalism of the diacon.