One of the fastest-growing Christian Churches in the world today,
the Seventh-day Adventist Church is adding more than one new member by
baptism every 50 seconds of every day and organizing five new congregations
daily.
Faith
Adventists base their faith on Jesus, the Son of God, brother of all,
Savior of the world, and upon His Word, the Bible.
The Bible
Although it was written by God's penmen, the fundamentals of faith
and essential truths have been preserved in His Word. The Bible reveals
the character of God and His will for the behavior of men and women today
and throughout the history of the world.
Creation
Although He is creator of the universe, Christ formed this planet in
seven days, including the first man and woman, the environment, and a weekly
day for celebration and worship of God. This story is told chronologically
at the beginning of the Bible, but supporting references throughout Scripture
provide harmony in all of God's Word.
The Sabbath
The seventh-day celebration was created by Jesus to honor His completed
work and bring joy to humans. Jesus continued to worship and celebrate
the seventh-day Sabbath during his life on Earth, thus obeying the fourth
of the Ten Commandments, which begins, "Remember." Adventists
focus their Sabbath activities on communication with God, fellowship and
worship.
Baptism
Those who choose to commit their lives to God and accept His forgiving
power follow the example of Jesus who was immersed in water as a public
expression of faith in the supremacy of God over their lives.
The Gospel
God the Father sent His Son, Jesus, to be born of a virgin, grow to
manhood while teaching and healing His fellow humans, suffered and gave
up His life on a cross, was buried and raised from the dead at the call
of His Father. He returned to heaven, where He prepares homes for those
who accept His selfless gift. Because of His sinless life, death for the
sins of humans, and His awesome resurrection, Jesus has made a way for
men and women to live eternally with Him.
The Second Advent
Fulfillment of prophecies and signs recorded in Scripture indicate
that Jesus soon will fulfil His promise to return for those who have accepted
Him as Savior and Lord of their lives.
Life After Death
The grave is a place of unconsciousness, described in the Bible as
people being asleep. When Jesus comes again, there will be a great resurrection
of those who have died since the beginning of mankind. Just as He breathed
life into the first man and woman, He will awaken the sleepers with new
life.
Prophecy
Bible prophecies reveal God's plans for the future, provide meaning
for today and hope for people who have chosen to serve God. The future
for all time is bright for those awaiting the second coming of Jesus.
Commitments
Relationships are all importantówith God, in marriage, the family,
throughout the community, around the world and with the environment.
Health
Because the Bible describes people as "the temple of God,"
Adventists practice temperate and healthy lifestyles. They teach that one
should not abuse the body or partake of anything injurious to physical,
mental, or emotional health. They abstain from alcohol, tobacco, and other
harmful drugs. Many Seventh-day Adventists are vegetarians, believing that
flesh food and shellfish are better omitted from the ideal diet.
Mission
The mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is to proclaim to all
peoples the everlasting Gospel in the context of the three angels' messages
of Revelation 14:6-12, leading them to accept Jesus as personal Savior
and to unite with His Church, and nurturing them in preparation for His
soon return. This is accomplished through preaching, teaching and healing
ministries. The Church is reaching the unreached populations of the Earth
through a worldwide Global Mission program.
Global Community
Volunteers serve people at home and in the world's communities through
neighborhood centers, on-site disaster areas, and short-term humanitarian
and teaching projects around the globe. Church members support organizations
like Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA), which
provides basic needs like water, food and clothing, and medical care to
the world's people and communities in need. The Church has a variety of
programs to assist people of any faith who have a desire to overcome eating
disorders, smoking, alcoholism, and drug addiction. It provides family
life, community service workshops, and youth camps.
Education
In the Church's large educational system, schools like Loma Linda University
Medical Center, a teaching hospital in Loma Linda, California, continues
to be foremost in infant heart transplants. In 1990, Loma Linda inaugurated
the world's first medical application of the proton accelerator to focus
a beam of radiation on malignant tumors without dangerously harming healthy
tissue.
Communication
Seventh-day Adventists communicate hope by focusing on a quality of
life that is complete in Christ. Communication serves the global mission
objectives of the Church, and the worldwide family of believers keeps in
touch through a variety of media and print methods. The Church facilitates
communication on-line through the SDAs On-line forum on the CompuServe
Information Service, which offers a rich database for computer users and
prepares programming and news for radio, television and satellite broadcasts.
Heritage
The name Seventh-day Adventist highlights two of the distinguishing
characteristics of the denomination. Since this world began, men and women
have observed the seventh-day Sabbath, and advocates of Jesus' second coming
are also well-known in history. Seventh-day Adventists trace their heritage
to a mid-19th century revival based on renewed study of Bible prophecies
among several Christian groups. The Seventh-day Adventist Church was officially
organized in 1863 in Battle Creek, Michigan.
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