Adventists live with the Bible as their guideline. That is the reason they meet on Saturday (the Sabbath). They emphasize that ‘faith’ has to do with the heart and the head, but also with the hand. From the beginning, the church has stood up for people on the margins and education and healthcare have been a high priority.

WORLDWIDE WORD

The Adventist Church preaches the Word in approximately 800 languages and publishes in more than 300 languages and dialects. But the statistics also clearly indicate that the church puts its words into action.

GLOBAL HEALTHCARE

Over the course of its short history, a significant network of health care institutions has been built up. Around ten million patients and clients annually use the services of more than 600 hospitals, clinics and care homes in both the ‘first’ and ‘third’ world, ranging from small clinics in the tropical jungle to ultra-modern hospitals with a range of specialties . In the Netherlands, the church has a care home for the elderly with more than a hundred beds in Huis ter Heide (Utrecht).

GLOBAL EDUCATION

The church also has a network of educational institutions – from the lowest to the highest levels. Of the 5,850 institutions in total, 95 provide education at higher vocational and university levels. The Christian primary school Oud Zandbergen in Huis ter heide (Utrecht) with around 250 students is very popular with parents in the wider area of Zeist.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION ADRA

(Adventist Development and Relief Agency) is the humanitarian arm of the church. There are now branches in 123 countries, including the Netherlands. With an ‘annual turnover’ (worldwide) of 150 million euros, ADRA is one of the larger Christian organizations in the field of emergency aid and development cooperation.