The founder and administrator of the Healthy Life Center is the Estonian Union of Seventh-day Adventist Churches. — part of the global Adventist church, which has more than 21 million members. There are over 20 Adventist churches active in Estonia, located in different regions from Tallinn to Võru. The church contributes to the promotion of a holistic lifestyle, based on the belief that physical, mental and spiritual well-being are closely interconnected.
Worldwide church
You will likely encounter Adventists in every corner of the world you travel to. You will find an Adventist church near the Arctic Circle in Norway and near the southern tip of South America; in Hong Kong, Lagos, or San Francisco. You will find Adventists in Zagreb, Jerusalem, Sydney, Novosibirsk, and more than 37,000 other places around the world. Indeed, there are few countries where an Adventist church is not found.
Over the past century and a half, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has grown from a small group of people carefully seeking to understand the Bible to a global church family that now includes more than 21 million members and millions more who call the Adventist Church their spiritual home.
We live in 200 countries around the world, speaking and reading at least 700 languages and more than a thousand dialects. Our radio and television broadcasts are broadcast in more than 50 languages 24 hours a day. We are domestic workers and prime ministers, teachers and technologists, factory workers and secretaries, to name a few. Nearly 140,000 people in all these countries work in the church’s global missions, pastoral, health, educational and support services.
Our name
The name Seventh-day Adventist embodies two important beliefs for us as a church. 'Adventist' reflects our passionate conviction that the return of Jesus is near ('advent'). 'Seventh-day' refers to the Biblical Sabbath, which since creation has always been on the seventh day of the week, Saturday.
We want to take care
Belonging to our church is not just about believing in certain teachings. It is above all a way of life – doing what is right, being human in the right way, especially in the context of human equality.
Throughout our 150-year history, we have sought to apply our faith in our daily lives. When there has been mobilization into the army, we have applied for unarmed service and fulfilled our role in the medical unit, caring for the wounded. When natural disasters strike, we have joined forces with other agencies to provide disaster relief. We have created shelters for the oppressed and needy, using all available resources.
ADRA, our church’s Development and Disaster Relief Organization, has grown from a small initiative in 1983 to a global organization with annual revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Our work spans nearly a hundred countries and ranges from food distribution in African refugee camps to building latrines in developing countries like Pakistan, from agricultural intensification programs in India to humanitarian aid in Bosnia.
We are one of the five largest international voluntary organizations involved in food distribution in underdeveloped countries.
We promote healthy lifestyles
Our church has always believed that spiritual and mental health and physical well-being are closely linked. We are committed to healthcare, reflected in 154 hospitals, 322 clinics, and 85 other medical facilities around the world.
We value a healthy lifestyle as an important part of practical Christianity. We believe that the human body is one of the greatest gifts the Creator has given us, and therefore it is natural to do everything we can to preserve it. Already in the early days of the church, we decided to give up certain foods, alcohol, and smoking. Modern times have added new harmful substances to the list, which we also avoid. Similarly, we consider it responsible to take care of nature and our planet, because it is the environment in which we live and which we are called to care for.
Our lifestyle is not simply defined by a list of dos and don’ts, but by a life-affirming attitude, a valuing of moderation and balance, and the use of simple, natural ways to stay healthy. We don’t see health principles as restrictive rules, but as everyday choices that bring tangible benefits. Studies in Australia, Japan, Poland, Norway, New Zealand, California, and the Netherlands confirm that our lifestyle has significant benefits. We have lower rates of lung cancer, and more importantly—we live an average of 6–9 years longer than the rest of the population.
Our healthcare system aims to help people not only fight disease, but also prevent it. We provide qualified medical care and advice on how to improve health through lifestyle changes.
Why do we care about health? It is part of our ministry, which Jesus modeled for us through his life and teachings and which he entrusted to us to carry forward.