ABOUT US
OUR HISTORY
We at Emmanuel Community Seventh Day Adventist Church are an active and welcoming congregation who desire to reflect the love of Christ in our community. We have had a visible and working presence within Queens Park for the past 30 years from our being established in 1986 at the St Jude’s Community Hall. Our Church is one of many congregations operating under the umbrella of the South England Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, a constituted organisation who in turn are one of several divisions of the world-wide Adventist church.
OUR NAME
“Seventh-day” refers to our belief in the Seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday).
“Adventist” refers to our belief in the Second Advent or the literal second-coming of Jesus.
A GROWING CHURCH
The worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church adds a new member every 48 seconds and organizes five new congregations every day. There are over 19.1 million members worshipping in more than 151,000 congregations in 237 countries.
A CARING CHURCH
The Seventh Day Adventist Church is an institution long established and associated with the promotion and practice of optimum health, as well as practical living.
The work in the field of health of the Seventh Day Adventist Church over the last 150 years is evident, from the Western Health Reform Institute, founded in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1866, through to its now world-wide network of 175 hospitals and sanitariums, 385 clinics and dispensaries, 140 nursing homes and retirement centres, 29 orphanages and children’s homes, several whole food companies; as well as an abundance of literature and other material on health and practical living.
A TEACHING CHURCH
We operate one of the largest educational systems in the world, providing kindergarten, secondary, and higher education programs including graduate and post graduate as well as medical arts. The church currently runs 7,792 schools with over 1,864,000 students.
A SERVING CHURCH
The Seventh Day Adventist Church has also established a charity; Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), present in 130 countries bringing help to many regardless of race, religion or nationality. It funds 7,733 projects having 14,787,780 beneficiaries.
Many local churches operate Community Services that provide food and clothing to those in need. Family life counselling and other programs are also offered to assist those wishing to overcome drug addiction and alcohol or tobacco dependence.
QUALITY OF LIFE
The Seventh-day Adventist Church seeks to enhance the quality of life; both for its members and for those not part of its fellowship. “Quality of Life” is a concept that pervades Seventh-day Adventist belief.
Adventists teach that no act, word or deed is too small to be transformed by the grace of God. Adventists believe that God is concerned with the quality of human life. Everything–the way we live, think, speak, eat, care for our bodies, treat each other, and care for the world around us–is part of God’s design and plan for improved quality of life. Nothing about the quality of our lives escapes our Father’s attention or care.