1 June 2025| Herghelia, Romania [Marcos Paseggi]
From Sweden to Italy and from Portugal to Austria, lay-led ministries are opening doors for Seventh-day Adventist church members to share the Church’s Bible-based health principles in Western Europe. In the process, as they help people live better lives, they are also introducing them to the gospel message, leaders of Outpost Centers International (OCI) recently said.
Outpost Centers International, the umbrella organisation which connects more than 400 supporting ministries that are not part of the corporate Seventh-day Adventist Church, recently held its 2025 International Convention in Herghelia, Transylvania, Romania. During the May 7-10 event, several of these ministries showcased their efforts to share a message of wellness and a wholesome life, while also funding other mission-driven initiatives in the process.
A Gift From Heaven
Himmelsgåva—in Swedish, “gift of heaven”—is a family-run health food store ministry situated in the Åland Islands, a peaceful archipelago comprising thousands of small islands located between Finland and Sweden. The Åland Islands are an autonomous, demilitarised, Swedish-speaking region of Finland.
The islands have 30,000 residents and 2.2 million visitors every year. “The potential is immense!” said the family behind Himmelsgåva, which opened in 2020. “It is a great joy to contribute to improved health in different ways. Regardless of whether it is physical, emotional, social, or spiritual. Himmelsgåva desires to be a taste of heaven for young and old.”
Himmelsgåva is ecologically certified to grow vegetables, fruits, berries, artisan food, eggs, and honey. Products are sold mainly on markets and in local stores. “We also offer massage therapy, and handicraft embroidery from ADRA which started importing items from Pollywog in Bangladesh. Currently, we are building a log house to make overnight stays possible for guests in the future,” they shared.
Health Centres as Teaching Ministries
In the southwest region of Western Europe, in Penela, Coimbra, Portugal, the VitaSalus® Wellness Centre offers clinical services and health education programs. The ministry is the brainchild of the Association to Promote Preventive Medicine (APPM), established in 2003, to improve the health of individuals and communities by promoting healthy lifestyle habits.
“Health is a state of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness,” VitaSalus leaders explain. “We recognise that health does not depend only on genetics or physical constitution. Factors such as lifestyle habits, socioeconomic conditions, and accessibility to health services contribute to the health of individuals and communities.”
APPM also participates in humanitarian projects, providing medical services and health education to disadvantaged communities, including refugee groups, predominantly outside of Portugal.
Almost 2,000 miles east is Biosalute, a family ministry located around the vineyards of the hills of Predappio, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Biosalute’s main initiative is an online wholesale health food store, providing the primary source of income for the ministry’s mission activities.
In cooperation with local churches and communities, Biosalute organises various lifestyle-changing programs, educational activities, and produces health and educational programs for Hope Channel in Italy. The family also receives health guests for weekly health sessions during the summer months.
“The goal at Biosalute is to produce more programs for Hope Channel and Voice of Hope radio in Italy,” Penelope Franchetto, ministry leader, shared. “The team has received open doors to impact the whole Italian vegan community, which is growing quickly, by sponsoring famous vegan chefs with their products and connecting with the network of vegan restaurants and pizzerias throughout the country.”
Another health retreat and centre of lifestyle medicine, called Landhaus DIE ARCHE, this time located in northeastern Germany, caters to 700-1,000 guests annually, offering programs to combat addictions, recover from depression, and lead a healthier life. Health seminars and organic agriculture complement the centre’s offerings.
“Most people know that a change is good, and they long for change, but they don’t know how to,” centre cofounder Gunther Hanke explained. “Our centre aims to be a specialist in change.”
Seven hours northwest of Biosalute is Sonnmatt and Gesundheitszentrum, a mountain guest house and health centre in the Swiss Alps. Advertised as “a wonderful place to relax and recharge your batteries,” Sonnmatt offers “nature, silence, relaxation, and activity” at the same time.
The guest house, which is featured on popular accommodation booking sites, offers its guests “tasty and healthy” vegetarian food that is “digestible, meatless, wholefood, and fresh,” as well as mountain hikes and massages.
Again, seven hours away, but this time east of Sonnmatt, is Country Life Health Centre Mattersdorferhof, near the Italian-Slovenian border in Austria, which is advertised as a “holiday for soul, body, and spirit.” The Mattersdorferhof, as it is known, is “a small country house in the middle of a green oasis of peace, nestled in forests and meadows.”
Ministry leaders want their guests to know that health and happiness in life are no coincidence. “We are convinced that our Creator has made provision for the healing powers of plants and food, following a balanced lifestyle, using natural remedies, and trusting in God.” Unapologetically Christian, the centre’s website explains that its “employees lead a life close to nature with a vegetarian diet, horticulture, [and] spiritual and physical activity to cultivate balance and joy.”
The centre also conducts biblically-oriented health education for young people locally, focusing on reflection, education, manual work, and health, as reported by ministry leaders. “This holistic offer is intended to bring body, soul, and spirit,” they said.
Outpost Centres International is an umbrella organisation which connects lay-led ministries that support the Adventist mission and message. It is not part of the corporate Seventh-day Adventist Church.
This article first appeared in the Adventist Review, 27 May 2025 and has been edited for tedNEWS.
Featured Image: Himmelsgåva is a family-run healthy food store ministry located in the Åland Islands, a peaceful archipelago of thousands of small islands between Finland and Sweden. (Marcos Passeggi)
Photos: Marcos Paseggi, Himmelsgåva, Adventist Review, VitaSalus® Wellness Center, Landhaus DIE ARCHE, Sonnmatt and Gesundheitszentrum, and Country Life Mattersdorferhof.
