Stretching from the Atlantic coast of Portugal to the Black Sea in Bulgaria, the Inter-European Division spans more than 20 countries across Southern and Central Europe. Rooted in a rich Christian heritage, the region is largely shaped by secular culture and post-Christian values.

Across this diverse territory, the Seventh-day Adventist Church operates more than 120 schools, serving more than 10,000 students, from kindergartens to university campuses. In classrooms across Spain, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, and beyond, faith is woven into daily learning. Education here is not only about academics. It’s also about mission.

"We strongly believe education is about redemption, about restoring God’s image. So we integrate faith into all the classes that we do in the different areas of the school, so that our students can grasp the hope and the message of the gospel in class in every matter that they study." —Daniel

"With time I understood that education and mission go hand in hand. It is essentially one and the same." —Maria

In many of these schools, like Sagunto Adventist Campus, most of the students aren’t Adventist, but they still come because they’re looking for something deeper than knowledge.

"This gives us an opportunity to have a mission field here. Even though not everyone agrees with what we believe, they still bring their children here because they value what we teach." —Daniel

"Even though we do not have many children from Adventist families, I can reach many families and plant a little seed in the heart of each child, and in the heart of each family, about the love of God." —Marta

Some families drive long distances to bring their children to an Adventist school because they see the impact of Adventist values. Maria commutes two hours to bring her son to the Adventist kindergarten in Sofia, Bulgaria.

"Every minute in the traffic, every kilometer, I'm happy to do this for my son to come here. It's really special. I felt the spirit here, the spirit is extremely special." —Maria

The impact of Adventist education is seen not only in classrooms, but in homes too.

"They pray for the very first time in the kindergarten and they take this practice home with their families. A child asks, ‘Aren’t we going to pray first? Let us pray.’" —Maria

In Florence, Italy, students live and study together, preparing for ministry and service.

"In an Adventist campus, you get to experience a whole package. You kind of live and experience a lifestyle, and it’s also a safe place to share doubts, questions about what you believe, and to grow." —Nicolo

Church leaders across the division emphasize the connection between education and the future of the church.

"I think that the development of Adventist education and the development of the church, those two things are mutually connected. If you invest in education, you are investing in the future development of the church." —Milan

"If the church wants to be present and influence society beyond preaching, schools are a foundational pillar of this action." —Gioele

Across Portugal, Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, and throughout the Inter-European Division, Adventist education continues to shape lives.

"The image that they got from here was a loving community. And the impact was so great that they brought their kids. And now their kids are bringing their kids. So this is very inspiring to see the community being transformed by education and see how the project is working in the lives of the people that go through Sagunto." —Daniel

In a secular continent, education remains one of the best methods of ministry. Please continue to pray for Adventist education across the Inter-European Division. Thank you for your support of mission.