Has anyone ever asked you what Adventists believe? If you froze, relax: there are twenty-eight official answers, and no one memorizes all twenty-eight on the first try. The good news is that they aren't a loose list of twenty-eight random topics — they group into six major themes, and once you see the six, the rest falls into place.
These twenty-eight are the Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They aren't a club invention or a camp rule: they are what the church understands the Bible to teach, gathered in the official book In This We Believe. And they aren't far from the Pathfinder Club — they fit into the Law, the Pledge, and almost every Saturday-night campfire.
This article does what almost no material does all at once: it gives you the whole overview of the 28, theme by theme, in Pathfinder language. It's not so you become a theologian. It's so you never again run out of an answer. Content verified on 07/22/2026 from the official sources listed at the end.
What is the 'AMADO in 28 ways' study?
We start with the news that shows you can study doctrine without an exam face. In early 2025, the South Peru Union — one of the regions of the South American Division (SAD) — launched "AMADO in 28 ways": a Bible study of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs built in comic-book format, with colorful drawings and one lesson for each belief.
The result is impressive. More than 13,000 Pathfinders, spread across 14 regions of southern Peru, signed up to study the 28 beliefs between January 2 and 29, 2025 — in person or online, with the material available in print and digital, for free. The goal was simple: to arrive prepared for the IV Camporee "AMADOS, Generation of Christ", set for February 5 to 9, in Lima.
Two details matter for any club that wants to copy the idea. First: whoever completed the 28 lessons earned a commemorative "AMADOS" cap as recognition — a concrete little push to make it to the end. Second: the material itself was created with the participation of the Pathfinders, who helped in the creation phases and in the script of the comics, alongside illustration specialists. In other words: doctrine doesn't have to come down ready-made from above. You can build it with the kids.
You don't need the Peruvian material to do the same in your club. You need what it proved: the 28 beliefs, when they gain image, story, and a reward at the end, hold the attention of more than ten thousand young people. The rest of this article gives you the map to lead that study.
How do the 28 beliefs organize into 6 groups?
Here's the shortcut that changes everything. The 28 beliefs aren't studied in random order: the official book In This We Believe organizes them into six major thematic groups. Whoever understands the six themes never again looks at the list with fear.
The logic is almost a timeline of faith: first who God is, then who we are, next how we are saved, the church that gathers us, how to live that faith day to day, and finally how everything ends — the return of Jesus and the new earth. Keep the table below; it's the skeleton of the whole study.
| # | Group (major theme) | Beliefs it gathers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | God — who He is | Scriptures, Trinity, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit |
| 2 | The human being | Creation, Nature of Humanity, Great Controversy |
| 3 | Salvation | Life, Death and Resurrection of Christ; Experience of Salvation; Growing in Christ |
| 4 | The church | The Church, the Remnant, Unity, Baptism, Lord's Supper, Spiritual Gifts, Gift of Prophecy |
| 5 | Christian living | Law of God, Sabbath, Stewardship, Christian Behavior, Marriage and Family |
| 6 | The last things | Heavenly Sanctuary, Second Coming, Death and Resurrection, Millennium, New Earth |
An honest note before moving on: different editions vary a little when it comes to counting. Some place belief no. 1, The Holy Scriptures, at the head of the God group; others treat it as a separate introduction, since it speaks of how God reveals Himself. Don't let that detail trip you up. What matters is the map of the six territories — and it's through them that we'll wander now.
Groups 1 and 2: who God is and who we are
The first group answers the oldest question in the world: who is God? There are five beliefs. The Bible (no. 1) is the foundation of everything — the ruler by which the other 27 are measured. The Trinity (no. 2) says that God is one, in three Persons: the Father (no. 3), the Son (no. 4), and the Holy Spirit (no. 5). If someone asks you where to start studying, start here: without understanding who God is, the rest is left up in the air.
The second group turns the camera toward us. Three beliefs. Creation (no. 6) teaches that the world didn't come from chance — God made everything, and made it good. The Nature of Humanity (no. 7) speaks of who we are: created in the image of God, but today marked by sin. And the Great Controversy (no. 8) is the key that opens the whole Bible: there is a real war between good and evil, between Christ and Satan, and each of us is inside it.
Notice how these two groups already speak to the Club. When you camp and look at the starry sky, you are before Creation. When you promise, in the Pledge, to "fulfill the part that belongs to me", you are choosing a side in the Great Controversy. Doctrine isn't a matter for adults in suits — it's the ground the Pathfinder already stands on.
Group 3: how is a person saved?
This is the heart of the 28. Three beliefs, and all point to one Person: Jesus.
Belief no. 9 — Life, Death and Resurrection of Christ — is the center of gravity of the Christian faith. Jesus lived without sinning, died in your place, and rose again. No. 10, the Experience of Salvation, answers the "and what about me?": you are saved by grace, through faith, not because you gathered enough merits — nor because you earned many honors. And no. 11, Growing in Christ, reminds us that salvation isn't a one-time stamp: it's a walk that continues every day.
If you can only keep one sentence from this group, keep this: salvation is a gift, not a payment. A Pathfinder who understands this stops trying to "be good enough for God to like him" and begins to live faith out of gratitude, not fear. It changes everything — including the mood inside the unit.
Read alsoNew Testament: an overview for young peopleGroup 4: the church and its signs
No one follows Jesus alone — and that's what the fourth group is about, the largest of all, with seven beliefs. It describes the Church (no. 12) as the family of those who believe, the Remnant and Its Mission (no. 13) as the special calling for the last days, and Unity in the Body of Christ (no. 14) as the value that keeps different people walking together — exactly what a Pathfinder unit tries to live out.
Then come the visible signs of that community. Baptism (no. 15) is the public decision to follow Jesus. The Lord's Supper (no. 16) recalls the cross. Spiritual Gifts and Ministries (no. 17) show that each member has a talent to serve — yes, including you, with the gift you already use in the club. And the Gift of Prophecy (no. 18) is a particular mark of the Adventist faith, tied to the ministry of Ellen G. White.
One way to make this group concrete at the campfire: ask each Pathfinder to name one gift they bring to the unit. Cooking, cheering, organizing, welcoming the newcomer. It's belief no. 17 coming off the page — and it's also a fine requirement for teamwork.
Group 5: faith in daily life (here comes the Sabbath)
The fifth group is where doctrine touches the calendar and the backpack. Five beliefs, all about how to live faith on an ordinary day.
The Law of God (no. 19) and the Sabbath (no. 20) go together — the Sabbath is the fourth commandment, the day of rest and worship that sets the rhythm of the Adventist week and explains why so many club programs happen on Saturday. Stewardship (no. 21) teaches us to care for what God entrusted: time, money, talents, and the planet. Christian Behavior (no. 22) deals with choices of health and lifestyle — and connects directly with the honors in the health area. And Marriage and the Family (no. 23) speaks of the value of the home.
This is the group easiest to "over-preach" and under-explain. Watch out for the sermon. A Pathfinder doesn't need one more scolding about what he can't eat or do — he needs to understand why. Stewardship isn't a rule: it's the joy of caring well for something borrowed. The Sabbath isn't a prohibition: it's a weekly gift of rest. Explain the heart, not just the list.
Group 6: how everything ends — the new earth
The last group is the one that most excites young people, because it speaks of the future. Five beliefs that close the story.
The Ministry of Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary (no. 24) shows Jesus working for us now, in heaven. The Second Coming of Christ (no. 25) is the great Adventist hope — the name "Adventist" itself comes from the advent, the return of Jesus. Death and Resurrection (no. 26) explains what happens when someone dies, with the promise that death isn't the end. The Millennium and the End of Sin (no. 27) describes the thousand years and the final judgment. And the New Earth (no. 28) is the destination: a restored world, without pain, without death, forever.
This group answers the question every young person asks at some point — "and then?". The Adventist answer isn't fear of the end of the world; it's the expectation of a better beginning. When you sing about the return of Jesus at a campfire, you are living beliefs 25 and 28. End the study of the 28 here: it's the finale that gives meaning to all the other groups.
How to study the 28 beliefs in your club without dragging it out
With the overview in your head, let's get practical. How do you turn this into a study the kids can stand until the end? Three pieces of advice from someone who has seen it work — and fail.
Study by group, not by number. Don't announce "today is belief 17". Announce "today is about the church". The six themes grab; loose numbers scare off. Use this article's table as a schedule: six blocks, one per meeting or per month.
Give image and story. That's exactly what made "AMADO in 28 ways" bring together more than 13,000 young people: comics, color, and script. You don't need to draw — you can use a skit, a short video, a campfire activity. Doctrine becomes memory when it becomes experience.
Have a milestone at the end. In Peru it was a cap. In your club it can be a certificate, a special closing night, a recognition at the ceremony. Having a visible finish line multiplies who makes it to the end.
And the golden rule: this overview is the map, not the territory. It helps you not get lost, but the official and complete study is in the Bible and in the book In This We Believe. Use this article to open the conversation — and then open the Bible with your unit. That's where the 28 beliefs come to life.