The magazine started in conjunction with the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s outreach initiative in Europe, LIFEdevelopment, is celebrating one year of ministry—and a wider distribution than was expected.

LIFE.info is a lifestyle magazine designed to “build bridges with secular, unchurched people.” It covers a wide range of topics from environmental issues to health advice, stress to sport, and raising kids to Harry Potter.

Distribution of LIFE.info, published by Stanborough Press, has grown steadily and many churches are using it as their main strategy for reaching their communities. Officials report that one church is ordering 4,000 copies per issue and some churches are asking for LIFE.info magazine coordinators for the coming year.

“A year ago we started with an idea for a new outreach magazine, lots of blank sheets of paper and one very inexperienced editor with a vision,” says editor Lee Gallaher. “To see the magazine grow and establish itself as a useful tool for inter-personal witnessing has been very exciting.”

LIFEdevelopment is about meeting people where they are. “Sharing our life in Christ with others in a friendly situation—talking, doing things together, getting acquainted—that gives a very nice platform for doing evangelism, sharing your faith,” says Bertil Wiklander, president of the church in the Trans-European region. LIFEdevelopment also provides information—video tapes, printed materials and the LIFE.info magazines—for sharing with others.

“The first year of production for LIFE.info has been very encouraging but I like to think that it will continue to be a work-in-progress. There’s still so much more to do,” Gallaher says. Currently the magazine is published five times a year at 50,000 copies per issue.