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Observe Presbyterian HIV/AIDS Awareness Sunday
October 12, 2008
Presbyterian HIV/AIDS Awareness Sunday is an opportunity each year for Presbyterians to reflect on the ways that HIV and AIDS affect individuals and our local communities, and to think about how we can respond to the global pandemic. Every Presbyterian has an important part to play in this observance, either through planning or participating in events in local congregations.
As a world community we have been fighting AIDS for more than 25 years. As a church we have worked to address AIDS-related issues since1986 when the General Assembly addressed the stigma attached to AIDS, declaring that the syndrome is an illness, not a punishment from God for behavior judged to be immoral.
To reinforce this call, in 1992 the 204th General Assembly took steps "to engage the total Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) including all governing bodies, congregations, and members in meeting this challenge," by designating a Presbyterian HIV/AIDS Day, in order to expand their efforts to prevent, educate, minister, and advocate in the HIV/AIDS crisis."
With an estimated 33.2 million people living with HIV (including 2.5 million children) — of those 2.5 million were newly infected with the virus in 2007 (UNAIDS 2007 AIDS Epidemic Update) — we need to continue to raise awareness about the AIDS issue.
There are many resources and ideas to support activities for Presbyterian AIDS Awareness Sunday, including liturgies and prayers, study guides, fact sheets and advocacy ideas.
Children await a meal at a Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa feeding center. Photo by Joy Raatz.
Your church, youth group, women's or men's group or prayer circle is encouraged to join people all over the United States as we observe World AIDS Day. Why not plan a special order of worship on Presbyterian AIDS Awareness Sunday? For assistance in preparation for a service recognizing the HIV/AIDS crisis, download HIV/AIDS Worship Resources  . More resources are available online.
You can make a difference in the fight against the spread of HIV and AIDS! Here are a few ideas to combine with worship, prayer and learning.
- Pray for people infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS in your congregation, community and around the world.
- Conduct an AIDS worship service during your regular Sunday worship (the second Sunday in October is Presbyterian AIDS Awareness Sunday) or at a special service for people infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS and for people who are concerned about this issue.
- Read a Minute for Mission about AIDS during your Sunday worship service.
- Order or download “Africa’s Children: A Church Response to Children’s Issues in Sub-Saharan Africa, which contains Bible studies and stories about children. This can be used either in the children’s or adult’s Sunday school classes. Have participants discuss the issues that put many of the children at risk in Africa — poverty, lack of education, shortage of food and the high risk of becoming an orphan due to AIDS.
- Do the Wrap! The Wrap project tells the story of home-based care in Africa through the pictures on the wrap. Each picture depicts a different aspect of home-based care through this beautifully designed cloth by the volunteers themselves.
- Conduct education classes about HIV/AIDS and/or provide booths with local AIDS organizations or information about AIDS. You can look specifically at HIV and AIDS in the United States or you can select a particular country or continent.
- Offer study classes to all ages using the Congregational Packets. The packets contain an eight-page booklet with information about the AIDS issue and the Presbyterian Church’s work in Africa. It also contains posters and bulletin inserts. Order the packet.
- Invite speakers to come talk with your Sunday school class or group about HIV/AIDS domestically and/or internationally.
- Walk in your local AIDS walk.
- Create a bulletin board to raise awareness about the AIDS issue and the work of PC(USA). Order posters and bulletin inserts.
- Visit political leaders or write to them to make sure that they are keeping to commitments they have made for the care and support of people living with HIV and AIDS. Lobby them to increase their commitments.
- Write journal articles, letters to the editor, newsletter articles about HIV and AIDS and the role of faith communities.
A malnourished child's arm is measured at a Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa feeding center. Photo by Joy Raatz. - Give to ECO #862706 AIDS Crisis Overseas. Funds go to help feed orphan and vulnerable children, provide training opportunities for income-generating activities for women and youth, create community-based orphan care programs, provide training for home-based care volunteers and purchases medicine and supplies, provide medications to prevent mother to child transmission and much more.
- Join the Presbyterian AIDS Network (PAN) to advocate and/or care for persons and families who have been infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.
- Take up an offering to help with the AIDS work that PCUSA is engaged in with partner churches in Africa.
Visit these Web site for more information on the AIDS crisis
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Other resources online
AIDS and Peacemaking:
This one-sheet leaflet briefly describes the work of the PC(USA)’s International AIDS Ministries in Africa and how that work relates to peacemaking.
HIV/AIDS pins
The beaded AIDS pins, made by people infected or affected by HIV and AIDS, raises awareness about this ongoing pandemic and provides a small income for people such as a grandmother, new caregiver or the older sibling taking care of the younger children.
$50 for a packs of 25
PDS #25384-07-001
National Health Ministries Web site
Presbyterian AIDS Network |
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