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World AIDS Day
9 ways to increase awareness and action in your church
1. Include these ‘10 myths about HIV’ in your church’s newsletter or bulletin. Encourage your senior pastor to discuss these myths with your church. Myths >>
2. Contact your local health department to learn which local agencies offer support for those living with HIV. Take a care package to the staff. Include a thank you note, cookies, packets of hot chocolate or gourmet coffee, a brochure about your church’s ministry, and a handwritten prayer for the staff. Offer your church’s assistance and support.
3. Consider offering HIV testing and counseling at your church on World AIDS Day or the Sunday before. Learn how one church did this >>
4. Print this quiz and distribute it to each Bible study group. Encourage members to take the quiz, discuss answers, and brainstorm ways your church can get in the race to assist the more than 40 million individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Quiz >>
5. Consider having children and youth create an HIV/AIDS awareness display. Discuss ways to incorporate the cross into the traditional red AIDS awareness ribbon. Here’s a photo of an AIDS awareness display at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto >>
6. Print one of these questions and answers each week in your church’s bulletin, newsletter, or Web site. Q&A >>
7. Discuss HIV with youth and parents. Host a ‘commitment to abstinence’ service on World AIDS Day. Learn how one ministry combines entertainment with education about abstinence >>
8. Serve someone who is HIV positive in your church or community. Offer to help with household projects, go to the grocery store, run errands, or just write a note of encouragement. Show up and care. Learn more about starting a CARE team at your church >>
9. Open your church’s worship center or prayer chapel for a day-long prayer vigil for the millions of individuals living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Have prayer counselors sign up for one-hour shifts when they will be available to pray with and counsel people. Announce the prayer vigil in your church's newsletter as well as in your local newspaper. Print this world map – 'A global view of HIV infection' – from UNAIDS to help people know how to pray. World map showing HIV infections >> |