GIVE to help people who are positive globally through the local church
GROW in compassion and knowledge
GO on a PEACE trip: Give people who are positive your presence. Come alongside the local church to support and empower.
Global Strategies that Work
Embrace caring for people who are positive as the responsibility of every person
Use the PEACE Plan
Work through the local church: Solutions and interventions which pass by the local church are missing out on the opportunity to utilize God’s greatest resource.
Consider the difference between relief and development: Providing immediate relief for children is important, but focusing on long term solutions will advance the welfare of children throughout their lifespan
Relief and Development
Relief is necessary and Biblical, Galatians 6:2 clearly says to "carry each others burdens" and yet three verses later Galatians 6:5 says "each one should carry his own load." The difference between a burden and a load is comparable to the difference between a backpack and a boulder; each person must carry his/her own backpack, yet no one can carry a boulder alone.
This is precisely the difference between relief and development. Relief is necessary when the circumstances are too great to be handled by the local church. When there are situations that require relief, development always needs to be the goal. Development will empower the local church to handle situations that are currently overwhelming once the burden becomes a load.
Find a man/women of PEACE
Find a pastor or person in the community who has an open and sensitive heart for people living with HIV & AIDS. This person would ideally be a pastor of church member who is open to working with others to care for people who are positive n in the local community and around the world.
Affirm the Local Church
Churches are the most influential source of care and support. As the distribution center for hope in a community, the local church is positioned to identify needs and support people living with HIV & AIDS.
The Church has: 1. The largest participation 2. The widest distribution 3. The simplest administration 4. The fastest expansion 5. The longest continuation 6. The strongest authorization 7. The highest motivation.
Empower the local church
It is important to establish a local Steering Committee to work along with private and public sectors to partner with the local church. This partnership creates an unprecedented alliance. The linking of stakeholders from a variety of interests and expertise will help achieve broad-reaching outcomes and multi-pronged goals.
Commit to Church-Initiated Initiatives
A church-initiated initiative is determined by the local church. When the local church claims responsibility for an issue in their community it is valued and owned by the local church. This enables other public and private partners to come alongside and assist the local church on their initiatives when the burden is too large for their church to carry it alone.
