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The Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS is a powerfu l week of prayer, education and action. This national AIDS awareness campaign engages Black congregations to support, encourage and empower African Americans, Africans and all people of the Diaspora to take action toward stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS in Black communities worldwide.
HIV/AIDS continues to spread out of control in our community! African American
women are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. As such, HIV/AIDS is the
leading cause of death among African American women ages 25 to 34.The rate
of AIDS cases for African American women is 25 times higher than the rate for
white women.
Of the estimated new AIDS cases, 61% are among African American
teen girls ages 13 – 19. African American Gay men continue to be at high risk
for infection, accounting for an estimated 57% of AIDS diagnoses among men.*
Over
the past year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a serious
outbreak on many historical Black college campuses.
After almost 25 years of fighting AIDS unsuccessfully in Black communities, time
is certainly running out on us!
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 We need every pulpit that speaks to Black people
to raise their voices and encourage people to speak out about HIV/AIDS in the
following ways:
1. Educate our congregations, our children, our neighbors and our families
about this disease. There is no cure. All we continue to have are prevention
messages and behaviors;
2. Distribute information on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment education and
care;
3. Encourage individuals to take the HIV/AIDS test. So many of us are living
with the virus that causes HIV/AIDS and do not know it. Thus, we are spreading
the virus unknowingly to our wives, husbands, lovers, friends, as well as to
strangers;
4. Develop partnerships with the local health department and/or AIDS service
community that will support your HIV testing and information distribution efforts;
5. Affirm people living with HIV as children of God who have been certified
by God’s grace –just as all members are affirmed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As a participant in the Black
Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS, you are requested to do
as many of the following activities as possible:
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1. Register your church as a participant. Visit www.balmingilead.org and complete
your registration form or download and fax in your registration to 212-730-2551
or call 888-225-6243 and register by phone;
2. Dedicate Sunday’s worship experience to the Week of Prayer for the
Healing of AIDS, including a sermon offering an effective and affirming message
regarding the daily realities of living in the midst of the AIDS pandemic;
3. Host a community conference or workshop on HIV/AIDS;
4. Collaborate with your local health department or AIDS service organization
to have an HIV/AIDS testing site at your church;
5. Host a community-wide prayer vigil for the Healing of AIDS;
6. Make HIV/AIDS education a topic of your weekly bible study, choir rehearsal,
deacon & missionary meeting, Christian Education meeting, prison ministry,
etc.;
7. Plan a program specifically targeting youth;
8. If you do not have an HIV/AIDS ministry, form a committee to begin the process
of establishing an effective response to the crisis of HIV/AIDS within your
church and community;
9. Support or organize a community-wide activity for The Black Church Week
of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS;
10. Establish a web-link to www.balmingilead.org and support getting the word
out (call 888-225-6243);
We believe that prayer is an action verb and know that, united with dedication,
commitment and work, prayer changes things!
Join us in
prayer
March 4-10, 2007.
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