The Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS is a powerful 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; 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; Download For the Healing of AIDS: 52 Week Church Bulletin Meditation

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!