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What faith communities can do to respond to HIV/AIDS
After a faith community decides to get involved in HIV/AIDS initiatives,
there are a variety of ways to become involved. These examples range from
requiring very little money and/or time apart from the normal duties in a
congregation to those that are very cost and time intensive. They are based on
readings, workshops, and conversations with agencies working with faith
communities, and are not intended to be all inclusive. Please note that while
language of a particular religion may be used here, this guide is intended for
any faith community.
Be Welcoming:
Create within the church an environment of openness and support:
- Be available to listen to persons infected or affected by HIV.
- Let people know that you are open, accessible, and will be
supportive by publicizing you are a "Covenant to Care Congregation."
- Be free from judgment, accepting unconditionally the individual as a
person. All life is sacred.
- Find ways to give it a personal touch.
- Invite and welcome people with HIV and AIDS and their families, or
those affected by HIV/AIDS, to your congregation.
- Invite people with HIV/AIDS to Bible study groups or other temple
activities.
- Add HIV/AIDS to the parish's nondiscriminatory employee policy.
Pastoral Guidance and Support:
- Provide bereavement and spiritual counseling.
- Encourage congregations to pray, or have a prayer service, for
persons living with HIV/AIDS.
- Offer confidential counseling for HIV positive individuals or their
families with issues such as loneliness, anger, living with HIV, substance ab/use
or spiritual growth.
- Provide free funeral/memorial services for individuals who have died
from HIV/AIDS.
Information and Awareness Building:
- Hold a press conference to kick off World AIDS Day in December.
- Host a week of events around HIV/AIDS during the week of World AIDS
Day.
- Incorporate HIV/AIDS into other health issues like heart disease,
stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, prostate cancer, etc., as part of an
overall wellness campaign for the community.
- Provide HIV/AIDS information, related articles, news stories and
book reviews in worship bulletin announcements, inserts, community bulletin
boards, local radio and television community service programs.
- Invite someone who is HIV positive to address the congregation so
that HIV/AIDS has "a face."
- Sponsor a poster contest with an HIV prevention theme and display
the posters.
- Create and perform an "HIV prevention" dance or rap routine using
spiritual music.
- Sponsor a benefit gospel or musical concert and use the funds to
support prevention programs.
- Hold an HIV/AIDS presentation during a regularly scheduled meeting
(e.g., youth deacon, usher board).
- Announce local HIV/AIDS related events, meetings and worship/healing
services in church calendar of events, local radio and television community
service programs.
- Provide congregants with a red ribbon to wear on World AIDS Day to
raise awareness.
- Sew quilt panels for congregational members who have died or lost
someone to HIV/AIDS.
- Display quilt panels.
- Sponsor a health fair which includes HIV/AIDS.
- Devote a sermon to the topic of HIV/AIDS.
- Host programs highlighting the AIDS crisis in their community.
- Establish an HIV resource center/table or display health-related
information and resources covering a range of health concerns, including STDs
and HIV. Have the information easily accessible and displayed at all times.
- Host a pastor's breakfast to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS by
providing facts and basic information.
Outreach and Education:
- Educate the congregation about HIV/AIDS. Address common myths and
fears about HIV/AIDS and its impact.
- Bring in an outside speaker to address the congregation to discuss
topics such as how HIV/AIDS is impacting their community or their life or to
provide accurate information, instill compassion, and dispel myths about
HIV/AIDS.
- Promote HIV testing, awareness and prevention. Encourage community
members to learn their HIV serostatus.
- Show youth popular films (e.g., Booty Call, American Pie, A Walk
to Remember, Soul Food, Chasing Amy, New Jack City, Threads of Love), and
discuss the film and its application to their lives.
- Establish youth discussion groups to include issues such as
man/woman-hood, self-esteem, relationships, life skills, sex and sexuality,
and refusal and negotiation skills.
- Establish a short course or training to help parents develop skills
to talk with their kids about issues such as alcohol/drug use,
decision-making, sex, sexuality, and communication skills.
- Establish an adult discussion group to talk about relationships,
self-esteem, and personal assertiveness.
Caregiving Ministry:
- Provide sensitive pastoral care for persons infected/affected with
HIV.
- Provide food, clothing and other gifts to individuals who are HIV
positive and their families.
- Visit people with HIV/AIDS in hospitals, hospices, or their homes.
- Offer to help the care givers of those with AIDS so that they may
have a respite.
- Lend a hand to individuals who are HIV positive or their families.
Assist with chores, such as grocery shopping, laundry, light house cleaning,
minor house repairs, and rides to church services and/or a doctor's
appointment.
- Donate your time and talent to help raise funds for the fight
against AIDS. Hold a church dinner, car wash, walk-a-thon, food or clothing
drive, etc.
- Sponsor a benefit gospel concert to heighten awareness about
HIV/AIDS.
- Establish a substance abuse prevention ministry that offers basic
education.
- Establish an HIV/AIDS education and care ministry as part of a
larger health ministry.
- Deliver the weekly altar flowers (when available) to HIV positive
individuals when they are ill or homebound.
- Provide home cooked meals to HIV positive individuals and their
families.
- Send cards ("get well" or "thinking of you") to individuals who are
HIV positive or their families.
- Take an HIV-positive person or the caregiver to lunch.
- Host a healing prayer service.
- Sponsor a candlelight vigil for persons living with HIV or AIDS.
- Provide volunteers for "buddy programs".
- African American churches can participate in Black Church Week of
Prayer for the Healing of AIDS which occurs in March.
- Hispanic parishes can implement 7 days of prayer and unity (Siete
Dias de Oracion y unidad) in October - Hispanic Heritage Month.
Partnering:
- Provide equipment and/or space to AIDS programs.
- Invite AIDS organizations to answer questions, provide confidential
HIV testing, distribute information materials about HIV/AIDS.
- Co-sponsor activities with AIDS programs.
- Support an AIDS program open house with volunteers and/or
refreshments.
- Offer overnight hospitality to speakers/consultants working with
local AIDS programs.
- Make referrals, when appropriate, to local HIV/AIDS organizations.
- Serve on AIDS boards or committees.
- Organize a blood drive.
- Develop a team for your local AIDS walk/run/bike fund-raiser.
- Encourage individuals to make donations to HIV/AIDS programs.
- Publish news about AIDS volunteer opportunities.
- House a local food pantry.
- Organize volunteers to work with local HIV/AIDS organizations or at
HIV/AIDS events.
- Encourage other faith based organizations to get involved in
addressing HIV/AIDS in their communities.
from Faith-Based HIV Prevention Interventions, A Technical Guide for
Working with Communities of Faith, February 2003. For more information, contact MDCH-HAPIS
Consultant, Robin Orsborn, 517/241-5936.
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