Praying and Preaching on HIV and AIDS

There are numerous fine resources for praying and preaching on AIDS. Many of them have been prepared for churches to use around World AIDS Day, which is observed on the 1st of December each year. Several local churches hold World AIDS Day services. Some offer quiet space for reflection, and focus on remembering loved friends and family members lost; others focus on the challenge of AIDS and poverty worldwide.

But praying and preaching on AIDS can be part of our worship at any time, not just on World AIDS Day. At one church, the difficulties faced by AIDS orphans formed part of the reflections on Mothering Sunday; a South African theological college did a Stations of the Cross with an HIV/AIDS theme during Lent.

CCOW has a wide range of print resources for HIV/AIDS liturgy, including the South African stations of the cross, past services from Diakonia in South Africa, USPG packs, Christian Aid liturgies (for World AIDS Day pre-2006), and more. We've included links to liturgies, sermons and theological reflections below.

You can also download our most recent AIDS resource from the resources page. This includes prayers from Diakonia and interviews with local (and some not-so-local) Christians who have become involved in HIV/AIDs work in various locations around the world. If you would like to put together a service with a speaker, get in touch with us. Many of those interviewed in the resource -- and others with whom we are in contact -- would be happy to come speak. We also have materials from Christian AIDS' campaigns around the world, and CDs of Christian music related to AIDS.

World AIDS Day

The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance has a very helpful page on how your church can get involved in World AIDS Day (This link will take you to the 2006 version; go to the main EAA page for any updates)

Collections of Liturgies, Worship Resources and Sermon Aids

There are dozens of liturgies and worship resources listed on the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance's HIV and AIDS Resources page.

The Christian AIDS Bureau for Southern Africa [CABSA] "aims to assist and support churches and faith communities in their involvement in the HIV and AIDS field. Their "Christians Praying about HIV and AIDS" page has a wide range of prayer resources; they also have a "Stories and Poems" page.

The World Council of Churches published Africa Praying: A Handbook on HIV/AIDS Sensitive Sermon Guidelines and Liturgy, a very rich resource.

Liturgies, Prayers and Presentations

CAFOD offers the "Voices of Women" liturgy prepared by Rev. Terry MacArthur for the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, 2004, as well as a selection of prayers.  

Each year for the past several years, Christian Aid has released a liturgy for World AIDS Day. The most recent, Flesh of Your Flesh (2006), was written by John Bell and includes material from Christian Aid partners in El Salvador and Ethiopia. As noted above, CCOW has electronic and hard copies of most previous liturgies.

The United Reformed Church's Commitment for Life programme has an HIV/AIDS page with some prayers from the WCC booklet "Africa Praying" (see below) and Christian Aid services. It also has an Advent resource that includes stories from Bangladesh and further thoughts, prayers and points for action.

Several networks of the Roman Catholic church in the US combined to provide liturgical resources for World AIDS Day 2006. These are in part linked to the common lectionary (and hence refer to different readings than those for 2007/2008), but also contain many beautiful free-standing prayers, points for meditation, and reflections. The materials will be particularly helpful for churches which also celebrate either Christ the King Sunday or First Sunday of Advent alongside World AIDS Day.

Franciscans International has a World AIDS Day page with links to a downloadable prayer and material that could be used as background for a church service.

Tearfund's "Work a Miracle" campaign asks Christians and churches to help prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Tearfund's website offers ideas for creative worship and prayer (click on resources for your church on the sidebar), prayer points and a powerpoint presentation related to the campaign, as well as a "script" for use in churches.

The United Methodist Church (US) has a responsive litany that calls the church to caring action.

Anglican mission society USPG has placed on its website a selection of four prayers from its "Living the Gospel with HIV/AIDS" booklet.

Campaigns around HIV/AIDS

In the UK, most development-related AIDS campaigning is coordinated by the Stop AIDS Campaign, an initiative  which brings together more than 80 UK development and HIV/AIDS groups, including major Christian organisations such as CAFOD, Christian Aid, Tearfund and World Vision.

Stop AIDS' current campaign is called "Access Denied" It focuses on the promise G8 leaders made at Gleneagles that there would be universal access to AIDS treatment by 2010. The campaign estimates that at present the vast majority of people who need AIDS treatment don't actually have access. Unfair trade rules and practices are discouraging or preventing the manufacture of generic medications that could help change this situation. To find out more, and to take action, go to the  Stop AIDS campaign website and click on "Access Denied"

The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, which is a broad ecumenical network for cooperation on AIDS and trade, is in the middle of its "Keep the Promise" campaign. It describes its campaign as:

holding individuals, religious leaders, faith organizations, governments and intergovernmental organizations accountable for the commitments they have made and advocates for further efforts and resources to fight HIV and AIDS. The campaign works to protect the rights of people living with HIV and AIDS, promote an attitude of care and solidarity which rejects all forms of stigmatization and discrimination, and advocates for access to necessary forms of treatment as well as expand efforts for education and prevention.

The "Keep the Promise" website (follow link above) has a wealth of campaigning, advocacy, educational and worship resources gathered around five broad areas:

• fighting stigma and discrimination
• promoting prevention
• mobilizing resources
• advocating universal access to treatment
• promoting accountability

Individual agencies also have their own AIDS campaigns within the wider framework. Click below to link to:

• Christian Aid
• Oxfam
• World Vision

What Can My Church Do?

CCOW has published a resource entitled "To Restore Hope,"  which you can download at the bottom of this page. It offers the stories of local churches and Christians who have become involved with HIV/AIDS work. The stories are inspiring -- and you're invited to join in! Some more suggestions for action might include . . . . 

• Pray regularly for
  • people living with HIV and AIDS and for those who care for and about them
  • wisdom for government leaders to make policies that allow universal access to AIDS treatments
  • an end to the stigma and exclusion that are so destructive
  • children who have been orphaned through AIDS and are at risk
  • success for programmes that are combatting mother-to-child transmission

Be creative in your prayers. Tearfund has suggestions for creative prayer (see our "Praying and Preaching" pages . . . or you could ask people to meditate on one of the posters from the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (see our Resources page) . . .

• Hold a special service for World AIDS Day. Use the resources available from our "Praying and Preaching" pages, or others. Perhaps you might want to focus on using resources that come from an area with which your church has a link. Perhaps you'd like an outside speaker. CCOW can help with both . . . .

• Have an exhibition of materials from Christian AIDS campaigns around the world. CCOW has materials from Africa and Asia that you can borrow. They show what different churches are doing -- and help us to see how important it is that we join in.

• The G8 promised that there would be universal access to AIDS treatment by 2010, but we're nowhere near there yet. Take actions as a church in the "Access Denied" campaign. Write to your MP, sign postcards, hand around a petition . . . join the voices who are calling world leaders to hold to their promises (See the Campaigns around HIV and AIDS page for details)

• Support agencies in the work that they are doing to help those affected by HIV and AIDS and to prevent further infections. Ask the agencies you support what they are doing and how you can help out. If you'd like some  suggestions on agencies you can support, contact CCOW.

• Find out what your link church is doing to work on HIV and AIDS and see how you can support it. Contact CCOW for help with this.

Resources on HIV and AIDS

Basic Information on HIV and AIDS

AIDS Clock (UNFPA) -- interactive displaying showing current number of people estimated to be living with HIV and AIDS, a map which resizes countries relative to the number of people in them living with HIV and AIDS, and various videos. Graphic and sobering.

Facts and Figures (Christian Aid) -- A few basic facts and figures from the CA website.

UNAIDS website  (UNAIDS) -- masses of resources, including the definitive annual report on the epidemic, available as a whole or in smaller chapters covering individual regions

Intellectual Property and Access to Treatment

*Access to Medicines: A briefing paper for the trade campaign and the AIDS campaign (Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, ) -- one of a number of resources on the topic of access to medicines available on this EAA page

BBC online discussion about access to HIV/AIDS medications(BBC, 2003) -- useful (if now slightly dated)  interactive forum with Dr Harvey Bale, Jr, head of Int'l Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Assn; Dr Mohga Kamal-Smith, Health Policy Adviser for Oxfam;and Dr Ernest Darkoh, head of Botswana antiretroviral drug treatment program

 Free Trade Agreement between the USA and Thailand Threatens Access to HIV/AIDS Treatment (Oxfam, 2004) -- specific case study of impact of FTAs on access to essential medicines

TRIPS, the disease burden in developing countries and the need for new drugs (Oxfam, 2002?) -- useful, but technical, briefing paper following on from the Doha Declaration about access to generic medicines

Church Action on AIDS

*Called to Care Toolkit -- includes titles "Positive Voices: Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV and AIDS," "Making it happen: A guide to help your congregation do HIV/AIDS work," and "Time to Talk: A Guide to Family Life in the Age of AIDS." (Strategies for Hope) --How to pick which Strategies for Hope material to include? These guides for congregations and families are invaluable.

HIV in Asia: Cultural and Theological Perspectives (Christian Aid) -- examines why HIV/AIDS poses a particular challenge to faith leaders in Asia

*Responding more effectively to HIV and AIDS (Tearfund) -- aimed at churches and local communities, this resource encourages themto respond positively to HIV and AIDS. It provides very user-friendly sections with information about the virus and its transmission, fighting stigma, avoiding infection, the role medicines can play, the role of the church and more.

Scaling Up Effective Partnerships: A guide to working with faith-based organisations in the response to HIV and AIDS (Church World Service, Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, Norwegian Church Aid, UNAIDS, and World Conference of Religions for Peace) -- primarily aimed at secular organisations working with churches (and groups from other faiths). Offers practical advice for setting up and scaling up partnerships.

Worship Information and Materials

Action Alert : How your church can get involved in World AIDS Day (Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance. This link will take you to the 2006 version; go to the main EAA page for any updates)

Africa Praying: A Handbook on HIV/AIDS Sensitive Sermon Guidelines and Liturgy (World Council of Churches)"Christians Praying about HIV and AIDS"  and "Stories and Poems" (Christian AIDS Bureau for Southern Africa)

Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance's HIV and AIDS Resources page (Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance)

Flesh of Your Flesh (John Bell for Christian Aid, 2006), complete liturgy that includes material from Christian Aid partners in El Salvador and Ethiopia.

Going Global Advent resource (United Reformed Church's Commitment for Life, 2003) -- includes stories from Bangladesh and further thoughts, prayers and points for action.

HIV/AIDS Responsive Litany (United Methodist Church)

Liturgical resources for World AIDS Day 2006 (Several networks of the Roman Catholic Church in the US, 2006) -- These are in part linked to the common lectionary (and hence refer to different readings than those for 2007/2008), but also contain many beautiful free-standing prayers, points for meditation, and reflections.

Selection of prayers (CAFOD) 

"Voices of Women" liturgy (prepared by Rev. Terry MacArthur for the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, 2004) 

World AIDS Day page (Franciscans International)

Where can I find more information about HIV/AIDS?

The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance -- access to a wide range of Christian and secular information

Oxfam's AIDS page -- a panoply of press releases, research papers and case studies highlighting all aspects of work on HIV and AIDS.

UNAIDS -- critically important UN coordinating body for work on AIDS, drawing on the resources of UN programmes and the World Bank. Data, information on policies and issues, stories, and links . . a plethora of materials for everyone from young people to researchers to policy makers

The World Health Organisation (WHO) -- "As directing and coordinating authority on international health, the World Health Organization (WHO) takes the lead within the UN system in the global health sector response to HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS Department provides evidence-based, technical support to WHO Member States to help them scale up treatment, care and prevention services as well as drugs and diagnostics supply to ensure a comprehensive and sustainable response to HIV/AIDS."