Christian charity produces worship resource for churches on World AIDS Day
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Mildmay International, who have been providing care for people living with HIV for over 21 years, designed the booklet to help congregations to think, pray, and respond to the issues raised by this illness. Downloadable at www.mildmay.org it also contains a full sermon, written by Rev Andrew White, a Baptist Minister, and is themed to be used on the first Sunday of Advent (29th November), with a New Testament reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for that day. Rev White said, “The God who came for the outcasts, the weak, the poor in spirit, the sick, and the needy, is the same God who calls us to prepare to accept Christ at Christmas. Then, with compassion, we can respond by reaching out to those who need His love too.” Mildmay was originally established by an Anglican Priest, the Rev William Pennefather, in 1866 to deal with the Cholera epidemic in the slums of London’s East End. Over a century later in 1988, Mildmay opened Europe’s first dedicated HIV and AIDS unit at a time when there was still a lot of misunderstanding about the disease. Fi McLachlan, CEO of Mildmay International believes there is a parallel between the stigmas Mary faced, to that experienced by people living with HIV today: “Sometimes people feel ostracised or outside of what’s considered the norm. For Mary, she was facing very abnormal circumstances, and couldn’t have known what expecting the son of God would mean or what the journey would be like. People living with HIV don’t know where their journey is going to go either or what their future will have in store”.
Although HIV is not the focus of media attention it once was, it has Mildmay’s HIV Hospital in Shoreditch and its programmes in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Eastern Europe form part of a global effort to tackle this devastating illness. Mildmay hopes that World AIDS Day will enable churches to partner with them in providing a Christian response to HIV and AIDS. To download the worship booklet or for more information please go to the World AIDS Day link at www.mildmay.org Note to Editors Current situation internationally * Globally, it is estimated that there are over 33 million people living with HIV, 90% of whom live in the developing world Mildmay internationally After opening Europe’s first dedicated HIV+AIDS hospice ward in the East end of London, Mildmay was called to extend its expertise to some of the areas where HIV+AIDS were hitting hardest – in sub-Saharan Africa and later, Eastern Europe. Mildmay’s work takes many forms including: * providing access to and monitoring of antiretroviral medication ** You may republish this story with proper attribution. Send this story to a friend. Share
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