Come to the Purpose Driven HIV/AIDS Conference

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is history’s greatest humanitarian crisis. Stopping it has become a race against time. Whether you know it or not, you and your church are already in the race – because God has called us to love and care. This may be our greatest opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love.

Join Rick and me, along with pastors, key leaders, and top experts, at this year's Purpose Driven HIV/AIDS Conference. We hope to equip and inspire you with practical tools to help you begin or strengthen your church’s HIV/AIDS ministry, both at home and globally. Register for the conference today >>

Kay Warren, co-founder, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, Calif., and executive director of Saddleback Church's HIV/AIDS Initiative

How HIV/AIDS became personal
By Michael Vinson

I attended last year’s Disturbing Voices HIV/AIDS Conference at Saddleback Church. Two years ago, I would have never imagined sitting in Orange County, Calif., amidst a thousand or so evangelical pastors, church leaders, and lay people. Yet on Nov. 30, 2005, I found myself completely immersed in the single largest health crisis ever to face humanity: the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. Read more >>

Our community outreach ministry is called S.A.L.T. (Sharing Abundant Life Together). Three years ago, we approached our local health department and asked how we could assist with the growing HIV/AIDS problem in our local community. The nursing sisters told us stories of mothers with babies, where the mother is infected and she cannot work, therefore both her and the baby suffer from malnutrition. As you know, antiretroviral only works if you are looking after your nutrition too!

We investigated what to put into a food parcel that would sustain a mother and her baby for a week. We started by supplying 20 bags per month to a clinic in our area that saw these mothers on a weekly basis. … We now supply 350 bags a month, not only to mothers but we have included all patients that the clinic feels need the assistance. Once again, it is only available to patients on antiretroviral medication. We supply three clinics and eventually want to spread out to more. Read more >>

Pauline De Klerk
SALT project coordinator
Assembly of God Church, Table View
Cape Town, South Africa

What is your church doing in HIV/AIDS ministry? The Caring Community Update wants to know. Share your story >>

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