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AfricaPraying book cover

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World Council of Churches

Physical Address:
150 route de Ferney,
1211 Geneva 2,
Switzerland

Postal Address:
P.O. Box 2100 1211,
Geneva 2, Switzerland

Telephone:
41-227916379

Fax:
41-227981346

Email:
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Website:
www.wcc-coe.org

AfricaPraying: A Handbook on HIV/AIDS Sensitive Sermon Guidelines and Liturgy

Author: Edited by Musa W. Dube

Publication Date: 2003, Revised 2004.

Target Audience: Church leaders/workers, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, and the laity

Language: English, with some Portuguese

Format: Book of sermon guidelines and worship outlines

Included on Toolkit: Excerpt of tool

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Description:

AfricaPraying is a collection of HIV/AIDS sensitive sermons and liturgy for use by church members and its leaders. Church leaders can use AfricaPraying to guide their congregation away from numbness towards HIV/AIDS. Assemblies will be encouraged to fight discrimination, change social norms, and offer care and compassion for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

The book is divided into five sections: life markers, church calendar events, specific groups, social factors leading to HIV/AIDS, and themes for general services. Each features sermon guidelines.  The sermon guidelines are easily adaptable to different situations and audiences. Most include the following components:

  • opening prayers
  • songs
  • introductions that highlight the HIV/AIDS context
  • select Biblical verses
  • descriptions of how the sermon can be applied to individual listeners, congregations, and the larger society
  • closing songs and prayers
  • suggestions for various symbols or objects that can be used during the sermon

AfricaPraying is a rare resource for applying Christian principles to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is important for ministers seeking to motivate their congregation to develop plans to make a difference as a church and as individuals.

An example from each of the five sections is included on this toolkit:

Part 1: Services for Life Markers includes a service for weddings. The service emphasizes partnership between husband and wife for a successful union and to avoid HIV. This section includes a wedding ceremony, and guidelines for a sermon on marriage.

Part 2: Services on the Church Calendar/Rituals/Events has a service for the Lord's Supper. The sermon guidelines discuss building a community without exclusion or discrimination. Taking action against hunger and stigma against HIV/AIDS sufferers is emphasized.

Part 3: Themes for General Services offers a sermon on forgiveness. The test uses Jesus' forgiveness of a sinful woman as an example of the importance of being accepting, compassionate and forgiving. This sermon focuses upon women, people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA), and sex workers.

Part 4: Services for Specific Groups provides a sermon on People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). It encourages eliminating stigma and providing support, care, and advocacy. The church is challenged to become a safe place for PLWHA.

Part 5: Services on Social Factors Contributing to HIV/AIDS addresses gender injustice. The sermon shows that women have long been discriminated against. Men, families, church and society are challenged to be advocates of gender justice. Women are encouraged to stand for their freedom.

Click on the following links to view excerpts from AfricaPraying:

Use the contact information to the left to order a copy of AfricaPraying.

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AfricaPraying Testimonial

Pastors praise AfricaPraying for both the inspiration it provides and the comprehensive and easy to use manner in which it was designed. Many who obtain the book immediately share the information with other pastors they know. Rev Augustine Mlambo found the book to be extremely useful in his work with AIDS orphans in the high density suburbs in Harare and subsequently distributed additional copies to pastors attending an HIV/AIDS workshop in Harare.

However, AfricaPraying is not limited to use in the pulpit. A Catholic Diocese in Kenya used AfricaPraying during a retraining of their priests, religious orders and members for the opening Bible reading and prayer each day. The bishop selected readings which corresponded to the day’s topics, and the attendees reported that the readings created a non-stigmatizing atmosphere. Because the AfricaPraying readings introduced difficult topics in the form of prayer, discussions later in the day were far more open and in-depth than attendees had previously expected.

AfricaPraying was also used in the prayer room at the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok. Those who attended sessions in the prayer room commented that their experience with AfricaPraying reminded them that Africa has something important to teach the rest of the world about caring for and treating people with HIV.

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