Part One: HIV&AIDS, A Heartbreaking Challenge for Our Hispanic Community
Together, we are celebrating the 35th Anniversary of Latino/Latina Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 – October 15, 2012, a fiesta for all Americans to express appreciation for Latino/Latina contributions and culture. Many of my friends and fellow-worshippers are Hispanic and say with broad, mischievous smiles, “Bill. There are two kinds of people in the world, Hispanics and ‘Wannabe Hispanics’.”
The beauty of the Hispanic culture in the United States is that Latinos and Latinas come from many backgrounds, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central and South American, a diverse people group whose common heritage emphasizes family, friends and faith....
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What an incredible time we had at AIDS 2012 this year! Here is a quick glimpse of all that God gave us the opportunity to do in Washington D.C. at the International AIDS conference....
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Pete Wilson and I – and a documentary film crew - were walking around the Global Village at the 2012 AIDS conference in DC. We were engaging people in conversations about their organizations and causes at the conferences.
One booth caught our attention: Condomize.
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Caring for those with HIV&AIDS is exactly where Jesus would be today. Devastating the lives of over 33 million around the world, this pandemic cannot be stopped with out the love and effort from church communities around the world. If you’re like Saddleback when we first got started you are asking what can the church effectively do. We have built our ministry on a simple six-step strategy that we invite you to use for your ministry. The six steps of what every church can do are explained in the CHURCH acrostic below....
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If you're HIV positive you're not alone. There is hope. Listen to these stories of people who are living with HIV.
And don't stop there, spend time on our site hivaidsinitiative.com. It's filled with information and resources of support for you. God loves you and so do we. We believe the best resource of care and support that you can find is a local church. You weren't meant to walk this path alone. Call us (949) 609-8295 or email us at hiv@saddleback.com and we'll help you get connected. ...
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You might be saying, “This is great! I love the idea of caring for people who are infected or affected by HIV& AIDS – but I don’t know how to get started.” Let me share with you the five steps we took to start the HIV&AIDS Initiative at Saddleback – they’re the same five steps you can take to START as well....
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Wednesday, July 25th was a significant day at AIDS 2012 for the HIV&AIDS Initiative. Saddleback Church hosted two events at Georgetown University in Washington DC. The first was a meeting for pastors from all over the DC area who came together to link arms and strategize how their churches can be the leaders in caring for those with HIV&AIDS in their communities. The second was the Summit on the role of Faith-Based Organizations in Global Health, co-hosted by Rick & Kay Warren, which brought together Presidents, Senators and leaders throughout the Faith Community, confirming we can't end AIDS without the help of the Church. Watch the recap of these exciting events. ...
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There is a growing gap in access to healthcare in developing countries around the world. In the effort to end AIDS this is a significant obstacle that must be addressed. But how, when there aren’t enough trained healthcare professionals available to meet the need?
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This past week was the adventure of a lifetime.
I was in Washington D.C. with my friends Rick and Kay Warren of Saddleback Church, along with several other pastors including, Pete Wilson (Crosspoint Church, Nashville, TN) , Naeem Fazal (Mosaic Church in Charlotte, NC), and Johnnie Moore (VP Liberty Univ.).
We were at the 2012 International AIDS Conference as guest and pastors that Rick and Kay Warren mentor.
So much happened. My emotions range from hopeful to deep sadness....
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