As we move into the Christmas holidays, I suspect many of us are considering alternative ways of giving in an effort to move beyond consumerism. Please consider giving to the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund. This initiative is making a difference, but so much more is needed.

Today, 8,000 people around the globe died of AIDS. And, another 14,000 contracted the HIV virus.

Some people say “We’ve heard enough about AIDS! Let’s move on.” I respond: “How can we?”

Even though more and more money is being appropriated to treat, care and prevent the spread of AIDS, millions of people are walking the earth who don’t realize they carry the virus. We cannot be a fickle people in the midst of such a reality.

The HIV virus invades the body without its victim’s knowing in many cases. Innocent victims, primarily women and children, fall prey to it.

Many countries have few resources for treatment or care. Add stigma and discrimination to this dire situation and we have a health crisis on our hands like none other.

The church, not unlike society at large, needs strong leadership to tackle this pandemic. This need for universal leadership is the theme of the 2007 World AIDS Day, which is on or near December 1 each year. It is crucial for people in church and society to choose to accept leadership where there is none. And it is crucial to strengthen those already leading in the HIV response whether nationally, in their cities and villages, and in the churches themselves.

An important role of the church is to provide safe haven and care for the millions of orphans created by this crisis. Meet 13-year-old Margaret Masawi of Zimbabwe who dreams of becoming a teacher. Young as she is, she heads a household and cares for her two younger brothers. Margaret and her brothers are three of the 980,000 children in Zimbabwe who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Their parents died four years ago.

In sub-Saharan Africa where Margaret lives, young women are becoming infected with HIV at an stunning rate, and 75% of the HIV-positive young people ages 15-24 are female. Margaret, however, has a good chance of avoiding the same fate as her parents because of a United Methodist project that pays her school fees. Staying in school can save girls' lives.

What can we do?

Each congregation can support the UMC Global AIDS Fund. This fund is an effort to channel much-needed resources to projects around the globe addressing this crisis. These projects aim to lessen the burden of AIDS by awareness building, sharing information on risk reduction, voluntary testing and counseling, prevention of mother to child transmission, care in the hospital and in the home, treating opportunistic infections, providing anti retroviral drugs and support of orphans.

Please consider giving to this Advance Special (#982345) as an alternative method of Christmas giving. One hundred percent of contributions go directly to HIV/AIDS projects, and 25% of that given remains in Annual Conferences for distribution. It’s easy to contribute: write a check, place it in your offering plate and your church treasurer will send it forward. Please make sure to put the Advance Special # in the memo line.

Please consider giving to Advance Special #982345 as an alternative method of Christmas giving.

The General Board of Church and Society stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world who cry for justice, who cry for education, who cry for access to health care, who cry for financial policies that enhance their quality of life not cheat it! Take a stand for those things that bring life not death. Please join in this vital effort. You can save lives and clear a way for all God’s children to find fulfillment and hope.

There’s no better time than now to pitch in. Brochures for the UMC Global AIDS Fund are available at General Board of Church and Society by contacting Donna Brandyberry, dbrandyberry@umc-gbcs.org  or 202-488-5641.