When Faith Gets Aids

The Need

Children and youth impacted by the AIDS pandemic in Africa are receiving much needed attention, with many outstanding organizations involved in providing life and survival skills.  In the midst of this outreach, however, a few vital pieces are missing. 

The first is a theological framework that can help workers make sense out of what they are experiencing and respond in theologically-based practical ways.  The second is an approach to self-care that enables workers to gain the boundaries and personal resources they need in order to avoid burnout and emotional overload.   The third is a theological perspective that helps Christians in the Church worldwide understand and respond to the African AIDS crisis in innovative and meaningful ways. 

The Response

Fuller Seminary’s “When Faith Gets AIDS” project is providing CYFM with the momentum and resources it needs to respond to the three needs mentioned above.  Working in collaboration with organizations such as Viva Network, a network of 16,000 workers serving 1.2 million kids in 48 countries, CYFM’s intention is to continue researching the current field and develop practical resources that will increase the impact that workers and the Church worldwide are having on the AIDS crisis.  From 2005-2006, CYFM surveyed workers in Africa and hopes to either develop new theological and self-care resources or contextualize resources that already exist to make them more effective. 

In order to help Christians worldwide engage in the AIDS issues, CYFM has been working with World Vision and Youth Specialties to provide supporting resources and curriculum for the One Life Revolution campaign.  During 2005-2006, CYFM designed an online youth group curriculum to help stimulate teenagers toward a long-term commitment to serving as world Christians. The fruit of that development is the One Life curriculum available free from our web site (see below). Further, througout 2007 we have been releasing follow-up teaching and worship content to help ministries engage students in these and other world issues year-round, available at our Vision Generation page.

Click on the One Life image below to access this free curriculum for your youth ministry:

For Further Reading:

Papers Developing a Theology of Children and Youth, Presented by Fuller faculty and students at the 2005 Cutting Edge Children at Risk Conference hosted by Viva Network:

God Intends Children To Flourish In A Just Society By Wendy Hinrichs Sanders, PhD student, Fuller’s School of Intercultural Studies, and Angela Castiglione, MA Cross Cultural Studies

Children Are A Promise Of Hope For Every Generation By Linda Wagener, PhD, Associate Dean of Fuller’s School of Psychology

God Welcomes Children Fully Into The Family of Faith By Kara Powell, PhD, Executive Director of the Center for Youth and Family Ministry

Children Play An Essential Part in God’s Mission By Karissa Glanville, MDIV

Bibliography for all Viva Papers For further reading...

New Book from World Vision Resources Featuring Kara Powell
And other Fuller Authors:

Born out of theological reflection on children and the mission of God, Understanding God's Heart for Children is an expansion of papers delivered at the 2005 Cutting Edge Children at Risk Conference hosted by Viva Network. World Vision has published this book, and it can be ordered by clicking on the banner below or calling: (US) 1.800.777.7752 or (international) 1.909.463.299.

For Further Study: Fuller's Children at Risk Degrees

Interested in pursuing these and other issues related to children and youth at risk globally? Take a look at Fuller's Children at Risk degree programs through the School of Intercultural Studies.

AIDS in Africa the News

Climbers Needed to Summit Highest Peaks in 50 States En Masse To Raise Funds for Children With AIDS (PRWeb) Summer Summit Challenge to Be Held June 27 to July 6 to Benefit American Foundation for Children with AIDS. Call for participants. (PRWeb May 14, 2008) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/05/prweb936414.htm

Climbers Needed to Summit Highest Peaks in 50 States En Masse To Raise Funds for Children With AIDS (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) Summer Summit Challenge to Be Held June 27 to July 6 to Benefit American Foundation for Children with AIDS. Call for participants.

South Africa: Nelson Mandela Children's Fund to Honour Madiba (AllAfrica.com)The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund (NMCF) is hosting a series of events in celebration of the former President's birthday under the theme, "Celebrating a Children's Champion".

Climbers to Attempt to Summit Highest Peaks in 50 States En Masse to Raise Funds for Children With AIDS (PR.com)Summer Summit Challenge to be Held June 27 to July 6 to Benefit American Foundation for Children with AIDS. [PR.com - May 13, 2008]

East Africa: "Coverage of The Needle Exchange Programme will Have to Quadruple within The Next Year" (AllAfrica.com)The UNAids regional director for Southern and Eastern Africa is back after two years on an official mission to assess the local situation. He will also see how he can give more support to improve the health situation.

Africa: Daily HIV/Aids Report (AllAfrica.com)allAfrica: African news and information for a global audience

South Africa: Schools World Cup to Inspire Nation's Children (AllAfrica.com)The Schools World Cup was launched on Saturday in an effort to stimulate excitement around the 2010 FIFA World Cup for the 12 million school pupils in South Africa, writes Simangaliso Zwane.

Africa grabs at Lexingtonian's heart (Lexington Herald-Leader) During the summer of 2006, .Lexington's Adam Rector traveled to Kenya and spent two months living in a mud, stick and dung hut .without the luxuries of running water and electricity. He loved it so much, he left .Monday to return to the area. This time around, though, instead of focusing on teaching math to Masai sixth-graders in Kimuka, Kenya, Rector, 22, will be studying Swahili in ...

Giving soles to souls: Pastor's ministry sends shoes to Kenya (North County Journal)George Hutchings continues to try to help people in Kenya put their best foot forward by providing shoes to cover them.

Trips so far, so good for aid-driven teens (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette) When Bethesda, Md., high school student Jenna Kusek first saw where she’d be living for three weeks in Tanzania, she thought, “You’ve got to be kidding.”