Stories continue to roll in from churches that got involved on Lazarus Sunday, almost two weeks ago. To recap: almost 1,800 faith communities across the United States and around the world signed up for more information on how to raise awareness about AIDS in Africa.
Here’s a snapshot of the latest:
- “The Lazarus Effect” was shown in its entirety to small groups, Sunday school classes, and whole congregations at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church (Derwood, MD) and Zion United Church of Christ (Henderson, KY).
- The people of Luther Chapel Lutheran Church (Coral, PA), Irvine United Congregational Church (Irvine, CA) and First Presbyterian Church of Columbus (Columbus, IN) heard their pastors incorporate into their sermons the stories of our American and African brothers and sisters living with AIDS, as well as the tremendous restorative impact of anti-retroviral drugs — the Lazarus Effect.
- Grace Covenant Church (Oak Ridge, TN), Nativity Catholic Church (Fargo, ND) and Messiah Lutheran Church (Mechanicsville, VA) utilized ONE’s Lazarus Sunday resources in their services, and took time to pray for those living with AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- RISE Church (Harrisonburg, VA) and St. Mark’s United Methodist Church (Stockton, CA) were two churches that took a collection to give toward the work being done to combat AIDS on the ground in Africa.
- Other churches, like Immanuel Lutheran Church (Greeley, CO), Urban Grace (Tacoma, WA), and The District Church (Washington, D.C.), showed a clip from “The Lazarus Effect” documentary and provided an opportunity for congregants to add their names to ONE’s petition to Congress requesting that funds for life-saving HIV/AIDS programs be preserved.
As Rev. Phil Hoy, of Zion UCC in Henderson, KY, wrote:
During the discussion after showing ["The Lazarus Effect"], a visitor spoke and thanked us for showing the [film] and for the courageous stand the congregation has taken.
We at ONE are also grateful for the actions that communities of faith have taken to stand for and with those living with AIDS — by raising awareness of the problem and the solution, and by advocating on their behalf to those in Congress whose decisions will have a significant impact beyond our own shores.
Keep the stories/pictures/videos coming in; we want to hear your Lazarus Sunday story! Email us at faith@one.org.
