‘Purpose Driven’ moves to mobilize the church leaders in the global AIDS war.

By July 6, 2005

International (MNN)–Around the world, nearly eight thousand people with HIV/AIDS die everyday.

Purpose Driven Ministries’ Kay Warren says she realized, with a shock, that this was a huge unreached people group.

Purpose Driven’s global P.E.A.C.E. Plan seeks to mobilize millions of churches to minister God’s saving love in the midst of such suffering,

The plan is made up of five components–planting churches, equipping servant leaders, assisting the poor, caring for the sick, and educating the next generation.

But, the components are an integral part of each other–one cannot survive without the others. That’s where Warren’s work comes in.

Her horror over the lack of outreach to the HIV/AIDS community increased as she saw the lack of effort on the part of the church. “By and large, evangelicals have been absent from the table, so we’re doing our first conference on HIV/AIDS, and the church’s response. It’s called ‘Disturbing Voices,’ -and it’s November 29 to December 1, which is World AIDS Day.”

The focus of the conference is geared at the church leaders. A response, she warns, means criticism will come from many sides.

From one side come the angry retorts of ‘Don’t tell me how to live,’ from the other, ‘You expect me to touch them? It’s a sexually transmitted disease. It’s disgusting, ew.’

With salvoes being fired from both sides, the church has ducked its head in the sand. She says that it’s time to change the picture the church has given of the heart of God. “A church is going to have to realize it’s going to have to be bold, it’s going to have to be brave, it has to have the courage to do what Jesus did, which was to touch the untouchable, [and] love those that society says are not worthy and deserving of our love.”

Purpose Driven’s partnership with Stand for Africa will launch Sept. 25 in a citywide 40 Days of Purpose campaign that will spiritually prepare the city’s believers for a Nov. 5 Stand for Africa Crusade at the Licouras Center.

Rick Warren sums it up this way, “Imagine 40 million children growing up without mommies and daddies. That’s anarchy waiting to happen. If we don’t say something about that and do something about that, shame on us.”

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