Upper Room Ministries Observe World AIDS Day
NASHVILLE, Tenn., November 9, 2006 /GBOD/ -- Upper Room Ministries, a ministry of GBOD, will observe World AIDS Day with a special worship service, Wednesday, November 29 at 8:30 a.m. in The Upper Room Chapel, 1908 Grand Ave. The Rev. Beth Richardson is the speaker.
Richardson is an ordained deacon in the Tennessee Conference of The United Methodist Church. She currently serves as director of electronic publishing at Upper Room Ministries and as deacon at Edgehill United Methodist Church. Beth received her Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, Tenn. She has served on the staff of Strength for the Journey, a retreat for adults living with HIV and AIDS. The author of Child of the Light: Walking through Advent and Christmas (Upper Room Books, 2005), Beth has contributed her writing to Alive Now magazine, The Upper Room Disciplines, and two volumes of The Storyteller’s Companion to the Bible.
Three dedicated prayer times will also be held in the Upper Room Chapel on December 1 at 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.; 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.; and from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. All events are open to the public.
December 1 is the official day the United Methodist Church has set aside for the World AIDS Day observance.
The purpose of World AIDS Day is to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and the grim global statistics associated with the 46 million people infected worldwide.
The Rev. Karen Greenwaldt, top executive for the General Board of Discipleship said, “This observance is a world-wide focus and the Upper Room is a world ministry, so we believe it is our place to offer special service times and invite the Nashville community to gather for worship and a shared time of prayer and compassion. Our goal is to focus the prayers of millions on HIV/AIDS and its victims. ”
The annual observance includes special programs on HIV/AIDS education and religious worship services that focus on intercessory and healing prayer, hope in God and love, and compassion in the midst of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
In addition to the special worship service and dedicated prayer times, Upper Room Ministries-- in partnership with the Africa Upper Room Office-- is printing a special prayer book for those persons suffering with HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
Currently in production, Prayers for Encouragement: Hope for Persons Living with HIV & AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, and Other Serious Diseases is the newest in the Pocket Prayer series.
“The HIV & AIDS pandemic is bigger than our human capacity. We must make the very best use of medical research, medicine, social work and education…they all play a part in solving the crisis. However the motivation, depth of compassion and perseverance to care for those infected and affected must come from prayer. Ultimately, we are depending on God for a solution,” said Stephen D. Bryant, editor and publisher of The Upper Room Devotional Guide.
Bryant says, “What is unique to this resource (Prayers for Encouragement) is that a number of meditations are written by persons who are HIV+ with full-blown AIDS…persons seeking God’s healing presence while living with stigma, discrimination, and rejection from family and friends.”
The 32-page book will mostly contain meditations, scriptures and prayers written by persons who have HIV and people who minister with people with HIV/AIDS from around the world.
This is the first Upper Room resource that specifically addresses spirituality and support of people living with HIV/AIDS.
The goal is to provide the booklet to one million persons around the world who are living with HIV/AIDS.
Since 1981, the US AIDS epidemic has been steadily growing and by the beginning of 2005 there were estimated to be just over 1 million persons living with HIV and approximately 415,000 people living with AIDS in the US. AIDS is thought to have killed over half a million Americans, nearly ten times the number killed in the Vietnam war…and more become infected every day.
In addition to this new resource, Upper Room Ministries has provided booklets of meditations and prayer to soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq and their families, persons in the path of the Asian tsunami, churches affected by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.
Upper Room Ministries is an ecumenical organization that produces resources for encouraging deeper spiritual formation, including The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide, five other magazines, and a line of books and programs for youth and adults. More information about Upper Room resources can be found online at www.upperroom.org. For more information about Prayers for Encouragement contact, Dale Waymack at 877-899-2780, ext. 7236.
The General Board of Discipleship’s mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, The General Board of Discipleship is located at 1908 Grand Avenue in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at (877) 899-2780, ext. 7017.
Richardson is an ordained deacon in the Tennessee Conference of The United Methodist Church. She currently serves as director of electronic publishing at Upper Room Ministries and as deacon at Edgehill United Methodist Church. Beth received her Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, Tenn. She has served on the staff of Strength for the Journey, a retreat for adults living with HIV and AIDS. The author of Child of the Light: Walking through Advent and Christmas (Upper Room Books, 2005), Beth has contributed her writing to Alive Now magazine, The Upper Room Disciplines, and two volumes of The Storyteller’s Companion to the Bible.
Three dedicated prayer times will also be held in the Upper Room Chapel on December 1 at 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.; 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.; and from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. All events are open to the public.
December 1 is the official day the United Methodist Church has set aside for the World AIDS Day observance.
The purpose of World AIDS Day is to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and the grim global statistics associated with the 46 million people infected worldwide.
The Rev. Karen Greenwaldt, top executive for the General Board of Discipleship said, “This observance is a world-wide focus and the Upper Room is a world ministry, so we believe it is our place to offer special service times and invite the Nashville community to gather for worship and a shared time of prayer and compassion. Our goal is to focus the prayers of millions on HIV/AIDS and its victims. ”
The annual observance includes special programs on HIV/AIDS education and religious worship services that focus on intercessory and healing prayer, hope in God and love, and compassion in the midst of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
In addition to the special worship service and dedicated prayer times, Upper Room Ministries-- in partnership with the Africa Upper Room Office-- is printing a special prayer book for those persons suffering with HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
Currently in production, Prayers for Encouragement: Hope for Persons Living with HIV & AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, and Other Serious Diseases is the newest in the Pocket Prayer series.
“The HIV & AIDS pandemic is bigger than our human capacity. We must make the very best use of medical research, medicine, social work and education…they all play a part in solving the crisis. However the motivation, depth of compassion and perseverance to care for those infected and affected must come from prayer. Ultimately, we are depending on God for a solution,” said Stephen D. Bryant, editor and publisher of The Upper Room Devotional Guide.
Bryant says, “What is unique to this resource (Prayers for Encouragement) is that a number of meditations are written by persons who are HIV+ with full-blown AIDS…persons seeking God’s healing presence while living with stigma, discrimination, and rejection from family and friends.”
The 32-page book will mostly contain meditations, scriptures and prayers written by persons who have HIV and people who minister with people with HIV/AIDS from around the world.
This is the first Upper Room resource that specifically addresses spirituality and support of people living with HIV/AIDS.
The goal is to provide the booklet to one million persons around the world who are living with HIV/AIDS.
Since 1981, the US AIDS epidemic has been steadily growing and by the beginning of 2005 there were estimated to be just over 1 million persons living with HIV and approximately 415,000 people living with AIDS in the US. AIDS is thought to have killed over half a million Americans, nearly ten times the number killed in the Vietnam war…and more become infected every day.
In addition to this new resource, Upper Room Ministries has provided booklets of meditations and prayer to soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq and their families, persons in the path of the Asian tsunami, churches affected by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.
Upper Room Ministries is an ecumenical organization that produces resources for encouraging deeper spiritual formation, including The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide, five other magazines, and a line of books and programs for youth and adults. More information about Upper Room resources can be found online at www.upperroom.org. For more information about Prayers for Encouragement contact, Dale Waymack at 877-899-2780, ext. 7236.
The General Board of Discipleship’s mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, The General Board of Discipleship is located at 1908 Grand Avenue in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at (877) 899-2780, ext. 7017.
