Give the Gift of Life this Christmas

These days, the need for North American Christians to respond to the significant needs among the Two-thirds World is great. We hear about the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the need for a reliable food-supply, for clean drinking water and many other essential basic needs. Thankfully, this is exactly what the Brethren in Christ Church has been engaged in for many years – and still is. BIC are actively responding through HIV/AIDS-related projects through our World Hunger Fund, BIC World Missions, and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).

This Christmas we invite you to include “the gift of life” in your Christmas giving with a contribution to World Hunger Fund, BICWM, or MCC to fight against the devastation in human lives caused by AIDS in Africa.

World Hunger Fund

For thirty years now the World Hunger Fund (WHF) has been one of the best kept secrets of the Brethren in Christ Church. The WHF was established as an effective way for members of the church to respond to significant physical needs, especially hunger relief, that exist in so many nations of the Two-thirds World.

Half of the money given to WHF is sent to Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), our BIC/Mennonite relief and development agency, for work in some of the neediest areas of the world, while the other half goes directly to provide for the increasing needs that exist within the reach of our BIC international churches in Asia, Africa and Central America.

This Christmas season, we invite you to consider giving a gift to those in need throughout the world. WHF dollars are generated solely by designated donations from individuals, families and churches.

In the last year, nearly $150,000 (US) has been given to meet the needs of thousands of people. Here is a sampling of what your giving to WHF has been invested in:

$21,000 to Mennonite Central Committee for hunger-relief programs
$58,000 for Tsunami Relief projects in Asia through MCC
$7,000 to Mozambique for food distribution
$10,000 to Zambia for food-security and other development programs
$25,000 to Zimbabwe for caring for homeless persons, for food-security and relief programs, for water projects.
$10,000 to Nepal to provide food and housing for children
$11,000 to India for programs to assist villagers in establishing reliable food and income sources

BICWM HIV/AIDS Projects: Helping the Infected and Affected in Africa

Reports from African nations where there are BIC churches state that 15% to 25% of the general adult populations are HIV-positive. In Zimbabwe alone, AIDS-related deaths have orphaned over one million children. Macha Hospital in Zambia estimates that 30-40% of hospital in-patients have AIDS-related problems and Malawi has seen more than half a million deaths since 1985 making HIV/AIDS “the greatest development threat facing the country.”

In response BIC in Africa are mobilizing to study the problem and work on solutions. Francis Kamoto, the Malawian coordinator of the AIDS program for the Malawi BIC Church recently reported on the formation of church committees on HIV/AIDS and orphan care. He lists the aims of these committees as follows:

To preach the message of hope to both affected and infected ones
To give counseling to those who are planning to have marriages
To take care of those who are infected
To take care of the orphans
To help them to know their rights / protect their rights
To help them with materials i.e. clothes, food etc
To make sure that they are going to school
To teach them how they can live independently – having vocational clubs i.e. tailoring, shoe repairing, tinsmith, farming, radio repair etc.

Francis reports that the October seminar about HIV / AIDS and orphan care at Maone BIC was “very fruitful.” More meetings are planned to continue the church's response to this devastating epidemic.

This Christmas, we invite you to use some of your Christmas gift money to buy needed supplies for the fight against the devastation in human lives caused by AIDS in Africa. Click here for a list of specific ways for you to support the BIC African churches as they daily face this crisis of medical, educational, and home life needs.

Giving the Gift of Life

The “giants” in our world such as HIV/AIDS and hunger are indeed big, but as God’s people respond and engage sacrificially and with love, these giants can be slain!

As members of BIC congregations we do have ways in which we can respond – through the World Hunger Fund, HIV/AIDS projects of BIC World Missions, and Mennonite Central Committee. Why not respond and select one of these avenues?

Gifts can be sent to:

BIC General Conference Ministries	BIC General Conference Ministries
P.O. Box A Grantham, PA 17027	1-416 North Service Road East Oakville, ON L6H 5R2

For more information check out www.bic-church.org and www.mcc.org.

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