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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
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February 2007 |
From the Bishop:
March Madness for Missions
I invite all United Methodists here in Indiana to join me in a "March Madness for Missions" by raising funds for two Advance Special mission projects approved by the General Conference and the Council of Bishops of our denomination.
The first is a call for each United Methodist congregation to donate at least $1 per member for the Global AIDS Fund to help eliminate the HIV/AIDS epidemic that is killing so many people, especially in Africa. The second is the Nothing But Nets campaign to purchase $10 mosquito repellent nets to protect children from getting Malaria.
These two killer diseases of poverty, Malaria and HIV/AIDS, can be eliminated from humanity, and our United Methodist Church is determined to help stamp them out.
Partners in Nothing But Nets include The United Methodist Church, the United Nations Foundation, Sports Illustrated, the National Basketball Association, Millennium Promise and the Measles Initiative. The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries and United Methodist Communications are coordinating the church's participation in the campaign, which will include a major initiative for youth groups.
The goal is to raise funds to eradicate malaria in Africa, where the mosquito-borne disease causes the death of one-fifth of all children under 5 years old. Hanging nets over children while they sleep is a simple, inexpensive way to kill the mosquitoes or keep them from biting.
United Methodists also are stepping up to provide a tangible response to the HIV/AIDS crisis through the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund. The fund was established at the 2004 General Conference to raise $8 million by 2008.
This fund represents the commitment of every United Methodists to put a stop to HIV/AIDS in our world. The $8 million represents a $1 commitment of each United Methodist in the United States. For Indiana, that would be around $200,000. The fund supports education, prevention, care and treatment programs for people living with HIV/AIDS. The United Methodist Global AIDS Fund does not overlook the crisis in the US. About one million people are infected in the US and more are added to that number each day. The plan specifies that 25 percent of what each annual conference raises should be used in that conference for AIDS work, either locally or in global projects.
March Against the Madness
So, here is the idea and the request. During March Madness here in Indiana, when we focus upon basketball, let's also March Against the Madness of Malaria and HIV/AIDS. I am asking each of our 1,260 congregations to receive a special offering sometime during March (also within the Lenten season) for the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund (UMCOR Advance #982345). For local church and Annual Conference credit, put your gift in the offering plate one Sunday in March.
I further ask every United Methodist family to purchase at least one net from our Nothing But Nets campaign. You can do that by credit card on-line at www.nothingbutnets.net or by sending the money through your local church to the Advance Special Mission Nothing But Nets (UMCOR Advance #982015) project.
Please join me in a March Madness for Missions. Let's March Against the Madness of Malaria and HIV/AIDS, and let's make a difference in our world.
Bishop Michael J. Coyner
Indiana Area of
The United Methodist Church
"Making a Difference in Indiana
and around the world."
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008