HIV/AIDS impacts the entire nation of Zambia, including Christians and church regulars. Marital unfaithfulness, domestic violence, lack of concern for orphans and widows, sexual appetites unchecked, have all gradually crept into the church. These continue to facilitate the spread of HIV/AIDS. Many churches have chosen to embrace silence rather than engaging these issues as pertinent to church life.
Within this critical context there is hope. God has been moving in numerous congregations, giving them a renewed desire to live in the light of His Word. ACTION Zambia Ministries is committed to serving the local church especially when it comes to addressing HIV/AIDS. Through the CROSS Project (Churches Ready to Overcome Silence and Stigma) ministry outreach, AZM hopes to encourage churches to honestly engage and confront culture with the Word of God. This is being achieved through the following ministry objectives:
1. Bible and curriculum distribution
2. Teaching the 5 month CROSS curriculum to church HIV ministry teams
3. Relationship building – getting to the home of every church leader and care team member
4. Re
aching out to youth with discipleship materials, readying them to stay pure
5. Challenge every participating church team to go for voluntary counseling and testing
6. Nurture and support of local groups having completed the CROSS curriculum
7. Implementation of a Christian sex education curriculum for use in the local church and within families
8. HIV/AIDS seminar every 12 months, bringing participating churches together
9. Speaking engagements on family planning and sexual health concerns.
10. Domestic violence sensitization focus group