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Ripples - December 2009

National Gathering 2010 in San Diego, CA

Coalition’s National Gathering will be held July 14–17, 2010, in San Diego, CA. Mark your calendar and watch for registration and hotel reservation details in early 2010!

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National Gathering Theme: Any Body, Everybody, Christ’s Body

The overall theme of this year’s Gathering will be Any Body, Everybody, Christ’s Body, following up on the Accessible to All resolution passed by General Synod in Atlanta, GA, calling on UCC congregations and instrumentalities to be physically, spiritually, and emotionally open and affirming to people with disabilities. We hope to address these issues specifically and in the wider context of living out God’s extravagant welcome. Additional workshop tracks being considered and developed are the ONA process for congregations and next steps, advocacy and empowerment, and families.

The planners are also considering a multi-part Bible study separate from the workshops, events, and sessions of particular appeal to young adults, and more opportunities for casual community time. Attendees of the last four Gatherings have been surveyed online in order to help the Planning Committee develop a program responsive to your needs. Questions or suggestions about National Gathering can be directed to the Coalition office or to Planning Committee chairperson, Byron Adams, byronadams@verizon.net.

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National Gathering: Logo Contest

The National Gathering 2010 Planning Committee is sponsoring a contest to create a conference logo. The creator of the chosen design will receive a complimentary conference registration and meal package. The deadline for submission of logo designs is January 15th. Please contact committee chairperson, Byron Adams, byronadams@verizon.net, for more details.

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December Is HIV/AIDS Awareness Month

December 1st marked the 21st World AIDS Day. The World Health Organization created World AIDS Day in 1988 to raise awareness about the global AIDS pandemic. It is estimated that over 1 million Americans and 33 million people across the world are living with HIV.

Advances have continued in HIV/AIDS care, treatment, research, and education at home and abroad. The U.S. has lifted its ban on HIV-positive immigrants and visitors, and Congress renewed funding for the Ryan White Care Act for another four years. A local Chinese government will open a gay bar as a platform to raise awareness about safe sex. Sweden announced it will lift its ban on gay blood donors.

But, our work isn't anywhere near done. 56,000+ Americans become infected every year and HIV/AIDS claims the lives of more than 14,000 annually in the U.S. The epidemic continues to impact LGBT people disproportionately—especially young men of color—making it extremely important to get tested and educate ourselves.

Find out more and learn where you can get tested at www.aids.gov.

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Latest AIDS Statistics Verify Need for Sustained, Comprehensive Response

UNAIDS and the World Health Organization released its annual AIDS Epidemic Update on November 24, 2009, indicating that 33.4 million people were living with HIV in 2008, up slightly from 2007. The higher figure is credited to increased availability to treatment allowing more people to live longer. Overall, the data indicates that new infections have dropped 17 percent over the past eight years.

Despite areas of progress, worrying gaps exist. Children still account for 2.1 million of people living with HIV, although the number of deaths have declined. The number of children newly infected with HIV in 2008 was roughly 18% lower than in 2001.

“Certainly it’s good news that the number of new infections in children are declining and there is more access to ARVs for children,” says Rev. Christo Greyling, Global Advisor on HIV and AIDS and Faith Partnerships for World Vision International. “But frankly, the question is why over 400,000 children a year are still being newly infected? We have the knowledge and services to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child, yet the majority of expectant mothers—55 percent—still do not receive such services.”

The report also highlighted that as modes of transmission shift within countries—such as from injecting drug use to heterosexual sex—HIV prevention approaches have so far not been able to shift effectively. For more information, visit www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/HIVData/EpiUpdate/.

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UCAN: Providing Leadership in the UCC on issues relating to HIV and AIDS

The United Church of Christ HIV and AIDS Network (UCAN) released a detailed newsletter on World AIDS Day, including a report from General Synod 27, detailing the resolution calling for comprehensive HIV prevention in church and community. Read the newsletter for yourself at www.ucc.org/ucan/pdf/UCAN-News-WAD-2009-web.pdf.

Don't forget to consider using the UCC's Affirming Persons-Saving Lives curriculum in your congregation. Learn more at www.ucc.org/health/hivaids/apsl/. With passage of General Synod’s HIV-prevention resolution, UCAN needs your help and your partnership more than ever. To learn more, please visit www.ucaninc.org.

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NEW CURRICULUM: Uncommon Hope

Uncommon Hope offers a dynamic small-group curriculum designed to support people in answering the call to end the silence and inaction magnifying the human suffering and death wrought by HIV and AIDS. Whether your community group or faith-based organization is just beginning to engage in HIV/AIDS service or has a long history in the work, Uncommon Hope provides tools and experiences to foster the development of spiritual responses that are authentic to your community, consistent with the core teachings of all major faith traditions, and respectful of the rich diversity reflected in the lives most impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Uncommon Hope is open to and inclusive of all people living with HIV and AIDS, whether they are infected in the body or affected as concerned and caring community members. The program is a progressive, multi-unit curriculum packaged in six chapters, each comprising a combination of educational tools, engaged learning, public action, and social support. Participants are afforded the opportunity to acquire new skills and insight at each stage of the process: Awareness, Truths, Radical Change, and Inspiration.

Please contact 1-866-HOPE MCC (4673-622), email franklincalvin (at) mccchurch (dot) net, or visit http://www.mccgham.org/ for more information.

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Volunteers Needed for UCC Regional Youth Events

2010 is the year of regional youth events in the United Church of Christ, and there are six of them! The Youth and Young Adult Program is starting to recruit volunteers to assist with staffing the events. Our wonderful group of 10 volunteers at last year's National Youth Event were incredibly helpful, and enabled us to increase our capacity greatly so that 484 participants took a workshop at that one gathering. We are hoping for volunteer support with these events as well. The youth events will range in size from around 100 to 450 participants.

Check out the listing in the events section below for dates and locations. If you are interested in staffing a youth event, please contact Timothy Brown at 720-941-1062 or yya (at) uccCoalition (dot) org.

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Holiday (and Year-Round) Buying Guide from HRC

Despite the economic downturn, more businesses than ever rated 100 percent on the HRC Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index—the basis for the 2010 Buying for Equality Guide—through banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, providing benefits for LGBT employees and their families, and supporting LGBT equality publicly. Find out more about the criteria at www.hrc.org/issues/workplace/cei_criteria.htm.

Consumers can support businesses that support us through everyday purchases but can also directly thank them for their support, and ask them to revise their policies or encourage them to participate in the Corporate Equality Index. More than 300,000 people have used Buying for Equality to make informed purchases. You can do your part to support fair-minded businesses. To learn more, visit www.hrc.org/buyersguide2010/.

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News, Events and Job Announcements

Please refer to our website for current listings of Newsbits, events and job announcements.

God's Extravagant Welcome
2592 West 14th Street, Cleveland, OH 44113 1-800-653-0799 tel; 216-861-0779 tel; 216-861-0782 fax