News and Events

AIDS Walk
Our AIDS Walk participants raised a total of $1,695.00 for the AIDS Walk this year.

History of the AIDS Ministry

The AIDS Ministry at Second Church was created in late 1989. It grew out of an "AIDS in the Church" weekend seminar sponsored by the Hage Committee. Two speakers from Houston, Ron Sunderland and Earl Shelp, who helped organize interfaith AIDS care teams there, described the need for churches to respond to this public health crisis. As a result, people who wanted to decide how Second could be part of the solution gathered together to become the AIDS ministry. Over the years the Ministry has included members of other churches, too, especially Country Club Congregational United Church of Christ. The Ministry spent much of its first year or two educating itself by reading books, hearing outside speakers and visiting AIDS service organizations. Ministry members decided they would work with secular agencies but under the banner of Second Church so that the community would know that at least some parts of the church were responding to the AIDS crisis with something beyond words of condemnation for homosexuals, who made up the bulk of the first people to be afflicted with this disease. Eventually, Ministry members helped in the creation of the TLC AIDS unit at South Park Care Center, a nursing home on 68th between Holmes and Troost. That unit cared for many persons with AIDS but eventually was dissolved. When that happened, Ministry members were part of the group that eventually founded Hope Care Center, which received crucial seed money from Second Church. Hope Care opened in 1996 as a 24-hour skilled nursing facility for persons with HIV/AIDS. Over the years, Ministry members have been active volunteers with such groups as the Good Samaritan Project, especially its Interfaith Care Teams program; Safe Home; Hope Care Center, and other groups. In addition, Ministry members helped to educate not only the Second Church congregation but also many other congregations, some of whom later started their own AIDS ministries. The Ministry has never been large - no more than 20 members at any one time. But it has been a consistent and persistent advocate for a compassionate response to this crisis.

The AIDS Ministry today has several dimensions

o         Serving as a care team for an individual in the community who is afflicted with HIV/AIDS. Care team members provide assistance as needed to the individual such as providing transportation, running errands, and providing companionship. Individual's are under the guidance of the Good Samaritan Project Interfaith Team.

o         Promoting education and understanding of HIV/AIDS in our congregation and the community

o         Sponsoring food and personal hygiene collections to benefit local pantries

o         Participating in the citywide annual AIDS Walk each April

Second's Congregational Support
The congregation at Second provides support in addition to the work of the AIDS Ministry group. For example, the women of the church made and contributed quilts to the Hope Care Center and other individuals have donated art work. Members participate in food and toiletries collections throughout the year. Through the Board of Deacon's Metropolitan Mission, Good Samaritan Project, and Hope Care Center.