Churches
When Jesus walked the earth, he healed people who were marginalized by disease.
Your church can continue the work of Jesus today by partnering with Hope Rises International (formerly American Leprosy Missions).
Ways to Get Involved
Give
Pray
Would you like us to pray for you too?
Please consider joining us in prayer for this work. These prayer prompts can be a helpful starting point.
Praise God for His provisions for Hope Rises International
Through our faithful donors, Hope Rises International (formerly American Leprosy Missions) has been able to serve as a channel of Christ’s love to people suffering from leprosy and other neglected tropical diseases for more than 100 years.
Praise God for the safety and well-being of our partners around the world
Pray for God to end the terrible disease of leprosy
and for healing for the 2-3 million people currently living with lifelong consequences of leprosy, including disabilities and isolation.
Pray for guidance for the staff
as we pursue the goals in the strategic plan and for clarity of vision in what God would have us do in the coming years.
Pray for people to not only receive physical healing but also for restoration to the community
– for a breakdown of stigma that keeps people from seeking and receiving treatment, and restoration to lives of dignity and hope.
Pray for the development of a leprosy vaccine
Hope Rises International has worked for many years on the development of LepVax and we are in the middle of the process. God keeps providing and is paving the way for this very important project.
Partner with Hope Rises International
Your church can play a significant role in sharing Christ’s love with some of the most marginalized people worldwide. By choosing to financially support Hope Rises International your church is choosing to invest in training local pastors and faith leaders to care for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals and communities suffering from neglected tropical diseases like leprosy.
You can choose to partner in this mission by:
- Making a one-time gift online now
- Supporting a specific project
- Incorporating our ministry into your church missions program.
Through your partnership, you and your church can demonstrate Christ’s love by ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of some of the most marginalized people in the world: those affected by leprosy and related diseases.
Contact churches@hoperises.org or 1.800.543.3135 for more information.
Raise Awareness
One of our most popular projects is “Pete the Pig,” inspired by a boy named Wilbur who, in 1913, bought a little piglet and named him Pete. When Pete was big and fat, Wilbur took him to the market and sold him for $25.
Wilbur then donated the $25 to American Leprosy Missions (now Hope Rises International) to help cure and care for people affected by leprosy. Today children can collect their coins in piggy banks and use that money to help people suffering from leprosy and related diseases.
Download the “Pete the Pig” materials: the story of Wilbur and Pete, information about leprosy and a fun piggy bank activity.
Participate in World Leprosy Day
January 26, 2026
For more than 60 years, on the last Sunday of January, thousands of people across the globe have stopped to remember those who suffer from leprosy. World Leprosy Day helps to focus on the needs of some of the poorest and most marginalized people in the world – those affected by leprosy.
Learn More
Hope Starts With Healing
Right now, men, women, and children are suffering—isolated by disease, alone in their pain, and without hope. But together, we can change that.
From delivering critical medicines and supplies to equipping pastors with training and resources to care for their communities, we are reaching even the most marginalized people with the healing and hope they most desperately need. With your support today, Hope Rises!
