What can your church do to impact trafficking?
Bring your five loaves and two fish…and perhaps a pair of gloves.
When we started to become familiar with the trafficking situation in the central-European city where we live, we wanted to find ways that our church could come alongside organizations on the front lines of this battle.
In talking with one local organization, we learned that they had a need for gloves for their regular street outreaches. As the outreach teams talk with and offer resources to people in prostitution during the winter months, they also hand out gloves, a high demand item for enduring the long, cold nights.
Consequently, we decided to hold a “Glove Drive” over the course of four Sundays, starting with a Freedom Sunday trafficking awareness church service that we planned in partnership with this organization.
Each Sunday service we had a collection basket available with samples of the types of gloves needed, along with brochures about local anti-trafficking organizations and ways to make an impact in trafficking. In addition, we were available after each service to answer questions and converse around topics related to trafficking.
A small action step such as collecting gloves can feel insignificant in the face of the scope and scale of human trafficking. But God never asks us to solve the problem of trafficking on our own. Like the parable of the five loaves and two fish, he asks us to bring what we have. He is the multiplier and provider.
In the case of this Glove Drive, we saw God work to bring:
- Compassion for people who are prostituted—buying gloves to donate makes us think about the person who will be wearing the gloves.
- Increased awareness of trafficking and exploitation in our city.
- Conversations and connections with people in our church wanting to become more involved.
- Blessing and encouragement to the organization receiving the gloves.
- Multiplication of gloves. A second church group heard of our glove drive and donated 50 pairs to the glove drive.
- Open doors for exploring deepening levels of church engagement through partnership with local anti-trafficking organizations.
What a blessing to see God multiply and provide through small acts of faith!
Questions:
- What are the five loaves and two fish God may be asking you to bring to make an impact in trafficking?
- Who is doing anti-trafficking ministry in your community?
- Do you know if they have specific, ongoing, tangible needs that your church could help provide?
