What Is It? What Are Others Doing? What Can I Do? How Do I Give? About AB Women's Ministries

 


Lois Spears of First Baptist Church in Warren, Indiana shares how her church women’s group got involved:  In October our American Baptist Women’s circle held a pie auction after church so our congregation could be involved in the Break the Chains project.  Women in the church donated home baked pies.  Fifty pies netted $2,358 to contribute to our state’s project goal for Break the Chaiins.  The pie bringing top dollar ($200) was a butterscotch pie made by one of our 84-year-old members. Our success was helped by one of our younger women who is a professional auctioneer. Robin Nolan, our state project chairperson, was present and spoke during the morning worship service about “Break the Chains.”

 

Paulette Nuhfer from Powell, Ohio offers a fundraising idea:  The women at Sawmill Baptist Church recently had their Secret Sister Reveal Luncheon. The women had a chance to guess who their Secret Sister had been for the past year. Every wrong guess, though, cost them a $1 for Break the Chains. The dollars helped fill a large water jug we are using to collect contributions to Break the Chains. Thirteen women dropped $35 more dollars into our jug that day! Our jug is getting heavier each week. Praise God!

Eldora Sloan, president of Pacific Northwest AB Women's Ministries shares these ideas to raise funding for Break the Chains: 

  • Advise your family that in lieu of gifts for Easter or Mother's Day or birthdays, that you would appreciate a contribution to Break the Chains.  (I have suggested that to my family, and so far they have contributed very generously.) 

  • Invite a group of friends from church to come to your place for dinner, with the understanding that they would make a contribution to Break the Chains to express their appreciation.  (I have agreed to invite 8 people to my home for dinner in May. . . .  I hope the food will be good enough that they will feel generous!)   

 

Break the Chains Podcast
An Interview with Barbara Anderson, an American Baptist lay-woman in Massachusetts who has dedicated her ministry to this topic. Barbara works with several other women on a team that travels throughout Massachusetts providing presentations and seminars on Break the Chains, inspiring many others to become involved as well. Barbara shares with us her experience, her inspirations, and her prayers for the future.
Click here to listen to the Break the Chains podcast.


Faces of Human Trafficking
An AB GIRLS Program written by Bonnie Sestito, National Coordinator of AB GIRLS. 
Click here to download PDF.

 

Do You Hear the Spirit Calling? Barbara Anderson shares her closing worship that she gave at the Massachusetts American Baptist Women's Conference. Feel free to adapt this closing worship for use in your own setting.
Click here to download the closing worship entitled "Do you Hear the Spirit Calling?"

 

What Can I Do?
Keep your eyes open. Victims of trafficking are often encountered by the public in the course of daily business. Signs of a victim of trafficking include someone who does not speak English, lacks a passport, is fearful or depressed, and shows evidence of abuse such as bruises. If you suspect a case of trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, tollfree, at 888-373-7888 (it's easy to remember when you visualize it as 888-3737-888). Once a victim is identified, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services helps provide food, access to shelter, legal assistance, job training, and health care. 



A Calendar of Caring
Use this month-to-month guide to learn about human trafficking, with suggestions for engaging your faith with the issue through actions, scriptures, and prayer. 
Click here to download calendar.

 

Break the Chains Bible Study Series
Use this Bible study individually or as a group to begin to explore the issue of human trafficking using God's Word.
Click here to download Session 1.
Click here to download Session 2.
Click here to download Session 3.
Click here to download Year 2, Session 1.
Click here to download Year 2, Session 2.

 
Break the Chains Prayer Guide
Estudio biblico, Rompiendo Las Cadenas
Break the Chains Prayer Guide (English)


Learn how the sex trafficking issue affects women and children.
Some recommended books:

Click here for more recommended books.


Some recommended websites:

  • www.ncccusa.org/news/080110humantrafficking.html
    —The     Justice for Women Working Group (of National Council of Churches USA) offers information and website links to other denominations’ resources and work to end human trafficking.
  • www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking—U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Basic information and excellent “tool kits” are available for free.
  • www.catwinternational.org—Coalition against Trafficking in Women. This is a global non-governmental website (multi-lingual) that offers many articles and facts.
  • http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/trafficking—The Salvation Army website has excellent information about the issue of Sex Trafficking in the U.S.A.
  • www.captivedaughters.org—Captive Daughters is committed to ending the exploitative practice of sex trafficking, with a particular focus on girls and women.
  • www.antislavery.org—Anti-Slavery International, founded in 1839, is the world’s oldest international human rights organization and the only charity in the United Kingdom to work exclusively against slavery and related abuses. A wealth of resources and information. 
  • www.HumanTrafficking.com — Claims to be "your one-stop gateway to research and training to combat modern-day slavery, whether you are a professional, a researcher, or a concerned community member."

Click here for more recommended websites.


Some recommended films:  

  • Sex Slaves - a PBS documentary FRONTLINE presents a unique hidden-camera look at this world of sexual slavery, talking with traffickers and their victims, and exposing thegovernment indifference that allows the abuses to continue virtually unchecked.
  • Human Trafficking - A two part mini-series starring Mira Sorvino and Donald Sutherland.  A gripping presentation that does much to educate the public on the realities of human/sex trafficking.
  • Born Into Brothels - a documentary about children raised in Calcutta's red light district.
  • Fields of Mudan - Mudan, a young Asian girl, is forced into modern-day slavery by brothel owner Madame Zhao. She finds solace in her dreams and in the friendship with another girl in the brothel, Faye. Yet they cannot escape their future. This moving 23-minute film was created by a student at Florida State University as his graduate thesis project and has gone on to win several prestigious film awards, as well as becoming an important resource in addressing the issue of human trafficking world-wide.
    The film is available for $12.95 through www.indieflix.com. A portion of the cost is donated back to efforts against human trafficking.

Click here for more recommended films.

 

The Asha Forum
Part of the Viva Network which addresses issues of children-at-risk around the globe, The Asha Forum focuses specifically on the problem of sexual trafficking.<p>
The Asha Forum offers the Awareness Pack, a video and guides intended for use by small groups to educate them about the scope of the problem, Biblical studies, and suggestions for ways to respond.
The Awareness Pack is available for a suggested donation of at least $18. You may either download the materials and view the video directly on your computer, or you may use the link on their site to request an Awareness Pack. There is an additional cost of $10 for a DVD of the video. You may view it on your computer for free. If you have difficulty with viewing the video at the above link, a second link to view the same video on your computer is available at www.asha.viva.org/videos.htm.
Click here to link to the Asha Forum

 

Our concern on this topic is part of a history in ABCUSA of attention to the global problem of trafficking. Read the resolutions from ABCUSA.
Children Prostitution in Asian Tourism
AB Resolution Against Sexual Expoitation of Children
IM Resolution Against Slavery 

 


To view the 2008 Trafficking in Persons Report (released in June) by the U.S. Department of State, visit http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2008/. It is available as a PDF download, either as a single document (43MB), or divided into sections to make it easier to download. The entire report is 295 pages so you may not want to print it. If you would prefer not to download the document you may also view it directly on your computer. When you use the link above, you will see a table of contents with links provided to each section, and each section is quite brief and should load fairly quickly. You can jump right to the sections that most interest you.
 

"Trafficking in Persons", Policy Podcast (US Dept of State), April 30, 2008. A short video interview with Ambassador Mark P. Lagon, the U.S. Department of State director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, is available to view on the web at http://video.state.gov/. (Click on "Policy Podcast" under Channels, then find "Trafficking in Persons" in the listing that appears to the left.)

 

What can I do?

  • January 11 is Human Trafficking Awareness Day. The date falls on Sunday in 2009. Work with your pastor to incorporate in your worship service information about Human Trafficking and prayers for both the exploited and the exploiters.
  • Current U.S. laws protect foreign victims of trafficking, but American born victims of commercial sex exploitation are usually criminalized. Ask your Congress representatives to secure equal treatment for foreign and domestic victims.
  • Pray for the Break the Chains project every Monday at 11 am
  • The project needs to be bathed in prayer ALWAYS
  • Raise awareness – read, gather and disseminate
  • Download available resources from www.abwmbreakthechains.org 
  • Come up with original ideas and share them with American Baptist Women's Ministries
     PO Box 851
     Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
     info@abwministries.org
     www.abwministries.org 
  • Gather free materials from the U.S. government and send packets to every church http://www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking/ and http://www.state.gov/g/tip/
  • Give this information to local police, shelters, churches, etc. that do not have it Toolkits are available designed especially for them from these Government websites for FREE
  • Visit in your area (i.e. police, shelters, YMCA/YWCA, aid to women victims of violence) and get information/statistics for your area (SHARE)
  • Write to or call your local congressional representative – do we have an anti-trafficking bill/law in our state/commonwealth? If not how do we start?
  • Encourage others to write letters to Congress and write to Federal lawmakers on a regular basis – make sure to keep it an "up front issue"
  • Challenge your church/work/town or city groups for matching funds when fundraising
  • Start a letter writing campaign to convince feminine hygiene product manufacturers to print a Human Trafficking Help Line toll free number on their product packaging
  • Post Human Trafficking Help Line toll free number on public bulletin boards
  • Visit your local Library – do they have books/CDs/DVDs on the subject of Human Trafficking? Give them a list of recommended books/films and websites
  • Find out if your church/town/school will have an awareness day on the dangers in the US re: young women and girls – How to be Aware and Careful – How to Report
  • Attend or lead a Bible study on the issue.
  • Attend or lead a workshop for women interested in starting a ministry that would help break the chains of sex trafficking, or workshops for business women who might use their businesses for ministry
  • Use language that is appropriate in all your postings
  • Report inappropriate websites (human trafficking & child sex trade is illegal, sex trade/trafficking is a federal crime
  • Purchase Free Trade and/or mission related articles i.e.: Freeset bags, Priscilla Center Items from India, New Life Center items, Night Light jewelry, etc.
  • Hold a home party or special Fair to sell items and give money to "Break the Chains" project. You are now giving twice!
  • Make a visual gauge (showing trafficking world wide and US) also a "Break the Chains" project gauge for your church/association/state meetings (not just women’s but all meetings) and have printed materials available. Be ready to accept money!
  • Place Brochure page(s) in newsletter/bulletin
  • What are women in the US doing? Please share your stories
  • Share ministry stories from "herstories" (coming out of the life of prostitution & trafficking) or a church starting a ministry
  • Share ministry stories with others about our missionaries who are involved in this work (see their journals and sign on to receive them)
  • Learn how to recognize victims of trafficking and learn how to report it and help the victim
  • Have a library of DVDs/CDs of our missionaries or other movies/film shorts/sources that are available to outsource to women in your area
  • Be ready to answer questions when asked i.e.: How are contributions going to be distributed? What ministries are established in the U.S.? How can someone become involved in ministry and what kinds of grants are available for start-up ministries? see www.abwmbreakthechains.org
  • If there is a mission project/fundraiser - report on the available form for regions/states to complete and send to American Baptist Women's Ministries
    PO Box 851
    Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
    info@abwministries.org
  • Wear your purple ribbon pin and tell people why you wear it. Have ribbons to sell and/or cards to hand out with the website on it www.abwmbreakthechains.org.

 

 

 

Set up a news alert through Google. 
Google alerts are automatic updates that are sent to your email. Google allows you to select a topic and receive emails about that topic daily, as-it-happens, or once a week. This is an excellent way to stay on top of current events in an area of interest, such as trafficking.

Click here to create a Google alert.