The video updates will be brief – no more than one to two minutes in length – and will be available for viewing online or downloading. Visitors will find a new video updates link under the Resources menu on the home page of the Covenant website.
Ruth Hill on Break the Chains
Covenant Reporter Online
The first video update – posted today – focuses on new resources added to the website in support of the human trafficking awareness initiative by the Department of Women Ministries. Executive Minister Ruth Hill outlines preparations for the observance of Human Trafficking Awareness Day on January 11, 2009, and ways in which local Covenant churches can participate in that event. Play the video above or Click here to view the streaming video update.
“Many pastors and local church leaders have expressed interest in new video-based informational and educational tools for use in local church ministry,” notes Don Meyer, executive minister of the Department of Communication. He says the new updates are the first of several video-based tools the department will be introducing over time, produced by the department’s Media Center in collaboration with other departments and ministry areas.
The January awareness day observance is the second in the U.S. – the first was observed in January 2008.
“We envision January 11 as the launch date for offering numerous opportunities to educate Covenanters on human trafficking,” Hill says. “One church in the Central Conference is creating a six-week emphasis. Ending modern-day slavery and sex-slavery in particular, all begins with awareness. Awareness creates the social demand necessary to bring about change.”
Resources that have been added to the human trafficking area of the Covenant website were developed by a consortium of Covenant departments, affiliated Covenant institutions and representatives of local churches. Resources include worship service materials, spiritual formation materials for all age groups, letter writing campaign ideas, school campaign suggestions, North Park Theological Seminary materials, local community resources, ways to incorporate sporting events – the list goes on.
Click here to visit the human trafficking material.
Women Ministries also predicts that giving in support of the Break the Chains human trafficking initiative will break previous giving records for other projects since the inception of Women Ministries, with three months remaining in the current fiscal year. A total of $180,000 has been contributed – 26 percent coming from individuals and the remainder from 164 churches.
“I hardly dare imagine what it could be when others join this effort,” Hill observes. “God is doing a wonderful thing in our midst.”
