Often the problems of the world can seem so big we don't know what to do. Human trafficking is one of these problems.

This year alone, 800,000 people will become victims of human trafficking, joining the 27 million people already living in this modern-day slavery. How can we engage effectively with this overwhelming problem and make a difference?

In Calgary this year, over 1,000 people took action and got involved with solving this problem of human trafficking through Compassion in Action: Stop the Traffic.

Stop the Traffic is an initiative of is an initiative of  RockPointe Church to help victims of human trafficking in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Costa Rica and in Calgary. The leadership team asked adults, youth and children to increase awareness of the problem of human trafficking within their circle of influence and to raise funds to advance projects in the five countries.

To accomplish the two central goals of increasing awareness and raising funds, a live parable of the talents (see Matthew 25:14-30) was held. People both within the church and from the Calgary area formed 75 small  groups. An amount of $50,000 was divided among these groups. Groups randomly received $500, $750 and $1,000.
  
Equipped with these funds, groups set out to hold events to inform others about human trafficking and raise money to help our partners. Groups sold T-shirts, ran garage sales, aerated lawns, held dinner parties, put on benefit concerts, wrote letters to family and friends, held a car show and even shaved their heads!

While meeting together to plan their event, most groups also took time to study what Jesus has to say about poverty and helping the marginalized in the world.

Youth and grade school children even got involved in the initiative. One grade school child asked for money as a birthday gift and gave it all to Stop the Traffic. Another child set up a lemonade booth during the community's parade of garage sales and raised over $150. A teenager, who does not know Jesus, sold pizzas and raised $367.

A group of children painted pictures and their parents held an Art Show where the pictures were sold, raising over $10,000. When asked why they were doing this, kids responded that they wanted to help keep children in Cambodia in school so they wouldn't become slaves.

Eight weeks after the funds were given out, groups were asked to come back together for 'Celebration Sunday' to share what God did in and through their groups as well as hand in the money they had raised.

Some groups met with great success while others struggled. In the end, groups multiplied their 'seed money' two, five and ten times! By the close of June, over $180,000 had been raised. With 28 groups still to  complete their fundraising events, it is likely that this amount will double.

This time, proceeds from Compassion in Action: Stop the Traffic will help:

This has been an amazing time expanding our witness and the influence of the gospel. Group members had the opportunity to not only talk with their friends and neighbours about the issue of human trafficking, but also talk about what Jesus said about helping the oppressed.

While the small group portion of Compassion in Action: Stop the Traffic is drawing to a close, the initiative will continue for the next three years. As funds are dispersed, short-term ministry teams will travel to each of our partners to help with their work. In addition, group members will continue to have opportunities for faith conversations with their friends and neighbours as they tell of what is being done with their donations.