Issue No. 512 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting asks you pray about who should read this handbook, Ending Human Trafficking. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies), click here for over 500 book reviews, and click here for my new blog, Pails in Comparison (PIC), with shorter book reviews of my latest “PICs.”
I first read this poignant quote in Steve Macchia’s book, Crafting a Rule of Life.
“Without a plan, it is hard to put empathy and compassion into meaningful action.”
Do you resonate with Frederick Buechner’s inspiring insight? “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
I remember the first time I read Buechner’s quote in Steve Macchia’s book, Crafting a Rule of Life. Then that same year, I noticed it again in Parker Palmer’s short book, Let Your Life Speak. Buechner’s insight is convicting—yet liberating. He reminds us that we don’t have to be passionate about every need on the globe (Ukraine, poverty, homelessness, crime…the list is endless). Compassion fatigue and burnout will break us—if we foolishly try to care for every social need around us.
Within that context, I so appreciate the tone and helpful wisdom in the new book (just published today): Ending Human Trafficking: A Handbook of Strategies for the Church Today, by Shayne Moore, Sandra Morgan, and Kimberly McOwen Yim.
But before you say, “Not for me, please!”—please read further.
The authors have crafted a handbook so those in your church who are open to caring about ending human trafficking—have a clear roadmap for next steps. The book is a warm mix of compassion, education, inspiration, and toolbox.
Right now—stop and pray. Pray that our God of Compassion, Justice, and Love will bring to mind one, two, or three people in your church who should read this book. (And maybe you should read it also.)
Ambassador John Cotton Richmond, who served as the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons for the U.S. Department of State, writes in the foreword:
“Have you ever felt overwhelmed by an important task, perplexed about how to take action, or doubtful that your best efforts could make a difference?” He admits, “I have. It is a mixture of preemptive fatigue, profound confusion, and learned hopelessness.” He notes that people of faith understand “the unmistakable directive to care for the oppressed and to seek justice. But without a plan, it is hard to put empathy and compassion into meaningful action.”
THE PLAN! Shayne Moore, Sandra Morgan, and Kimberly McOwen Yim (all with impressive credentials) have thoughtfully packaged the problem, the context, and the solutions into a very readable book—using six P’s (five of which are universally used in fighting human trafficking; and three highlighted by the U.S. State Department):
• Partnership: Connect, Engage, Collaborate
• Prevention: Inform, Identify, Intervene
• Protection: Recover, Restore, Reintegrate
• Prosecution: Investigate, Litigate, Obligate
• Policy: Legislate, Governance, Capacity Build
• Prayer: Stand Firm (Ephesians 6:12)
All of the above is introduced on page five (most authors don’t get warmed up until page 25!). Each “P” has a goal in the “Enhanced collaborative model for human trafficking task forces.” (Figure 1.) The overall goal: “Prioritize people over process.” (Amen!)
After reading Ambassador Richmond’s succinct foreword and the “Build a Safety Fence” introduction (see the frequent safety fence "signposts" noted), I skipped to Chapter 7, “Policy,” to learn how churches and nonprofits can make their unique contributions. The authors clearly understand church leaders and offer this:
“Our hope for this book is not to overwhelm. Not every church has to have a separate ministry addressing human trafficking, but in providing information and language around the problem, we hope to help leaders see strategic ways their church may already be addressing this problem.”
Why a chapter on policies? “Policies that create opportunities for review will build dynamic change that may eliminate time-consuming or expensive programs in order to pour into another ministry that is more effective.”
The chapter on partnership is a short course—applicable to numerous causes—on how to create lasting change through collaboration. The authors reference a survey tool that will measure a task force’s partnership effectiveness in three arenas: value, trust, and density. (“Density is measured by how many lines there are between partners and how strong those connections are. If the density score is low, the trust and values lines may be strong but few.”)
Note: To go deeper on partnerships, I encourage leaders to read Phill Butler’s excellent work, Well Connected: Releasing Power, Restoring Hope Through Kingdom Partnerships (read my review). His “15 Critical Principles” of partnership are excellent, including #8: “Effective partnerships are even more challenging to maintain than to start.”
THE WACKO CHURCH PEOPLE!
I should mention that the book opens with an awkward moment when a Department of Justice official was moderating a conference for human trafficking task force leaders. The table topic: “Discuss one of your biggest task force challenges.” Dr. Sandie Morgan (co-author, ordained minister, and administrator of the Orange County, Calif., Human Trafficking Task Force) listened to a Texas police sergeant respond: “Easy! The wacko church people.”
When a conferee told the police officer that Dr. Morgan was “one of them,” Sandie quipped, “Yes, I can marry you and bury you.” What happened? “Everyone laughed and the awkward moment passed, but the point was made: in the public square, when it comes to issues of human trafficking, churches and people of faith are often viewed as a problem.” (The authors give examples. Oh, my.)
The “prayer” chapter is superb—and the confession page is convicting. There are also stunning resources in Appendix A, B, and C, including the “Faith and Freedom Policy Brief” and a helpful glossary. The authors also include the important role of “local faith actors.”
Who in your church will read this book, hear from God—and begin (or improve on) establishing partnerships to battle the horrific evil of human trafficking?
To order from Amazon, click on the title for Ending Human Trafficking: A Handbook of Strategies for the Church Today, by Shayne Moore, Sandra Morgan, and Kimberly McOwen Yim. Foreword by Ambassador John Cotton Richmond. (And thanks to IVP Academic for sending a review copy.)
YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) The authors of Ending Human Trafficking very effectively use the “safety fence” model and metaphor to paint a picture of the 6 P’s plan. What model or metaphor does our organization use to succinctly describe our mission and program outcomes?
2) Are egos and logos obstructing the Biblical mandate for unity in John 17? Could we more effectively partner together for Kingdom causes? Is it time to revisit our organization’s partnerships—and/or to launch more partnerships? Who will read Ending Human Trafficking? (Extra credit! Read Rooting for Rivals: How Collaboration and Generosity Increase the Impact of Leaders, Charities, and Churches, by Peter Greer and Chris Horst, with Jill Heisey.)
You likely need celebration and LOL-experiences even more to combat compassion fatigue and workplace stress—so plan some hoopla!
Buckets Countdown:
The Hoopla! Bucket (#10) Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook: Management Tools, Templates and Tips from John Pearson, with commentary by Jason Pearson (2nd Edition, 2018) - Order from Amazon.
The Hoopla! Bucket Core Competency: “We harness the power of hoopla! for celebration, recreation, intentional food and fellowship gatherings, and just plain fun. We thrive on knock-your-socks-off spontaneity. We believe hoopla! honors God. We budget funds for hoopla! to mitigate workplace stress and most importantly, to show our team members how much they are loved and appreciated!”
Really? Can you take on the evils of the world, like human trafficking, and still create a culture and environment where hoopla! is practiced? YES! You likely need celebration and LOL-experiences even more to combat compassion fatigue and workplace stress.
Last week, The Wall Street Journal highlighted innovative ways that companies and organizations are enriching workplace experiences with creative recognition practices. Click here to read, “Have You Praised a Colleague Today? Go On, Say Something Nice. Companies roll out new ways for workers to compliment one another; ‘Your empathy is like Kool-Aid, the way it adds flavor to a boring call.’”
The 20 management buckets are perfect content for the lifelong learning segment in your weekly staff meetings (you do have weekly staff meetings, right?). Visit the 20 buckets webpage here. For more, visit the Hoopla! Bucket webpage here.
Check out John’s new blog, Pails in Comparison (PIC), with book reviews on self-coaching, customers, team-building, the “second half” of life, and yes…a book about books!
JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. Is it time to revisit your strategic partnerships? We’ve also helped clients launch creative and meaningful campaigns to address human trafficking. Contact Pearpod Media (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).
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