HOPE61

HOPE61

 What Is HOPE61?

HOPE61, a ministry of OMS, fights human trafficking through prevention. Inspired by Isaiah 61:1, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound,” HOPE61 exists to train and mobilize the worldwide church, in particular, the large network of OMS-related national churches, to address the issues of human trafficking and human vulnerabilities to becoming victims, traffickers, and buyers.

Four key trafficking areas:

• Sex trafficking
• Labor trafficking
• Child soldiering
• Organ trafficking

HOPE61’s method consists of two types of training: Engage and Multiply.

The one-day Engage training equips pastors and people in local churches to reach out to the vulnerable in their communities to prevent human trafficking in their communities.

This training focuses on five components:

• Education and awareness—HOPE61 explains in detail the four types of trafficking.
• Why the church should be involved—HOPE61 walks attendees through Scripture verses that address the church and God’s vision for community.
• Asset and ability mapping—HOPE61 helps attendees determine what gifts and skills their church possesses to reduce vulnerability.
• Assessment of vulnerability—HOPE61 examines with attendees what specific vulnerabilities those in their community may be facing.
• Creating an action plan—Attendees determine their next steps to actively address vulnerabilities in their communities using their skills and resources.

In the Multiply training, attendees dig deeper into the material presented in Engage and are equipped to teach the information to others. They can then conduct further HOPE61 trainings for pastors and people in local churches, multiplying HOPE61’s reach through national coworkers.

Since the focus is on training, the HOPE61 approach is highly reproducible and sustainable.

The Need:

Human trafficking has become the second-largest illegal business in the world—surpassed only by the illegal arms trade. Each year, millions of people live in slavery across the globe. While rescue and restoration from trafficking are important, OMS believes the best long-term solution, and the only one that influences those trafficked, as well as traffickers and buyers, is having churches worldwide address vulnerabilities within their communities.