amazing grace ministries

Amazing Grace Ministry at Heritage is a Christian faith-based community that opposes all forms of slavery and unites with other organizations as one voice against the evil of human trafficking. We seek to restore survivors to lives of dignity and to bring justice to human trafficking victims.

… He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free … - Luke 4:18

 

Vision. Mission. Method.

The VISION of the Amazing Grace Ministries at Heritage Community Church (HCC) in Severn, MD is to stand in the GAP to end slavery, bring freedom and restore dignity to human trafficking survivors and those vulnerable to exploitation.

Our MISSION: Show God’s GRACE to those impacted by human trafficking; Raise AWARENESS of modern-day slavery in our communities and ways to respond; and Engage in PRAYER to seek wisdom, courage and strength to carry out this mission.

Our METHODS:

GRACE: We share the saving Grace of God’s love for all people as revealed through Jesus Christ to set the captives free and deliver them from bondage; and we show God’s saving Grace through acts of service to restore dignity to the broken.

Support to Outreach and Restoration programs includes:

  • Volunteering

  • Bible studies

  • Support to street outreach

  • Material donations such as Gifts of Grace Bags and meal preparations.

AWARENESS: We raise Awareness by informing people about the truth of modern-day slavery in our area and ways to respond to this evil. Our current

Awareness initiatives include, but are not limited to:

  • Community awareness program during National Human Trafficking Month. (January)

  • Dash 4 Dignity 5k Run, 1K Freedom Walk and Awareness Expo. (April) - Hispanic Health Fair outreach. (September) -Facebook pages: Amazing Grace #toendslavery and Dash4Dignity #Heritaged4d.

  • Brochure: Ways to End Human Trafficking in Maryland.

  • Advocate for more effective legislation to end slavery, bring justice and support restoration of survivors by following legislative bills, providing information to citizens and sharing views with legislators.

  • Continuing to educate ourselves about programs and service organizations in our area.

  • Establishing a protocol for AGM/Community response to victims/survivors of human trafficking.

PRAYER: We engage in Prayer to humble ourselves before God, repent of our sin, and seek to understand God’s heart and direction for how this ministry will minister healing and restoration of those in bondage.

  • Dash4Dignity Prayer bracelet and stories.

  • Brochure: 16 Week of Prayer to End Human Trafficking.

Our Operational Structure and Function: The Amazing Grace Ministries is part of the HCC Social Kindness ministry. The AGM consists of a small team of volunteers with a passion for helping those in bondage. We meet regularly to work a GAP-focused agenda. Our current emphasis is on educating the community to recognize the signs of human trafficking and respond in appropriate ways which enable those in human trafficking or at risk to get help. The team also seeks to partner with community organizations offering outreach and restoration services to understand their resource needs and identify ways to assist. As our ministry and membership continue to mature, we look for ways to become more engaged in the crusade to end slavery, bring freedom and restore dignity to those in bondage.

stay alert!

Watch for warning signs. Does this individual or employee appear withdrawn, afraid to talk, or under guard? Are there signs of trauma or injury? We encourage everyone to pray about the way God would have you get involved. In the meantime, here are some useful resources:

To report suspected trafficking activities:

  • National Human Trafficking Hotline – call 1-888-3737-888 or Text BeFree (233733)

To learn more about prevention, actions, and resources:

To support after-care for victims:

GET INVOLVED!

As part of the Kindness Ministry at Heritage Community Church, anyone can get involved. Heritage is stepping forward to shine the light of God’s love into this very dark part of our world – human trafficking – and we want to equip members of our church and community to make that difference in this battle against modern-day slavery. The Amazing Grace Ministry mission is to raise awareness about human trafficking, enable people to develop skills and resources to engage effectively in this fight, and to act in such areas as legislative advocacy, prevention, intervention and after-care. We meet monthly (usually the fourth Sunday of every month) to share information, review actions, and discuss needs.

And, let us not forget that we have at our disposal the most powerful weapon of warfare – prayer. Please pray to end slavery, grace for those fighting to stop human trafficking as well as justice and restoration of its victims.

Questions? Contact Althea Whieldon OR CALL 410-551-8500 TO LEAVE A MESSAGE.