Prayer, Worship, and Action: Ending Human Trafficking Together This January

It’s Time to #EndHumanTrafficking

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and congregations across the church are invited to join a focused season of prayer, worship, and advocacy to help end human trafficking. New and updated resources from Women of the ELCA are now available to support congregations in this vital work.

Since 2005, Women of the ELCA has been actively engaged in efforts to end human trafficking—through education and awareness, direct support of agencies serving survivors, and advocacy to change laws that criminalize victims rather than protect them. At the Eleventh Triennial Convention (2021), voting members adopted a resolution designating the four weeks prior to the annual NFL Super Bowl as a dedicated time of prayer to end human trafficking.

What Congregations Can Do Now

Congregations are encouraged to use the following resources throughout January—or during the four weeks leading up to the Super Bowl—to engage this issue faithfully and thoughtfully:

Daily Prayers (English and Spanish)

Seven daily prayers invite the church to lift before God:

  • Those experiencing trafficking and exploitation

  • Those healing from trauma

  • Those causing harm

  • The church’s call to act

  • Our response to indifference

Each prayer is paired with a scripture verse to ground this work theologically.

Trauma-Informed Worship Resources

A full set of worship materials is available, including:

  • A Confessional Prayer over Consumerism (using the Beatitudes)

  • A template for Prayers of the People

  • Suggested hymns and contemporary songs, such as Let Streams of Living Justice (ELW 710) and Break Every Chain

These resources are designed to help congregations address the realities of trafficking with care, honesty, and hope.

Toolkit for Church Leaders

In partnership with Freedom Collective, congregations can download a practical toolkit that includes short educational videos and discussion resources. These materials are well-suited for adult forums, Bible studies, and fellowship groups.

👉 Access all resources here:

https://www.womenoftheelca.org/ministry-action/justice/human-trafficking

(Resources are available in English and Spanish.)

Learn More and Get Help

Human trafficking is the exploitation of people through force, fraud, or coercion for labor or sexual purposes. It is a form of modern slavery that affects every region and community.

For more information, to report a tip, or to access confidential support, contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center:

As people rooted in God’s grace and justice, we are called not only to pray, but to act. This January, may our congregations bear faithful witness—through worship, education, advocacy, and compassionate response—as we work together to #EndHumanTrafficking.

Grand Canyon Synod, NewsBrian FlatgardHuman Trafficking, Women of the ELCA (WELCA)Comment