A few years ago I began the application process to become a church planter with a national church planting organization. I quit the process when I found out that I had to be willing to raise a minimum of $100,000 per year for three years.

Is it just me, or does that seem like a lot of money to plant a church?

I know, I know, that amount includes your personal income, advertising and equipment costs, and a place to rent. But still…$100,000? This is made worse when you realize that 70% of all church plants fail.

So I decided then and there that I was not going to plant a church “that way.” I wasn’t sure what way I would plant a church, but I could not, in good conscience, attempt that route. Besides, of the 30% of church planters that succeed, the vast majority are Type-A  and extroverted. I am neither. Statistically, even if I had been able to raise $300,000, I probably would have been one of the 80% that fail.

During the last two years, I have been working toward planting a church using no money whatsoever. We have moved twice in that time, and have had to start over from square one each time.

But this week, I obtained $150 for my church planting efforts. I have a few ideas on how to spend this money, but first wanted to ask you what you think.

If you were planting a church, and only had $150 to do it, what you would buy? What would you do? How would you spend that money?

Here are the rules for this scenario:

1. You don’t have a sending church.
2. You don’t have a core group, unless you count your spouse and grade-school children.
3. You will not be getting more money.
4. You don’t know anyone within 20 miles, except a few of your neighbors, and all you really know of them is their name and their jobs.
5. You don’t have a building to meet in, other than the home you are renting, if you choose to meet there.

So, what do you think? How should I spend the $150?

Today is Global Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Below, I suggest one simple step for you to get involved in stopping human trafficking. Please read on to find out what it is.

Worldwide, there are an estimated 31 million people trafficked as sex slaves every single year. Of that number, at least 3 million are children. Many of these children will be raped 30, 40, even 50 times per day. And yes, this happens right here in the United States. It happens in big cities and small towns. It probably happens within a few blocks of where you live.

How can we sit back and not be concerned?

Oh, I know. I’ve heard the excuses. I used them myself. The most common excuse is this: “The problem is so big, and it’s been going on forever. We can’t do anything to stop it.”

So does this mean we just let it happen? No! We must do something, however small. But what?

As I wrote this post, I looked down at a cardboard Starbucks coffee cup on my desk. On the side, in bold, green letters, it said, “Every cup can make a difference.” Starbucks is challenging us to recycle. But really, does recycling one cardboard cup make any difference in all the trash and lack of recycling worldwide? Of course not.

But over a lifetime, one person recycling does make a difference. And if a thousand people do it, even better. If a million…well, you get the picture.

The same goes for stopping human sex slavery. Maybe it’s true that we will never eradicate human trafficking. But with a few steps, you can help rescue one or two girls, and I guarantee that your efforts will matter to her.

But few of us are ready to actually go rescue a girl, and even if we wanted to, we don’t know how. So if you want to do something, you can start with something real simple: raise your awareness of the issue. That’s how my wife and I started. And here is what you can do: buy and read one or two of the following books.

Priceless by Tom Davis
Scared by Tom Davis
Renting Lacy by Linda Smith
More than Rice by Pamala Kennedy Chestnut

I have already posted a review of Priceless, and will posting reviews of Renting Lacy, and More than Rice in the near future. Reading a book is not much–about on the scale of recycling one cardboard cup–but it’s a start.

To learn more about Human Trafficking and sex slavery, check out some of these posts:

Human Trafficking Posts

1. Sex Slaves
2. Would You Fight Slavery?
3. Rescue Russian Sex Slaves
4. Rescue Russian Girls from Sex Slavery
5. Stop Her Nightmare
6. Another Girl Rescued Today
7. Girls for Sale
8. Goal Reached!
9. I Want to be a Prostitute
10. $52,000 raised!
11. 31 Million Sex Slaves
12. Renting Lacy
13. More Than Rice
14. Human Trafficking Ring Busted
15. The Other Big Game
16. Sex Slavery, Planned Parenthood, and Your Tax Dollars
17. How to Minister to Prostitutes
18. Wisconsin Woman Held as Sex Slave in Brooklyn
19. Coked-Up Whore
20. Human Trafficking has Many Faces
21. Into an India Brothel
22. You Need a Girl?
23. Human Trafficking Media
24. The Son of God is Selling Children
25. My Girls Raised $300 to help stop Human Trafficking
26. Rape for Profit
27. Human Trafficking Statistics
28. Help Rescue Girls from Forced Prostitution

---