Soul Action: Live Free Guide

LIVE FREE

Soul Action Group Leader Guide

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Page 1 // WHAT IS SOUL ACTION?

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

WHAT IS SOUL ACTION? SOUL ACTION IS THE BIT OF SOUL SURVIVOR THAT EXISTS TO HELP US ALL DO SOMETHING ABOUT ISSUES OF INJUSTICE AND POVERTY. We work alongside Relief & Development agency Tearfund to make Soul Action happen and as well as encouraging and helping you to use your freedom that others might live free, we also produce all sorts of resources and run trips to projects serving different communities around the world.

SOUL ACTION: Tearfund and Soul Survivor working together

www.soulaction.org | info@soulaction.org Soul Action, Unit 2 Paramount Industrial Estate, Sandown Road, Watford, WD24 7XF. Soul Action operates under the charitable status of Soul Survivor. The Soul Survivor Charity No. is 1080720)

All images © Ginny Lattul/Tearfund (except iPhone, p13 © Not For Sale)

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

THIS GUIDE IS DESIGNED TO HELP YOU AND YOUR GROUP USE YOUR FREEDOM SO THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE FREE. INSIDE ARE LOADS OF IDEAS THAT YOU CAN USE TO HELP RAISE MONEY FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE SEEKING TO END SLAVERY AND POVERTY AROUND THE WORLD, SO GET INVOLVED!

CONTENTS \\Page 2

THE CONTENTS WHY LIVE FREE?

Page 3

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Page 4

IDEA 1: FREE 2PLAY

Page 5

IDEA 2: FREE

2SLUM IT

Page 7

IDEA 3: THE FREEDOM GAMES

Page 9 WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?

Page 11 PROJECTS WE SUPPORT?

Page 13 FREE2GIVE!

Page 14

All images used feature individuals who have been helped by CHO, a Soul Action sponsored project in Cambodia (see P13).

Page 3 // WHY LIVE FREE?

CHICA LIVES IN CAMBODIA. WHEN SHE WAS JUST 14 SHE BECAME A SLAVE. Her Dad sold her to a bar owner in Thailand so that he could afford to feed his other younger children and send them to school. The decision was tough.

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

CHICA WAS SOLD. BUT SHE’S NOT A PRODUCT. SHE’S A PERSON, CREATED BY GOD TO HAVE FREEDOM; FREEDOM THAT WAS STOLEN.

Chica managed to run away, but that’s not the end. With no money, job, skills or training she could – like many others - have ended up living on the streets.

Thanks to the work of CHO, a project supported by Soul Action, Chica now lives in a safehouse and is learning some basic sewing skills. CHO are helping her to learn a trade, giving her the freedom to define her own future.

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

WHY LIVE FREE? \\ Page 4

IT’S TIME TO LIVE FREE! Around the world, in forgotten places, freedom is being stolen. People like us are being sold. Sold to work long hours for money they never see. Sold to lose their innocence in brothels. Sold simply because they are poor and have no other option.

God hates poverty and injustice. He hates that those who are poor are more likely to face exploitation.

He loves freedom. He loves it when we do whatever we can to use the freedom he’s given us so that others might live free.

HE HATES THAT THOSE WHO ARE POOR ARE MORE LIKELY TO FACE EXPLOITATION.

WHY LIVE FREE? An estimated 27 million people around the world are slaves.

But that is only one aspect of a massive problem. One billion people live on less than a dollar a day. Poverty is reducing their options and freedom too.

Without money, the choice of a good education, decent healthcare and opportunities for work, are reduced. Poverty steals freedom and God Is calling us to use the freedom we have to abolish modern day slavery and work to do what we can to help those living in poverty.

WHAT WE WANT TO DO ABOUT IT? We want to serve these 27 million slaves and one billion people who live below the poverty line by helping them get their freedom back. God is calling us to help them Live Free!

Preventing slavery and trafficking will often go hand in hand with poverty alleviation, so we’re supporting projects that are looking to expand people’s freedom by helping them find a route out of poverty whilst also working alongside partners that are explicitly rescuing people from slavery too!

Throughout 2011 and 2012 we’re going to be giving you loads of ways in which you and your group (whether it be a church youth group, school or uni CU, house group or gaggle of mates) can use your freedom so that others might live free!

In this guide you’ll find three key fundraising ideas, and a few other options too. Some are suited to groups, some to an individual, but all are great ways we can use our freedom to raise money for some of the world’s poorest people.

Read on and see for yourself!

Page 5 // FREE TO PLAY

WE’RE FREE TO PLAY, BUT MILLIONS AREN’T. POVERTY AND SLAVERY ARE PREVENTING YOUNG PEOPLE FROM SIMPLY HAVING TIME TO HANG OUT AND DO THE STUFF WE CAN FREELY CHOOSE TO FILL OUR TIME WITH.

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

SO, WHY NOT...

DO THE THING YOU LOVE DOING AND USE YOUR FREEDOM SO THAT OTHERS CAN LIVE FREE?

Next time you score a goal for your footie team, land that ollie on your skateboad, run a mile, perform a song with your band, sit down for a movie marathon or get to the next level on your PS3, give a pound (or whatever amount you can afford) to projects serving people whose freedom has been stolen by poverty and exploitation.

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

Money raised will help bring FREEDOM THROUGH SPORTS

PROJECTS

FREE TO PLAY \\ Page 6

DON’T DO MORE STUFF! MAKE WHAT YOU ALREADY DO COUNT FOR SOMETHING!

BUT WHAT DO I SPEND MY FREE TIME DOING? Struggling to think what you spend your time doing? What is it that you love doing? What would you miss most if all your free time was taken away from you? Maybe the following ideas will help get you thinking!

SPORTS: Into footie, basketball, cricket or running? Whatever your game, FREE2PLAY is for you. Every mile you run, game you win, threepointer you nail or goal you score give some money to Soul Action.

MOVIE! Love a good film? Always got your nose in a new book? Why not give some money to Soul Action whenever you check out a new movie or turn the final page on that new novel?

CREATIVE: Play in a band? Love to draw?

Got a thing for photography?

Every time you perform a song, draw a decent picture or fill a memory card with photos give a bit of cash to Soul Action.

HOW TO RAISE MONEY! Got a talent, skill, activity or hobby in mind? Awesome! Just commit a certain amount of money each time you succeed at that thing and set the cash aside! Get your friends, family and anyone who will listen to match your pledge, so, if you’ve committed to give a £1 for every goal you score or film you watch, get others to equal your gift. Set yourself a timescale (anything from 1 week to 6 months) and before you know it, your Live Free money box will be bursting at the seams!

Plus you can also give small amounts by text! Just text ‘FREE27’ followed by the amount you’d like to give (either £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10) to the number 70070 and it’ll come straight to us!

UP FOR IT? Ace. Head to soulaction.org/free2play to register! We’ll give you a little profile on the site showing what you’re doing and how much money you’re hoping to raise. We’ll also send you a little ‘make it yourself’ Live Free money box to help you collect your pledges!

FIND OUT MORE AND SIGN UP AT:

WWW.SOULACTION.ORG/FREE2PLAY

Page 7 // FREE 2 SLUM IT

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

Money raised will be put to use HELPING TO END POVERTY AROUND

THE WORLD

SPEND A DAY OR WEEKEND THE WAY A BILLION SPEND THEIR LIVES. GET SPONSORED TO FACE CHALLENGES THAT SOME OF THE POOREST PEOPLE IN OUR WORLD EXPERIENCE ON A DAILY BASIS.

Build a shelter, try and earn a wage and see what can happen when poverty takes away your freedom. Get together with your mates, set a fundraising target and sign up to Slum It! Over the past few years Slum Survivor events have raised over £250,000 for Soul Action partners around the world and over 300 different groups have run events in churches, schools and universities.

“MORE THAN JUST RAISING FUNDS, IT WAS AN EYE OPENING EXPERIENCE AND A MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT CHRISTIANS ARE ALL ABOUT DOING COUNTER CULTURAL THINGS”* *St Thomas’, Philadelphia, Sheffield

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

FREE 2 SLUM IT \\ Page 8

ALREADY DONE A SLUM SURVIVOR? Know what to expect? Think again! Whilst some of the core activities (like building a shelter) are staying the same, the latest Slum Survivor materials are packed full of new ideas: ALL NEW CHALLENGES: Face a few hours getting a small glimpse of what life is like when your freedom is stolen!

VIDEO TIMES Watch films and stories of people who’ve been rescued from slavery and download free seminar sessions from David Westlake on God’s heart for justice and the story of Moses!

THINK, CHAT AND PAY Essential Biblical reflection, suggestions for prayer times and discussion starters to help you and your group process what you’re experiencing and why you’re doing it!

A DAY OR A WEEKEND We know that running a Slum Survivor event can be pretty intense, especially if you have a smaller group. But we still want you to get involved, and so we’ve produced both a full-on weekend plan and a more simple, stripped down series of challenges that can be undertaken over the course of a day or even afternoon.

THE POINT! The main point behind a Slum Survivor event is to raise money. Young people get sponsored to undertake some intense challenges and so why not encourage everyone involved to reach a specific sponsorship target? We’ll give you all the sponsorship forms you’d need, or you could register on justigiving.com and collect money online!

You can download all the new challenges, timetables, videos, reflections and ideas on the Soul Action website for free!

But it’s not just about the money, Slum Survivor events help us to get our heads and hearts round the reality of life faced by many across the world. There are currently an estimated 27 million slaves and 1 billion people living on less than a dollar a day, that’s over one sixth of the world’s population! These are people whose God given freedom is being stolen by poverty and injustice. We want our hearts, minds, actions and our wallets to connect with this reality!

Everything is there to help you put together your Slum Survivor event, plus you can register your event and even send in photos and vids once it’s all over!

FRESH DOWNLOADS AND STUFF AT:

WWW.SOULACTION.ORG/SLUMIT

Page 9 // FREEDOM GAMES

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

SAY NO TO TRAFFICKING ON OUR DOORSTEP

BY HOSTING YOUR VERY OWN FREEDOM GAMES!

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

Money raised will help PREVENT TRAFFICKING INTO

THE UK

FREEDOM GAMES \\ Page 10

DID YOU KNOW THAT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WILL BE BOUGHT AGAINST THEIR WILL TO THE NATION’S CAPITAL IN ADVANCE OF THE 2012 OLYMPICS TO WORK IN ILLEGAL BROTHELS? Help us say no to this shocking reality on our doorstep by hosting your own Freedom Games!

FAIR PLAY The Olympics is supposed to be a fair contest, but the reality* is that prostitution and forced labour are estimated to increase in London over the course of the 2012 games. That’s not fair.

YOUR GAMES! Host your own Freedom Games to raise money for projects that prevent trafficking on our doorstep and support young men and women as they get free from a life with limited freedom!

GET SPORTY AND EMBRACE THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT BY RUNNING ALL SORTS OF ENERGETIC ACTIVITIES! Find out loads more, download promotional stuff to help you get organised online! Start raising money through your own Freedom Games today!

A QUESTION OF SPORT! The sporting competition is totally up to you, but here’s a few ideas: 1) MINI OLYMPICS Run a full on Olympic Games with long jumps, high jumps, sprints, hurdles and all sorts of sporting tournaments with your energetic group!

2) IT’S A KNOCKOUT! Get retro and host a ‘It’s a Knockout’ tournament with egg and spoon races, stupid water games and football dribbling exercises!

3) HOLD A COMP! Forget representing loads of different sports and run a footie, basketball or other sporting tournament!

RAISE THE BAR! Raise the bar by challenging all teams and individuals to not just beat their personal bests, but to raise a load of money for Soul Action too!

1) Charge each team or individual an entrance fee to take part in your Freedom Games.

2) Get everyone who is taking part to get sponsored!

Money could be pledged for every sporting event a person undertakes or if you’re holding a tournament, for every round a team progresses!

3) Set a minimum sponsorship amount that each team must raise before their place in your Freedom Games is confirmed (£25 might be a good amount to get them started)!

Whatever you choose, make sure you have a few medals or prizes to present to the victorious winners!

GET EVERYTHING YOU NEED AT:

WWW.SOULACTION.ORG/FREEDOMGAMES * The prediction is based on the experience of other major sporting events, where forced labour, prostitution and trafficking have risen significantly.

Page 11 // FREE 2 SLUM IT

FIND OUT ABOUT ALL THIS STUFF AND LOADS MORE AT:

WWW.SOULACTION.ORG

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

LOOKING FOR OTHER WAYS THAT YOU AND YOUR GROUP CAN USE YOUR FREEDOM SO THAT OTHERS CAN LIVE FREE? EVEN IF YOU HAVE NO TIME, TRY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING!

A FREEDOM BAND These have been handmade in Cambodia by men and women who were – or are vulnerable to being – trafficked.

In buying a band you are supporting the work of Soul Action sponsored projects who are offering people a route out of exploitation and poverty. They are just £1, but they are a sign of hope and a a sign of change.

Wear it and pray for the person that made it.

BUY YOURS AT:

SHOP.SOULSURVIVOR.COM

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

FREE 2 GO? If you’re 18 or over then how about joining a Soul Action team, serving in some amazing places like Cambodia or South Africa?

Placements can last for two weeks to six months and will involve some eye-opening, life-changing experiences.

Teams will be heading out throughout 2012, and there are also opportunities to organize specific placements for your entire youth group!

SIGN UP AT:

WWW.SOULACTION.ORG/GO

FREE 2 SLUM IT \\ Page 12

FREE 2 WORK APP! Get the brand new Free2Work smartphone app to scan thousands of products in your local high street stores and see if they have any kind of link to trafficking and slavery.

The app has been produced by our mates at Not For Sale in the US and will even help you to campaign for your favourite shops to improve their ethical policies.

Now you can be trendy without forgetting your conscience!

MORE INFO AT:

WWW.SOULACTION.ORG/FREETOWORK

SLAVE AUCTION It’s so simple it’s obvious!

Takeover 20 minutes of a church service or run a specific slave auction evening by getting a bunch of young people to ‘sell’ their skills or acts of kindness to members of your church.

Options could include babysitting, computer lessons, gardening or even cooking a meal! Get more info on modern day slavery to educate and inform your ‘slaves’ and their potential ‘owners’ at:

WWW.SOULACTION.ORG!

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

Page 13 // PROJECTS WE SUPPORT

WE’RE LOOKING TO SUPPORT SOME FANTASTIC PROJECTS ACROSS THE WORLD THAT ARE COMMITTED TO BRINGING FREEDOM BY OFFERING PEOPLE A ROUTE OUT OF POVERTY!

IT GOES WHERE? Money you raise by joining in the call to Live Free will go towards some fantastic projects across the world.

Some have a specific focus on rescuing people from slavery and preventing people from being trafficked whereas other are based on poverty alleviation and increasing people’s freedom by increasing the number of options and choices open to them. A typical project that we are already (and will continue to) support is the Cambodia Hope Organisation!

NAME: Cambodia Hope Organisation (CHO)

We want to raise lots and lots of money to help bring freedom to people facing injustice and exploitation around the world. The following amounts highlight just what is possible to achieve with even the smallest donation!*

£1... ...could provide four meals to a child rescued from slavery.

£25... ...could pay for a year of healthcare for someone who is living in a safe house.

£80... ...could help a vulnerable person living in poverty undertake a yearlong vocational skill course in sewing or mechanics.

LOCATION: Poipet on the Thai/Cambodia border WHAT THEY DO?: CHO do some fantastic work with street children and poor families who are at risk of – or have already suffered from – trafficking. Among the great work CHO does is the following stuff:

A safe house that provides shelter, safety and support for people rescued from forced labour and prostitution A school for children who would otherwise have no access to education Vocational classes in sewing and mechanics to provide skills, training and possible employment for people rescued from trafficking Work to help rescue people who are being trafficked across the border into Thailand

WWW.SOULACTION.ORG/GIVE

£100... ...could pay for a year’s school fees for a child rescued from slavery

£500... ...could support a trafficking survivor for an entire year giving them community, care and a new future.

£1000... ...could build a reservoir that would provide water for up to 50 families and also their livestock and crops.

*Your money will be put to use in a variety of projects working to end poverty and trafficking around the world. Find more at: soulaction.org/give

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

FREE 2 GIVE \\ Page 14

IF YOU’D LIKE TO SUPPORT SOUL ACTION AND THE PROJECTS WE SERVE AROUND THE WORLD THEN JUST FILL OUT SECTION ONE AND THEN SECTIONS 2 OR 3 DEPENDING ON HOW OFTEN YOU’D LIKE TO GIVE.

3. STANDING ORDER

1. PERSONAL DETAILS

If you would like to give regularly then you can set up a standing order. Just fill out the details below:

FIRST NAME: LAST NAME:

BANK NAME:

ADDRESS:

ADDRESS:

TOWN:

POSTCODE:

COUNTY:

SORT CODE:

POSTCODE:

ACC NO.

CHURCH:

AMOUNT:

EMAIL: D.O.B:

/

/

2. ONE OFF DONATION

£5

£10

FREQUENCY:

Monthly

WHEN:

1st of the next month or

£20

Quarterly

Please pay to Soul Action (Acc No. 00032382 & Sort Code. 30-12-10) Office use only

Reference SA:

AMOUNT:

SIGNED:

SIGNED: DATE:

£50 Annually

/

DATE:

/

a) If making a donation by cheque please make cheques payable to ‘Soul Action’ b) Make a donation by text. Just text ‘FREE27’

followed by the amount you’d like to give (either £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10) to the number 70070

/

/

Return your completed slip to us at the address on the back!

THANKS! WE’LL PUT YOUR MONEY TO USE IN SOME AMAZING PLACES!

c) If making a donation via a card please fill out the details below CARD NO. ISSUE DATE: EXPIRY DATE: ISSUE NO.

/ /

/

/

SECURITY NO.

/

I WOULD LIKE TO GIFT AID MY DONATION. Using Gift Aid means that we can claim extra money from the Inland Revenue - at no extra cost to you. Tick this box to treat this - and all future - donation(s) as Gift Aid until you notify us otherwise. You must pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax at least equal to the tax we reclaim on your donations in the appropriate tax year.

LIVE FREE: Soul Action Group Leader Guide

YOUTH LEADER? CHECK OUT THE SITE FOR FRESH VIDEOS, INFO AND RESOURCES TO HELP YOU AND YOUR GROUP USE YOUR FREEDOM SO THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE FREE!

Visit the site to find loads of specific stuff to help you organise your own events, sign up for our youth leader emails and to join the Soul Action network. www.soulaction.org/leader

SIGN UP FOR OUR MONTHLY EMAILS TO GET ALL THE LATEST NEWS DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX www.soulaction.org | info@soulaction.org Soul Action, Unit 2 Paramount Industrial Estate, Sandown Road, Watford, WD24 7XF. Soul Action operates under the charitable status of Soul Survivor.

The Soul Survivor Charity No. is 1080720)

SOUL ACTION: Tearfund and Soul Survivor working together