About

Human life should not be marginalized. Children should not be at risk. Restoring value and dignity to people requires people being intentional, on the ground, and in the lives of those who need rescuing, restoring, healing and protection. Experience has taught us that the local church is the place most likely to have the safe space and caring people to complete this vocation. It is a natural part of being church. Therefore the Impact Teams whom we champion spring from and are integral parts of local churches.

There are roughly 46 wars or active conflicts on earth right now. Most of these are festering in a world view of conquest that views the female without value, and children as easily enslaved. These same hotspots are also where there is the most devastation, poverty, death, and trauma. These are the places the Impact Teams are invested. These are the people who need to encounter the Love of God. This is where we see God move and bring hope.

for the last twenty two years

Cross Cultural Connections started in a cramped apartment in a corner of the universe where sacrifices to idols were prevalent. Slavery was normalized and the women were almost nonchalant when they showed us where the slave ship docked twice a week. It was their ordinary; their kismet, and a horror to us. Stunned we prayed for months as God shaped a response in our hearts. God made a way for local churches to be formed who spoke the same languages as those coming in on the ships. Women could then be offered the chance to choose to leave the sex slavery, come to the circle of friends, and be invited to be trained to make simple hand made items, which we bought, and gave them cash for. (See Shop For Freedom). We couldn’t suggest they leave the sex trade and not offer them an alternate job. The difference was that we paid a teacher salary worth, and they could earn ritz and glitz while enslaved. But as one rescued woman said, she’d rather live simply and sleep at night than carry the burden of being whom she was made to believe she was.

At first it was one team, then, quickly, it multiplied into four languages, each of which was regional. Thus four safe houses, four churches, and four teams. Folks volunteered with us and learned the ropes, then took the concept and honed it to other cultures. Impact Teams birthed other teams and churches and these keep spreading and growing. Better Way was birthed to market the items women made. Things morphed. Some teams were no longer needed (as when a refugee community emptied to return home), some needed different structures. At first the focus was women, but the current need is to rescue and prevent the trafficking of children. Kids are one quarter of trafficking victims (UNICEF). They are the most vulnerable, and have the least capacity for self protection.

Today we champion Impact Teams in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, India, and the USA. CCC dba Authentic Justice is a 501(c)3, board operated, and dedicated to serving these teams with the goal of seeing regions where war and chaos now are be transformed because churches were planted who rescued children and empowered widows.

current focus

The Impact Teams serving in war zones and refugee camps have mostly been able to now form their own 501(c)3s and you will find links to those on this website. The needs they are serving are crucial. We can not champion them enough!

But tragically, the focal point of anti-child trafficking has now moved stateside. America is now home to the most traffickers, and has the most trafficked children globally. For this reason the epicenter of our focus is the Esme Team. Children caught in sex trafficking are most likely to be victims from the trauma that places many children in foster care. If every church in America were to choose to have at least one foster family that they came around and supported, this issue could be resolved. Yes, there are also other ways in which children are vulnerable. And those are being addressed as well. But an active and informed church community who are on fire with the love of God and pure hearts is what is most needed to counter this diabolical reality. Please join us.