Passion 2013 Sees 60,000 University Students Give $3 Million to Help End Human Slavery

Nashville, Tenn. (February 1, 2013) - In four days, students attending Passion 2013 raised more than $3 million to fund the freedom fight for the more than 27 million human slaves currently trapped in the trenches of captivity.

More than 60,000 students gathered from 56 countries and over 2,000 universities wanting to shine a light on slavery and awaken the nation, and ultimately the world, to the fact that slavery still exists.

During the final session of Passion 2013, students heard from Passion founder, Louie Giglio, who asked students to take what happened inside of their hearts and inside the walls of the Georgia Dome this week and carry it into the world.

"Jesus was the original abolitionist. It is for freedom Christ has sent us. And, our freedom is for freedom." Giglio said urging students to use that freedom to free the captives.

In accordance with the charge, Giglio gave instructions on how students will carry the END IT Movement for the next four months, asking them to do three things: sign the pledge athttp://enditmovement.com, shine a light on slavery via social media, and tell 10 friends. "Awareness," said Giglio echoing the words of Gary Haugen, president and founder of International Justice Mission (IJM), "is doing the work of justice." IJM is one of 19 nonprofit partners of END IT Movement who will use the funds to AWAKE, PREVENT, RESCUE and RESTORE survivors of human trafficking.

On the last night of Passion 2013, students joined their small, individual lights represented by candles together with one large beam shooting five miles into the sky out on the International Plaza in front of the Georgia Dome. The visual display represented their collective response and desire to shine a light on slavery out of the belief that when darkness comes to light, people take action and lives are changed. CNN captured the heart of Passion 2013 this year in a story profiling the efforts being made by the students and the heart and purpose behind Passion and the END IT Movement during the conference and in a follow up interview with Giglio this week. Click here to watch the story from Passion, and here to watch the January 8 interview with Giglio.

On March 12th, sixstepsrecords will release, Passion: Let the Future Begin, recorded LIVE during Passion 2013 in January at the Georgia Dome. Along with the voices of more than 60,000 students, the album highlights brand new music from Passion worship leaders Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Crowder, Christy Nockels, Kristian Stanfill and others. This will be the follow-up record to Passion: White Flag, which debuted with the highest street week to date for a Passion recording, selling more than 48,000 units, a 61% increase above 2011's Passion: Here For You, while landing at No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200 and No. 1 on Christian SoundScan.