I went into a strip club on Saturday. Several actually. And strangely, I felt at home.
I think it’s because Jesus was there.
This weekend, I was ministered to by the organizers of Strip Church Training, a ministry of XXX Church. The ministry trains women to go into strip clubs to share the love of Jesus. On Saturday night, one of the hosts graciously allowed those attending the conference to minister in her clubs with her team leaders. I felt honored to be there.
The first two clubs refused to let us in. My leader had received favor in both locations before, but this time our impact reached only the bouncers and the managers. But they need Jesus too, so we smiled and left without a fuss. We were allowed into two other clubs, one of which was not even on our original list. Those clubs welcomed us with open arms. Literally! As soon as the bartender at the first location saw our leader she gave her a big hug and excitedly shared with the flabbergasted patrons that this organization comes by regularly to give gifts to the girls and talk to them. The girls seemed to enjoy the earrings we gave them and thanked us for coming. The second club let us in with hesitation. The bouncer wasn’t quite sure what to do with us and kept checking in as we chatted with two of the girls in their dressing room. I would have loved to know what he thought of us as we joined hands with the girls and prayed for them.
I learned many things during the conference sessions.
I learned that many of these girls have a connection to Christianity in their family history, but have rejected it, usually because of hurtful behavior they experienced from Christians. I learned that while some club owners will refuse you entry, others will welcome you and thank you for showing love to the girls that work in his or her place of business. I learned that there isn’t one tried and true method to reach these women, except being a conduit for the love and compassion of Jesus. I learned that these girls are exceptionally adept at reading people and transparency is vital in building their trust. I learned these things and countless others, but one speaker’s comment rises to the top:
These are Jesus’ girls.
Jesus is raising up an army of former dancers, ministry leaders, soccer moms, school teachers, and anyone else that will heed the call to show His love to His girls. And the amazing thing is that in a place so dark, the littlest flickers of love shine brightly. A pair of earrings, a cupcake, a gift card, a make-up session…little gestures communicating care and hope can mean so much.
We might never know the impact of this outreach until Heaven. But I firmly believe that this ministry pleases Jesus. He smiles to see a young woman kneel down to speak to an elderly house mom about her grandkids. It pleases Him to watch a young dancer receive a booklet of verses from His Word. He thrills to listen to a circle of prayer in a strip club dressing room. It pleases Him because His heart beats for the lost and hurting. He created these girls. He loves them, and He is calling us to love them too.
You can take part in the blessings of this work through prayer and financial support. If you would like to become an Infusion Prayer Partner, click here to join the Facebook group to receive regular updates on the ministry and prayer requests. If you would like to become a Monthly Ministry Partner, you may do so by signing up for a reoccurring donation at www.giveherlove.com. The funds will go towards ministries like strip club outreach, and will also begin building the fund for our future Ministry Center that will provide counseling, life-courses, services, and office space for the ministry staff.