Nothing To Offer?

Pastor Buff has encouraged the Grace Falls family to participate in the small-group study of the book, “Life On Mission,” by Dustin Willis and Aaron Coe. One of the two home groups at Grace Falls is led by my husband Jim and myself. Our group is comprised of believers who have been saved for decades but have never been intentional about sharing the Gospel and that includes myself.

It was evident that we were each struggling to learn how to become more intentional and we soon realized that the root of our struggle was that we were not “looking” to see where and how God is moving in our midst.

One of the ladies from this group also joins Cissy McNickle and myself as we visit the girls at the local clubs once a month in Atlantic City. On November 18, as we got into the car and prepared to head to the clubs, this woman confessed that she did not like participating in this ministry, but God would not give her peace not to. She began to describe how she felt that she was too old and did not have any way to relate to any of these girls, therefore felt that she was of no use to this ministry team. Cissy encouraged her and reminded her that God calls us to be faithful not perfect.

I was very excited about the gift we were sharing that night. It featured holiday recipes and notes of encouragement that had been submitted by nearly 20 different women who pray for this ministry. I tried to encourage our friend that the gift would serve as an easy source to start a conversation with these girls.

It was after we returned to the car after visiting our second club that our friend said, “Did you happen to notice what happened to me in there?" With concern, Cissy and I turned to make eye contact with her as she began to describe her experience. She told us that while we were busy speaking with others in the dressing room, Irene, the make-up artist asked her to step into the bathroom with her. There in a quiet corner our friend had the privilege to pray with her!

Our discouraged friend that had enough courage to admit to us that she didn't have anything to offer was proved to be wrong. God revealed Himself to her as a reminder that she is useful and that she just needed to open her eyes to see Him!

That may not seem like much to you, but in that moment we felt like Peter must have felt when Jesus called him to walk on the water. We need to be like Peter and get out of the boat when we are told but when we get out we must continue to keep our eyes on Jesus if we are going to live life on mission.

Keep us in your prayers as we go back to the clubs at 7:30 p.m. on December 17th.

Strip Church Training

Post by Cissy McNickle

Hello Everyone!!!

There is soooo much to share with you about the Loves Way Out AC and what God has been doing in my heart that I am not sure where to begin!

Over the last few visits to the clubs I have been left wanting more….. discouraged a little. I feel that over the last year we have built credibility, consistency, and good surface level relationships with the staff in the clubs we are reaching.

We have seen little connection outside of the clubs though and have only had a handful of opportunities to pray with the staff. We still haven’t gotten into 2 of the dressing rooms. Because I am not in contact with any other ministry like ours that is a year in, I feel like I don’t have a good barometer of where we should be. I don’t want to push too hard and jeopardize our hard work and what God has done, but I also don’t want to be timid and miss opportunities. So, all of this has been running through my mind the last few months.

Also, I haven’t been in prayer for the clubs like I need to be. I pray when I take our team out or when I take others interested in the ministry around to pray for the clubs, but on a daily, even weekly, basis, I am not praying. I know that this is the biggest component to my lack of vision and direction.

Well, like He always does, God has moved……again!!! We had the opportunity to go to a Strip Church Training in Edison, NJ. This training is apart of XXX Church which is in ministry to people in the porn/sex trade industry. I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing it was. I went into it pretty skeptical, and left blessed, empowered, and ready for tomorrow night’s visit!!!

First off, we met Allison who is from Clearwater and serves with Miss Barbara in Tampa!! (That was so encouraging for me to be reminded that I am loved, supported, and prayed for in Tampa!) We also met women from all over the US! It is so affirming to know that NO, I am not crazy, that God is calling many women from all over the United States to stand in the gap for those caught up in this lifestyle!!!!

The training was split into 3 parts: 1. How to Get Into the Club!?  2. You’re in, so now what!?  3. How to build and sustain your ministry. Each part was perfect for the team and I! We realized that its not a fluke that we are in these clubs. God is moving all over (LA, Vegas, AC, Tampa, etc) letting His girls enter where Satan is ruling!!

I also learned that in many ministries, older than mine, that it typically can take YEARS to move beyond the surface level. I learned that I had been wanting to take the conversation to Jesus so badly, I was missing opportunities to go deeper with a friendship, to go to the deep places in the these girls’ lives and connect as women. I know God will allow me the opportunity to speak HIS Truth into their lives as they grow in deeper trust with me. AAAHHHHHH, I am crying again!!! :)

I just love this ministry and these girls sooooo much that I want to see God redeem and restore them! I know now, that day will come it just may take a little bit more than a year. :) I was so influenced by the culture I was raised in that said real victory is number of people saved only! And yes! that is a victory but the quote that stuck with me after the training was,  ” victory is walking into hell to reach His children!” time and time again no matter how long it takes! We are doing that!!!

It was also said that to go into these clubs with any expectation of the staff, is to exploit them further. We go to express Christ’s Love with no expectations & no agenda for them to respond or come to church! If that happens, FANTASTIC! but we are not deterred if it doesn’t!!

Thank you sooo much for being a part of this with me. Your support means more than you know!!!

Below is a blog entry from Craig Gross who started XXX Church and Strip Church! It has encouraged my team and I so much and I know it will encourage you as well.

"When people are excited or passionate about something, they usually want to share it with their friends! I want to tell you about one of the ministries here at Fireproof. StripChurch was an idea birthed in 2008 out of a great need to have outreach teams on the ground to visit various strip clubs in major cities around the world. We originally launched with a single team in Las Vegas, Nevada; since then StripChurch has had tremendous God-growth and is currently represented in 4 countries, 30 states and 72 cities! (Loves Way Out AC is soon to be one of these!!)

Recently, two former strippers (Jaime and Meli) attended a StripChurch Training together. While at this training, Meli met and connected with one of our StripChurch speakers, Lisa from Arizona. It turns out that Lisa had been reaching out to a club in Phoenix that Meli had worked at for 10 years. Meli wore a silver bracelet to the training with the verse John 8:12 engraved in it. This was the very bracelet that Meli received from Lisa and her team from their outreach on Easter. Meli found the bracelet the NIGHT before the conference and put it on for the first time.

This was not a coincidence, but God’s ultimate workings! Both Meli and Jaime are now going back into the clubs doing ministry. A seed that was planted years ago has now grown and is planting more seeds in the lives of women just like them. Check out some of the amazing transformations of those doing StripChurch ministry.”

Pray with me that one day, God would allow a girl we are praying for, to be redeemed and restored, and then turn around to reach back!!!! Amazing! Thank you God for calling and equipping your children for work you have already prepared for us to do!! You are good.

Remember to pray for us tomorrow night as we go out!