There are a lot of things I never imagined when I started talking about porn and the church way back in 2002. I didn’t really think that message would take me around the world several times over, or that I’d wind up developing a start-up tech company, or that I’d eventually never have to use a fax machine again. I love to look for opportunities and then to do something with those opportunities. If you know me, you know I’m always having ideas, usually based on some random thing that happened to me or that I came across. You also know that I’m always trying to turn those ideas into reality. The Strip Church Network was an opportunity like that. As our ministry grew and began to expand beyond just pornography, we saw there were a lot of hurting people in strip clubs – both the paying customers and the ones who were getting paid. So we started trying to determine the best ways to reach those people. One thing I really believe in is the power of one-on-one relationships, of just getting to know people where they are and for who they are, non-judgmentally, and finding ways to talk with them about Jesus. Again: looking for opportunities. And that’s how the Strip Church Network was born. We started gathering a bunch of like-minded people from around the nation – and now the world – to teach them how to go into clubs and love people where they were, for who they were. No agenda, no mandate to get a certain number of converts, no desire to collect a bunch of success stories for their next newsletter. Just a desire to love people enough to let Jesus change them. Like just about everything else we do here through Fireproof Ministries, the Strip Church Network has grown beyond anything we could’ve expected, and continues to grow into something we didn’t anticipate. Imagine that. --Craig Gross
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Table of contents 02 - 03
N OT H I N G WA S T E D by Michelle Truax
03 - 0 4
G O D S H OWS U P by Kjersti Bohrer
0 6 - 07
THE DOOR OF HOPE by Angie Duncan
08- 09
VA L E N TI N E ’ S DAY by Tammy Dunkum
1 0 -1 1
H A N G U P YO U R S H O E S by Lisa Michelle
1 2 -1 3
A R O U N D T H E N ATI O N by Michelle Truax
14 -2 1
D I R E C TO RY Strip Church Cities
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2 4 -2 5
CO M E J O I N T H E S T R I P C H U R C H N E T WO R K WHY I CHOSE THE STRIP C H U R C H N E T WO R K by Corrine Martinez
2 6 -2 8
M Y DAU G H T E R WO R K S I N A S T R I P C LU B by Michelle Truax
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Nothing Wasted BY M I C H E LLE TR UA X
I’ve been amazed so many times over my years with Fireproof at how God brings to the surface so many experiences long buried in my past, just for the purpose of encouraging, helping, or leading others through a season in their lives, or to help other leaders further understand a particular area of ministry. When I came to work here, I had been walking with the Lord closely for quite a few years, but that did not mean that every area of my life was perfect or that areas of brokenness were totally healed. I was married to a man who was in a lifelong battle with pornography addiction, which is how I became acquainted with XXXchurch and Fireproof in the first place. Quite honestly, because of my spouse’s struggles, I somehow forgot about my own past and my own struggles with darkness. Seriously, looking back it seems quite hypocritical.
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“I’VE BEEN THE UNDERDOG FOR MOST OF MY LIFE”
STRIP CHURCH NEWSLETER 2016
I’ve been the underdog for most of my life. Sexually compromised as a child. Picked on and bullied in school. I was raised by a single parent before single-parenting was socially acceptable. My dad split before I was born, so rejection was a part of my life before it began. Moving around more than 20 times during my school years always resulted in me missing something taught in those gaps. Constant anxiety over feeling less-educated than my peers and intimidated by those to whom learning came easy.
I firsthand know the need for the love of God, but even more, for the love of God to go where most Christians will never dare go. We find it easy and palatable to relate and give to ministries in far corners of the world where helpless and hungry children are—which is noble and needed—but we tend to forget about the dark and lonely places right here in our own cities. We dare to be challenged by what is not the norm for Christian charity and we fall terribly short in the area of loving dangerously.
I became sexually active as a teenager which led to a pregnancy I refused to end. I was a teenage, unwed mom of a brand-new baby with few choices work-wise, and I definitely wasn’t interested in the pennies that welfare would throw my way. I found nightlife work easy to gain and easiest to find childcare during while I juggled motherhood, my teenage years, and life. Bearing a fake ID, I found a job in a seedy club in Los Angeles that turned out to be a gateway for prostitution, but thankfully I escaped that within a few days and without getting lured into any of it.
“GOD PEELED AWAY THE LAYERS AND INSTILLED HEALING AND GAVE ME FREEDOM IN SO MANY AREAS
I then went to work at a club in West Hollywood as a cocktail waitress and, later, bartender. The club was known for its debauchery of drag shows on the weekends and a packed strip club several nights during the week. I found a second home there for years to come. Some of my closest friends were those not accepted by the church. The irony of it all when I look at my life and work now is amazing. I left West Hollywood in 1990 and headed to the east coast for a brand new direction in life and I never looked back… to the point of almost forgetting where I had once been.
I have a fire inside of me that burns for the underdog. I have a light inside that allows me to see the goodness of God in the “least of these.” I have mentored countless women in and out of the sexindustry since 2008, and in 2015 I became the Director of Strip Church. Strip Church is a network of almost 100 female leaders with over 150 teams of women in cities across America, Canada, and Europe. It is pretty cool to rally, encourage, and challenge other leaders around the world in sex-industry ministry. We have an amazing alliance and a beautiful bond that is known as the Strip Church Network. In this magazine you will hear stories from just some of the most incredible women I have come to know and love through this network. Their life- experiences are examples of how nothing is ever wasted once we give it to God. It is my hope that their stories, and endless pursuits through selfless passion for women in the sex industry, enlighten, challenge and even awaken areas within you that have yet to be stirred. This is Strip Church.
God peeled away the layers and instilled healing and gave me freedom in so many areas of my life. I went to cosmetology school and then later to college. I raised my son, being intentional in my role as his mother while also desiring to make a difference in the lives of others. I’ve spent years in church, studying the Bible and getting heavily involved in women’s ministry. Sowing into solid areas and reaping the goodness of God. Why should I be surprised that God would, all these years later, use my life experiences in the world for his purposes in ministry? After all, everything surrendered to Him is never wasted.
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BY K J E R S TI B O H R E R B E AU T I F U L A N D LOV E D | M I N N E A P O L I S , M N
Not too long ago, we brought “Jesus Loves Strippers” Bibles to four different strip clubs in Minneapolis and West St. Paul. So many of the women giggled and held up the books for everyone to see. They loved this Truth and that we were sharing it with them. At
out of the way, to get smaller and smaller, to try to disappear (“Your ego is not your amigo.”). There’s no doubt that our world tries to sell us this idea that we are our own worst enemy, we are often “in the way” and the world’s solution is to help
their request, we prayed with a few women about their futures and their loved ones. The manager of one of the clubs gave us a huge hug, then handed us a list of people she wanted us to pray for.
us “get out” so something better can take our place. God is showing me that I no longer need to be a people pleaser. He’s given me permission to be my authentic self, not to get out of the way but to expand! If I go into the clubs and try to be what I think God wants me to be (Be happy! Be a light! Don’t let on that you’re nervous!), it’s no different than when I worked there, trying to figure out what someone else wanted so I could get a reward.
God is in the simplest of gestures. He shows up simply because we do. I’ll admit that before each outreach I get nervous, anxious. There was nothing different about this one. I sat in my room before we went out and called out to God. I asked Him, as I’d done so many times before, to help me get out of the way so He could do His work. And then, very quietly, I heard Him say, “I don’t want you out of the way. I want all of you. All the things you think are too awkward or quirky. I chose you, all of you. I love you, my daughter!”
I get to be me, no strings attached. God is showing me what that means. This message may not have been what I expected to hear, but God continues to transform my mind. And isn’t this exactly what a Loving Father would say to His precious daughter?
This was not what I expected to hear.
From 1 Corinthians 12: “All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful.”
Before I became a Christian, I spent many years studying other religions and philosophies that told me the goal was to get
Variety is wonderful. You are wonderful. All of you. Every awkward, quirky, beautiful part of you. “You are altogether beautiful, my love, there is no flaw in you.” Song of Solomon 4:7
“GOD IS IN THE SIMPLEST OF GESTURES. HE SHOWS UP SIMPLY BECAUSE WE DO”
I didn’t even know how to be authentic before Jesus. I didn’t know what it felt like to be precious. I didn’t know how to trust. It is only because He loved me first that I can love. How awesome is it that He teaches us what His word means through experiencing Him?! Our God is good!
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The Door of Hope BY A N G I E D U N C A N H O S E A’ S H E A R T | K N OX V I L L E , T N
No little girl dreams of growing up to become a prostitute. Researchers have noted that many women who turn to prostitution as a means of survival do so because it is familiar to them. Like these women, I didn’t wake up one day and decide being a prostitute or a stripper was a great idea, nor was it ever a dream I aspired to as a child. Looking back, however, I can see how, over my entire life, there was an assault on my sexual purity and identity that led me to believe lies that held me in invisible chains for years. I grew up in East Tennessee, and like the very large majority of women who end up in the sex industry, I was sexually abused throughout my childhood and adolescence. I believed the only thing giving my life any value was sex. I was also exposed to pornography at a young age and was shown that prostitution could be a means of survival. This led me to believe that women not only belonged in the roles I observed, but also that it was what women were created for.
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“IT WAS IN MY VALLEY OF TROUBLE THAT GOD MADE A WAY OF ESCAPE FOR ME AND GAVE ME HOPE, AND NOW WE ARE HIS HANDS AND FEET TO DO THE SAME FOR OTHERS.”
At the age of twenty I was approached by a group of older women while at a night club in Knoxville. They showered me with compliments about my good looks and dancing and told me I could make a lot of money traveling with them as a feature entertainer and model. They made the lifestyle sound so glamorous, and I was at a place in my life where I was looking for an escape. This was as good an opportunity as any, so I left the club with them that night and was taken to Memphis (about 400 miles away) to work in a strip club the next day. I quickly discovered the job description I was given about my newfound employment did not fit the work I would actually be doing.
show me His love in tangible ways so I could understand God as a lover, a provider, a protector, and more. On New Year’s Day 2016, my husband and I celebrated eight years of marriage!
I spent the next five years working in adult entertainment and saw firsthand the underbelly of this exploitive industry. I started out stripping, which quickly led to escorting. I became an alcoholic and drug user, was a cutter, and had many psychological issues like most women in this industry, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, dissociation, and more. I witnessed tragedies daily. Many of my friends had pimps, and I came to understand how sex trafficking happens right under our noses and we don’t recognize it. I felt like I was society’s trash.
I always knew I had to go back. I saw too much. I experienced too much about human and sex trafficking. In Jesus Christ, I had found the courage to overcome that life, and I had to share that there is a way of escape in Him! I have been called for such a time as this, and my entire life was preparation for this work. As the Father pursued me, I am also now in pursuit. At Hosea’s Heart, we reach out to women in the sex industry with a message of hope and a way of escape. We know that God does not condemn them and has not forgotten them, but rather is full of grace and mercy and love for them. The Bible says that Christ came not to condemn the world but to save the world through Him. Our key scripture comes from Hosea 2:15 which says, “In the valley of trouble I will give her a door of hope.” It was in my valley of trouble that God made a way of escape for me and gave me hope, and now we are His hands and feet to do the same for others.
By the grace of God, my story doesn’t end there. I didn’t grow up in church, but as a young adult I experienced God in a very tangible way after seeing a minister on television. I bought a Bible, and the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and began to teach me how to read it. God became my only hope and eventually my true way of escape. He was with me on this journey and He never left my side. Eventually, He sent a man into my life who would
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Valentine’s Day I N A STR I P CLU B
BY TA M M Y D U N K U M S T R I P C H U R C H R VA | R I C H M O N D, VA
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Some women love candy, flowers or jewelry for Valentine’s Day. What we learned at our Valentine’s Day outreach is our dancers love warm fuzzy socks, for you to know their name, and warm hugs on a cold night from a bunch of church ladies.
clubs so you may meet them at one club and see them again at a different club months later. As they get to know us, they love to ask, “Do you remember my name?” But in those moments of God’s grace when we remember their name and they hug us with delight, we see a precious breakthrough in the friendship.
Valentine’s Day weekend tends to be very busy for strip clubs, so it’s always a special blessing to go that weekend and show God’s love to the dancers. As we arrived, they were gearing up for a long night. I’m sure it’s hard to get excited to dance and show affection to strangers when it’s cold outside and you’re wearing very little clothing.
One of our favorite bouncers we have become friends with asked on a Facebook message which church our ministry was affiliated with. I told him our team consists of different women from different churches and denominations. Then next time I saw him, I inquired why he asked that question and he said, “Because I want to go to church with you sometime.” WHAT?!? The tough guy with the gun on his hip is touched by our ministry and wants to worship at a church that supports us. Only God!
We delivered cupcakes, a build-your-own s’more kit, and fuzzy socks to three clubs that night, and the socks were the biggest hit! We heard several times, “Are those fuzzy socks? I love those!” One dancer even put them on with her heels! Some asked if they could have an extra pair because they knew when they got home, their daughters would want some, too.
Over our Valentine’s weekend outreach, we heard the same question we often hear from dancers, “Why do you visit strip clubs?” This time, we were asked by a veteran dancer who has had experience from other strip club ministries delivering gifts. We gave her the simple Sunday School sounding answer, “Because God loves you and so do we.” A simple answer to a important truth. Hopefully she will read the note we put in the bottom on her gift bag that shares more about that love through the plan of salvation and she will begin to understand how big God’s and our love really is for her.
One of the biggest challenges of visiting several clubs is to remember each dancer’s name. It isn’t as easy as you think, because they have both a stage name and their real name, and some wear multiple wigs so they look different every time we see them. And then there are those women who work in multiple
That’s how the relationship with dancers and staff begins: showing God’s loving-kindness consistently, building a relationship, earning their trust, and meeting needs. Thank you for your prayers and support so we can continue to do this ministry. It’s truly changing lives for the better.
“BECAUSE GOD LOVES YOU AND SO DO WE.”
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About a year ago I had a vision for girls who are leaving behind their employ in the sex industry; the vision was of a transitional home to be built in the Hill Country in Texas. When you walk into the home, there would be a wall full of shoes hanging up with the girl’s stories attached to them. It was such a beautiful vision! Well I wrote it out, tucked it away in my Bible, and went on with life until October 2015.
BY LI SA M I C H E LLE N O S T R I N G S AT TAC H E D S A N A N TO N I O & AU S T I N , T X
“…WE BELIEVE ROYALTY IS WHAT EACH OF US ARE BORN INTO...”
A dancer that I’ll call Royal J was introduced to one of our outreach team members after she gave her life to the Lord one morning at church, and she found out about NSA Outreach at that moment. She had no idea such a group existed, and asked to meet with me the next day. We met at Starbucks, and she shared her story of how she wanted to leave the industry but was struggling. She couldn't make her car payment and was about to lose her car within days, but that she had a lead on a new job and needed support. We gave her a care package, a new Bible, and the money needed to make that car payment! As we were leaving she said, “Oh wait, I have something for you, Lisa!” We walked to her car, where Royal J reached in and handed me her dancing shoes! “I have to give these to you, Lisa,” she said. “They are my plan B, my back up plan, and if I keep them, I might go back so I can support my kids and myself.” At the moment she handed them to me, I was reminded of the vision.
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I knew a movement was starting with this pair of shoes! I laid the shoes at Royal J’s feet, prayed over her and them, and told her of the vision. We call the girls who leave the industry Royals, because we believe Royalty is what each of us are born into (the family of God). But some of us lose our way, and when we see a woman come back to the family of God, we remind her of "who she is."
obedience and faith. She had no job and knew the sacrifice she was making. Those shoes were expensive, and she could have sold them to another dancer, or kept them to go back in case she didn't find a job. But she had big faith in her new journey with God, faith that He would provide. And boy, did He!
That night, this now ex-dancer was brought into Royalty.
“BUT SHE HAD BIG FAITH IN HER NEW JOURNEY WITH GOD, FAITH THAT HE WOULD PROVIDE.”
Isaiah 62:3 says, “You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” Galatians 4:7 says, “Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.” When we choose to walk away from darkness and our sin, we are choosing to walk into the light with God, into his family, and it's important that these women begin to understand "who they are" in Christ. The following week I was able to speak twice at our church and tell this story, and set those shoes on God’s stage for His glory! It was such a powerful moment when I looked down at the shoes sitting on the stage and realized one week ago these 9-inch heels were dancing on a stage in a dark, dingy club in Austin, Texas, but now they’re sitting on God's stage! While I was speaking, there was a designer in the audience who was inspired to design a chandelier for the entry way of our future home, and she started sketching it out right there.
As for the other dancers who have long left the industry and want to share their story and give us their shoes: I believe it brings healing to their souls to share their story and to hand over something they've kept hidden for so long. They honestly haven't given much thought about why they still have those shoes in the back of their closet and had forgotten about them. If you told me even five years ago that I would be collecting the shoes of former exotic dancers for God's glory, I would have thought you were crazy. But I've always had this mad love for shoes since I was a little girl. My Mom has many memories of me putting on her shoes, trying my best to walk in them. I even swam in them!
Royal J is pushing through to stay out of the industry as our team supports her in this process. She now has a job outside of the clubs, and is beginning the process of healing. And as I shared her story and a photo of the shoes on our Facebook page, the message began to spread until that post was viewed by over 10,000 people! Additionally, the post inspired several ex-dancers to give us their shoes and tell their story, as well as three other current dancers who give us their shoes that same week. This initiative became known as the #HangUpYourShoes campaign.
My hope is for each woman who makes a declaration to God by giving her shoes away, that she will get a new pair from us so she can say, "If I ever let my head down, it will be just to admire my shoes".
One night in one of our adopted clubs, a dancer told us she was inspired to stop dancing and transition into waitressing. We then started to share the #HangUpYourShoes Campaign with her, and she opened her locker and said, “Here, you can take my shoes! I won't be needing them anymore.” I believe the physical act of giving something tangible—something that connected them to their previous lifestyle—to God as an offering marks a pivotal time in their life. For Royal J, it was an act of
We’re a member of Strip Church, which has around 165 other leaders across the country. Some of those leaders have joined the campaign, and are collecting ex-dancers’ shoes as well now, and are shipping them to us. One of the most beautiful things is watching these women start to tell their story, a story they’ve kept hidden for so long. And for some reason many have kept their shoes, even though they have left the industry long ago… and now we know why!
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M I C H E LLE TR UA X | S T R I P C H U R C H D I R E C TO R | S T R I P C H U R C H .CO M
Around the Nation STRIPCHURCH.COM
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When 5000 ‘Jesus Loves Strippers’ bibles showed up at my door, I was in awe that God would allow me to house what I considered to be a priceless treasure. I knew these Bibles would be shipped around the world to various network partners who would take them into strip clubs in their cities. I prayed over the stacks of bibles, laying my hands on them asking God to bless every person that would hold the boxes as well as the contents. I asked for conversations to be started and for the Word to be planted in hearts that would manifest freedom in any area of struggle or bondage in a person’s life. I asked for favor to be imparted to every network partner who would hand deliver these bibles to dancers, bouncers, managers, and club workers around the world.
Can I just tell you that he smiles more now when he sees me then he ever did before? Seriously. He is friendlier and just different— I don’t know how to put that in words, but I just know God softened his heart that day. I also had an encounter with an elderly couple on a different visit to the post office. I came in with a thirty-pound box of bibles with that same white label on the side and set it down on the counter while I retrieved a second box from my car. When I came back, the husband was speaking to his wife and I overheard him say, ‘It must be a play on words’ Of course I couldn’t wait to say, ‘Nope, not a play on words. Jesus really does love strippers and those are real bibles that will be delivered to strip clubs in Texas next week.’ He didn’t believe me at first, until I told him the name of our website. Then he giggled and said, ‘I never imagined a bible in a strip club.
The stories that have come back to me have been amazing. I have also had some memorable conversations regarding these boxes of bibles. You see, on the side of every brown case was a huge white label that said “JESUS LOVES STRIPPERS”. I’ll never forget the look on a postal worker’s face as I took the first set of cases to be mailed out. He read it out loud, looked at me and laughed.
I don’t know if they ever visited the website, but I am certain they will never forget that Jesus really does love strippers!
JESUS LOVES STRIPPERS
I stared right back at him with a smile and said, ‘It’s true, Jesus loves strippers just as much as He loves you, me, pastors, and priests, and these are real bibles that will be hand-delivered to strip clubs around the nation!’ I gave him one.
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STRIP CHURCH
CITIES DIRECTORY
ALABAMA
CALIFORNIA
Mobile Love Overflowing Leader: Kathy Rowland Email: loveoverflowingmobile@gmail.com
Los Angeles After Hours Ministry Leader: Jennifer Cecil Email: afterhoursministry@gmail.com
ARIZONA
Los Angeles Strip Church LA Leader: Lisa Apodaca Email: lisa@reallifechurch.org
Glendale, Phoenix Imperfectly Flawless Leader: Tiffany Fehr Email: brokenchains1118@gmail.com
Santa Barbara Blameless Leader: Emily Ecklund Email: eamccardle@gmail.com
Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tuscon The Beauty of Holiness Leader: Joyce McNaughton Email: joyce@rejoiceministries.info www.rejoiceministries.info
Oceanside, San Diego Lion’s Beauty Queens Leader: Dana Candillo Email: lionsbeautyqueens@yahoo.com www.lionsbeautyqueens.org
Phoenix, Scottsdale Cakes of Love Leader: Stacey Phillips Email: Cakesoflove@centralaz.com
Orange County Divine Leader: Jaime Ortiz & Breanne Morrow Email: info@divineoc.com www.divineoc.com
Tempe Just Love Leader: Celeste L. Cheatham Email: justlovephx@yahoo.com
Rancho Cordova, Sacramento As You Are Outreach Leader: Jennie Nagy Email: info@ayaoutreach.com www.ayaoutreach.com
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F L OR I DA
Rancho Cordova Diamonds Out Of The Rough Leader: Alex Hansen Email: poabt1012@ymail.com
C OL OR A D O
Clearwater I Am Freedom Girl Leader: Allison Yount Email: allie.yount@gmail.com
Denver Beloved Denver Leader: Rebecca Cooper Email: belovedoutreach@gmail.com www.belovedoutreach.com
Ft. Lauderdale Refuge for Women South FL Leader: Olivia Turner Email: olivia@RefugeForWomen.org www.refugeforwomen.org
Denver, Northern Colorado Love Made Claim Leader: Natasha Hurt Email: natasha@lovemadeclaim.com www.lovemadeclaim.com
Holiday, Hudson, New Port Richey, Tampa Loving You Where You Are At Leader: Christa Hernandez Email: christa@lovingyouwhereyouareat.com www.lovingyouwhereyouareat.com
DE L AWA R E
Panama City Lavished Ministries Leader: Nicole Phillips Email: LavishedMinistries@gmail.com
Dover, Wilmington Fishnets Leader: Michelle Truax Email: michelle@stripchurch.com
Pensacola Love Overflowing Leader: Kathy Rowland Email: loveoverflowingmobile@gmail.com
GE ORGI A
“When we brought the JLS bibles into the clubs as Christmas presents, we included a hand-written individualized note for each girl that a few of our partners took the time to write. Each girl was very excited to receive a personalized bible; something that they could understand and relate to. I was determined to get my hands on the new JLS bibles after one of our local dancers showed us her blood-stained bible that she has carried with her for many years while working in the club.�
Atlanta Reflections of Love Leader: Kimberly Rice Email: info@reflectinghislove.com www.reflectinghislove.com Savannah The Sunshine Girls Leaders: Tara Hughes & Heidi Lutman Email: savannahsunshinegirls@gmail.com www.facebook.com/TheSunshineGirls
N IC OL E P H I L L I P S L AV I S H E D M I N I S T R I E S | PA N A M A C I T Y, F L
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I L L I NOI S Chicago Beulah Strip Church Leader: Corrine Martinez Email: beulahstripchurch@gmail.com
“We are hosting a birthday party at our church for the son of a dancer we have gotten to know. She mentioned one night she wanted to have it at a church, but wasn't sure what kind of church would let a stripper have a birthday party there. It's been an incredible way to build a relationship and show a different side of what the church should look like.”
I N DI A NA Crawfordsville Strip Church Crawfordsville Leader: Kelly Thompson Email: office@rockpointministries.org
A M A N DA S C H M I T T T H E H A DA S S A H G ROU P | E VA N S V I L L E , I N
Evansville The Hadassah Group Leader: Amanda Schmitt Email: hadassahgroup@gmail.com www.thehadassahgroup.com
K A N SA S
Fort Wayne 410 Ministries Leader: Cindy Slick Email: slicklady1@gmail.com
Basehor, Junction City, Lawrence, Olathe, Spring Hill, Topeka Lion’s Beauty Queens Leader: Dana Candillo Email: lionsbeautyqueens@yahoo.com www.lionsbeautyqueens.org
Indianapolis Unconditional Leader: Sarah Daniel Email: unconditional31@gmail.com www.unconditionalministries.com
IOWA
Manhattan The Homestead Leader: Deb Kluttz Email: dkluttz@westviewcommunity.com www.homesteadministry.org
Okaboji Bella Daughter Leader: Danielle Freitag Email: StripChurchBellaDaughter@gmail.com www.belladaughter.com
Wichita Hope’s Gate Leader: Jamie Proffer Email: hopes.gate@yahoo.com www.facebook.com/hopesgate Wichita 4 Women Leader: Laura Heagler Email: pathway4women@gmail.com
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L OU I SI A NA New Orleans Strip Church New Orleans Leader: Kayla King Email: kayla@stripchurchneworleans.com www.stripchurchneworleans.com
M I S S OU R I Arnold, Fenton, St. Louis Abba's Arms Leader: Karen Young Email: AbbasArms4You@gmail.com
M IC H IGA N Ann Arbor, Detroit, Ypsilanti Strip Church Michigan Leader: Jessica Lowen Email: thejoyousfriend@gmail.com
M I N N E S O TA
Arnold, Fenton, St. Louis Red Light District Ministry Leader: Karen Wise Email: redlightdistrictministry@gmail.com
Mankato, Minneapolis/St. Paul Bella Daughter Leader: Danielle Frietag Email: StripChurchBellaDaughter@gmail.com www.belladaughter.com
Kansas City, Warrensburg Lion’s Beauty Queens Leader: Dana Candillo Email: lionsbeautyqueens@yahoo.com www.lionsbeautyqueens.org
Minneapolis/St. Paul Beautiful and Loved Leader: Kjersti Bohrer Email: stripchurchmpls@hotmail.com www.beautifulandloved.com
St. Louis Strip Church St. Louis Leader: April Picolet Email: apicstlstripchurch@gmail.com www.aletheiastl.com
“As Marci, a gal on my team, and I sat down at a table in the club, the woman who welcomed us actually asked that the girls come over to our table. Both of the girls working came over at which time we were able to give them a gift. They had many questions and the conversation ended with hugs. One of the girls pulled out the ‘Jesus Loves Strippers’ bible with a big smile on her face, but she also started to share how it was never her plan to be working in the club and that she wanted to go to school someday. She said, ‘I'm ready to hang up my shoes.’ Not once did we say anything about her leaving or not working where she was. We simply loved her, listened and gave her a gift bag with the bible. The bible itself opened the door for conversation. The other gal, as she looked at it, said that she has never believed in God. She then went on to say she wanted to keep the bible just because of the front cover. The bible, made a way for conversation, love, and a hug, which both girls reached for.” DA N I E L L E F R I E TAG B E L L A DAU G H T E R | M I N N E A P O L I S , M N
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N E VA DA
Syracuse 99|ONE Leader: Annie Bullard Email: 99one@wordoflifeag.org www.facebook.com/99one99
Carson City Xquisite Leader: Brenda Simpson Email: brenda2326@gmail.com www.xquisite.org
NORT H DA KO TA
Las Vegas Hookers for Jesus Leader: Annie Lobert Email: info@hookersforjesus.net www.hookersforjesus.net
Fargo Well Water Fargo Leader: Olivia Erickson Email: wellwaterfargo@gmail.com www.wellwaterfargo.com
Las Vegas Refuge for Women Leader: Olivia Turner Email: olivia@RefugeForWomen.org www.refugeforwomen.org
Williston Dakota Pearls Leader: Amy Williston Email: dakotapearls@gmail.com
N E W J E R SE Y Atlantic City Loves Way Out AC Leader: Cissy McNickle Email: cissy@gracefallsac.org
“When we first started our adventures in outreach we were appalled at the patrons. When returning home after our first visit we felt convicted. The Lord told us that these men that frequented the clubs were broken as well. We began to pray for these men. One of our ministry goals was to make it into the dressing room. The night that goal became a reality was the night we walked into the club a little later than normal; it was so busy. We didn't recognize any of the workers. Roger, the patron, was near the hostess as we entered. He yelled out "Let those girls in! They are good!" Roger was our segway into the girls dressing rooms. We always need to stay open to what Holy Spirit is doing not only in the clubs but also in our hearts.�
Bridgeton, Brooklawn, Burlington, Gloucester, Vineland, W. Deptford Emerge Leader: Kelly Master Email: emergeladies@gmail.com www.emergeladies.org
N E W YOR K Brooklyn Sister, You Are Not Alone Leader: Bernadette Starkey Email: hischild74ever@optonline.net www.hopetouch.org Queens Beautiful One Leader: Mary Anna smith Email: beautifulone@streetlife.org www.streetlife.org/ministries/beautifulone
A N N I E BU L L A R D 9 9|O N E | S Y R AC U S E , N Y
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OK L A HOM A Tulsa Hope918 Leader: Carrie Tabor Email: carrietabor@hope918.com www.hope918.com
“We wanted to link arms with Strip Church because this ministry is so necessary in Portland, with nearly 100 clubs in the metro area. We needed education, support, and supplies like the ‘Jesus Loves Strippers’ bible to take into these clubs. The outpouring of prayer over our first outing alone was worth the monetary investment, and we cannot wait to take the bibles out!”
OR E G ON Beaverton, Hillsboro, Portland, Tigard Xpose Hope Leader: Betty Lou Campbell Email: XposeHope@gmail.com www.xposehope.com
B E T T Y L OU C A M P B E L L X P O S E H O P E | P O R T L A N D, O R
Medford Love Stripped Leader: Kim Adams Email: kim@lovestripped.com www.lovestripped.com
OH IO
Salem POLE Gems Leader: Cynthia Shaver Email: info@polegems.org www.polegems.org
Akron Rahab Ministries Leader: Stephanie Sidoti Email: supersidotis@gmail.com www.rahab-ministries.org
PE N N S Y LVA N I A
Brunswick VIP Girlz Leader: Laurie O’Connell Email: vipbrunswick@gmail.com www.facebook.com/VIPGirlz
Philadelphia Emerge Leader: Kelly Master Email: emergeladies@gmail.com www.emergeladies.org
Columbus We Are Cherished Ohio Leader: Lynn Stevens Email: infoOhio@wearecherished.com www.wearecherishedohio.com
York, Lebanon, Lancaster, Harrisburg Precious Oaks Leaders: Susan Vigliano & Patty Seaman Email: preciousoaks61.3@gmail.com www.facebook.com/Precious-Oaks
Warren, Youngstown DC Girls Leader: Marcella Zinz Email: marcella@dreamcentermv.org
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"God has provided tremendous favor with management at three clubs, allowing us to reach 150 dancers each month. The response from the women has been overwhelming. On our first outreach, a woman at one of the clubs told us, ‘You all have so much genuine joy. We don't have that here. Thank you so much for coming.’ One of the most meaningful opportunities we've had thus far is to pray for the DJ at one of our clubs. He had been robbed at gunpoint the week before and asked if our team would pray for him before we left. On our way out, I stuck my head in the DJ booth and asked if it was good time—he stepped directly out of the booth and opened his hands in a posture of surrender. Our group held his hands, circled around him, and thanked God for his life and for protection.
S OU T H C A ROL I NA Columbia Pearls Leader: Kimberly Poovey Email: youareapearl@gmail.com www.youareapearl.com
T E N N E S SE E Knoxville Hosea’s Heart Leader: Angie Duncan Email: info@hoseasheartknox.org www.hoseasheartknox.org Nashville Nashville Strip Church Leader: Erin Stevens Email: nashvillestripchurch@gmail.com www.nashvillestripchurch.com
“God is moving and working here in Houston. We are privileged to be a part of it, and pray for continued opportunities to awaken hope and empower change."
TEXAS Austin, San Antonio No Strings Attached Leader: Lisa Michelle Email: nsagirls@gvtc.com www.nsagirls.wix.com/no-strings-attached
S A L LY C OL L I E R J E S U S S A I D L OV E | HOU S T O N, T X
College Station, Dallas, Houston, Killeen, San Antonio, Waco Jesus Said Love Leader: Emily Mills Email: emily@jesussaidlove.com www.jesussaidlove.com
Killeen Go + Love Leader: Shannon Horn Email: goandloveministry@gmail.com www.facebook.com/GoandLoveMinistry San Angelo Lace Leader: Jaz James Email: WarriorForLace@gmail.com www.laceministries.org
Dallas/Ft. Worth We Are Cherished Leader: Polly Wright Email: info@wearecherished.com www.wearecherished.com
San Antonio Lavish Leader: Kayla Moilanen Email: contact@thelavishgirls.com www.thelavishgirls.com
Houston HOPE Leader: Jessica Sarpu Email: hope4houston@gmail.com
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U TA H
C A NA DA
Salt Lake City, Ogden You Are a Jewel Leader: Misty Gonzales Email: info@youareajewel.org www.youareajewel.org
Calgary StreetLight Leader: Ivy Friesen Email: ivy.friesen@yfccanada.org www.youthunlimitedcalgary.ca
V I RGI N I A
Moose Jaw, Regina Freedom Catalyst Regina Leader: Tina Maki Email: fcr@sasktel.net www.facebook.com/FreedomCatalystRegina
Hampton Roads Cherished Leaders: Carlie Gabbert & Shani Miller Email: cherishedva@gmail.com www.youarecherished.com
Ontario Heat The Street Leader: Lisa Canning Email: lisacanning@rogers.com
Richmond Strip Church RVA Leader: Tammy Dunkum Email: richmondstripchurch@gmail.com www.facebook.com/StripChurchRVA
Red Deer Precious Pearls Leader: Bridey Edgar Email: brideyandhaledgar@yahoo.ca
WA SH I NGT ON
Saskatoon Lilies Among Thorns Leader: Joeline Magill Email: latsaskatoon@gmail.com www.facebook.com/latsaskatoon
Seattle Strip Church Seattle Leader: Leslie Hawkins Email: stripchurch@gmail.com
W I S C ON SI N
U N I T E D K I NGD OM
Wausau Sweet Treats Leader: Wendi Boehen Email: sweettreatswausau@gmail.com
London Strip Church London Leader: Danielle Keen-O’Boyle Email: d.keenoboyle@gmail.com
W YOM I NG Cheyenne Love Made Claim Leader: Natasha Hurt Email: natasha@lovemadeclaim.com www.lovemadeclaim.com
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COME JOIN
We have close to 100 cities represented in the U.S, Canada and Europe. And guess what? This July many of them will all come together at our annual network alumni event. Do you have a passion to reach a place in your city that no one else is reaching? Do you have a desire to learn from others who have been there and can impart everything they know to help you be the best in ministry? Are you willing to step outside of the box? Come be a part of something great... The Strip Church Network stripchurch.com/jointhenetwork
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"YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A TOWN BUILT ON A HILL CANNOT BE HIDDEN." Matthew 5:14
STRIP CHURCH NEWSLETER 2016
COMING SOON
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WHY I CHOSE THE
NETBY CO R R I N E M A R TI N E Z B E U L A H S T R I P C H U R C H | C H I C AG O, I L
Why did I choose the Strip Church Network? I came to the training held in Chicago in 2015, and while there I went with the Strip Church team for an outreach experience into some area strip clubs. I was accompanied by a team of amazing women who experienced a variety of emotions that were strictly capped by the respect of walking into someone else's world. Some were terrified and intrigued at the same time by what they witnessed. Some were at peace, while some were consumed with hatred for the darkness that surrounded us. I was infused with all of these emotions, plus more! I was intoxicated with zeal for these strippers, but overwhelmed by the harsh reality that most churches will never even think to love the young woman I saw dancing half-naked around the pole. Most Christians are too busy loving the ones already sitting in their pews. Or loving those in their community. Many Christians are just too busy being comfortable! Yes, it's great to feed the homeless. To pay rent for a member who is enduring hardships. To lend your neighbor a helping hand. It's wonderful to donate your time and money to a good cause. But maybe God is calling some Christians to leave their place of comfort, make meals for strippers, pay for her baby sitter (yes, while she is out stripping!). What about lending a helping hand to her? The girl with a fake name and who is naked?! What if you donated your time and your money to pour out the love of Christ on her?
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"GOD IS CALLING SOME CHRISTIANS TO LEAVE THEIR PLACE OF COMFORT..."
STRIP CHURCH NEWSLETER 2016
DI V I N E LY BROK E N.
“I ENCOUNTERED LOVE, HOPE, ZEAL AND COMPASSION MORE IN THE STRIP CLUB THAN I HAVE EVER HAD IN CHURCH.”
Think about the man Jesus who was stripped naked. Bruised, humiliated, scorned, and tortured. Our pleasure from Him is that we can embrace the truth that when we die we have an eternal home in Him. Now, think about the women who are stripped naked to satisfy the lust of man. How she is emotionally bruised because rejection and abandonment have been her friends. Humiliated by the world who can't understand her pain. Publicly mocked because too many people think they are better than her! Spiritually tortured because too many Christians won’t rise up and speak truth into that stripper.
I AM HER. When we said "YES" to Jesus, we instantly became formed into His likeness. He is Love, and we have a responsibility to bring that love to others. And I don't know what that looks like for you, but I do know that it's not always going to be the most comfortable circumstance. I've been a Christian for 11 years and have been on a journey of love my whole life. Rejected as a child by my own family. Abused sexually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. My story isn't unique or unheard of, but this is my story and this is my testimony. God delivered me!
ST R I PPE R S W I T H DR E A M S . No women ever says "I want to be a stripper when I grow up." These women are who I used to be, and God’s called me to dream with them. You see, I've been a Christian for 11 years now and I, with so much passion will tell you that I encountered love, hope, zeal and compassion more in the strip club than I have ever had in church. I learned more about who Jesus is in me than I have sitting in on a Sunday service. I learned more about the hope of my calling sitting in the darkness of the strip club than I have on a missions trip in Honduras.
I was 19 years old when I started stripping for money. No, I never thought I'd be the girl without a name, naked and embarrassed, but I was. I was her for 9 1/2 years . Broken and lost and each year I made a goal to quit, but each year I had a new excuse for why I needed to be there. I was terrified I'd die stripping. No education, no solid relationship with Christ, and no real friends to wake me up from my slumber. Alone, and filled with anxiety, sex was the only thing to numb my soul. Other dancers turned to cocaine, meth, liquor, Xanax, or weed, but my drug was sex.
Isn't it astounding that God would use my past to bring glory to His name? This is what it looks like. To be uncomfortable, to be excited, to be willing no matter the cost. Here I am, walking into a life I once knew. The girl without a name & naked and walking in with my new name and robed in His love. She has a dream, and I want to show her the Jesus who can make that dream into a reality. I want to show her the truth that JESUS LOVES STRIPPERS!
But Jesus rescued me and turned my life around, and now I can go back into the clubs and share my story with these women who are just like me. And maybe just like you.
What about you? FIREPROOFMINISTRIES.COM
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My Daughter works
in a strip club
M I C H E LLE TR UA X | S T R I P C H U R C H D I R E C TO R | S T R I P C H U R C H .CO M
“I am absolutely so grateful for your church, for you to come into my daughter’s life. I’ve been trying to get her to go back to church for about 2 years now with no luck. She used to go very faithfully, but has some mental problems and has had some really rough times lately. Just got back into exotic dancing and some of your people came into the club where is currently working. It really meant a lot to her, encouraged her a lot, enough that she told me about it and sent me the link for your FB page. Thank you so much for being there for these people.”
Everything flashes through your mind from “Whose hands are they in and what are they going through or being exposed to?” to “What if our friends and family find out?” You remember back to their childhood when they blew bubbles, played with toys, and their purity and innocence was preserved. And of course underneath it all is the big question: “What can or should I do?”
I received an inbox message on the Strip Church Facebook page that I couldn’t wait to share with the network. This is why we do what we do. And it was a wake-up call that it could be our kid in that club. Who would we want our children to encounter if they had lost their way? Strip Church had become an answer to this mother’s heart cry for her daughter. What if you are the parent of someone who is working in the sex industry? What do you do? I’ve gotten so many emails from parents over the years that nothing surprises me anymore. I’ve heard from everyday parents as well as pastors whose kids end up in porn to the church secretary’s daughter working in a Vegas strip club. Heck, our very own founder was once a youth pastor; at a porn convention outreach once, he was approached by a woman who was once in a youth group he spoke to—she was working in porn films. No one is immune.
"STRIP CHURCH HAD BECOME AN ANSWER TO THIS MOTHER’S HEART CRY FOR HER DAUGHTER."
Say you’re a parent and you discover that your beloved son or daughter is working in the sex industry, and you are devastated.
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DO: • Reassure them that you still love them and support them— and most importantly that God does, too. • Cover them in love. The Bible tells us that Love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). It is up to your son or daughter to share this information with others, not you. It is understandable for you to seek support and guidance from a few trusted people, but discussing this with people who really cannot speak into it is in vain and will only further distance your child from you, potentially destroying your relationship. • Ask appropriate questions, like “Are you happy with your job? Do you feel safe? Do you need any extra support?” Don’t debate their answers. Don’t treat them or those they work with as if they have no dignity or have sold their soul. • PRAY. Never underestimate the power of your prayers! Nothing falls deaf on God’s ears. Nothing. Remember that your child is important to Him and He longs to move in their life.
DON’T: • Don’t get angry if they’ve been deceptive or kept this a secret from you. This is not the type of thing one usually wants to write home about. • Don't assume the worst. There are a lot of unfair stereotypes about sex-industry workers that do not apply to everyone, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that your son or daughter fits into any of those categories—or into your preconceived ideas. • Don’t try to talk them out of it. They are an adult and have made this decision as an adult regardless of the reasons you may or may not think are behind that decision. [If your child is under 18 and you’ve discovered this information, then call your local authorities or Children of the Night (24 hour hotline: 1.800.551.1300) for some counsel.] • Don’t expose or embarrass them. The last thing you want to do is out them to other family members or community. Again: just love them where they are and cover them in that love. That doesn’t mean you ignore the situation; it just means that you realize you cannot control it.
Want to know more? We have some great reading recommendations for parents of sex-industry workers: stripchurch.com/i-am-a-parent
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NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF SCRIPTURE.
OUR “JESUS LOVES STRIPPERS” BIBLES HAVE STARTED COUNTLESS CONVERSATIONS AND ARE ALWAYS A LIVING REMINDER OF OUR PRESENCE AFTER WE LEAVE. YOUR GENEROUS DONATION HELPS US KEEP FLOODING STRIP CLUBS WITH THE WORD OF GOD, OPENING DOORS AND CREATING DIALOGUE.
MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION TODAY AT: STRIPCHURCH.COM/DONATE
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