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!
