A long time ago I told you about a ministry I felt called to get rolling up here in Practically Canada. In case you missed it, you can read the full post here.
In case you’ve forgotten, I’ll give you a brief refresher course.
More than a year ago I became aware of a big time boom in the adult entertainment industry in North Dakota, due in large to the oil/construction book that is taking place up here. After praying and Googling I found an organization called Strip Church. They specialize in training and supporting ministry outreaches that work with women in the sex industry. {Namely at strip clubs.} I attended a training conference to learn up on all things strip club, and came home with the tools needed to spearhead this effort locally.
I worked for months trying to get things in line. But everything moved slowly. More slowly than I anticipated. Spring turned to summer, turned to fall and still we weren’t in the clubs.
You’ve flown a kite, right? Think about standing in the yard, or the field or wherever you are with your kite. You stand there, waiting. Because you can’t fly a kite with no wind. So you wait. Then, all at once the wind picks up and you’ve got to run to get your kite to catch it. It’s exhausting, but eventually the wind catches and you can stand still, catch your breath and guide it as it flies.
That’s kind of how getting our ministry off the ground has been. Nothing….then suddenly…wind. So I’ve been running with it. It’s been tiring and stressful, and has taken me away from writing as much as I like, but it’s worth the run. I presented the idea to our congregation and received overwhelming support. A group of more than 30 have volunteered to participate, and even more have been kind enough to make donations to the cause. My hope is that after we get an outreach routine established it’ll be more like guiding the kite than running with it, but for know I’m content to run.
So, yeah. It’s happening. For real. And if we haven’t talked face to face in a while {or ever} about this, I’m sure you are wondering how one goes about starting and outreach in the strip clubs. Let me explain.
First of all, our North Dakota outreach is called Dakota Pearls. The name comes from the fact that we believe we can all be made into precious gems through Christ…no matter how lowly our beginnings. After all, a pearl starts with nothing more than a single piece of dirt.
Dakota Pearls is a “gifting” ministry. This means that we are not about slinging Bibles, judging, demanding that these ladies come to church or quit their jobs. Instead we will approach them with dignity, respect, and gifts. Physical, literal gifts without expecting anything in return. The giving of a no-strings-attached gift symbolizes that we love them, not because we want something from them…but because we value them as individuals. We will go to the clubs instead of asking them to come to us. Jesus never told the sinners to come to Him in His house. He went to their homes. He dined in the house of tax collectors, He spoke to prostitutes. A message of love {especially love from a stranger} is less awkward when you go to their home turf.
The mission is to instill in these women that they are valued for more than their bodies or what they are willing to do with their bodies. To show them that they have been created for a purpose. The mission is not to picket the clubs or even shut them down. That can be someone else’s mission. We are simply here to love and cherish these people.
The question I get most from people who are skeptical is: Why go to these women? They are making a lot of money and probably like it that way.
My answer is simple and backed by the research of people who study this industry. No one wants to make a living stripping. No amount of money is worth devaluing a woman.
This is not a life of dignity. Up to 90% of women working in clubs are current victims of sexual abuse or have been abused in the past. It’s estimated that around 85% of women working in the clubs would like to leave the industry, but feel trapped. Stripping is a gateway to heavier things, like prostitution and human trafficking.
Every person in this world is built with an eternal capacity. I wrote about that recently. Read the post here. Why shouldn’t my heart break over these souls as much as any other? Don’t tell me that there are plenty of people working safer, less grimy jobs that I could witness to. You go do that. I can do that too. A light seems brighter the darker the space. I went and visited with the club managers last weekend and I assure you, this field is ripe for the picking. These women are important. Just as important and worthy of saving as anyone else on the street.
To keep this from getting too long, I’ll cut off here. I’ve got a post ready for tomorrow that will continue to explain the ministry {sorry I got a little heated toward the end there.} That post will fully explain what our clubs are like, who is there, why they are making so much money, and what we plan to do on our first ever outreach visit! So be sure to come back.
Isn’t it funny that God called one of His most awkward, un-cool, un-club-scene servants for this task?
Amy
