Strip Club OutREACH Report & Resurrection Sunday

EASTER STRIP CLUB OUTREACH REPORT:  On Saturday evening, April 17th, the Beauty From Ashes (BFA) Ministries OutREACH team served up a home cooked meal of chicken, broccoli, and cheese casserole, mixed vegetable tossed salad,  rolls and carrot cake cupcakes with butter cream icing from the locker room of our "adopted" Fort Myers' strip club. Prayer for the food was provided by a dancer and the team listened with compassion as the employees shared about their heartaches, desperation to work somewhere else, family deaths, financial and health struggles, and feeling "stuck" through out the 3.5 hour outREACH. Words of encouragement, life, hope, and truth, and information about recovery services, was provided by the team. There were lots of hugs and tears as praise music played in the background. Many were prayed for, including the manager, and 6 women shared that they were looking for another job, 2 quit while the team was there and one was led in the sinner's prayer after the Gospel was shared with her. This Easter marks 8 years that BFA has been doing outREACHes in this particular club. BFA has been delivering outREACH gifts into strip clubs locally and nationally since 2003 (before we officially became a non profit public charity in 2005).  View OutREACH photos, CLICK HERE

NOTE FROM BFA FOUNDER:  This week has been Holy week & Finals week, which when concluded will mark the 1st year I've been a full time graduate student & 8 years ago this weekend I moved into my first apartment after surrendering my life to Christ's Lordship, being set free from captivity, relocating across the United States, & being reconciled with my biological father.

At the sunrise service (8 years ago) on the causeway, hosted by Sanibel Community Church (SCC), Steve Shematz saw me for the first time ever.  As a staff member of Teen Challenge, he watched me from afar as one of the student's pet my dog. The following week I was a first time visitor at the church he'd been attending in the heart of Fort Myers inner city, Dunbar.  Little did either of us know that 3 months later we'd be married & 4 months later I'd be a full time staff member at SCC. My healing journey in experiencing what an unconditionally loving, authentic, committed & healthy community began.  

Beauty From Ashes Ministries was conceived in my heart the night I rededicated my life in Indianapolis, Indiana (on Yom Kippur) and birthed in the SCC sanctuary at a noon prayer meeting where I shared my testimony and the vision with individuals that are still powerhouse intercessors for it today.

7 years ago, on this weekend, myself and another over-comer, a founding board member of BFA,  went into what is known now as BFA's "adopted" strip club with roses and invitation flyers to the sunrise service.  The manager (the same today) told me, "you can do anything you want, this is your club".  We received that as a prophetic declaration. 

This Resurrection Sunday, at the sunrise service on the causeway, will certainly be a Celebration for many reasons for me personally and I invite anyone in the area to join us.  Service starts at 6:30am. Bring a lawn chair and expect to experience love and be renewed.  All are welcome, including strippers, addicts, and freaks. 

Regardless of where you are, I hope that you receive the revelation of Who God is, what He did to reunite you with Him, and invite Him into your heart to be Savior and Lord. 

"And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name."  Romans 1:4-5 NLT  

From the board, staff and volunteers at Beauty From Ashes Ministries, Happy Resurrection Weekend!

Because He lives, we live.  

Julie Shematz 

Founder & CEO

Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries  

Where Victims Become Over-Comers