With the season of Thanksgiving upon us, it is a time to reflect with a heart of gratitude. I am simply amazed at what God has done in the past year and indeed, since 2005, when Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries was officially established as a 501 (c) 3, public charity. We started with strip club outREACHes at a time when they were virtually unheard of (less than 5 ministries nationwide doing them). Today, there are more than 190 faith based organizations doing strip club outREACHes and we've served 2000+ women, men and children through over 30 programs and services designed with one mission in mind: to prevent, reach, and restore victims of sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. Thank you Lord, for the lives that have been touched with the message of hope and the tangible means to recover from injustices and trauma that have happened to them.
Please join with me and our prayer team in praying this month for the following:
CLIENTS: Every week we have the privilege and honor of providing professional helping services to individuals seeking lifestyle changes. Agree with us that they be blessed with the gift of faith and the ability to embrace hope for change through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Pray for the young woman in a third world country, who was smuggled in under false pretenses and desperately wants to return to her country of origin and the adult domestic survivor who passionately wants to serve but is turned away constantly because of the reality of a criminal record when she was a victim 20+ years ago. Please pray also for a recent widow, who lost her husband less than 9 months ago. Agree with us that each of these women, and others with facing their own daily struggles, be set totally free and healed emotionally and mentally. Agree with us that the minds of our client''s be transformed with the truth of God that will set them free to be all that God purposed and designed them to be. Pray that our clients' identities would be restored to who they are in Christ and all lies contrary would be removed from their thought patterns. Agree with us for renewed and transformed minds.
OUTREACHES: From the 190+ strip club outREACHes, to porn show outREACHes, to street, internet, and call center outREACHes, lift all of them up and those being Christ's hands and feet on the front lines. Agree with us that the love and grace of God saturate everything the outREACH teams do and say.
PROGRAMS & SERVICES: Pray with us for the consulting services with other faith based, nationally known organizations in the development of victim centered emergency, transitional, and long term housing, and comprehensive recovery services. Agree with us that every detail of the programs be of God's perfect will. Pray for our new Healthy Living Programs and the development of gardens for sustainable living for our clients. Agree with us that the gardens produce an abundant ongoing harvest of organic foods. Pray for the development of online, interactive, merchant based, training programs and the delivery of online counseling services for victims nationally and worldwide. For a complete list of our programs and services, CLICK HERE
EQUINE PROGRAMS: We give all the glory to the Lord that our Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning Programs are providing. Witnessing clients gain incredible revelations and effective outcomes in a short amount of time using the horses is powerful. Please pray that the health of the horses be sustained and for the full recovery of our therapy colt, Morning Star Spirit. For more information on the programs and equine facility,CLICK HERE.
EAGLE'S LANDING: We launched a new program in October called Eagle's Landing that 12 individuals (including overcomers) have already participated in. Pray for the families participating, that their time with us would be refreshing, renewing, and peaceful. For more information on the program, CLICK HERE.
CURRENT NEEDS: Pray that God would raise up individuals willing to sponsor or co-sponsor our therapy horses to help offset their monthly expenses. Agree with us for a picnic table, riding boots, and cases of bottled water. CLICK HERE for the entire list of our needs.
FUNDING: Please pray for the Matching Gift Challenge currently going on through November 18th. Pray that we would meet our goal of $10,000 and that God would raise up partners willing to give financially to support us preventing, reaching, and restoring individuals who have been victims of sexual exploitation, abuse and trafficking.
PARTNERSHIPS: Partnerships are crucial to extending the work into which the Lord has led us, and we are thankful for the current partnerships, and especially the new ones that have been established. Please pray for protection for all of our partners, and that the Lord continues to orchestrate divine interactions according to His perfect plans and purposes.
EVENTS: Pray that every event BFA is involved in brings glory and honor to the Lord, declaring His goodness and His desire to break the chains of injustice.
VOLUNTEERS: Thank God for the 20+ new volunteers trained in October! Pray a blessing over each of them as they give of their time and talent. Many of the volunteers are college students; pray that they be able to establish excellent time management skills and their studies be blessed. Pray for the November 9th Volunteer Orientation. Agree with us that only those God hand picks as volunteers will attend.
STAFF: Thank God for Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) providing employees to Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries through their Work/Study program! Pray for our new staff as they balance their schedules with school and work. Pray God bless FGCU, for their ongoing supportive partnership of BFA.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS & ADVISORS: Pray that God would raise up who He wants to add to our Board of Directors and that they would actively engage themselves in the ministries of Beauty From Ashes™. Pray God's perfect will be done.
OTHER LIKE MINISTRIES/AGENCIES: We praise the Lord for the numerous organizations and ministries throughout America and the world, striving to bring Christ's hope to the hopeless; to see victims of sexual exploitation, abuse and trafficking set free and restored by His wonderful love. Pray that we are unified in our desire to spread the Gospel, and that we all serve with humility, integrity, honor and respect. Pray for protection in all areas; that strong boundaries exist and every bit of our work is driven by Biblical priorities. Pray, too, for the families and friends of all involved in ministry, and that every relationship is found to be Christ-centered.
WEEKLY GLOBAL PRAYER: Please join us each Friday from 8-9am EST to intercede for victims of sexual exploitation, sex slavery, & sex trafficking, as well as the agencies servicing them. CLICK HERE for Prayer Guide.
PRAYER REQUESTS: Send us your prayer requests by CLICKING HERE
MONTHLY ePRAYER SIGN UP: CLICK HERE
BFA eNEWSLETTER: CLICK HERE to view our latest eNews and sign up to receive them in the future.
"In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.'" 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NASB
As we all gather around and give thanks this season, please know how very grateful we are for every single one of you, and that we are praying for you all to have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving season, full of the love of Christ and the revelation of His amazing grace.
With utmost gratitude,
Julie Shematz, MA
Please join with me and our prayer team in praying this month for the following:
CLIENTS: Every week we have the privilege and honor of providing professional helping services to individuals seeking lifestyle changes. Agree with us that they be blessed with the gift of faith and the ability to embrace hope for change through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Pray for the young woman in a third world country, who was smuggled in under false pretenses and desperately wants to return to her country of origin and the adult domestic survivor who passionately wants to serve but is turned away constantly because of the reality of a criminal record when she was a victim 20+ years ago. Please pray also for a recent widow, who lost her husband less than 9 months ago. Agree with us that each of these women, and others with facing their own daily struggles, be set totally free and healed emotionally and mentally. Agree with us that the minds of our client''s be transformed with the truth of God that will set them free to be all that God purposed and designed them to be. Pray that our clients' identities would be restored to who they are in Christ and all lies contrary would be removed from their thought patterns. Agree with us for renewed and transformed minds.
OUTREACHES: From the 190+ strip club outREACHes, to porn show outREACHes, to street, internet, and call center outREACHes, lift all of them up and those being Christ's hands and feet on the front lines. Agree with us that the love and grace of God saturate everything the outREACH teams do and say.
PROGRAMS & SERVICES: Pray with us for the consulting services with other faith based, nationally known organizations in the development of victim centered emergency, transitional, and long term housing, and comprehensive recovery services. Agree with us that every detail of the programs be of God's perfect will. Pray for our new Healthy Living Programs and the development of gardens for sustainable living for our clients. Agree with us that the gardens produce an abundant ongoing harvest of organic foods. Pray for the development of online, interactive, merchant based, training programs and the delivery of online counseling services for victims nationally and worldwide. For a complete list of our programs and services, CLICK HERE
EQUINE PROGRAMS: We give all the glory to the Lord that our Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning Programs are providing. Witnessing clients gain incredible revelations and effective outcomes in a short amount of time using the horses is powerful. Please pray that the health of the horses be sustained and for the full recovery of our therapy colt, Morning Star Spirit. For more information on the programs and equine facility,CLICK HERE.
EAGLE'S LANDING: We launched a new program in October called Eagle's Landing that 12 individuals (including overcomers) have already participated in. Pray for the families participating, that their time with us would be refreshing, renewing, and peaceful. For more information on the program, CLICK HERE.
CURRENT NEEDS: Pray that God would raise up individuals willing to sponsor or co-sponsor our therapy horses to help offset their monthly expenses. Agree with us for a picnic table, riding boots, and cases of bottled water. CLICK HERE for the entire list of our needs.
FUNDING: Please pray for the Matching Gift Challenge currently going on through November 18th. Pray that we would meet our goal of $10,000 and that God would raise up partners willing to give financially to support us preventing, reaching, and restoring individuals who have been victims of sexual exploitation, abuse and trafficking.
PARTNERSHIPS: Partnerships are crucial to extending the work into which the Lord has led us, and we are thankful for the current partnerships, and especially the new ones that have been established. Please pray for protection for all of our partners, and that the Lord continues to orchestrate divine interactions according to His perfect plans and purposes.
EVENTS: Pray that every event BFA is involved in brings glory and honor to the Lord, declaring His goodness and His desire to break the chains of injustice.
VOLUNTEERS: Thank God for the 20+ new volunteers trained in October! Pray a blessing over each of them as they give of their time and talent. Many of the volunteers are college students; pray that they be able to establish excellent time management skills and their studies be blessed. Pray for the November 9th Volunteer Orientation. Agree with us that only those God hand picks as volunteers will attend.
STAFF: Thank God for Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) providing employees to Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries through their Work/Study program! Pray for our new staff as they balance their schedules with school and work. Pray God bless FGCU, for their ongoing supportive partnership of BFA.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS & ADVISORS: Pray that God would raise up who He wants to add to our Board of Directors and that they would actively engage themselves in the ministries of Beauty From Ashes™. Pray God's perfect will be done.
OTHER LIKE MINISTRIES/AGENCIES: We praise the Lord for the numerous organizations and ministries throughout America and the world, striving to bring Christ's hope to the hopeless; to see victims of sexual exploitation, abuse and trafficking set free and restored by His wonderful love. Pray that we are unified in our desire to spread the Gospel, and that we all serve with humility, integrity, honor and respect. Pray for protection in all areas; that strong boundaries exist and every bit of our work is driven by Biblical priorities. Pray, too, for the families and friends of all involved in ministry, and that every relationship is found to be Christ-centered.
WEEKLY GLOBAL PRAYER: Please join us each Friday from 8-9am EST to intercede for victims of sexual exploitation, sex slavery, & sex trafficking, as well as the agencies servicing them. CLICK HERE for Prayer Guide.
PRAYER REQUESTS: Send us your prayer requests by CLICKING HERE
MONTHLY ePRAYER SIGN UP: CLICK HERE
BFA eNEWSLETTER: CLICK HERE to view our latest eNews and sign up to receive them in the future.
"In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.'" 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NASB
As we all gather around and give thanks this season, please know how very grateful we are for every single one of you, and that we are praying for you all to have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving season, full of the love of Christ and the revelation of His amazing grace.
With utmost gratitude,
Julie Shematz, MA
Founder
Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries
Where Victims Become Over-Comers
"Survivors must be leaders in the development of services, shelter, and response protocols to s*x trafficking.”
- National Report on Domestic Minor S*x Trafficking
- National Report on Domestic Minor S*x Trafficking
AWARENESS & PREVENTION • REACH & RESCUE • TEACH & DEMONSTRATE • TRAIN & SEND