This is quite the turn of events. Unfortunate that the church there is protesting rather than embracing these girls. A lady in our church used to go to a local strip club and do the girl's makeup and tell them how beautiful they were and befriended them. I appreciate her much more now that I've read this.

Mike, I just put my thoughts about this story here:
http://ministryplace.net/2010/08/churchgoers-st…

I really see it as a No-Win situation, aside from God's grace intervening in a way that only He can…

That is fantastic.

I laughed pretty hard when I found this article the other day.

But really, it is just depressing.

Christians should not pass judgement on others, it's as simple as that. It's also in the bible.

Wow…and interestingly enough the church is called New Beginnings…yet they weren't willing to offer any grace and mercy and love to the joint in order for them to, perhaps, have a new beginning. That way these ladies wouldn't feel they have to do this in order to keep their homes or children.

It is sad really. I wasn't a Christian most of my life until about 10 years ago. I probably would have done the same things the girls did. I will be praying tonight for the Christians who attend New Beginnings has a change of heart…something only God can do.

Love that Mike.
I wish I had a connection there to tell them about this post so they take you up on your offer.
Maybe I will head down to Ohio and protest with the strippers myself. I won't wear a bikini though

This is an interesting story. On one hand, the church could be utilizing their time and resources in better ways it seems. If they feel so strongly about the strip club, I think the best thing they could be doing would be praying for God to work and move in the lives of those at the club from the patrons, the entertainers and the owners. It's hard to hate the person(s) you're earnestly praying for.

Secondly, it seems the church is trying to treat a symptom of a societal sin issue — that of selling sex. We are so thoroughly saturated by the idea of what sex is, that the church has lost its grip on the good gift God intended sex to be. Again, it just seems we need to be praying for guifance and wisdom as how to become the humble, grace-filled beacon that points others to Jesus.

Finally, the most tragic part of this story to me is the women who are being victimized by this industry. Even sadder is that they have bought into the lie that they are being empowered by this somehow. I'm certainly not trying to make light that they are supporting families and make a living. However it just makes me want to cry that women are still being reduced to objects for fantasy.

Hopefully if there is a Tater Skin Appetizer Summit '10, the. Pastor will have the grace to express to these women that there anger is not meant to be directed at the strippers, rather they are angry at an industry that exploits men and women as objects rather than image-bearers of God.

Interesting food for thought!

love the Tater Skin Appetizer Summit '10 idea! that made me smile

it covers both ends of the spectrum for sure…funny and depressing.

It's not fair of you to say that the fact that these women feel empowered by stripping is a lie. Just as people feel empowered by religion, sport, music, etc., these women have every right to do what they choose to do and what they feel empowered to do to feed their families.

It stands to reason that some of them are doing it because they can't do anything else, but none of us know that for certain. Generalizing, judging, and calling something a lie when we don't have the entire story is in some ways worse than what this church has done.

i don't think its right for the church to do what they did. It was of no surprise that the tables got turned.Matthew 7:15 (priceless). The church was being judgemental God himself hung out with the worst of the worst in his time. It would of been diffrent if the church approached them with love. If they took the time to see them the way God, would see them.I assure you any of those girls would quit theyre job if theyre rent was free & food was provided. I will be praying God is in control<3 <3 <3<3 Theres so much i want to say but this post is just to upseting

Potato twisters, or maybe just a game of Twister.

I find this hilarious..
rightfully so tho, If the church would put down the signs they use to protest.. and learn to acknowledge the strippers as broken people. They'd shut it down.
Shaming the “perps” will only band aid the wound… learning to serve and demonstrate Christ love will shine light into the darkest places.

http://Www.jesussaidlove.com Great ministry. Buy a Jesus Loves Strippers shirt. We've seen some God move mightily through that ministry.

Oh how I wish/hope/pray that SOMEONE talked to these women gently(as Jesus would have) and invited them into the church or skipped the service and sat to talk. I love that the women decided to fight back. I hate that they had to fight a church. For those women who are struggling, they don't need one more thing to defend themselves against. Grrr.

We are so great at pointing out what we seem to “not struggle” with at those around us. These girls have stories and are supporting for their family. Actually come to think of it they are living an open and honest life, which we can hardly say for the average church-goer. Couldn't agree more with a meal being the source of conflict resolution here. The Table has more power than we could fathom and not only does it nurture community, but brings everyone to the same level in society terms by simply sitting at the same table. Who sits at your table says a lot about you.

Does anyone else find irony in the naming of the church? New Beginnings? Wow. (Now I'm showing my lack of grace, but I get a bit ticked off at crap like this)

Well said Joni

yes….it is definitely ironic and amusing all at the same time.

I guess this church is forgetting the crowds that Jesus hung out with–prostitutes, tax collectors, and the general down-trodden and outcast of his day. If the church would remember to be more like Jesus, instead of more like some kind of “morality police force”, maybe people would actually be attracted to it, instead of hating it.

that's an incredibly moving gesture.

Wow, just saw this thread. Awful lot of judgment from the grace crowd. I know Pastor Bill and a number of the folks from New Beginning's, and I think that you've assumed the worst instead of finding out the real story. A church chooses to go into the community and call on men to repent and walk away from a strip club and be the men that God desires them to be, and call on the owners to close down a place that is hurting and degrading women and baiting men who are in turn being destroyed by their sin and hurting themselves and their families and all that you can do is judge and mock? It sure is getting hip and cliche to bash other Christians.

Listen to Second Mile – Russ Lee just about sums this up

hey joseph…thanks for your post…i think as you can see their is a lot of frustration about the tactics involved in the protest itself…New Beginnings is probably getting the brunt of the critique probably because it appears they have instigated the initial fight…of course we dont have all the details but im not sure that really matters at this point or relevant to the topic at hand..

i will be frank, i dont consider what Pastor Bill is doing is right or grace oriented…nor do i think the girls from the club picketing in front of the church is right…my hope(as stated in the post) is that everyone would stop the protesting, battling in court, etc. and actually sit down with each other and try and understand each others perspective and treat each other as human beings…

it is within that space that i believe good actually might come from the situation….

appreciate you joseph…peace..m.

Mike, with all due respect, not one person who posted snarky comments seems to even know what tactics were used, and I do think it is relevant.

You re-posted a an unsubstantiated claim that these gentle Christians were calling the employees “homewreckers and whores”, but left out “The New Beginnings pastor counters that he and the other protesters aren't there to condemn the dancers, but to offer them a way out. “I tell them, 'I will put a roof over your heads, and your bills will be paid, and your children's bellies will be full,'” he explains.” Isn't that quote at the very heart of POTSC? Even the heart of God? A pastor and a church with enough guts to go to a place that many religious people would never venture and share the love of Jesus, putting their money where their mouths are? Giving women a chance to be treasured and restored?

This is not Westboro Baptist club stirring up trouble for the sake of attention and making money off of lawsuits, this is a church that is endeavoring to have an impact in their community, bringing Jesus to people through every means available.

This could easily be any one of our churches trying to do something in obedience to God and being misconstrued, misunderstood and maligned as a result. I know that you and Jud can understand that.

I sure like the way that they DO it better than the way that most of us DON'T.

Let's stop knocking methodologies that don't line up with our tastes and preferences and start being the Church that God intends for us to be. Broken people, messed up for certain, but alive because of the grace and mercy that we have been shown, and making every effort to extend that same Good News to others.

God Bless You.

Mike, with all due respect, not one person who posted snarky comments seems to even know what tactics were used, and I do think it is relevant.

You re-posted a an unsubstantiated claim that these gentle Christians were calling the employees “homewreckers and whores”, but left out “The New Beginnings pastor counters that he and the other protesters aren’t there to condemn the dancers, but to offer them a way out. “I tell them, ‘I will put a roof over your heads, and your bills will be paid, and your children’s bellies will be full,’” he explains.” Isn’t that quote at the very heart of POTSC? Even the heart of God? A pastor and a church with enough guts to go to a place that many religious people would never venture and share the love of Jesus, putting their money where their mouths are? Giving women a chance to be treasured and restored?

This is not Westboro Baptist club stirring up trouble for the sake of attention and making money off of lawsuits, this is a church that is endeavoring to have an impact in their community, bringing Jesus to people through every means available.

This could easily be any one of our churches trying to do something in obedience to God and being misconstrued, misunderstood and maligned as a result. I know that you and Jud can understand that.

I sure like the way that they DO it better than the way that most of us DON’T.

Let’s stop knocking methodologies that don’t line up with our tastes and preferences and start being the Church that God intends for us to be. Broken people, messed up for certain, but alive because of the grace and mercy that we have been shown, and making every effort to extend that same Good News to others.

God Bless You.

[...] week I posted this story about strippers doing a counterprotest at New Beginnings [...]