When someone is seriously injured, the first step is to stop the bleeding. But after this has been done, we must move onto surgery and then ongoing care. Simply stopping the bleeding does not bring healing and set the injured on the road to health. Instead, the wound will become infected and usually result in a long and painful death.
For someone whose life is in crisis because of homelessness or addiction, we cannot simply stop at relief. Their life has become unmanageable. Chaos has become the norm. They need more than a few bucks or a place to crash for a night. They need deep friendships and community. They need a life and heart transformation. Like all of us, they need Jesus Christ.
Jefferson Street Baptist Center’s Fresh Start program exists for these very things.
100% of the profits from the sale of this Spendyourself shirt are used to bring hope, healing and restoration to the homeless of Louisville by funding the Fresh Start program.
This t-shirt is about Christ transforming the homeless and hurting. It is about God setting us free from our cages and making us into new creatures.
Jefferson Street Baptist Center exists to extend gospel-centered mercy to the homeless and hurting of the greater Louisville area. JSBC’s Fresh Start is a 6-month Christ-Centered, grace-based, disciplined and structured program which offers men a practical experience in a safe and comfortable environment and is designed to assist men who are struggling with life dominating issues.
Jesus Christ alone brings true transformation. Like the phoenix, we are meant to die in order to be reborn. For the men who are a part of JSBC’s Fresh Start program, most have spent many years trying to do life in their own way and on their own terms. But like the phoenix, they must die in order to be reborn.
The Fresh Start program is about more than just making good citizens of the United States. It’s about Christ bringing new citizens into the Kingdom of God. The community that surrounds men during their time in Fresh Start includes Christian mentors, urban missionaries, biblical counselors, biblical teachers, life skill teachers, the local church and other men in recovery. It is about Christ working through community to bring transformation to the homeless and hurting.
Our New Club!
Walking into an unfamiliar place. Not knowing what to expect we anxiously awaited to see what the owners would say. God has been preparing the hearts of our team for quite some time to step out and take on another club or two. The only way to be able to start serving in a new club is to GO into the club and ask.
So Sarah, Hannah and myself decided to take Friday evening to visit some clubs. Just simply praying for God to open doors is one thing, but believing God will open doors is a completely different story! Then watching God open the doors is literally the most humbling moment I personally have been able to experience.
We visited one after another and realized very quickly we needed to have male escorts in all of them. We were immediately turned away if we did not have them.
We kept trying different clubs until like I stated before God literally opened that door for us. We walked up to the front door of one particular club and a man walked out right as we walked in. We walked in and up to the bar. The first thing out of the bartenders mouth was “since you ladies don’t have escorts, I’m going to need to ask you to not talk to the customers while you’re in here” enough said, I thought. We ordered some cokes and sat down at a table. It wasn’t terribly busy, a few of the girls came over and talked with us and the first things out of their mouths were “what are you all doing in a place like this?” I guess we had big signs on our heads that clearly stated this wasn’t our typical hang out.
One girl, J came up to us and wanted to know each of our names. She was a really sweet young girl. We told her our names, and she quickly told us that HER mother was the OWNER of this club. My mouth almost dropped to the ground, I thought wow Lord, you couldn’t of been more clear with this one. We told her we would like to talk to her mom. Her mother is not only the owner of this club, but a bartender/dancer. It was heartbreaking to know and see a mother and daughter doing this for a living. So we talked to the owner, J’s mom – PH about coming in and serving in that club.
PH is going to be thinking about it and told us she needed a day or two to think about it, she almost lost her bar last week because of the economy she stated. So PLEASE keep this in your prayers. We are heading back into that club to hear her decision on Sunday night. Prayers are very much appreciated!!
Now you may be wondering, so then what happened with the one you did get?
Let’s just say God has a sense of humor that’s a lot funnier than I am and HE has led us to the largest club in Louisville. It was quite intimidating when we pulled in the parking lot. We didn’t know what to expect, or where to even go.
When we approached the front doors there were legit, microphones and everything, bouncers outside the club. Sarah and I immediately recognized the bouncer. C, the bouncer was the original bouncer at our very first club we ever went to. He got to know us and truly became very respectful to us. C, told us we had to have an escort and once again we did not have that. So i just told C that we wanted to actually just talk to the general manager if we could and ask if we could do the same thing we did at his old club, in this club.
He said ”yeah for sure, come with me!” My mind was racing with just how incredible awesome God is, at this point. The actual owner of this club came and got us and we went to his office, where we told him what we were wanting to do. We noticed that they have food there, so we knew that was probably not an option. He quickly agreed.
So we presented to him that we’d like to come in once a week and have a pampering night for the girls! He thought we were crazy! After some intense back and forth, he agreed to let us come in next Friday! But said he wanted to know what the dancers response was before allowing us to come back after Friday. I could hardly believe my ears!!! You will!!!! Oh my goodness, I wanted to scream, drop to my knees and praise God, right at that moment! But then I knew he would definitly think I was crazy!
So we asked if we could see where we would set up. He took us to the dressing room and told dancer A to show us around. There were probably a dozen girls in the dressing room. We went in, introduced ourselves told them what we were going to do! EVERY SINGLE dancer was beyond EXCITED!!! I would have to say that was also a God moment, because it already let’s us know how they are going to respond! They are very excited to have us.
So many many things to pray for!
We know the Lord will provide all of our needs. Since this not a cooking/serving food club. We are in some quick need of getting some supplies for these women.
Please see what our needs are and if you can help contact me asap:
New Makeup (clean out your closet, drawers, if you have never worn makeup)
Makeup sponges
Makeup brushes
Curling Irons
Brushes
Hairspray
Nail polish
Lotions
Flat Irons
Bobby Pens
We get to have the dancers undivided attention during this time. It will be a much more intimate approach to loving on these women. We are so excited to get to share what God’s beauty is truly like.
God made each of them beautiful and we are thankful for the opportunity to let them know of their beauty both inside and out.
Serving an amazing Father,
Rachelle Starr & The Scarlet Hope Team
A great way to start 2010! Our friend Nevan has organized a night of what promises to be a wide variety of speakers. He was able to line up guys like Denny Crum and Pat Day, as well a couple of my favorites – Bob Russell and Wesley Korir.
We are going to be there and it should be a great time!
-Lee
For more on the event, please visit the Louisville Success site here.
Help the homeless get a fresh start. Read More
Buy a shirt to support Earthquake relief in Haiti. Read More
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