The Power of Love

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Corinthians 4:14-15

I received an e-mail from Jennifer Colella, who leads Tomoka Christian’s ministry to strip clubs called Power of Love. She and her ministry team went on an outreach on Friday. “Each time we go out, we can see the hearts of the lost being drawn closer to God,” Jennifer said. “Little bit by little bit they become more comfortable around the 'church ladies.’ They engage us in conversation and we can see God building the trust necessary to open the doors for relationship.” Below is Jennifer’s report from the night.

We had such an exciting outreach Friday night. God's favor was amazing! At the first club, as we waited for permission to visit with the girls, a young lady approached us and began a conversation with us. She told us she wanted out of the business and is only there to complete her college education. She went on to tell us that her father was a preacher and had died of a rare disease and hasn't been to church since he passed away. She explained that she wanted to complete college so she can work with children who died of the same disease her father did. She seemed to be struggling deeply with her father's death and with God. Once we received permission to pass out the bags, we gave her a card and invited her to call us and suggested meeting for coffee so we could talk some more. Please pray that she would be moved to call us and be willing to meet with us outside of the club. Pray for God to provide the income she needs to be able to leave the business. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to soften the manager’s heart. Pray for the other employees to come to know Jesus as Savior, and for continued favor at that club.

At the next club, most of the ladies were new, but the bartender recognized us and stretched her arm out over the bar and asked if she could have a bag. She said: "I'm not dancing tonight, but I still want my bag!" We laughed and happily handed her a bag. The atmosphere overall was unusually very heavy. On the way out we chatted with the new owner, who thanked us for coming and wished us well. Please pray these women and men would come to know the saving grace and healing power of Jesus Christ.

At the next club, we began passing out bags and on the way out of the dressing room we gave a bag to a young lady who seemed to be in a hurry but curiously searched through the bag asking a lot of questions. It was the first time we had met her, she'd only been working there about 4 months. We told her there was a card in the bag with contact information if she needed anything or had any questions. At the bar we met a woman who was very friendly and grateful for the bags. She said she regularly attends church but she looked very weary and in need of the Lord's comfort. Please pray for both ladies to know God's truth and surrender their lives to Jesus.

At the next club, we began passing out bags and one of the ladies at the bar cheered: "Hey, it's the church ladies!" as she smiled and reached for her bag. Everyone was very friendly and seemed happy to see us. We talked with one woman in the dressing room who thanked us for the bag and explained that she had a daughter who was having a birthday tomorrow and said she was going to give her the bag as a present. On the way out, we handed her an extra bag and said: "This one is for you." She smiled and gave us a hug and thanked us again. We stopped at the DJ booth to give the DJ a bag of treats. Please pray for the women at this and all the clubs who have children. Pray for God's protection over those children. Pray for the Father to provide the financial relief these mothers need to support their children without having to work in the strip clubs. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the male employees towards God and His Word.

The end of the night led us to the doors of a club that only allows us to leave gift bags at the door for the ladies. We were again denied permission to pass out bags, but we left the bags at the door with the manager and one of the dancers. Although the manager always seems to be bothered with our persistence in delivering gifts to the ladies, our hope is that the women will know we have not forgotten them. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the owner, managers, dancers and other employees at that club. Pray for God's will to be done in that place. Ask God to have mercy on the lost inside those walls and for the saving grace of Jesus to transform their lives.

As we closed out the night, we were in awe of God's immense favor and the power of God's Spirit working to soften the hearts of the lost we so desperately want to see know His love.

Note: If you want to help ensure that this ministry can expand the number of filled bags to distribute, you are invited to donate 3 to 4 ounce bottles of new, quality scented body wash, lotion & sprays; fashionable jewelry (bracelets, earrings and necklaces); and new make-up of all sizes and brands (samples OK). Donations may be deposited in the Power of Love basket on the Mission Wall in the Cafe. Jennifer may be e-mailed here.

Power of Love update

Jennifer Colella leads TCC's ministry to strip clubs, Power of Love. Below is an update from the most recent visit she and her team made to the downtown Daytona area.

Praise God for another safe and successful outreach! We headed to Daytona Friday night bearing gifts of homemade cupcakes and Valentine's gift bags filled with goodies for the ladies. We went to club #1 and were given favor once again. The ladies were happy to receive the bags and cupcakes. One young lady asked why we were giving her gifts. When told it was because she is worthy and loved, her eyes welled up with tears. She said no one had ever told her she was worthy before. On the way out, after giving out the last bag, we realized a young lady was following us. We turned around and with a shy hello we realized she wanted a bag! We asked her to hold on as we went out to the van and got a bag just for her. In return we got a big hug, a smile and a thank you.

We headed to club #2. The owner wasn't around, but we were still welcomed in. Once in, we were shocked to find out that by 8 p.m. they had 70 women! We knew we didn't have enough bags, so we decided to hand out what we had in our hands and come back after we went to the other clubs if we had extra bags. We went to the dressing room to drop off the cupcakes and passed out bags to all the ladies there and made our way back out to the van. We were heartbroken to leave without giving everyone a bag, but we felt sure we would have extra bags after we finished the last two clubs.

We went on to club #3. There were a lot of ladies there, but mostly new faces. We didn't see any of the regulars. Club #4 was like a ghost town. We did get to talk with the manager, but there were only two dancers and a bartender working. Like all the other times, the atmosphere was so heavy and depressing.

We were excited to have extra bags so we could go back to club #2. This time as we made our way around the floor, we saw the owner. The last time we saw him on our Christmas outreach he was very anxious because his girlfriend, who was struggling with drugs, had been missing and no one knew where she was. This time however, he was very excited to see us and even told us his prayers had been answered. He explained that his girlfriend has been clean and sober for three months now and was very happy that their relationship was doing well. He then pointed to the stage and said: "There she is." If you remember, months ago he had told us that she wanted him to quit the business and that it was the club environment that caused her drug problem. We were excited to hear she's sober, but knowing that she's back in the club raises concern. The really awesome thing about this whole situation is that we know her heart is to see them both out of this business. She has asked him to quit many times. She's sober right now and we were able to meet her and give her a bag. The seed has been planted, and God is working.

Before leaving we apologized to the owner of club #2 for not having enough bags for all the ladies. He said most of these girls weren't regulars anyway and it doesn't matter because we come all year long and any of the regulars we missed will catch us another time. That was so encouraging to hear him express his approval and even expectancy to see us again. I told him we'd be back in April so that any of the ladies who have missed us in the past will be able to count on a date that they could see us and receive a bag. I also asked him if the girls liked what they were receiving in the bags. He said, "Absolutely, these women are like little girls on the inside and need to be treated special, but these guys don't get that. They don't understand. The girls love it when you come in here and give 'em gifts." God has so blessed us with this club! Already, the team can't wait to go back! What a wonderful ending to the outreach! This was the fastest outreach we've ever had, and although it would of been nice to have more bags, the night went extremely well with God reminding the team just how important this ministry is and confirming that we need to keep going with an expectant heart because we are expected!

We had an added surprise blessing after the outreach. One of the ladies we met on an outreach contacted us and wanted to go to church with us! A team member picked her up Sunday morning and we got to worship with her and she even went up front after service with a team member to pray. After church we were able to take her to lunch and had a really wonderful morning. God is so faithful and good!

Thank you so much for all your prayers and hard work with the bags, baked goods, and donating time, money and supplies. This Kingdom work couldn't be done without all of you. You are special, you are appreciated and loved very much!

Note: If you want to help ensure that this ministry can expand the number of filled bags to distribute, you are invited to donate 3 to 4 ounce bottles of new, quality scented body wash, lotion & sprays; fashionable jewelry (bracelets, earrings and necklaces); and new make-up of all sizes and brands (samples OK). Donations may be deposited in the Power of Love basket on the Mission Wall in the Cafe. Jennifer may be e-mailed here.

They Will Know Us By Our Love

God is moving in unbelievable ways through the ladies of the Power of Love ministry to area strip clubs. You’ve got the read the story below from ministry leader Jennifer Colella about one lady whose life, through Christ, may never be the same.

I wanted to give you an update on some things that have happened since our last outreach. The Sunday after our October outreach I received a phone call from one of the dancers we met at a lounge. She was very anxious and upset explaining that she had been abandoned, abused and was far away from home. When she told me her name was Susan,* I immediately remembered her and her story from the night of the outreach. When she called, she was a few hours from being homeless, had about $15 to her name and it became clear to me we were in a crisis situation. I told her to sit tight and I would make some phone calls. One of our team members met with her and spent many hours talking and praying with Susan to better understand her situation and figure out how we could help. We realized that Susan had come to a fork in the road. She had been abandoned by a man who had hurt her and would likely continue to do so if she went back to him. She had family members that care about her, have been praying for her and trying to keep her sober and in the church for many years now. Susan knew that going home was the right thing to do but, she was afraid, ashamed, embarrassed and convicted. The bottom line was, we couldn't force her to do the right thing. She had to make that decision for herself. So we explained to her that we wanted to see her start over and begin trusting God with her life. We told her we'd get her a bus ticket back to her family in New Jersey if she decided she wanted to start over. She was still undecided so we told her she could have until 6 PM to make a decision, then the offer expired. The following hours were tough, but we prayed and prepared for whatever would happen next.

Praise God, Susan called and asked us to purchase the ticket! We picked her up at her hotel and drove her to the bus station. As her departure time approached, we reached for her shaky hands and gathered in a circle at the bus station to pray with her. All the time I kept praying, Lord, she's not a waste, please stay close to her and don't let her go. As we departed and walked back to the car, I just kept wondering: What would become of her? Did we do enough? Did we do too much? What would have happened to her if we didn't help her?

All night and the next morning I kept picturing Susan's bloodshot eyes, the weary look on her face from all the years of drug use, abuse and pain. I thought to myself: Will she really try and turn her life around, or did she hop off the bus at the first stop and get herself right into another crisis situation? That afternoon, my outreach partner called me to say Susan has been in touch with her and is “doing fine so far." When Susan finally made it back to New Jersey, she continued calling and my partner has even been on speaker phone with some of Susan's family members! Susan is living with her sister, going to church, asking spiritual questions, considering work and school and still needs lots of prayers. She is working on changing her life. She needs prayers for emotional and mental stability and prayers that she will maintain her sobriety.

Your prayers, encouragement, donations and support are what keep this ministry going into our mission field to help these ladies find their way out of these strip clubs. This is the second time we've met a woman on an outreach in a crisis situation who has called us and we were able to pray with her and see her leave the business. If it weren’t for your faithfulness in donating the items for bags, volunteering your time and the financial support to be able to purchase a bus ticket, we wouldn't be a part of the lives of these ladies. I'm already looking forward to the December 11 outreach, anxious to see what God will do next! Thank you for your commitment to the Kingdom. May God bless your faithfulness. You are all loved and appreciated!

* The lady's name was changed to protect her identity.

Power of Love ministry highlights

Below is another report from Jennifer, who leads Power of Love, Tomoka Christian’s ministry to women working in area strip clubs.

Praise God for another wonderful outreach. The team began the evening with a powerful time of prayer, then set out.

At the first club, the owner met us at the door. He was very friendly and invited us in. One of the girls would not accept a bag from us, but the rest of the ladies were very friendly. After we passed out the bags the owner invited us to come back later when more girls were working. While there we had quite a conversation with the owner, reminding me how much the men employed by these clubs need our prayers as well. They are caught up in a world of sin and bondage and are just as lost, trapped and hurting as the women.

The owner of the second club was outside when we arrived. He was very friendly and welcomed us in. One woman we conversed with told us she goes to church every Wednesday and Sunday and was embarrassed to be stripping. She knew it was wrong, but had recently been diagnosed with cancer and was working to pay for her medications. If that weren't enough, her daughter was recently killed by a drunk driver. She said she was stripping because she feels she has no other choice. She was crying tears of desperation. We need to keep her in our prayers.

A third club allowed us to give out bags to the bartender and two dancers that were working. The atmosphere at the club was very dark and depressing. Please keep this club and the employees in prayer.

Two other clubs did not allow us in. Another club’s management allowed us to leave five gift bags. We left a gift for that manager, too.

We thank our Heavenly Father for His favor and timing on this outreach. Our next ones will be in October and December.

Note: Jennifer may be reached via e-mail here.

Love in any language

A woman at Tomoka Christian named Jennifer leads a new ministry to exotic dancers called The Power of Love. A team of ladies who stepped up to serve in that ministry went out for the first time recently to minister to those trapped in the sex industry at clubs in Daytona Beach. Below is a report from Jennifer.

Praise God! The Lord is so faithful. It was an amazing day from start to finish. We began the day with a powerful time of praise and worship, then we prepared and prayed for the gift bags. Julie went over the game plan for the outreach, and then Pastor Ray from the Daytona Outreach Center prayed for and anointed each of the team members. Ablaze with the Holy Spirit, the eight of us loaded up in the DOC van. Immediately the intercessors began praying and worship music filled the van.

God led us through five strip clubs in Daytona Beach. God prepared the way for His power of love to flow like rivers. We were welcomed into every club we set foot in!

The women and managers we met had looks on their faces as if they had been waiting for us. In the first club we entered, Julie explained to the manager that we were a faith-based organization that supported and offered help to people in the sex industry. He told us he had a girl for us, and then took us to the dressing room and introduced us to a girl who was 18 years old and five months pregnant. Julie and I gave her a hug and then handed her a gift bag with our contact information, letting her know if there was anything we could do for her she could call us for help.

At another club, the manager said: "Where have you been? I wish you would have been here last week. I had a girl that just quit. She was getting beat up by her boyfriend...and shooting up." By the end of the visit we agreed with the manager that we would work together to help these girls.

The most special part of the night for me was at a club whose manager thought we were joking when we said we wanted to come in to distribute gifts to the girls. He asked us: "Are you serious? Is this some kind of a joke?" We reassured him we were very serious and everything was free. He then took us into the club and started calling all the girls around to receive the bags, and even went into the dressing room to bring the rest of the girls out. We went back to that club later in the night, and one girl called Julie over and asked her if someone could pray for her. Three Power of Love team members gathered around her for prayer, and afterwards she asked us if we could pray for a friend of hers. She called over another girl and we were able to pray with her as well. The girls there were so open with us and wanted us to stay longer, but the manager came in the dressing room and said: "I don't mind that you're in here talking to my girls — we don't have any customers anyway — but that church van outside ain't good for my business." The team had a good laugh over that!

There are six strip clubs in Daytona Beach and God led us through five of them. The team chose not to enter one of the clubs because we didn't feel a peace about the place. Something was unsettled in our spirit and we decided it was best not to go. The name of the club is Molly Brown's and is located on Seabreeze. Please keep this club and the employees in your prayers.

The outreach team would like to thank you for your passionate prayers, your love and support. We all prayed, believed and expected God to rain down His Spirit, to open the hearts of the lost, for His glory to be revealed .... and He was, is and always will be faithful. He answered our prayers and exceeded our expectations.

Note: Jennifer may be reached via e-mail here.