Clubs welcome Scarlet Hope
By Ruth Schenk | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Scarlet Hope founder Rachelle Starr was inside a strip club talking with dancers when a church group left a box of Bibles at the door. “Repent or Go to Hell” was handwritten
in big, black letters across the box top.
The club bouncer took the Bibles inside where a crowd gathered around.
Some of the women who read the words on the box seemed hurt. They turned away without a word, while still others seemed angry.
“Ultimately, they threw that box of Bibles away,” Starr said. “They didn’t want anything to do with them. That’s why we do what we do. We believe as we build relationships
with women inside strip clubs that God is creating a way to show His unconditional love. “
The name Scarlet Hope comes from Matthew 27 when mocking Roman soldiers put a red robe on Jesus before the crucifixion. Starr founded the ministry in 2008 to reach
out to men and women who had been on her mind a long time. In just three years, Scarlet Hope volunteers have gone into 15 clubs in the Louisville area. More than 250
volunteer to cook, go to the clubs or fix hair and makeup. More than 1,200 are prayer warriors.
Much more has happened in three years. The ministry now has a home where women can go for Bible studies, private conversations, discipleship and training. Men and
women are discovering God’s love for them and are being baptized. Some are new members at Southeast.
Scarlet Hope, which has been replicated in nine other cities, is not driven by a denomination or a single church. The goal is not to close clubs or even get women to quit
dancing. It is about reaching the heart of those in the sex industry with the message that they are loved by God.
Starr believes God longs to redeem every life–wherever they are lost. A strip club. An East End home. Wherever.
“I don’t believe God looks down from heaven and says that reaching women in sex clubs is off-limits,” she said. “He specializes in redeeming broken people.”
Starr believes brokenness among men and women in the sex industry is no different from brokenness in anyone else’s life.
Q: Why should people care about reaching dancers and strip club owners?
A: We should care because none of our sins are any prettier than anyone else’s. Our mission as Christ’s people is to be His literal hands and feet, going into all the world to share His truth and love the lost and hurting people we meet.
Q: How do club owners respond?
A: We’re getting calls from club owners who want us to come into their clubs. Owners and managers respond exactly the same as the dancers. Their sin is no different than our sin. They need the love of Christ to be shown to them. Relationships take time. An owner of one club would not let us say “God” or “Jesus.” But we just kept taking dessert to the club and talking to him. Recently, he let us pray with him. Now he’s the one asking questions about faith.
Q: What is the biggest surprise in Scarlet Hope?
A: It amazes me that God can take someone whose heart has been hard for decades and turns it around. We see Him work in hearts that know nothing about Him.
Another thing that surprises me is how God provides for this ministry. The other day, we got a gift card from a homeless man who heard about Scarlet Hope. He found a $10-dollar bill, then worked until he got $10 more and bought a $20 Home Depot card to help with construction costs on the house.
Q: How do most women in clubs perceive volunteers with Scarlet Hope?
A: They see us as people who are persistent in loving and showing the Gospel. I’m grateful God was persistent with me. We like quick fixes. You can’t always take a pill and get better instantaneously. Sometimes it takes time. Sometimes we talk with women for years before they begin to soften. And we talk with others who like what they do in the clubs. We do not judge them, but we speak the same truth to everyone we see.
Q: Can you describe some of the women you meet in clubs?
A: A typical American stripper is not a carefree, blonde Barbie doll like the media portrays. She probably came from a poor upbringing and might look like she has been through the worst. Their average age is 38. Eighty percent have a history of abuse or rape and become addicted to drugs and alcohol to numb their shame and depression.
Q: What happens as women in the clubs begin to seek God?
A: We meet women in the club who are Christians who feel they have no other options. We also meet a lot of women who went to church at one time. Some even made a decision to follow Christ, but no one came alongside to teach and mentor them. It’s our responsibility to teach them how to follow Christ. Those are some of the women the Lord is using in those places.
About three months, I was sitting at a bar with one of the girls who was working on a Bible study. She said at first everyone was making fun of her, but eventually other dancers wanted to do the Bible Study with her. To me, it’s amazing to see how God uses women in this industry for His glory.
If you go
What: An Evening of Hope (Scarlet Hope’s only fundraiser)
When: Sept. 23
Where: The Galt House
Info: To reserve a ticket, go to scarlethope.org