Breyanne Nordtvedt

The grace of God followed us throughout the entire Porn Convention. I felt prepared and equipped for every interaction, every conversation and every encounter. The darkness of the environment seemed to bounce right off. I am so grateful for the opportunity to reach the men and women we had the privilege of reaching. There was such openness and receptiveness. I praise God for the work He accomplished and for the prayers that went before us.

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Steven Kiefer

My Wife and I had a great time at this years XXXpo! One specific encounter I remember was with a guy that ran a slip n'slide booth next to us who's name ironically was Christian. I walked up to him and introduced myself....after a few "what up's" "not much" "what up with u" we started chatting about XXXchurch and their involvement at those Porn Expos.

All of a sudden he says: "I wouldn't make a good Christian" to which I answered: "don't worry, me neither!" I smiled and walked away thinking, man, what an awful answer, I surly could have thought of something better to say.

On my way home the entire scenario replayed in my mind and I realized that maybe for that one moment (right after my weird comment) we stood on an even playing field, and I wonder if that is not exactly what GOD is telling us (christians) on a daily basis "don't worry son/daughter you are ok right where you are...now get up and keep moving!"

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Harmony Dust

Does Jesus Love P0rn?

“Are you saying Jesus loves porn?” a half-dressed girl in a children’s bounce house asked us as she held the “Jesus Loves P0rn Stars” t-shirt up to herself. She was one of a few dozen girls hired at the p0rn convention to entertain the patrons by swinging on swings and playing on see saws and other children’s apparatuses.

“No. Because that would be weird,” Rachel a fun-loving, boisterous volunteer began,“but he loves p0rn stars and all of the people IN p0rn. I think if he were here today, he'd show up at p0rn conventions and say the same thing.”

Throughout the rest of the Exxxotica P0rn Convention in Los Angeles last weekend, the Treasures team partnered with XXX Church and shared that very message. Jesus loves people.

We were joined by Crissy, a stunning young woman who left p0rn at the height of her career, in order to follow Jesus. Her compassion for the women still in the industry seeps out of her pores and was evident in all of her encounters with them.

One moment I looked over to see her eyes filled with tears as she talked to one of the girls. “I was in the business for 6 years,” she shared.

The woman’s face softened upon seeing Crissy’s empathy. “It’s hard, isn’t it?” the woman responded.

Next to the bounce house was one of many tables of women signing autographs. But these women were not signing autographs for their p0rn-stardom. They were noted as being the “Scandalous Women of 2010”, a title awarded for having affairs with the likes of Tiger Woods and Jesse James. They were being given celebrity status for having sexual relationships with married men.

My stomach flip-flopped. Are we really living in a culture that rewards adultery with fame?

I was reminded of Jesus’ response to the woman at the well, a “scandalous woman” of her day. “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water," Jesus said to her.

Out of all of the people in the bible, this woman’s story resonates with me the most. I have been a scandalous woman in my own right and I identify with the depth of her need and the lengths she goes to in order to satisfy it. After years of looking to men, food, sex, attention, (you name it) to fill me, I have discovered that only One Thing will satisfy. Only Jesus can quench my insatiable thirst in a way that is true and lasting.

My heart broke as I handed each the women signing autographs a gift. Not BECAUSE of them, but FOR them. Because I believe that if they knew the “gift of God”, they would not be compelled to drink from the salty cup of infidelity. If they truly knew, they would walk away from that hollow well of fame, and instead thirst for Living Waters.

Jesus loves scandalous women. He loves p0rn stars and addicts. He even loves prideful, religious, judgmental folks. And when I contemplate my own heart and nature, it is just as awe inspiring that He loves me.

Love, Harmony Dust
Founder of Treasures, Author of Scars and Stilettos

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Rob Supan

The thing I've always found most fascinating since the first show I ever attended until now has been the incredible people and their stories. You assume at first that the crowd fits some preconceived mold, that the stereotype you've created in your mind will be the reality you experience on the show floor. That notion was shattered early on. From the first interactions on the floor of a porn show several years ago until now, I realized that the opportunity these outreaches offer is the privilege of hearing real people share incredibly personal parts of their lives with you condensed into a few minutes at our booth. Story after story of people and their unique backgrounds and experiences... stories you never saw coming, personal stories, private moments that I'm sure they didn't anticipate sharing when they purchased their ticket to the porn show that day. I've learned to expect them now. I look for them. This show was no different.

"I spent two years in seminary," was the beginning of one conversation I had. Now a Buddhist who runs a music magazine for Black and Latino punk and hardcore (I know, right?!), we talked for some time about the path that lead him from his upbringing in the church to where he was today. He talked about the struggle he experienced with the church, the frustration he felt with Christianity as he experienced it, and the acceptance he received in his Buddhist circles. He allowed me to ask questions and probe a bit deeper, and he asked questions of his own. Amazing, really, when you consider it all taking place on the pink carpet of an exotica convention.

Though the circumstances of his story were unique and his own, it occurred to me after we exchanged information and he walked away that his story wasn't so different from the others I had heard. His path to Buddhism wasn't so much a turning away from God, but rather a response to the misrepresentation of God that others tried to sell as authentic. That maybe had he experienced the truer representation of the person of Jesus in those who claimed to follow Him, things might have had a different outcome.

That thought became a challenge for me over the next few days. Do the people that encounter me see Jesus or do I muddy the waters with my own garbage and agendas? Do I represent Jesus well or stand as an obstacle to people experiencing the love of a Savior? I don't know how well I measured up to those questions, but that's the challenge, isn't it?. I can't say with any certainty that anyone's life was changed by a few minutes of conversation and a smile in our booth, but if God is using these conversations to affect others as much as they affect me, then yes, change is taking place.

One conversation at a time.

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Danielle Vitabile

Once again it was a blessing and honor to serve alongside you guys and be the hands and feet of Christ.  The show helped to challenge me to not be afraid to share the good news of the gospel and love of Christ with all people, even if I fail, a lot.  It gets me out of my faith comfort zone to which I am so grateful. It has prepared me to be a volunteer at Wyld Life camp next week (scares me more then going to a porn show:).  It was a blessing to have one of the dancer stations (that trampoline thing) right by the booth and opened up the opportunity to have some in-depth conversations with two of the girls working for the show about life, God, family and Oasis (great to have somewhere to refer them to).  This whole experience has further prepared my heart to talk to my church about possibly bringing a strip club outreach to the area I am at.

Most importantly these opportunities always speak to me that I don't have to go to a porn show to share the love and truth of Christ with others, that it is being faithful and sharing these things with the people God has already given me that matters most.  That even thought I do not have it all together, the Lord is still merciful and can work  through me.

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Joy Hoover

We left Vegas at 4:30am and headed for LA Exxxotica. I’m not a real morning person, so as we arrived at 9:00am, I was already feeling a little crabby. As we set up, people started arriving to their booths. Right next to our ‘Jesus Loves Porn Stars’ booth, was a well-known Porn Star's booth. Her make-up artist started talking with us, asking questions about who we are, and what we do. The conversation continued, and when we were completely set up, she came to me and said, “I only came here because I really need the money. I really didn’t want to be here, but know that things happen for a reason, and I was supposed to meet you guys! I want to get involved with you guys!” She hugged me and thanked us for being there.

As I walked away from that hug, I realized that God had such big plans for the trip, and knew that if I was just open to conversations, He was going to use me, and that was exactly what he did a couple hours later! That afternoon, we left to get lunch for everyone. It ended up being the trip from hell as we got lost for an hour, parked in the wrong parking lot, and I broke a nail. I was literally tearing up as we were walking in, and my tired, hungry, emotional self was just about broke down. Then we heard a voice behind us walking, she said, “Hi guys!” We turned around to see the porn star whose booth was directly next to ours. “Hi, we said!” She was like, “Oh I thought I knew you guys, sorry!” We were like, “You do know us, we’re neighboring booths.” And that’s how the conversation started.

She went on to tell us that she thought it wasn’t coincidental that we were next to her booth. She had just gotten out of porn for 2 years and worked at a church in North Dakota. She was a children’s minister. As we asked why she had gotten back into porn, she stated, “For a number of reasons.” Something clicked in the conversation, and she literally started pouring out her heart about how she used to cry every day, because there were so many politics in the church, and she was hurt so bad. The conversation ended as we walked into the convention, but before we parted I looked her in the eyes and said, “We are nothing like them, and we are here if you need anything at all!” She replied back, “Oh I know you’re not, I know a lot about you guys!” That encounter blew me away. If we wouldn’t have gotten lost, and parked on the opposite end of the parking lot, we would have never had that conversation. God totally knew what He was doing!

Throughout the convention, there were other little conversations that really made an impact on me. One in particular was when we brought Starbucks to the porn stars. As we walked up to the bigger named porn stars booth, thinking we would be shunned, one of them got teary eyed as we offered her a coffee. She said why are you doing this? We replied, because we want you to know that you are loved. Jesus absolutely loves porn stars, and so do we! She said, “wow at least somebody loves us!” You wouldn’t believe the barriers that are broken down by a cup of hot coffee, a little pink gift bag, and a ‘Jesus loves porn stars’ t-shirt. We built relationships with the Exxxotica models, who were hired to jump on trampolines and dance on polls in lingerie, both new and old names in porn, and 2 of the sweetest gay men who operated a lubricant slip and slide right in front of our booth. These men had new questions about what we do and what we believe every day! One of them said he loved what we do so much that he brought us a whole supply of lotions and bath salts that he created. We are planning to have dinner when they come to Vegas!

I am absolutely honored to have been able to chat with and love on people of all walks of life with absolutely no agenda, except to let them know that they are completely loved! I am thankful for every conversation, every hug, and every encounter at Exxxotica LA, and I can’t wait for the next convention!


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Phil Hoover

My experience at Exxxotica LA 2010 was very similar to Joy’s. From  getting lost while looking for lunch (which is really embarrassing for me because I worked in downtown LA  for a year) to meeting a pornstar who had been out of the “business” for two years and working at a church, our time was mostly spent together.

There are a few things that really stand out for me. Meeting two gay entrepreneurs who have just launched a line of personal care products and having deep conversation about the church and homosexuality was, to me, thrilling. These men are very open about the hurt they feel towards Christians.  I was honored to, hopefully, change their perspective.  

Speaking to a few of the “dancers” was also an eye opener for me. Seeing them take photos with stranger’s arms around them got me thinking. I asked one of the girls if she was annoyed or creeped out by this. “After the first day, you just kinda tune it all out.” she responded. Most of the girls I spoke with said they didn’t work in the industry, but were “just there to make some extra cash.”

Sadly, most of the conversations I had about faith, Christianity, or God evolved into the judgment and condemnation they felt from the church. I spoke to one woman who said she had worked at a Christian college, but had left because of “politics and in-fighting”. She told me that she still loves God, just not Christians. But I did get to go on a sex-lube Slip-and-slide…


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Krissee Danger

This year at Exxxotica was interesting because it was a lot smaller than usual. That might sound bad, but I actually enjoyed the slower pace because it made it a lot easier to connect with people in a more relaxed environment.

Our booth was directly across from an area where girls from the show were stationed to work, so it was a great opportunity to talk to the girls and befriend them. They were all so sweet, and couldn't stop thanking me when I offered them water.

In a place where everyone wants something from them, I think they feel both relieved and safe that we are there for them, no strings attached. It's definitely exhausting so be at the show, even though it was smaller, there was still so much sadness.

On more than one occasion I went into the bathroom to hear someone throwing up or see someone smoking weed. These girls are pulled in all directions at all times, so I love being able to be there with them, whether it's to offer a makeup touch up, some water or some coffee. Every show I go to, I am more and more sure of how much we are needed there. It was a great experience! Can't wait for the next show!

Serving with XXXChurch at EXXXotica Miami 2010 has been one of the best experiences of my life. This ministry in the porn industry has built a bridge to share the love of Jesus to those who may not have heard that message. The most powerful part of this trip was doing this in my city, Miami. If you want to reach your city by ministering to men and women who struggle with pornography with the hope of Jesus, partnering with XXXChurch is the best way. –Tommy Parke


On the day the porn show opened in MIami Beach, I opened my Bible, and the first scripture I read was this:   "....and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom".  (2Cor 3:17b NIV).  That really got me going that day. Freedom for the Christians to share the Gospel in the dark places, and freedom for those who are in the dark. Volunteers from all across the U.S. came to Miami Beach to  bring the Light of Jesus into the darkness. We did not know each other....but Jesus knows each one of us.  In Christ, our friendships developed quickly, and I had the privilege of serving with a mighty team of warriors.  When I  got to the show, I felt kind of smacked in the face by all of  the images and sounds, but that faded  very quickly when I started to hand out the Bibles. The conversations with the performers, vendors, and attendees were great. So many were glad that we were there. Many would be puzzled by the Bible covers and ask "Jesus loves porn?".  I would follow up with "No! No! Jesus loves porn stars!!!". It was so cool to  watch the smiles that grew on their faces as they realized the difference.....that the message is uncompromised love, and not condemnation. I was so glad be a part of it. –Chet Beers


I was utterly amazed at how responsive all the people were at the convention. So many seeds planted over 3000 bibles distributed already and people came back and asked for more. Jesus said he would go out to the highways and byways and bring those not invited in to the wedding feast of the Lamb. I think that in these days we are living in we will see the Kingdom of God open up to those we would never of ever dreamed of and the angels in heaven will look into this matter in awe just as I am sitting here right now and say Ah Father your word never returns void and what you have told us is surely coming to pass. I mean after all who would of ever thought I could be rescued out of this lifestyle be set free and made one with my Creator. Only Jesus can do what no man could ever do. Thank you XXXChurch.com for being faithful to what God has called you to do. XOXO Love you! –Michele

I was so incredibly moved into a place of awesomeness.  In my minds eye I had preconceived ideas and thoughts could something like this really be profitable for the Kingdom of God and could men and woman go into such an environment and not be tempted, and swayed by the things they encounter even as believers.  I myself was a stripper, escort and involved deeply in the Porn industry for over 21 yrs. and from my own thoughts I would think "no way".  I know how us women could entice and we could even lead the strongest men astray.  I mean think of Samson in the Bible and beautiful Delilah and the power she had cast over on him.   Well I will be truthful in my minds eye I was wrong.  The weekend outreach and the sharing of bibles to the woman and men consumers at the convention was more than amazing.  The openness the people had to receiving the bibles and the men coming to the booth and asking questions to the men left me in a state of awe. You see, I myself coming out of this lifestyle 6 yrs. ago was also not sure how it would effect me.  It had to be God, the prayers of the body going up for us but I felt nothing, not even a lure to engage.  It was not appealing the least bit rather opposite of course.  However, I was also wondering if I would encounter alot of boozing and drug induced people and I did not.  The woman I did encounter and speak with were so open to taking the bible with big smiles and thank you's and you could see in there faces they meant it.  Yes, it was an amazing weekend and I felt utterly blessed to be able to be a part.  I thank my Father for rescuing me from that horrible life and that I am restored alive and able to go back and share my love, compassion and mercy with my sisters still lost and trapped by the god of pornography that is not truly not a god at all but only an imposter of evil.  Thank you so much Ryan and Craig your beautiful wife and families for obeying the call God has put on your life for going out into the deepest of the pit to pluck out those Jesus was sent to rescue.  When some Churches come against you for what you are doing I would like to stand up before them and tell them  would it of been better for me to be left back there rotting and going to hell.  Because if God could rescue such a lost woman like myself he can surly  rescue all of them if He wants to.  He tells us in the end he will go out to the highways and byways to those that were thought of not to be called and bring them in to the wedding feast and the ones that thought they were going to be there well we know the ending of that story right. Thanks you from deepest part of my heart and please continue to do the work.  –Shelly Lanz


This weekend was my first time serving with xxxchurch at a porn show.  I could write about all the unusual first-time experiences I had this weekend.  Like being mistaken for Craig Gross twice.  Or talking with Ron Jeremy.  Or the time I was taking a picture of someone and I was hit in the behind by a convention dancer, with a whip!     However, the surprising thing for me was how natural I felt in this unique setting.  It must have been a God-thing, but I felt sharing the love of Jesus fit so well into our surroundings.  Why wouldn't handing out Bibles to porn fans, and joking with porn stars, and telling people that Jesus loves everyone be unusual?  Sure, a lot of people were shocked that we were there, but almost everyone LOVED that we were there!  Jesus' love is so natural at places where people are hurting.     One part of the trip that surprised me were the Bibles we handed out.  I always assumed xxxchurch handed out these giant New Testament bibles to everyone at the porn shows.  The actual Bibles were the size of a thin wallet (perfect for someone's "goodie-bag," or for a guy's back pocket without a bag).  The Bible only had the Book of John in it, but without the little verse numbers that make you think you are reading a religious text.  There were also about 20 colored pages with stories about a porn star, escort, and stripper who found Jesus, the story of Craig and Ron Jeremy, and some extra resources for the attenders.  I talked to several people who took the Bible home on Friday or Saturday, who came back to tell us on Sunday how much they loved the Bibles and if they could have some for their friends and families.  The Bibles we handed out were awesome (both in design and in the fact that we were giving people the living word of God).  I believe we handed out 3,000 Bibles, although next year we should bring 5,000, because we can definitely hand out more!     The best part of the trip was the conversations I had with the people who didn't walk immediately past our booth.  One guy looked at his Bible with the typical "What is this?" look.  I explained how it was a "Jesus Loves Porn Stars Bible."  He asked me, "Is that really true?"  I told him, "Sure man, Jesus loves everyone, including porn stars.  That's why we are here, just to tell people that Jesus loves everyone."  He looked straight at me and genuinely said, "You just gave this Bible to the right guy.  I needed to hear that."  My whole trip was complete (on Day 1) as I saw him take the Bible.  God's going to rock that guy's world.  I can't even begin to imagine what God is going to do with the other 2,999 Bibles that were handed out!    The most convicting part of the trip was also these conversations with the attenders.  I heard about judgmental co-workers, and friends, and family members.  I heard about the hurtful religious community.  I definitely heard about the guy outside with his huge sign and megaphone telling people they deserve to go to Hell.  I'm wrecked on the inside writing this right now.  How can the "church," God's people, be so consistently judgmental and unloving?  How can I be so consistently judgmental and unloving?  Why are loving Christians so uncommon? (Sure we stuck out at the convention, but we were also the sole Christians in many attendees’' lives who were loving.)    My life has definitely been messed-up by this weekend.  My old religious life is ruined.  I don't know how God is going to use me yet, but I know I can't go back to living without loving my neighbor. --Curt Himmelberger

Why did I do this exactly?   God has given me a desire to reach women that are in the porn industry and those that are commercially sexually exploited- no matter their age.      When XXXChurch said they were coming to Miami for EXXXotica- I knew I had to be there. 100% of the financial support was raised using my Facebook status’s and I was able to go.      Serving With My Man  Tommy Parke and I went from Christ Fellowship to serve together at this event.  We had a great time partnering with XXXChurch and the other team members as we shared God’s redemptive message.  I had so much fun serving with my best friend!     A pastor I heard recently reminded me from the book of Joel in the Bible: “Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish…. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.”  My prayer was that women and men in the porn industry and consumers of the industry would come to truly understand in their own lives the grace-filled God who sent His only Son to die for every single person- because ALL sin separates us from God= not just sexual sin.  Porn stars, strippers, and hired models were walking around basically naked, posing for pictures on beds, dancing on strip poles, or advertising their company/toys; it was, however, surprisingly easy to look past all that to see the brokenness of those working and those consuming.     Realistic Realities  One very popular porn star explained how most of the women in this industry have syphilis and gonorrhea, “It’s ramped! It’s so expected that we routinely get treated for it.” The concern, the real issue for porn stars is avoiding HIV. Also, normal bodily functions are difficult after shooting porn videos for some porn stars due to the extreme measures they put their bodies through. This is the reality- this is what they have to put up with to market and keep their videos selling. One young woman explained that she switched to shooting only girl on girl movies because in her mind the physical risks are far less.     Some have a plan/Some don’t:  Another known porn star explained how she is married with a two-year-old son and flies back and forth to shoot videos, but values the time with her son and puts boundaries on the time she will be away from him to make videos.  When asked when she thinks she will leave the porn industry, he explained that she was going to stay for a few more years- her agency offered her more money to stay.    Men in Porn Industry  “Many women in this industry are struggling with drugs, pimps, abusive boyfriends, and not sticking up for themselves in what they will and will not do,” stated a man in the industry who sells sex toys. “They are looking for love and this is not love- this is acting.” I (with a few other women from the XXXChurch Team) had an awesome conversation with this man who shares about his two separate lives. “I love my wife!” (as a huge genuine smile comes across his face) “I enjoy going home to no-where’s-ville Kentucky to our life together. When asked if each of us were married, we got to share with him our lives and God’s true love.     Consumer Realities  The only resistance we really received was from a couple of older self- proclaimed Catholic men coming to check out the convention. One man actually pulled out his rosaries from his pocket to prove to me he had them! What a disconnect!     One woman came to the booth in pure curiosity and when given a Bible and asked why she was there, she explained that she was collecting porn for her 17 year-old son who was too young to get in the porn convention.     We show God’s love by serving  Over half of the XXXChurch team was men and their job was to stay posted at the booth and be there for people while the ladies main role was to serve the women at the porn convention.  Our goal: to bring back their humanity. We brought water bottles, granola, and candy to women dancing and modeling for hours upon end. From 4-11p.m., everyone around these women wanted something from them- we were there to serve them. The women were very thankful and most of them knew about XXXChurch from previous conventions they had been at. The women would come to our booth when we were not walking around, to get water and candy- it was a beautiful picture of trust that went far beyond simply getting physical needs met.     As we were handing a Bible to a very popular porn star, she sat straight up and with bright eyes exclaimed, “I was given one before and I actually sent it to my parents!” They disapprove of her choice to be making porn movies and have cut off a relationship with her. She asked if we had any (“Jesus Loves Porn Stars”) shirts because she “wears hers all the time and her friends make fun of her for it!”     Like many women working the event, one woman who was airbrushed and basically naked, walked around as a live advertisement for a calendar for a local strip club. It saddened me to see men give her money, take pictures with her, and then she would hand the money right over to the guy next to her- in my opinion, her pimp.  She was nothing more then bate in those moments. I was not able to ever continue the conversation I started to have with her due to her pimp that was watching her all the time.  I did, however, make a connection with several women, two of whom have my cell phone number and I am praying they call. They are my age and are so sweet! One girl works in LA but comes to Miami often and the other girl is a MIA girl who said she would be more then willing to help me build the connection to a couple strip clubs to serve the woman there.  She understood what I want to do here in Miami because she saw me all weekend serve her and her friends. I am praying they call! ☺      I am so thankful that God created us with the desire to have sex! What a wonderfully creative gift! Just like so many other parts of creation, in our sinful natures, we abuse the gift and reject our Creator/Our God. –Kristin Schein

This is a fairly new show for us and we are searching for some locals to join this team. Check out the video from last year.

$1000 for locals / $1250 for those of you coming from out of town. ALL of the money goes into covering the costs of show entrance, booth, bibles and in-town logisitics. Sign up HERE to join the team.

We are in NYC for a crazy weekend. One of the reasons we are here is for the gay porn show. We printed brand new shirts for this event. You can get them still by clicking here. The shirts say "Jesus Loves Gays Porn Stars". They were made for this event. I don't understand the controversy over this. If we printed shirts that said Jesus Loves Hard Core Porn Stars or Jesus Loves Barely Legal Porn Stars no one would complain but that fact that shirt has the word "gay" in it puts people into crazy mode instantly. XXXchurch.com is a website that helps people who are caught in porn. We are not pro-porn. People understand that and still invite us into 50 plus porn shows across the world because they appreciate how we go about things.

Today we went to a gay porn show and told gay porn stars that we were loved and tried to demonstrate that love. Love wins. Love works. Love waits.

The shirts were a hit. The bibles were a hit. Rachel Collins was a hit. She does the most amazing job in a room like this. We will have more on an upcoming eisode of X3TV.

Sunday, I speak at Journey Metro in NYC for all 4 services including Sunday night and on Monday you can tune into FOX and Friends at 6:40AM and The Strategy Room on FOX 9:40am est.

This is a really quick trip. Here are some details. This is a bit different from the Gay Expo that we did last year.

SAINT AT LARGE is a company that throws an annual gay fetish circuit party. It's kind of a fetish and sexual, yet artistic sex party. They now have an expo for the day of the party. The Expo goes from 12pm - 7pm on Saturday, March 20th. It's one day, and they will have 5000 attendees, which is what the party brings in annually. The event is called "The Black Party Expo".

If you are interested in coming on this trip you will need to be to NYC by 5pm on Friday, March 19th. We will have a meeting on Friday night in the city with the volunteers. The load in for the expo will be in the morning on Saturday and then the show will be all day on Saturday.

On Sunday, Craig Gross is speaking at Journey Church on Sunday at 10, 11:30, 1pm and 6:30pm. You are invited to join us at one of the services and head to the airport anytime Sunday.

The cost of the trip will be $650 per person. That does not include transportation or food but does cover hotel accomidations for Friday and Saturday evening. The money you raise helps us hand out Bibles and cover show fees. We are taking a small team to this show. If you are interested in signing up or learning more email ryan@fireproofministries.com or hit up www.fireproofministries.com/serve

We have a great booth down the center aisle of the show. The booth is 20X10 and we also have a full page ad in the show directory and 20,000 cards inside the bags of the attendees.

For those of you new to the site. XXXchurch got it's start at the AVN show back in January of 2002.  Eight years later it is great to think what has happened since then.

Joining us on the trip was an amazing group of people from Seattle. The church we partnered with is Eastlake Church who brought a team last year and wanted to come back for round two. Here are some stories.

_________

With an experience like this its hard to know where to start. In order to understand the perspective I have on this trip I'll start 5 years ago before I knew Jesus. 5 years ago I was cocktailing at a strip club in lake city. I was mc-ing shower shows and making tips while "cleaning" the stage. 5 years ago I would have told you I loved what I did. 5 years ago I would have told you I was happy. 5 years ago I would have told you I knew what love was. It wasn't until two years ago I realized I had no idea. I didn't stay in the industry too long, but self destructive choices that continued to pull me down followed. I believed in God, even Jesus. At times I would even say I was a Christian. But I hated church and the Bible and other Christians. I thought everyone was hypocritical and thought the Bible was full of outdated laws and judgement.

> It was the morning of my 23rd birthday that all the emotions I had been running from for the past several years finally hit me. I woke up knowing i had a choice..take my life or give it to Jesus. As much as I hated church I knew I needed to be there. I started going to a small church in Bellevue and within one month my entire life changed.

> 5 years ago I was working at a strip club. 5 years ago I was broken. 5 years ago my identity was in what I could offer with my body. Today I'm working on getting my masters of divinity so I can be a jail chaplain. Today I stand as a woman restored and redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Today my identity is found in Christ.

> There are so many amazing interactions God has orchestrated in Vegas. But what He's really put on my heart to share right now is 2 cor 5:17, therefore if anyones in Christ he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold the new has come. Even writing this makes me break open and cry. I am amazed and completly in awe of God and His redeeming love. Since giving my life to Jesus I've known this verse to be true and believed it in my heart. But to stand in an atmosphere like AVN makes me feel it like never before.

> I look at these women and know that God created them with a purpose. He created them for beauty and purity and chastity. No matter what labels they cling to or others plaster on them God looks at them and sees His daughters. He sees the faces He saw 2000 years ago when He took the cross, freeing them of their pain, their sin, their suffering. I look at them and am so certain of the love and grace God wants to lavish upon them. But to have the Lord stop me in the midst of everything and remind me that that's how He loves me too...literally takes the words from my mouth and fills my spirit like I've never felt before. Its a whole new experience with grace. I wasn't looking for God and did NOTHING to deserve His love. But He met me in my mess and pulled me out, sanctified me and gave me a new identity. Psalms 103:12 says He will cast our sins as far as east is to the west. Being here God has really demonstrated that powerful reality. It seems like every moment I am just falling more and more in love with Jesus. Finding words to fully explain what God is doing is impossible but I hope this is an encouragement.

Andrea

_______

I came to the AVN show expecting to hear and see all kinds of things I never have before. I knew people would be taking pictures of beautiful naked women. I knew that there would be images coming at me from all around that would be hard to ignore. I had all kinds of family and friends praying for me as I was walking into this situation. Without them, the XXXChurch Team, and our incredible volunteers, I never would have been able to handle it. There are some great stories, but also some that aren't so great and I'm a believer in sharing the good along with the bad.

There was something that happened that really shocked me and made me incredibly angry. I was dressed up as Rex the Rabbit and walked around the floor getting all kinds of pictures with people having a great time and starting some good conversations. As I was walking back towards the booth, I overheard a DJ talking to the crowd as a lady was dancing on a pole. I heard him say to someone (I have no idea who because I couldn't see anyting wearing the Rex outfit) "Hey, you really look like you want to %*#@ my wife." And then he went on the say something to infer that for $1000.00 he might be able to make it happen for the guy. Rex almost turned around and decked the guy. All I can say is that I am glad Jesus loves him because I absolutely could not. I wanted to share this to just let people know how broken and hurt these people are and how it is only by God's incredible grace that we are able to share his love, hope, and peace with people.

-Andy
______

It's been four days at a porn convention and I am exhausted. Its been an amazing four days and totally worth it. I had one experience in particular that I wanted to share. By 2:00 in the afternoon on the second day I got a major headache from lack of caffeine. I headed over to the food stand to get a Coke and was in line next to a guy from Singapore. I was on a break and was resisting trying to talk to him. But in the end, I turned towards him and asked him how he was doing. Turning around and saying hi started a 45 minute conversation. He was telling me all about his family and his philosophy about life. It was a very open conversation, both of us laughing a lot the whole time. He seemed to be conflicted about what he was doing and was asking all kinds of great questions. This conversation really showed me that you never really know when God is going to open up a door for us, and we just have to take one step through it, and He'll guide us the rest of the way. I've learned a ton this week about how to be open to all conversations with all kinds of people. I am really looking forward to getting back home and continuing to practice what I learned this week.

-Andy

_______


Well, I'm feeling quite beat physically and emotionally. This is my 4th Porn convention that I've volunteered at and I can honestly say that you don't get used to it. I pray to God that I will never get used to it.

Today was the hardest day to attend. We passed out a lot of bibles and conversations were still going but something had changed in my mind about the whole show. I don't know if my filters were weakened or if the whole show ramped up to a new level or both? I was more affected by what was going on around me. It could of been the continuous line of men taking pictures and videos of the girls across from us, or the dancers to our left that where showing and doing a bit too much, or the continuous barrage of Video screens playing the same tracts over and over. All I know is I had to take more breaks and take my focus elsewhere and pray a lot more.

I'm praying that our work here will not be in vain. That we will have moved someone's thinking a bit closer to God.

One of the best moments was when a Pornstar was walking quickly past our booth and then turned and stopped. She asked us for a bandaid and all the ladies at our booth said sorry don't have one. Me being the good dad went into his wallet and gave her a bandaid. She was so thankful and explained one of her dancers had a bad blister. She then quickly walked off. This reminded me of the verse in Mark: When Jesus heard this, he told them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners." Mark 2:17

Jerome Hawkins

_______

It's a question that I never really thought about. Armed with a video camera, I walked the floor to get some insight. For the most part, the guys that I asked tended to merely answer "why not?" with a few specifics of the female anatomy mixed in. However, the most interesting to me were the couples. Some married, some dating, they walked the floor hand in hand taking things in and getting autographs from their favorite porn stars. When asked "why porn", they consistently came back with the answer that it made their relationship better. It was amazing to me to see people so willingly bring something so dangerous into their most intimate relationship. The porn industry has so skewed how we view sex, completely twisting God's original design. Seeing it first hand breaks my heart.

Kendall Siemers

TRAVIS:
I will forgo the recap but I can honestly say that last weekend was the most successful ministry event I have ever done in my life.


SANDRA:
I thought I should get on emailing you about my thoughts of the convention before they soon fade away. For me there were so many quick conversations and for many of them they would say "I really like what you are doing, this is great". One thing that really stands out in my mind was this one lady who was in her late 30's or early 40's. Her and her husband came by and she was the one that chatted with me and we talked about God's unconditional love and had a really good conversation. At the end she said I am a complete Atheist but I want you to know that I will always remember this conversation and I will always remember you. She sounded so genuine and I believe that God was speaking to her as I spoke and just as she said I believe that what I said will be remembered but more so, I believe God will take the conversation that we had and add more on top of it until one day she accepts Him as Lord and Savior. It was just one of those moments where you know God is going to draw that person in.
 
One of sad things that I experienced was during the convention was I would say 80% of the conversations at one point or another in it, the person would share how they have been hurt by the church in one way or another with judgment actions or words towards them. I could not believe how often I heard that. It was so sad, but in that too, I was able to express unconditional love and kind words towards them and I pray that they would realize that God truly does love them no matter what man has said or done to them.
 
Thirdly, I really had fun being able to give the dancing girls a shoulder massage and give them something nice for nothing and nothing expected in return. How often do they get that?? It was such an awesome experience and I learned so much from it and have been truly changed from it.

JESSICA

The Vancouver Taboo Show was one of the best shows I think we have done and I was honored to be apart of it.  The move of God on this show and how He put everyone in their certain roles was an amazing thing to witness.  Showing up in Vancouver the highlight for me was meeting and being able to call Amanda the team leader for the show my friend.   This women and mother of soon to be three, walked a very scary lonely road to getting XXXChurch to the Taboo show...but the stories of God's faithfulness along the way are inspiring and I'm just so thankful for her courage and willingness to step out just like Craig did over 8 years ago at XXXChurch's first porn show.

RYAN

"We made friends with a sex toys business owner"
That is a random true statement that doesn't usually describe how I spend my time. But the reality is that we made so many new and interesting friends. People who run erotic circuses to a woman who was collecting personal data by giving away a car to a Christian who's full-time job it was to sell booth space at the Canadian erotic conventions to some very zealous Vancouver island women who couldn't stop telling people that Jesus love them ----- they didn't even stop when they were in the McDonald's drive-in at 1am.

One of the best aspects of the role I play on our team is getting to facilitate teams coming together to accomplish the ministry. Vancouver will go down as one of my favorite ministry projects from 2009. Lead by a brave and very pregnant leader named Amanda, this porn convention seriously got things going in Canada. Amanda contacted us several months ago with the passion to take God's word to the Canadian porn/sex convention circuit. With His power, the team of 10 Canadians and 5 Americans had an awesome time together meeting new people, making new friends and sharing God's hope & grace.

I am already looking forward to seeing what God and these new leaders are going to do together over the next year.

SHAR:
Wow, I'm excited to share what happened at the Vancouver Sex Show last weekend. I'm shaking my head because I can't express well how neat it is to be on the receiving end of all your prayers, support and encouragement. Thanks so much for your emails & calls asking me how it went. Let me get to that; after all, it is fruit of YOUR labours as much as mine. Don't feel you need to read all this; just read til you're bored :)
First, things weren't completely as expected. The XXXchurch team said it was the tamest sex show they'd been to! There weren't porn stars there at all, for example. Acts of love to female dancers/strippers/porn industry people were really limited, partly because there weren't as many of these people there, and partly because they were hard to access. This isn't the case at most shows.
So, at the Vancouver show, the major thrust of the outreach was to the passers-by, and it was AWESOME.

Our booth had very cool signs -- "Jesus loves Porn Stars" was our slogan. Many people commented on the great graphics. It was a really attractive, curiousity-provoking area. Maybe some of you think our slogan is kind of crude or misleading, but it was such an awesome hook. Lots of people stopped to ask, "What's this about?" It led to so many great conversations.
TOP FIVE most-said things:
Me: "We're Christians, and we really believe Jesus loves porn stars. Jesus loves everyone, no matter what you've done or are doing. We just wanted people to know that." (Reaction: always positive.)

Me: "We wanted people to know that Christians and Christianity aren't all about hate & judgment & guilt. In fact, that's not Jesus' heart at all. That's not the Bible at all." (Reaction: always positive.)

Me: "XXXchurch is a group of Christians based in Vegas. They show real love to women in the sex industry there. They'll provide scholarships for women wanting to get out of the industry & get educated, they'll bring meals to brothels and build friendships; they even just spent $9000 to remodel the living quarters of a brothel with terrible living conditions. They want the women to know they're valuable and special and that the God who made them loves them like crazy." (Reaction: always positive.)

Me: "What do you think of the slogan? Agree? Disagree?" (Result: often positive conversation.)

Them: "It's really cool what you're doing."
We handed out ALL 3,500 of our "Jesus Loves Porn Stars Bibles"! They went like hotcakes! People were really interested. It was a great little book, containing the gospel of John, testimonies from a stripper, porn star, porn producer, and escort who were all changed by Jesus, and a chapter called "Jesus loves Ron Jeremy" [porn king]. People were intrigued and curious and interested. We didn't have to market them much or disguise the fact that they contained the Bible... people didn't need convincing to take one!
I remember a guy who showed up on the 2nd day and said, "I came to get a Bible. I read some of someone else's yesterday, and I want my own." Then, to a friend, he said: "Here, you need one too!"
We can continue to pray for non-Christians who encountered us at the show -- may they read their books and fall in love with Jesus!
TOP FIVE memorable conversations I had with people:
Loooong conversation with a non-practising Jew. I ended up challenging him to read the New Testament and consider open-mindedly whether Jesus was Messiah... whether he fulfills OT prophecy. I challenged him to try praying asking for Jesus' help to get a job. It was memorable for me because I don't usually challenge people so confidently. May the seed planted spring to life, Lord!
One girl sought our booth out and said, "I HAVE to know what you're about! You're the whole reason I decided to come to the show. I saw 'XXXchurch' on the list of vendors and had to know what it was about!" It turned out I knew the girl from UBC and shared with her what we were about.

We made friends with other vendors nearby. One vendor and I were having a good conversation. He was telling me how he grew up in a Christian home. He asked me what I thought of premarital sex. We had an awesome talk about the Bible's perspective on marriage and sexuality. He asked questions very candidly, and I answered. In the end I shared how beautiful I thought waiting until marriage was... and I think he really "got it" -- WHY it's a good idea. He really seemed to respect what I was saying. He has a girlfriend. May our conversation nag him! :)

A man was there with his girlfriend. He shared that he once was studying to be a pastor, but then his friend died and he turned from God. That touched my heart. He said he and his girlfriend have been talking more about God lately. He took a Bible. May he & she be reconciled to God!

I had a great conversation with a non-Christian girl about how society is doing such a great job bombarding us with images of women that are impossible to attain -- they themselves don't even look how they're portrayed! We talked of how this is wreaking havoc on men, women, and marriages/relationships. It was a great conversation.
There was lots more good stuff. Those are just some one-on-one highlights. Overall, so many great conversations were had, and through them I'm convinced the name of Christianity, Christians and Jesus were improved in lots of people's eyes. So cool!
On a personal note, recall how scared I was of all the people I'd see that I knew? Well, I didn't see that many people I know, which surprised me... just 4. Yet, something has been different in me this last week. On three separate occasions in the last week, I've spoken up for 'right' when I think I normally would have said nothing. God be praised! May my fear of 'confessing publicly' for him, looking the fool for him, being disliked for him, be permanently broken!
Thanks again for your awesome partnership. You rock! Let me know if any more questions, OK?

________

First of all I am so sorry it's taken me so long to get this to you.  Really it has taken alot just to process my experience at the show.  First of all I have to say I will NEVER be the same again!  My world has been rocked.  I look at people differently.  I thinking about relationship differently.  I am looking at everyone I see differently and as an opportunity to tell them Jesus loves them.  I have to say the number one thing I came away with was that we need to tell people Jesus loves them and not be afraid to do so.  We were so well received at the show! We don't have to get into deep religious debate or even explanations.  I think that has kept me from speaking out in the past.  I have been afraid to defend Christianity,  I don't know enough history or memorized enough of the Bible to do that.  When all I need to do is express that Jesus loves them.  The philosophy of XXXChurch has given me "permission" to do so and not to have to convert someone on the spot.  As a matter of fact at the show I handed a moman a bible and told her Jesus loved her.  In the next breath I asked her how she was doing.  She gave me a shocked looked and actually said she was shocked.  When I asked why she said because she expected my next comment would be one to convert her.
I was so surprised how many people did not know they were loved by God unconditionally.  I was surprised that people thought, "Ok Jesus can love porn stars but not murderers or other people who commit heinous sins." When we told them he loved the people who committed the crimes not what they have done, a light switch seemed to go off.  We shocked alot of people that we were Christians at a sex show.  Some thought we were there to mock Jesus.  Some were shocked to hear we were just telling them Jesus loved them.  That we weren't there to condemn them.  In particular those that stand out are several gay people I spoke with.  One couple, young men maybe 20, made up in makeup.  Pretty out there. I handed them each a bible and told them Jesus loved them right where they are.  They both stared into my eyes,  as if to say, "Really? He does? I've been told for so long I'm going to hell because I'm gay."  The look in their eyes told the story.  This was one of many gay couples I spoke with and the look in there eyes was the same each and every time.  They had no idea Jesus loved them.  What an awesome privileged to be able to tell them the good news.  I handed another woman a bible and she said to me, "Oh I am so glad to hear he loves porn stars because I am one."  It took me a bit to process that.  Was she really. She handed me her card that said she was a lesbian porn star. She left with the bible almost skipping...smiling from ear to ear.  A half hour later she came back with her girlfriend who wanted a bible too.  She figured if Jesus loved porn stars he must love people who love porn stars. I told her I was glad she knew that.  She said, "I thought so but you just confirmed it!"

The other resounding thing I heard over and over again was how people have been hurt by the church.  Either not accepted or having a downright horrible experience.  I was shocked at some of the stories.  I'll share one.  It had slowed down at the booth.  A women dressed in a very revealing outfit approached.  I handed her a bible and she stopped.  She said, "My mom will be happy I'm getting one of these."  I had to ask why.  She said she grew up in the church. VBS...camp...retreat.  She said, "I've fallen away. I am far from God." We proceeded to talk for a half an hour.  She told me that when she was twelve a pastor told her her animals which meant EVERYTHING to her were NOT going to heaven.  She left the church.  She is an animal lover, works with animals now in a dogie day care.  Her life is animals.  I apologized to her for the hurt she has clearly been through. She had tears in her eyes when she told me this story and I cried with her.  I told her that that person had no idea what he was talking about.  Nowhere in the bible does it tell that animals will not go to heaven.  I then remembered a story to tell her about when my in laws had to put their yellow lab down, Jake.  I needed to see him one last time before he died.  When we went to say goodbye I felt in natural to bend over and wisper in his ear not to be afraid because Jesus was waiting for him.  She cried as I told her this story.  God knew that story would minister to her.  Redemption.  She was a beautiful woman who God will use powerfully.

I had so much fun at the show.  I did find it extremely draining emotionally and spiritually.  I thought that a 4 hour shift would be no problem but soon realized the first night why we split into 2 shifts.  I was extremely tired the following week as well and felt I needed alot of rest.  On the upside I really felt protected in the way of visuals which I attribute to the amazing prayer covering we had.  Even at the show I felt like the visuals were almost blurred and after they were extremely fuzzy.  All I can really remember are the people I met.  The look in their eyes.  I prayed alot ahead of time for God to help me to see the people how he sees them and just to look in their eyes.  I was actually suprised when I did how people looked back like no one had ever looked them in the eye before. I could really go on and on about what an amazing experience this was for me.  I fell more in love with God's children and God changed me in so many ways I can't even express in words.  Thanks you Amanda for your obedience.  It was a joy serving with you and seeing your dream come true.  Also a huge thank you to the XXXChurch team.  Wow what an awesome thing you are doing for the Kingdom of God!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  It was such a privledge and honor to be part of this team.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

I love you guys,
JEN

Find your One!

While talking with Pastor Garrett before the trip to NewJersey Exxxotica convention, he asked me a question:  “What’s your goal for this trip?”  That set me back a bit.  I first thought of throwing the obvious back… to pass out Bibles and show the love of Jesus, but it got me really thinking what am I really there for?

My first volunteer experience with XXXChurch was in Vegas with a group from EastLake Church.  While there we made a lot of contacts and shared Christ with hundreds of people.  This would be my second show helping out XXXChurch.com.  I was a bit nervous that the group going was a mix of people from all over the U.S. and that the show was on the East Coast in a section of New Jersey with nothing around it.

Back to Garrett’s question… my answer was “to find my one.”  I went on to explain that while in Vegas I made one sincere contact with a pornstar who came up to our booth to chat.  My goal at the New Jersey show was to make at least one sincere contact and have a real conversation about life with them.  After the first day I was afraid that wasn’t going to happen.  But on Saturday my wife and I sat down to lunch at a table at the convention and struck up a conversation with two women who worked for a strip club.  We invited them back to ourbooth and gave them t-shirts.  We offered some snacks and bottled water and they opened up and shared their story with us. 

One named Melissa shared her story and explained that she’s not really using her gifts for the glory of God.  Melissa knew  she could be using her singing for a better use.  We offered to pray for her and we exchanged emails.  She emailed us and hopefully we can keep a string of conversations going to uphold her on her journey.

This got me thinking to what we are doing at home.  Have you found your “one”?  It doesn’t have to be at a porn convention.  It could be at your neighborhood grocery, your kid’s elementary school, your office.   Get out there and hang with Non-Christians.  Find your one and learn their story.  Share with them, love them, serve them!Be Christ to them. 

The one thing I did notice at the convention was most girls didn’t give us a second glance and didn’t want to even talk with us.  But when we served them, with make-up, frank conversation, food and drink, then they opened up to us and became real to us.  
So my question to you is Have you found your one?  What’s holding you back?

JEROME
 _____________

I wrote the following after my first day at the convention: "Counting the exit signs above the booths, but not wanting to leave through any of them. Eye contact and scripture murmurs strengthen to serve the pornstar struck strollerbys in front of the XXXchurch booth. Jesus is the entire stimulant anyone needs for He opens our eyes to the true beauty of this life. My heart sank for the acts someone’s daughter or son does to please the predators following in pack formation, that do not what they don't know, for the Devil has gripped their lives. Their hearts do crave and inquire about God’s message. A top producer/director allowed a moment of his life for Jesus to be exposed to him. The convention was a great experience to share His love with people that needed to be met where they stood, not to be judged, but shown the pure love Christ has for everyone. "
 

The team meshed together as if we were lifelong friends before this trip. Our passion for the Lord poured out onto the hoards of people passing in front of the booth. The conversations I experienced varied from short, speedy informal talks of the bible to full length, robust blessed interactions about their burdens, joys, and thoughts on Jesus loving them no matter their past, present, or future sins. I shared my own story of struggle as I was once addicited to this porn industry's promise of self-fulfillment through pleasures of my sexual imagination brought to me by the bodies of innocent women through the multimedia outlets of the Internet. By allowing people to know that I've been in their shoes seeing the worst of the worst. A hope was visable in Christ for changing my future apart from this sexual pervise lifestyle I'd grown accustom too. May connections were made about the inherent truths Jesus offers many of the people I come to know by first name that were feeling the weight of their lives in porn. May those that came in contact with XXXchurch at the NYC Exxxotica Expo, see us as transparent vessels pointing them to Jesus.
 
A hope sealed by handshakes, hugs, and pats on the shoulder that Christ’s love may have entered their hearts by compassion only the Lord can supply blossoming them in a new life away from this degrating fantasy world of porn. God through prayer may my ticket be punched for further trips into the darkness to spark Your light in the hearts of a Dad’s daughter and Mother’s son. To this industry, to these lives tangled within it, may Jesus serve freedom in the gospel about His love for that’s what’s truly worth living for.
 
DAVID
_________

This experience was AMAZING!  Never did  I ever think I would enjoy serving like I did here!!!  You guys were amazing Jess!!  Never have I felt so accepted by a ministry group!!  You, Rachel and Rob are the real deal, I cannot thank you all enough for making me feel so welcomed!!!
 
Two mornings on  during the trip I was just over whelmed by the holy spirit.  Never did I think that something that would seem so wrong (going to a porn show), would feel so right!!!  I feel like I've finally found my place of service, I cannot thank you and the ministry enough for the honor of being able to serve along side you.  I am in awe that God would trust someone like me to be a part of something like this.  I love the simplicity of the Lord.  This trip showed me that doing Christ's work can be as simple as loving people where they are at & loving them for who they are despite their faults.  It taught me that I have nothing to offer but to call upon the Lord to do it through me.
 
One thing that God really spoke to my heart before, during and after the show:  Be faithful in the little things, the everyday opportunities I come in contact with to be a Christ (easier said then done).  On the way home I read the JLP book we gave out and Craig's story about his relationship with Ron truly spoke to my heart. That book as well as the trip made me realize evangelism is much more simple then I make it out to be, it all comes down to love.  Love people and let them know Jesus loves them.  Be a Christ.  I don't have to go to a porn show to let people know God loves them and wants a relationship with them. I need to see every opportunity and do so. This trip opened my eyes to that.  I need to be faithful with what God has given me, regardless of whether I am happy with it or not, in order for God to entrust me with bigger things.  This trip prepared me to witness to a co-worker who does not know Christ.  It showed me that I don't have to fix her or convert her, I just have to make myself available, listen, love and rely on God every step of the way. It was incredible and I had such a peace about it the whole way through.

I would love an opportunity to serve alongside you guys and be a part of your ministry. Ministering to those lost in porn addiction and the sex industry is something God birth in my heart when I was working in publishing, through  my own life experience of growing up waning to be in playboy, and my own pursuit into stripping when I was younger.  God really showed me how much these women  are starving for Christ and that God has so much more to offer them.
 
Never have I felt such an ease and passion in serving and giving.  I always thought serving was more of an obligation then an honor.  This experience has truly changed my life and revealed to me how incredible serving can be and that it truly is an honor not an obligation.  This trip was something God put on my heart 2 1/2 years ago and to get to finally fulfill it was astonishing.  It showed me that all I need to do is show up, make myself available, and rely on Him every step of the way.
 
Thank you so, so much!!
 
May the grace and peace of God be with you!!
 

DANIELLE
____________

On the first day of NY Exxxotica I approached a group of about six girls who walked by our booth.  I gave them a big smile while saying “Jesus loves Porn Stars”.  Not only did they not take the Bibles I was trying to give them they totally shut me down.  Serious crash and burn time!  The young ladies were hired to walk around the convention practically naked.  They dance in cages on poles in chains on pink satin beds. They pose for pictures and dance all in the hopes of earning some good tips.  They were gearing up for a long weekend of being grabbed and gawked at.  The last thing they needed was some crazy “Jesus” chick shoving Bibles in their faces.
 
At past conventions we have had tee shirts to give to the girls.  The shirts kind of break the ice because the girls really like them.  Giving a gift opens up the door to conversation.  Our team decided we needed to give away something.  We handed out candy and snacks, and then someone had the great idea of giving coffee to the girls.  A warm beverage was really welcome because half of the girls were freezing.
 
I learned that serving others breaks down walls.  After a day or so of serving those same girls I told you about a relationship started to form.  Names were exchanged and after some more time… hugs.  Initially the girls would be shocked when we gave to them.  They thought we were charging for the food and coffee or we had some angle.  When they learned that there were no strings attached we simply wanted to make them feel loved they would smile and sure enough a spark friendship would start to form.  To reach these girls we had to serve them.
 
LESLIE

_________
 

What really stood out to me over the weekend in Jersey was the love of Christ that doesn’t stop with the Christians at their booth, or the porn stars, but is extended to all people.  The message of His love is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.   I think about the bouncer, Pete who for four days greeted me with a frown and a smart comment about how I was “trouble” at the entry door.  Pete was the bad cop and tried to keep it that way, until the last day after a few chats and trying to exchange smiles over the weekend, he went out of his way to find me and thanked me for coming with a sincere attitude and gave me a hug.  It wasn’t that I had done anything abnormal, except treat him with respect and love.  You never know what people are going through.  You don’t know and can’t assume things.  Choosing to see Pete and other guys that were working the event as people, valuable and cared for by a living God, was an unexpected blessings that just proved to me that the mission is that all man would know Him!

JESSICA

This was my second trip with XXX Church. I was just as excited about
this trip as I was my first. From set up till time to go our separate
ways God used each of us in various ways to reach others and teach
each other new things. I have been amazed at the unity of the crew and
volunteers. After about 10 minutes with each other it feels like you
have been friends a lifetime. When you have the bond of loving Jesus
and the willingness to share that love with others it is impossible
not to become friends fast.  I was glad that I serve with friends made
during the Miami trip and new friends on this one.

The convention was the usual pink and black attack with all the
furnishings you could expect at a porn show. I saw quite a few people
that I had met while working the Miami show. I was able to take time
and reconnect with them.  I was also able to make some new friendships
with various vendors, magician, DJ, and an rap artist. Some of the
things that transpired I could have never imagined. My favorite story
was on Friday night after the show was over and I was back at the
hotel in bed. I was thinking about things and made up my mind that one
of my goals on Saturday was to give one of the preforming rap groups
Jesus Loves Porn Star bibles. I prayed about it and went to sleep. The
next morning I was up early too excited to sleep. I went downstairs to
the Starbucks got a cup of coffee and went and had a seat in the
lobby. While sitting in the lobby I noticed sitting next to me was one
of the members of the rap group I had prayed about just hours earlier.
I struck up a conversation with him and told him who I was there with
and what we did. Then in that moment right there in the hotel lobby
this man began to tell me somethings and he told me that God looks out
for me even though I don't always do right and I don't know why. We
continued to talk and one of the other volunteers was in the lobby
also and just so happened to have a bible on them. So we gave this man
a bible and told him that we would be praying for him. He said "please
do". Later on in the day I saw him again at the convention and told
him that I had prayed for him and would continue to do so. We talked a
little more and he gave me his number so we could stay in touch. Long
story short I had one more encounter with him on Sunday morning and I
gave him my number and told him to call if he needed anything and gave
him a note with a prayer in it. Then I was also able to get bibles in
the hands of the rest of the group sitting in the lobby Sunday
morning. Later that evening while driving home I received a phone call
from that man thanking me for the note and asking me again to keep him
in my prayers.
I was floored! All I had asked God for was to place bibles in the
hands of the group which he did. But he also trusted me enough to let
me be hopefully be a light on someones dark day.

There were several other people I came in contact with like a couple
of wrestlers from the NY area, an old school metalhead artist called
"Filthy", a cop, graphic designer. the list goes on and on. All these
people will be in my prayers. I hope to see them again some day. My
prayer is that I will see them at a church giving their testimony
about how Jesus has changed their life. If not there then I guess I
will see them at another porn show as I continue to hand out bibles
and let people know Jesus loves you.

STEVE-OH
Love Jesus/Love People
___________

I was reading Phillip Yancey's What's So Amazing About Grace on the plane flying into Newark. In truth, I had been reading it all week and kept coming back to it even now as we prepared for the NY Exxxotica Show. I had been looking forward to this trip for a few months, preparing to lead a team into an unlikely arena for an outreach, and the theme of God's amazing grace was where I had camped out. It struck me how simple the message was, how uncomplicated His message of love and forgiveness was. That's what we were there to do, right?

Jess had done an outstanding job of coordinating all of the logistics as our team consisted of volunteers who were coming in from all over the country. We gathered in the hotel lobby, made introductions, and then grabbed a meal. It struck me how oddly familiar everyone became with each other so quickly. I say odd because this was a group of total strangers being thrown together, and yet there was a comfortability that everyone seemed to share. Maybe this shouldn't surprise me - after all they had much in common. They all had made a decision to step up and serve in a way that would challenge them, stretch them, grow them. Each of them had made a commitment to be used to show Jesus to people whom He loved. They were all ready... really ready. And so it shouldn't have surprised me how quickly everyone seemed like old friends... but it did.

The team worked the show floor for three days, sharing, serving, connecting, the whole time walking out the simple message of God's grace in ways that people could see and touch. Even if they didn't recognize initially what they were encountering was Jesus' love for them, they certainly had to walk away from our booth with questions that would follow them home.
We talked with all sorts of people that weekend. All of them coming from different backgrounds. All of them having unique stories and experiences. That's when the simple reality of God's grace smacks me upside the head again. Because I'm reminded that their unique stories and experiences aren't that far removed from my own. And the us vs. them mentality that has been bred in me from years of looking at the 'unsaved' as some separate almost foreign population has grown into some subtle kind of arrogance that I'm somehow better than or more enlightened because I'm forgiven. The truth is it's not 'they' who needs God's grace, it's 'we'. It's not 'them', it's 'us'.

Jesus loves US, He died for US, He wants to know US better. Simple. For our team last weekend, US was everyone at the Edison Expo Center. Today, US is everyone in this coffee shop I'm sitting in as I type this. US catches everyone, it includes me, and it attaches me to those around me. US reminds me that we're more the same than we're different, and that US follows me everywhere I go. So, who is your US and does it look more or less like Jesus because you're in it?

ROB

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path ~Psalm 119:105
Never in a million years could we imagine that we would be in a porn convention passing out bibles, however there we were doing just that and telling people in the porn industry that God loves them!  When my husband and I heard of xxxchurch and what they were doing we were moved.  A ministry that truly views people from God’s love.  We always hear ministries talk about Jesus loving everyone, but many do not live out what they preach.  This was the first convention for us and it was an amazing blessing to give bibles to those who would not dare pick one up on their own. In one situation I had a man who was calling out to me to come over to his booth to buy an x-rated video and when I told him I was a Christian passing out bibles and handed him one, he put his head down and told me the next day he was so ashamed. I than realized what I’ve always known, that the word and love of God is so powerful.  At no point did we ever condemn or judge anyone at the show, their own hearts were convicted just from knowing we had the word of God.  As the weekend was wrapping up and we were able to reflect on the conversations we had with woman in the industry and patrons of the show, we realize that God loves everyone, in his eyes we are all the same and no one is perfect. No matter who we are or where we are, He is always with us. We are called to be the light in the dark.  For that we continue to pray & support this ministry!
~The Kangs

This was my eighth Porn Convention! And every-time I walk into the doors of the convention center,  I feel that I am never completely ready. I still have such a hard time watching the mobs of guys taking pictures of 18 year old girls who are being touched and mauled at.  Or meeting the women who have been to every convention and have life long careers in Porn. I watch as they sit at booths completely hardened to things going around them, and I pray that they someday come to know how valuable and loved they are. It blows my mind that these guys taking pictures of these girls, fool themselves into thinking that the women loved to be touched or harassed by them! Porn conventions are like one of those gold chocolate candy coins you get on halloween. On the outside its all golden and shiny, yet on the inside its a cheap imitation of chocolate. I watch these men and women who genuinely want to be loved, and search and search and search, yet never find that fulfillment in Porn. When you strip away the glitz and glamour, you have a ton of women who can't wait to get out of the business and hate men. And on the other side of the story, you have a bunch of dudes basically having sex with their computer screens. Sexy.

As I left the convention this weekend I came to see that God knows all of this and more importantly the hearts of everyone there. That he loves everybody in that room, and that he never gives up on any of them. That I have this insane opportunity to share that love with these amazing men and women. From the girl signing her videos in the booth, to the amazing couple I met who let me pray for them on the convention floor, and finally to the sweaty guy who lives in his mom's basement with the huge camera, we are all loved the same in the eyes of God. It shakes the bubble of Christianity that I live in, and helps me to see God everywhere and in everything. It urges me to go and share the healing and hope that I have found in Christ. God is working in the lives of those in the sex industry and I am blessed to be along for the ride.

Rachel Collins

____________

This weekend, the Treasures team partnered with Craig Gross and XXX Church at the LA Erotica Convention.  If you missed out on our instant updates, make sure to follow me on Twitter @youareatreasure

In addition to giving Treasures gift bags to the girls, in all, we gave out over 4,000 “Jesus loves porn star” bibles to convention attendees and men and women in the industry.  And as Craig noted throughout the weekend, God’s word will not return void.  We are praying that people would be inspired to read the bibles they received and that God’s love and truth would penetrate their hearts!

We saw firsthand, how moving and powerful God’s word truly is. A Treasures volunteer witnessed a special moment when a grown man sitting on a staircase, cradled the bible (which he kept referring to as “this book”) in his hands with tears in his eyes.  He was reading God’s word in the middle of a porn convention, perhaps for the first time, and he was visibly moved. 

“Jesus is here? At a porn convention…” one girl asked after telling me how horrible the “preachers” standing outside with picket signs had made her feel.  Knowing Immanuel, God who is with us, I confidently said, “Yes.  He is here, at a porn convention.  He is with us.” I could see in this woman’s eyes that this was an entirely new concept to her and the idea that God would meet her there in such a place, seemed to disarm her.  Isn’t’ that our God though?  Meeting us where we are at, in the middle of our circumstances, and loving us right there, as is.  It is this sort of love and goodness that leads to transformation and healing.

Still, there were so many people at the convention who have experienced the opposite of that kind of love.  From an ex-reverend who professed to being almost atheist, to a ex-seminary student, to a husband and wife that had been kicked out of their church, to the daughters of pastors, to a woman who had been raped by a pastor and a man who had been raped by a priest.  We saw people with real hurts and heartbreak so deep that it has caused them to run from the Only One who can heal that sort of pain.  I wonder about the depth and severity of the wounds in their hearts and all I can do is pray.  The common thread among all of these people is that they have been hurt, not by God, but by His people. 

And, as a friend of Treasures recently posted on my Facebook page, “if I call myself a Christ-follower and treat others like garbage, it is completely reasonable for others to question the positive value of following Jesus because I am telling them by my life that Jesus is unloving, unkind, uncaring, etc. God uses people as an avenue for Him to come to us. I would suggest that God uses people as His most common method of getting in touch with us (with the Holy Spirit being intimately involved in that process).”

I love that idea that WE ARE AVENUES.  By our actions and the way we love people, we can either lead people closer to the heart of God, or farther from Him.  May we each honestly and carefully examine our own actions and determine where we want our avenues-our lives- to lead people. 

Love, Harmony
www.iamatreasure.com

_________

I volunteered with you and Stephen at the LA porn convention.
 
Just wanted to say THANKS for coming and making a difference in our city.  LA was blessed to have you guys!  I really enjoyed talking to people in front of the Jesus Loves Porn Stars booth.  It definately stretched me and blessed me.
 
I pray for your team that God will cover you in His anointing.  It's so tough to go into those spiritually dark places.  When I think of your team, I think of that verse in Eph that says, "that you will be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."  I'll be praying that for you, that you will Stand! And also that God will "satisfy you with honey from the rock."
 
Thanks again,
Larissa Zdon

________

WHY I WENT (AGAIN)

Erotica LA was the second porn convention I’ve attended with XXX Church and a completely different experience in many ways. About a month after going to the AVN Show back in January I felt I was faced with an important decision: “Is this XXX Church thing going to be one of those wow that was cool experiences or am I actually going to get involved?” The choice wasn’t that difficult because it’s not like there’s a waiting list of churches trying to get inside the sex industry. Even more, I see it as an amazing opportunity not so different from other missionaries who have been able to share the gospel with some remote tribe on the other side of the world. We just get share it with people in our own backyard.

WHAT I EXPERIENCED

From the moment you walk into the LA Convention Center you get an overwhelming sense of how big the sex industry is. Feeling a little defeated I thought: “How are we possibly going to change a billion-dollar industry?” Again, I think what we did this weekend was similar to a missionary who brings aid to a country that is in desperate need of help, yet is consumed by corruption, disease and poverty. Ultimately, it’s not about shutting down the porn industry, but about bringing the hope that we have in Jesus to as many people as God would bring by our booth.  

WHY I WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE CAUSE

I’m not any more loved by God than the pimps, prostitutes, and porn stars of this world.

“Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy…” - Titus 3:3-5 (NLT)

Studies show that 50% of Christian men are addicted to porn, so we’re just as much to blame for this industry as anyone.

Being apart of the XXX Church ministry has taught me so much about what it means to love people unconditionally. As a Christian, if I can truly love people in the porn industry then I can love anyone. Which means I can have a deeper love for those who are closest to me along with those I encounter in everyday life. I know it sounds simple, but I am convinced we (the church) can change the world by loving people in Jesus’ name.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

Dan Driscoll

__________

I wanted to tell you that I had a wonderful experience at Erotica  LA. The best part for me was working with Harmony. She had the idea to do a Starbucks run for the girls we had met from the various booths. The responses from the women were just amazing. They could not believe that someone would go above and beyond for them. One woman referred to us as "little angels". It was great knowing that I could participate in something that would bless them and plant a seed.  Not only that, the team was so wonderful. It was great just being able to fellowship with them on a Sunday in an unlikely place and share the gospel.
Thank you for the opportunity!
 
Shaunte' R. Caraballo

The Erotica LA show is upon us. Updates all weekend at twtiter.com/xxxchurch. We kick things off tonight with a volunteer meeting in LA.

The LA show begins June 12th at the LA Convention Center. The show should be going on at the same time as the NBA Finals. What a strange thing if the Lakers are in the finals and right next door to the NBA finals is a porn show.

We have an amazing team working the show from Oasis Church and Treasures ministry. I will be speaking at Oasis on the 14th at the 2pm and the 6pm service. We would love to see some of you in the LA area come out to the church.

More updates from the show will be posted on the blog here and on twitter.

___

I am about a week out from my trip with Fireproof Ministries/ XXX Church to Miami Exxxotica. I must say I am still pumped and spiritually charged! First the staff of XXX are amazing. The love and passion of Jesus they express shows in the faces of the guys and girls in the porn industry.

Now on to my personal experience. I never imagined that you could carry on spiritual discussions in the middle of a porn show. There was one guy I met named Kevin. He told me he works for a big name porn company as a DJ/driver. While we were talking he said that he didn't like his job, his wife hated his job and he had to admit to an affair a few months ago. I told him that I would be praying for him and he did something I wasn't expecting......he bowed his head. So right there between a swingers booth, sex toys and Ron Jeremy signing autographs I prayed with Kevin. Long story short, the next day he brought his wife to the show just to talk with me. I talked with Stephanie his wife and prayed with her. I am still in shock that God used me in this way. He used me in so many ways over the weekend.

My plans are to attend another missions trip with Fireproof and I would recommend the experience to anyone. But not everyone can handle working the porn show and would suggest that you choose a non-porn show to work in Vegas. I'm sure you will get the same uplifting results as I did. 

Steve.

_____

I am really thankful and blessed that I had the opportunity to do a missions trip that involved building relationships with people. To be honest, I was anxious before going to Miami. I didn't know what to expect at an adult entertainment convention or how we would be received by people. I played a few worst case scenarios in my mind: people getting defensive, asking us why were were there. I was afraid I wouldn't know how to respond. Of course, none of this happened, and on the flipside people were pretty respectful towards us.
 
I felt God gave me encounters where I was His hands and feet. I spoke with a few women in the industry. One woman, a single mom of four kids, thanked Jesus Loves Porn Stars/XXXChurch for being at the convention. I felt a sense of hope when she said this to us. Not all Christians are angry screaming picketers, so it was awesome that she was able to see a merciful and loving God who meets her where she is. 

Alicia

_____

While I was rereading the Purpose Driven Life, God convicted me to get off my butt and get out into the “world”.  A quote from that book stuck with me and it said “Nothing else you do will ever matter as much as helping people establish an eternal relationship with God.”  I decided I needed to get out of my comfort zone and share the gospel with others.   The convention in Miami was my second opportunity to volunteer for XXX church.  I’m a firm believer in taking the word of God to people and meeting them where they’re at.  I’m guessing that most of the people that attend porn conventions don’t attend church.  I think it’s important that Christians go and shed the light of God in dark places.  It was a privilege to share the true love of Christ with people.

God has given me a heart for the women in the porn industry.  They all seem to have an empty sad look in their eyes.  They put on a brave front, but you can tell that some of the women are really hurting.  It was easy for me to identify with the women, being a woman myself.  I found I had a hard time relating to the men.  I think I initially saw them as predators.  They walk around with their cameras and leer at the women and pose for suggestive photos with them.  It was easy for me not to like them.  My opinion about these men has changed.  Now I see how they have been preyed upon by the porn industry.   They have been sold a pack of lies.  They’re never going to be happy in a relationship with a normal sex life.  Some of the men are so young that they don’t know that real sex is never going to be like porn ever!  They’re being robbed by porn and they have no idea how it’s going to affect them in the future.

Working at the convention can be exhausting, but mostly I find it to be exhilarating when I get to share with people how much Jesus loves them.  XXXchurch I would love to help again anytime!

Leslie Hawkins         
____

I arrived in Miami excited and nervous, but I knew without a doubt it was something I wanted to do.  I had spent way too many years insulated in a comfortable Christian environment, and I had been longing to experience God’s power. 

I must admit when I walked into the convention center on the first day of the show, it was complete sensory overload.  It’s such a commercialized environment, and there’s so many exhibitors competing for attention unabashedly trying to sell their “product.”  It’s so sad to see people who have been deceived into thinking that they are worth no more than an inanimate object.  How will they ever know that they are God’s masterpiece unless someone makes it a point to tell them? 

And I believe that is the most important thing I took from the experience.  The xxx church team stands strong in the face of opposition.  They won’t give up on people who are often deemed as too hardened.  This is the type of boldness that I want in my life every day.  My experience in Miami was a reminder that there is absolutely no one beyond God’s reach. 

Susan

____

The beaches were beautiful! OK, so that isn't why I went... I have teamed up with this ministry cause I believe in the mission - 'taking the Gospel to the darkest places'.

Truth be told, it is fun to share your faith with people who A) are asking you about it & B) who really don't have a relationship with God.

At times it is difficult because you really wonder if you are wasting your time on people who take the free Bible from you so that they can  just quickly move on towards getting the free porn. But there are other times when you see people read the first part of the Bible as they are walking away and the 'shock' of what they are reading and experiencing literally cause them to pause. It is also a fun & interesting experience to meet up with other Christians who are coming from all over the united states to join together in charing God's grace with people in need. These ministry opportunities will continue to challenge me and stretch me in ways that only God ca. The unique encounters also press me on to think more deeply about what God where & how God would have us "GO" next.

Ryan

____

It is that time again. Time for South Beach Miami. We love this show. So many great people. Great weather and an amazing guy J. who puts on the show. We have some great plans for the show. We plan to have a 20 by 10 booth when you first walk into the show. We have a ton of the new Bibles to pass out. We will be having a special area to do makeup for some of the different performers at the show. This is also the first official trip that we have set up through the SERVE site. We have a team of volunteers coming in from all over the U.S.

If you have not checked that out. Go now. Go check out SERVE on the web and find a show that you think you would like to be a part of.

Fireproof Ministries is the parent organization to XXXchurch and Strip Church. Between these two ministries there are a number of opportunities to serve at trade shows across the world and specifically in Las Vegas. Each outreach requires a number of volunteers that come from all over the country to help us out. You can register and do just about anything on the site. If you have any questions email ryan@fireproofministries.com. See you soon!

What an incredible time and crew we had at the Australia Sexpo. We have been invited back and have heard lots of great things. Here are some stories and recaps. The newspapers are loving the Jesus Loves Porn Stars! Check out one of the articles. Check out all the pics on FLICKR.

RECAP

Just an email to let you know that this morning a man I met at Sexpo named David rang me, he rang to thank me and let me know that because of a conversation we had at Sexpo he has returned to his family, church and God, he mentioned that he is determined to work out all his issues with God/Church/Sex/Family.
 
It is ironic to think that standing at Sexpo handing out “Jesus Loves Porn Stars” bibles would begin the process of putting people’s lives back together, but hey I guess that’s Jesus for you.
 
Thanks team for you prayers throughout the convention, clearly it begun something.
 
Lets go

_____

Amazing start for XXXChurch in Australia.
 
The event started and instantly showed that XXXChurch is a valued/needed part of any Porn/Sex show. A comment made by Fiona from EROS at the media launch was that it was an encouragement to have XXXChurch there. It was clear that Australia’s Sexpo had made it mainstream as we had “XXXChurch.com” with us. Quickly people began to come around taking photos in front of the “Jesus Loves Porn Stars” wall sized banner. Bibles began to be distributed conversations started, confusion happened, are you real Christians? If there was ever to be anything considered different or weird at a porn show it defiantly was a bible, especially one with a silhouette of a women on it, stating that “Jesus Loves Porn Stars”
 
The people came the bibles went; distribution had to be slowed at the beginning of the second day due the scare of not having enough bibles. I have never seen people so happy and eager to receive a bible in Australia. Little own the women who used her newly purchased “Female Adult Toy” to point to the book as it was explained. People where excited to talk and they all seemed to understand that “some people” need help dealing with “their” addictions to porn. This to me highlighted the fact that people know that it’s quite a problem and can get in the way everyday functioning. Many came many went, and some asked for help, some called up days later thankful for being there as they have now decided to change the consumerism and focus on what’s important.
 
XXXChurch team were all great, Sexpo was excited that they had people who came all the way from the USA. Sam and I purchased remote controlled helicopters the only appropriate battery operated toy to purchase whilst in a JLPS t-shirt, and soon began racing helicopters around the Sexpo. Soon people began buying helicopters and stopping at the XXXChurch stall as the stall where side by side. Rachel soon became good friends with Penisaurus, Dinotittie and the Wangman as they roamed around the show. People began to confess they were Christians and the Fiona from EROS told us that the SEXPO was her “Church” as well as Rob the event organiser confessing to be a Christian and had picked up a bible from a LA expo.
 
It’s started now I think it needs to continue maybe Craig Gross can do a little dance or something on stage next year.
 
The event was amazing, more bibles needed in future. The couple of days and stories from Sexpo have generated more interest and buy from Church and local media.
 

 Ben

____________

Being at Sexpo truly was quite an experience. Walking into an atmosphere of such spiritual oppression and brokenness was eye-opening as well as saddening. Despite this, it felt good to be at there with an answer – the positive message of freedom and liberty in Jesus Christ. Being a part of XXX Church meant being a part of creating a counter-culture to the culture that exists in places such as Sexpo.  Our mandate was simple – to resonate the true love of Jesus Christ to all who needed it. Working on behalf of XXX Church was such an honour and a blast. Although things could become quite overwhelming at times, Brian, Deb, Sam and Rachel were so incredibly friendly, supportive and inspiring that the job was fun and easy. It was great to see how responsive most the people were who stopped to chat to us, there were even people who were working at some of the booths who asked us to come and visit them later! All in all, working at Sexpo with XXX Church was a rewarding and worthwhile experience – I am honoured to have worked with people who are making such an incredible difference in this world!       
 
Blessings, Dimity.

_________

the sweet thing about this show was that no one knew what we were all about. here in the states, they know us, not in australia. its cool to be part of something new there.
one thing that stood out was the fact that the organizers were so nice to us. they heard about us and said, "you know you made it when xxxchurch shows up to your convention".  at first it was a fun cool thing, but after thinking about it i thought...."no, it's not cool that there is porn convention being organized".- it was bitter sweet.
they even asked us to go to the sydney and melbourne shows for free!

met a guy who was sick of church because it judged him. he is gay and is into porn. he wanted to debate in the beginning. i told him we werent there to do that, but i was willing to talk about how much god loves him. we ended up chatting for about a good hour.
another guy wants to give god, faith and his family a chance.
we want to see more at these shows, but we know that god is doing something with the little we have to offer.

sam

______

so the australia sexpo is a lot different then what we have here.  there are different laws about different things in both places.  it seems as though many of the people we met at the booth have been hurt by the church or christians in some way.  it was actually really sad to hear how many of them grew up in the church and now hate it with a passion.  one story that was quite sad....

he was an older man maybe about 65, carried a sexpo bag full of random junk from the show and alone.  he came right up to me and asked me what we were all about.  i said the basics of who xxxchurch is and he had a lot to say about his life.  he went to a catholic school and was beat with a ruler with metal at the end.  when he would tell his dad he didn't believe him.  many things that he didn't want to talk about happend at that school.  that was his view of the church and christians.  he said that he had been married to a woman that had been raped and since then it had played a huge roll in their sex life. she became very adiment about certain things in their married life.  that soon ended. 

Since then he has had many problems with his own fantasies and actions.  at some points of the conversation it was a bit erie but i knew that he needed to talk about it and i knew that i needed to be the one to listen.  by the end of the conversation thankfully he was all about xxxchurch.  he thought it was cool that christians were loving people in a place like that and giving out truth as well.  at the end he said "now i know why i came to sexpo".  kind of an interesting comment but i guess even at the sexpo you can learn a lot about things you never thought you would.

rachel

__________

I’m quite a prude myself, so walking into Sexpo with my head held high was something no short of a personal challenge. Obviously I’ve never been to an event quite like this and wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I strolled through the aisles trying to find the XXX Church stall.
 
I found the people in Sexpo to be quite open to Jesus loving Porn Stars and we turned into a bit of a novelty ourselves. The sign was a massive hit with plenty of punters looking to pose ala "Japanese Tourist" infront of it. (Let’s face it, even the crew working the stall were caught out with the peace sign across their fingers every now and then when the opportunity arose).
 
Some people would scoff at us and walk past shaking their heads, but I found most people were really good about it. Every so often a group of people would come squeeling around the bend flailing their arms around in excitement; "Oh my gosh! We heard about you guys in the paper and we’ve been looking EVERYWHERE for you!" Those guys would always stick around for a chat. Then there was Graham, who we made friends with on Friday. He took 5 bibles, one for himself and more for his mates. He spent the whole day there but came in every few hours to say Hi and keep us updated on what else was going on. By the days end, he came to say he was going and how he’d enjoyed hanging out with us, and he wanted to show us the portrait of himself he’d had painted by "Picasso".
 
"Picasso" is a gentleman who paints portraits not using a brush or his hands... After seeing Graham’s portrait I couldn’t believe the talent of this guy! If he can paint like THAT using his appendage... imagine what he could do with a paintbrush! Such talent – it’s crazy! But my hat went off to him for novelty!
 
I loved talking to people about why we were there. The shock on their faces would melt into sincere appreciation and they’d leave telling us what an amazing job we were doing. Some people didn’t really want to talk about the bibles or Jesus, but I’d try make friends with them and just chat to them about whatever. It was good, they’d leave smiling, and wave each time they walked past, and of course, they had their bible in their hands and our stickers all over their clothes. It was great.
 
The best thing I took away from this experience was the feeling of being re-energised. After my first shift I felt an overwhelming sensation of inspiration and a fire rekindled inside of me. I loved being a part of something like this. It was an amazing opportunity to shine God’s light in a pretty dark world and it just shows His love for those people by the favour we were shown. Even in the muck, a seed can be planted, and that is awesome.
 

Suz

We had 9 people join us on the show room floor from Seattle plus our team. Here are some of the stories. Long post but worth the read and more to be added:

I went to the AVN convention in Las Vegas because I agree with the message that XXX church is putting out.  God loves you pure and simple.  He loves you right where you’re at and none of the garbage in your life is going to change that.  I discovered that most of the people we handed our bibles out to were hungry for that message. No picketing no value judgements  just Jesus loves you and that’s it.  

I had an amazing life changing experience.  I told more people that Jesus loved them in the first day of the convention than I had in my entire life as a believer.  I met a beautiful 25 year old girl named Sarah who has worked in a brothel for three years and porn for the last two years.  We crossed paths during the convention many times and I ended up having drinks one night with her and the girls from XXX(Rachel, Rachel and Krissey).  We talked for two hours.  She feels stuck in the porn industry, and doesn’t know if she deserves a better life.  Sarah let us pray for her that night and then she left us crying and hugging in the casino next to the slot machines.  I pray that some day this bright young girl will get out of the porn industry.  

XXXchurch I am so behind you.  I want to help in Vegas next year, and if you guys need any help before then I’m your girl!

Leslie Hawkins
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The Porn show, as expected, is an overwhelming place. I was not really sure what to fully expect and I was surprised by the support, curiosity and excitement from attendees and industry workers for what our booth represented. I am blessed to have been able to walk around the show and hand out shirts to the girls in the industry. This being my first show, I didn't know anyone there but immediately girls would see the shirts and be excited to see us and anxious to converse with us. The conversations that took place were ones of getting to know, relating and sharing about the love we were there to extend. I am honored to be a source of affirming their worth and that they are loved. Telling them the important things that the industry they are in denies is my hearts desire and such a privilege.

With most of the conversations I had I know I probably won't see many of those people again. Because of that it is great to continue to pray for what God is planting in their hearts through conversations and situations what will continue to take place in their life. A great aspect for us girls living here in Vegas and doing make up was making contacts with girls in the local industry. Whether we can hopefully get into one of the clubs to do make up and spend more time with them or potentially do make up20for any special event; creating relationships we can follow up on is an exciting thought and prayer. Beneath it all they are just women close to my age desiring to be valued and loved just like I do. I might not understand exactly what it feels like to be in their shoes but I can understand the hurts that have taken place and their desire for love and acceptance.

I am left with images of how degrading the whole scene was but I also am able to see the hope that is found within doors that have already been opened and trusting God with what is yet to come. The faces and stories break my heart. The need for light in this dark place is real and I pray that we were and continue to be genuine extensions of God's love, mercy and hope.

*on a lighter note - wearing Rex the Rabbit and cruising the show to hand out shirts and take pictures was a fabulous (and extremely hot) experience.

Phylicia Norris

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Thanks again for having us.  I loved this ministry before, but I'm in love with it now.  I learned so much and saw Jesus' love in a fresh and powerful way these past few days.

I went on this trip for a few reason, honestly, one being curiosity. What it would be like at a porn show...the people, the experiences, the Truth being shared in a place where everyone makes their own
realities; it all sounded like a crazy awesome adventure!  I also went because if I didn't go, if I didn't help XXXChurch be there and sustain it's ministry, how would the people in this industry know or
experience His love?  It's my call and duty as follower of Jesus.

My experience on this trip was a whirlwind and with a plane ride to let my mind and heart digest it, the conclusion landing in Seattle was, I'm different.  I was given the awesome gift of time with people
in an industry and lifestyle I know very little about.  And through many conversations over four days I was able to see these porn stars as much more than their job title.  It's basic, Jesus loves people,
and those people are a lot of different things and He is not afraid to love them.  I ended up seeing the power of God's love working in people's hearts right in the middle of total insanity, including mine!
It was, to put it simply, rad and I'm stoked to continue to boldly love people regardless of our differences, even if their job is in the bedroom.

I take with me back a heart that is full of faith in the power of Jesus' love to move in ours heart and my own.  I take back the understanding that faithfully loving people does bring a harvest that
is worth the wait. And I take back the reality that I have to do my part and be obedient.

Jessica Nienaber

____

 I had the distinct privilege of driving the bus to the porn show.  A bus full of fine folks from East Lake Church were inside, and as they were praying, I listened in.  The thing that stuck with me more than anything was the person who prayed, "Thank you Lord for trusting us to do this work."  With that calling and belief going in, I don't see how someone could fall into the temptation a porn show brings.

I went into the porn show looking straight at the ground, not wanting to contaminate my eyes with what was around me.  I got into the booth, my heart beating really fast.  It was kind of the last step for me in my role here at XXXchurch.  Being an intern the last two summers, and now as a full-time employee, it was the last thing to do.  It was almost like being baptized into the XXXchurch family.

I always "kind of" believed Craig that it isn't hard to go to a porn show.  He always says it isn't as hard as it looks.  And I did my best to believe him.  But after spending a few days inside of one, I know it's true.  I feel like if someone wants to stop looking at porn, they should go to this show.  I have become disgusted with porn on an entirely different level after going to the show.  I don't mean to sound strange, but there was this strange spirit of evil over the place.  I felt sick after leaving.  There is no light in there.  I can see why people within the porn industry never think to get out.  They don't know there is another way.  Why is it that when people saw the "Jesus Loves Porn Stars" banner their first response was, "Really?"  They answer is "Yes, he really does love you!"  Why haven't these people heard this?  Because no one has told them.

Mark 16:15 reads "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."  It doesn't have to be at a porn show.  Just go and do.

Stephen Rose

_____

While thinking about the week I came to the conclusion that life before the convention I thought I was doing a good job of being a “Christian”.  I was tithing, volunteering a ton at the church, going to church etc.  But was I really doing what Jesus would be doing and the honest answer was ‘No’.  Sheltered in my comfortable life doing easy things for me wasn’t what Jesus had in mind for me or us.  I had to get out of my comfort zone and start doing “Hard things”.  I can honestly say that I haven’t done a good job of witnessing to many people.  I honestly can say I don’t even know very many unchurched people to witness to. 

I volunteer in the Church Office and I heard about this trip from Heather Dougan.  While listening to them talk about it I quietly asked, “if you really need help I guess I can go but I think my wife would really be the one who could be the most help”.  So with a bit of trepidation we arrive in Vegas.  We were greeted by the crew from xxxchurch.

I was nervous going in mainly from the point of view that I don’t know how to do this.  What would I say to someone? Especially people who are attending a Porn Convention? The last person I’d assume they’d want to see is a “Christian with a bible in their hand”.  I wouldn’t even want to see one myself. 

While at the convention I saw what I’d expect to see… lot’s of pictures, videos and half naked people. Surprising I wasn’t that shocked and the emotion I felt the most was of Sadness.  Sadness for the girls who had hundreds of guys lining up to take pictures of them as a trophy or object.  Sadness for the empty eyes when and (if) they would look at you.

I felt no contempt for the guys walking around gathering stuff for their bags. All of us has their own baggage and un-dealt with sin.  I felt hope that they might actually one day look through that bag of crap and find one of our bibles. That they would be compelled to open it up and find Truth.  That’s my hope.

It was weird to actually come back to reality to land in Seattle and walk through the airport not having to divert my gaze.  I miss the feeling of being “that light” in such a dark place.  We need to keep that shining here at home. Find those dark places in our own backyard and to reach out.  May I have the courage and strength to keep XXXCHURCH’s dream alive in my neck of the woods. 

Dan and I had the chance to talk with a young lady named Katy who is in the industry.  She told us that she really did want out of the industry and that she had only one more month left in and that she would finish her nursing degree and move back home to North Carolina to start life over.  We told her that Jesus really does love her and that her life had so much worth and that we would be praying for her.  She stopped by two days in a row and quietly chatted with us about her plans. I hope we had some positive influence on her.      

Jerome Hawkins
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Walking into the show i felt the way most non-Christians must feel when they visit a church for the first time - out of place.  The surprise for me was that everyone was relatively open to our message.  I had so many great conversations with people at the booth who were not only blown away that we were there but they really WANTED to engage us in conversation about Jesus.  This trip made me excited to bring this back home and reach out in practical ways to the margins of society in our town.  All in all, I was reminded that there was very little difference between me and the people i met at the show.  I was reminded that God's grace has changed me and that i still need to claim that dependency every day.

Ryan Meeks

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Thanks so much for allowing our group to be a part of your mission.  I am extremely thankful for this experience and for the "open arms" welcome we were shown by your staff, board and volunteers.  It was a truly amazing experience for me.

When I initially agreed to go on this mission trip, it was more to support Jonah and the strong calling that he felt for this ministry.  As we got closer to the trip, I started to feel almost panicky about how the convention would work.  What was I going to say to these girls in particular?  Did I HAVE to go out on the floor?  How could I possibly relate my boring life (which I'm even more thankful for now) with all the craziness they experience everyday?  Thinking about it now, it was crazy how stressed
I was making myself over this!  I wish I had read one of the passages before we left that your pastor used in his sermon on Sunday..."Do not worry beforehand about what to say.  Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit." (Mark 13:11).  While I
know this passage is specifically speaking to the persecution of Christians in the end times, I think it is extremely fitting for the preparation of going into the porn show!

I really struggled the first couple of days of the show with interacting - not so much with people passing by the booth, but with the actual "stars" themselves.  I went out on the floor with Rachael Collins quite a bit and was truly inspired by her ability to bring so much humanity to these girls. Just simple things like asking their name and telling them we had stopped by to see them seemed to really touch them.  That's when it really clicked for me - I wasn't necessarily at THIS show to make connections with anyone here. However, I was being called to learn HOW to make connections with these girls so that I could take that knowledge home with me and put it to use in my community.  THAT'S what my mission was on this trip.

By the end of the show, I met my "one" girl.  Someone that I felt I was able to make a real connection with and plant a seed in.  I am so pumped to start a ministry in my community after this experience.  I can't wait to make these connections over and over again!  I am so thankful for the opportunity
to get a glimpse into a world I knew very little about but one that is so deeply in need of Christ's grace, forgiveness and love.

Lynn McKee

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I went to Las Vegas, because the p*rn industry seems like a unreachable environment, and I know nothing is impossible with God, so i wanted to go check it out and serve with some awesome people.
I guess what stood out to me most was the realness of everyone there. They were just regular people with interesting to say the least jobs, and that is how they see it as a job.
What stood out to me most, last night we were eating at the airport restaurant when one of the p*rn stars walked in with her boyfriend. The restaurant was incredible crowded, and it was just choose a seat seating, so offered them our table.  She recognized us and asked us about the show and we met her boyfriend, it was a really positive conversation.  As i walked away, I was thinking i wonder if she is looking around all the time, wondering if she is going to be recognized.

I have decided that my life will be forever changed by this experience.  God can not be put in a box. God is passionatly pursuing P*rn stars, He is not this soft, far away, being we make him out to be.  God is close, intense, powerful, an all consuming fire, I am in awe of GOD!

Heather Dougan

_____

Preparing for the show was interesting this year. Though this was my third show and I had an idea of what to expect, I was preparing for an entirely new role, that of a makeup artist. I was so excited and so nervous all at once. Basically I spent my days at the show, walking the show with the other girls and passing out Danger*Makeup cards, offering free makeup services.  At first it was a bit discouraging, not only do all of the girls come to the show entirely made up, but also, they are working so they don't have a ton of time to get their makeup done. Luckily we were able to book some appointments to do a few girls' hair and makeup before the show, at their hotels. This was probably the coolest part for me because in their hotels, away from the show, they weren't performing at all. They were just themselves, they didn't have to play any role for us.  It was so cool to connect with them outside of the showroom floor.

My favorite part of the show was talking with a girl in her mid-20s. She approached one of our volunteers during the show, who invited her to come hang out when she was done working. After the show ended that night, some of us XXXChurch girls, as well as our new friend from the industry went to go hang out at a restaurant in the hotel. For the first 20 minutes we just shot the breeze, learned a little about her, told her a little about us, etc. As the conversation wore on we got to learn more and more about her and how she got involved in the adult industry. She finally was able to say, that she wanted out, but she was incredibly scared. It was amazing to be able to sit there with her and offer her real, tangible help. We were able to look her in the eye and tell her that she no longer had to carry her burden alone... we were able to sit with her and tell her that she was valuable and precious and loved, and that moment has changed my life. She was so worried that God would be mad at her... she felt like she couldnt "come back" because God would be so mad... and as I was telling her that God wasn't mad... He was just so happy to have her back... I was saying it as much to myself as I was to her.

I think the thing that most impacted her was that we didn't want ANYTHING from her. She could not wrap her head around the fact that we were there entirely for her, and not to get anything. At the end of the conversation we all prayed together, exchanged contact info and let her know that she was no longer alone in this, whether she stays in porn for 50 more years, or whether she leaves today.
This was by far my best show yet... I never imagined what an amazing tool makeup would be for connecting with these women. I cannot wait to do it again, with more confidence this time!

Krissee

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In the days and weeks leading up to the '09 AVN Adult Film Trade Show I had been preparing myself to wash the proverbial feet of the porn industry.  I felt ready for the debauchery that I would be confronted with.  I felt ready to try to shine the light of Jesus' love for the women whose work removes all but the shreds of dignity.  What I wasn't prepared for was what the consumers showed me.  They held a mirror up to my face every time I saw an ass grabbed or a lecherous remark made in passing.  For whatever reason I hadn't expected to feel the prick of shame at my past pornography
consumption.

As I handed out bibles I was a little surprised to notice how differently the industry girls would act as soon as I looked them in the eye and made normal small talk.  "How do you stand in those shoes all day?" or "Tired of Evanescence yet?" The far off look and fake smile that every girl at the show gives to the consumers would go away and they would respond with a joke or a genuine smile.  For a couple of seconds it wasn't a terrorist looking guy handing out bibles and a girl in just her dental floss.  Hopefully for those few seconds or minutes that girl saw how she deserves to be spoken to. In their eyes I saw my sister, my wife, my daughter.  I wanted to protect them to offer the respect and attention that they deserve and to punch every leering face quickly gathering around.  Instead I would offer a t-shirt, sticker or bible and ask how the weekend was going before they walked back
to work. 

Jonah

___

WHY I WENT

Hopefully it doesn't sound cliche but I wanted to go where people need Jesus the most.  Who needs to experience God's love more than people at a porn convention?

I knew it would give me an opportunity to share with my unchurched buddies why a Christian would go to a porn show.

I wanted to get out of my spiritual rut.

WHAT I EXPERIENCED

The XXX Church booth was the only booth in the entire show where the porn stars and strippers felt safe to hang out.

"The porn industry takes from you... you don't take from it"

For many years I felt that a successful mission trip was measured by how many people I led to Christ. While I still believe at some point people need to hear the message. This trip helped me to realize how patient God is with all of us and that real success is about consistently showing up for Jesus.

I learned that many of my Christian friends didn't share the same excitement for passing out bibles at a porn convention as I did. I think that I would have gotten more support from my fellow believers if I had told them I was going to protest.

HOW THIS WEEK CHANGED ME

Before my experience with XXX Church I would have never believed it was possible to reach out in loving way to people in the sex industry. It has given me a greater sense of confidence to hang out with people who don't know God. What can they possibly say that would make me feel uncomfortable... I just spent five days at a porn show!

It's got me thinking about how our church could do something radical for Jesus in our own city.

XXX CHURCH TEAM

Craig, Ryan, Jake, Sam, Stephen, Rachel, Rachel and Phylicia,

You guys are awesome! There is nothing to really add. You guys made it a memorable experience.  It was a good mix of ministry and fun.

I would love to go to the LA Show, if you need the help?

Dan Driscoll

____

What an incredible show. Here are some things I won't soon forget.

-A young porn star who was from a church in Arizona where three of the team members were involved. So, sad to see but so cool to show back up in her world at a time like this.

- Rachel's phone ringing at our booth. It was a girl named Sara. Sara is a porn star who they took to dinner the night prior. Sara called and said she wants out and can't do this any longer. Conversations continued....

- A brothel owner who got a DUI and has to serve 80 of community service. She asked me if we had a place where she could do that.  A brothel owner who needs wants to volunteer. I explained to her what I wrote about a few posts ago after my trip to the Chicken Ranch and not only are we in at her place she will spend her 80 hours working the phones and relationships with other Nevada brothel owners. God is all over this....

- 3,000 plus bibles gone.
- 300 plus t-shirts handed out
-5,000 stickers and tattoos gone

So much more we will have out next Monday on www.xxxchurch.tv and we will post all the write ups below.

Craig Gross

___

I went because I know that everyone in the porn industry is a person with real needs that Jesus can meet, and because I was excited to be a nice Christian inside the convention not a mean *ss one outside the doors.

I experienced a deep pain for these girls in the industry, my maternal side really ached for the girls at the booths.  I met one gal while she was signing autographs who was totally strung out.  After we talked about her tattoos I gave her a t-shirt and let her know that Jesus loves her no matter what, she said, "I wish I had my head on straight so that I could really talk to you, but I haven't slept in 3 days"  I felt desperate for her, caught in this cycle of lies and drugs to ease the pain.

What stood out: There were a lot of elderly couples, they could barely walk, but they had their bag of porn - it reminded me that you don't outgrow this.   Also, how fun it was to hand out bibles at the booth and see the shock and confusion on everyone's faces...engaging in conversations was easier than I thought it would be too.

I will definitely come back. 

Michelle Meeks

_____

i had the time of my life.  my dreams are becoming a reality. sounds cheesy but its so true.  the connections that were made and that were continued from last year was incredible.  trying to get moments with the girls just to hug them or talk for a few moments is what i thrive on.  i really felt stretched in so many ways.  doing makeup for the first time was so exciting to me. they are in their element when they are sitting in your makeup chair.  all of a sudden they are not at the convention or not getting ready for the show but they are just getting their makeup done by a friend.  to have conversations where they could be themselves and not have a line in front of them ready to take their pictures or touch them.  they were just girls wanting to look nice for themselves.  i am hoping that the makeup can continue and be an "in" to build so many more relationships. i have learned so much.
i was able to talk with one of the girls i met last year. she was at the booth next to us and this year was promoting for another club . we have stayed in contact through this year.  it was so nice to see how excited she was that we were at the convention again. 

we made plans to hang out soon and she will be living close by. those are the relationships that i pray God continues to grow and make more of. saturday night was an example of the main purpose why we do what we do.  to have a girl go out for drinks with you and by the end of the night say that porn is not what she wants to do is something you can only dream of happening. this is why we are here .  she was a women that had been an escort, in a brothel and now in porn films.  she said over and over that she was not satisfied with life.  krissee, leslie, rachel and i prayed with her in the middle of the casino that night. it was truly amazing.  having her call me the next morning because she didn't want to go to the convention and needed someone to talk to was the best thing i could have heard.  its easy for us to say "yeah, get out of the business, everything will be ok". but i cant even imagine how scared she must be.  there are lots of steps to take and i know God is working on her heart.  It is  my goal to stay in good contact with her.  it will take time.

over all......this is where jesus would have been and i see why. lots of hurting people that want to be loved and if i am able to show them just a glimpse of the love that God has for them i will do it.  

Rachel Sanchez

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Day3

Bible are all gone. Over 300 t-shirts are out. Rachel met a girl from her high school now in porn. Jake met a girl that used to listen to us speak while she went to Ryan's old youth group. We met a star that wants to do something else with her life besides porn and shared a drink with her after the show and were able to pray with her.  I talked to two kids that are addicted to porn and are open to getting some help all of this will be in front of the cameras for MTV TRUE LIFE I AM ADDICTED TO PORN. Full recaps will come soon from the whole team. The show rolls through Sunday this year. Headed to church in the morning and then to the show.

Day 2

There are many more words for this....but Rex is back! More updates later. So much is happening. We have a great team with us from Eastlake in Seattle. Great people and volunteers. Bibles, makeup, tattoos, stickers, Rex and the biggest display ever. We will get more on the site and just wait for the video recap.

Day 1
The Vegas porn show is here. The team has arrived from Seattle and the booth is set up and ready to go. We have a bunch of new stuff at the booth this year including a huge new display and some sweet triangle displays. And stickers and tattoos to go along with the Bibles.

Stay tuned here for updates!

The Las Vegas Porn Show is right around the corner. We will be hitting the show this year on Jan. 8th-11th. This will be our 7th anniversary at the Vegas show! We are planning to give out over 4k Jesus Loves Porn Stars Bibles.

Kimberly an ex-porn star, (formerly Houston) is going to be joining us at AVN porn show in Vegas in January at our booth. We printed up a cool picture of her with her story of coming to know Christ on the back of it. If you have not heard her story go to this blog and check out all the support and prayers.

Also, a group from Eastlake Church in Seattle (remember XXXchurch.tv episode from Porn Weekend) is bringing a group to serve at the show with us. This is something we are going to be doing a ton more of with XXXchurch and Strip Church.

A few things you can do to help:

1. Pray - please pray for our efforts this year in Vegas. If you would like to join our prayer team please email Ginny

2. Give - please consider giving to the porn show Bible outreach fund >>> Donate Now

Stay tuned right here for updates with photos and video!

More Pictures - Go Here

Below you will find out all about our first time at the gay erotica show. I was so bummed I could not make it as I had a speaking gig in Washington. Next year for sure I am there. I have received such great emails from the promoter that really encourages me and the team and also breaks our hearts because of what has been done in the past by other beleivers. Here is what he sent to me after the show.

No, thank you guys for coming! Your crew was incredibly friendly and welcoming and willing to speak with anyone and everyone. We even gave them stage time in a prime slot to promote your message. Your exposure was at it's peak with attendees at that time because it was our fashion show time slot. All eyes were on them and I said to your guy, (I can't remember his name sorry) that I will give them stage time as long as he doesn't get up and say "God hates gays" or anything. And he quickly assured me that you guys were not there with a message of saving our lost condemned souls, but rather to spread God's love. That stuck with me because religious organizations preach that only God is the true judge, yet have no problem protesting a funeral of a murdered hate crime victim for being gay. I'd say that is the ultimate form of judgement upon another human being.
Your message that he loves everyone and the fact that your determination to spread that word even in what i'm sure was the craziest and weirdest event and location your crew has witnessed shows me that you guys are doing a great and selfless thing. We would love to have you guys back next year! Please keep doing what you are doing.

Thanks again!

P.S. The gays thought your crew was adorable, we loved them! It was a total shock to have a bible handed to you in the midst of such debauchery.

Recaps

This one definatley felt different then the other porn conventions.  I am normally on the defense. People are generally staring or touching me.  This time I watched sam, and i think he felt the way i do at the other ones. Watching him get hit on instead of me was refreshing in a weird way.  I felt a more free to speak to everyone and anyone.  The funny part was if sam and were standing next to eachother handing out bibles....he finished a stack of ten before I even got out two.  Being ignored over sam was different!

It's so crazy to just stop and listen to the stories of all of these guys.  A lot of them new about God's love.  They knew the stuff that you know growing up in a church.  The one thing that got me is that you could tell that they had all the knowledge but didn't feel loved because of the many stories.  The stories they can tell about people hating them instead of loving them is more overwhelming.
Going to these conventions no matter which one, always makes me question the things i learned growing up.  We have all carried baggage our whole lives in some way or another.  For so long I have looked at homosexuality as so much worse off then the things i struggle with or others struggle with, but in reality, its not. For the most part the people i met just simply struggle with things just like the rest of us.

We are all humans that want to be loved and to love.  So to catch them a little off guard and say that we were there to show some love and not just sit there and tell them all the things that they are doing wrong was kinda nice.  To say "no, Jesus doesn't love porn  but, he loves you a whole lot"  was great.  I can only hope that a lot of them went home, opened the Jesus Loves Porn Stars bible and felt like they were worth more then many make them out to be.  Going away questioning and wrestling with things you thought you knew is rewarding to me and I dont think that ever fails when I leave a convention. 

-Rachel

Everything I expected from a gay porn convention came alive this past weekend. It's funny cause I never understood why Rach (my wife) felt weird at the regular porn conventions. It's not that she felt uncomfortable with being hit on, it was just the fact that she was always stared at and worried she would get touched.

I was winked at, kisses were blown at me, and my hands would get caressed before a bible was taken away.

The first time I spoke to Craig, i mentioned I was interested in film making, somehow that translated to runnning a booth at the gay porn convention.

At the end of the day, it's all the same; guys who want love and look for it in places where they can't find it. The bigger issues, isn't even sexual orientation, it's the confusion.

I am not gay, I dont know what it's like to be attracted to dudes, this weekend I learned that there are guys who genually are attracted to guys. I dont know what to do with that.

I dont want to judge, or believe I have it figuered out. I want to join in on the mystery and rest assured that no matter what, God loves us all, and wants us to connect with him. It doesnt matter what you believe, nothing can separate you from the love of Christ, and that is something to talk about.

I will say this, everyone I talked to had some sort of connection to church/ christianity. I thought for a moment....why aren't they connected anymore? As a body of believers, we have alot of work to do, and part of that work is making everyone feel that they are connected, not because of what they do, but because of what Christ did.

- Sam

October 11th
The first day of the Gay convention is a wrap! Great times. Check out the pics from the team in NYC.

-Sam


My wife Rachel and Rachel Collins from Cali at the booth...

I signed up for film making....thanks Craig

Very confusing....we do not know where we are going...

October 10th
If you asked me a year ago if i thought i would be in vegas flying to newyork and lead a small group of people to share the love of Christ at a porn convention I would have laughed…well that time has come

Sept 21st
We have been invited to the Gay Erotic Expo in NYC! This will be a first for XXXchurch. We are excited! The Jesus Loves Porn Stars have been shipped, NYC here we come on Oct. 10-11!

This is from the organizer of the show...

- My name is Matt and I manage the Gay Erotic Expo in NYC. I saw you guys at the Exxxotica Erotica Expo in Jersey this weekend and wanted to see if you guys are interested possibly in exhibiting at our event. I know it's short notice, but I have a few booths left and I think what you guys are doing is great and that you could have a good place in our event.

September 12-14, 2008 a team of us headed to NYC for the firt ever EXXXOTICA NYC. We had a great time. Below are some of the recaps and above this post is the video from the trip.

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This was my first porn show, so I was kinda' nervous, still not sure what I was really in for. Before we got to the XXXChurch booth, we passed a cage with girls posing for pictures, several sky-high posters you can't help but look at, and numerous booths with not-so clever names. But it wasn't as shocking as I expected. I think the only surprising thing was the spectrum of people in attendance.........from Grandma & Grandpa to Ron Jeremy......and everyone in between. It really just made me sad, to see women on display, parading around with their "pimps", while men followed them around with video cameras. In any other place, it would be natural to be angry at that sort of thing, but the porn show is where they go to do it without shame.

I was afraid of being confronted or challenged and not being sure of what to say, but most people didn't really feel threatened by our presence. I think it was because we were such a contrast from the protesters outside, basically hating them to hell. I loved handing out the Bibles, with a cover that made people laugh, but probably made it easier to throw it in their bag of porn. This was a great way to get more involved with XXXChurch. I was glad to be there with Clint, doing something together that mattered. It's something we both feel strongly about, but I had really only been supporting  from home. It was good to talk to people and make a real connection with them.  Although what you see at a porn show isn't real, it made me realize how real it is to some people. It was easy for me to leave the show and return to my reality, but I guess the same show drew others deeper into their addiction. It's the saddest place with hot pink carpet.

-Heidi

This was my fourth show with the team, but the first with my wife Heidi Jo by my side. It was a different experience, seeing her reactions to our surroundings, and hearing her thoughts on them. Every show is a reminder of God's grace and love for us all. I was reminded of how each person in there has a story, is unique, is named and known. I wanted to ask so many of them, "Is this what you were designed for?". From the girl being used as a one trick pony across the aisle from us, to the guy I talked to who only attends the shows because he feels God doesn't have any woman for him. Having my wife there was a constant reminder of how important she is in my life, how much of a blessing she is and how I wouldn't want her to feel second to anything that the porn show has to offer.

-El Clinto

This is my 9th show overall. This is crazy to think about as well. I guess at this point it is a blur. Every show the thing that stands out to me is the endless amount of people you have the privilege to talk with. And many times I have the privilege to present a glimmer of hope and a reminder that no matter what they are loved.

The NYC show was no exception. I heard from a girl in the industry that  has our Bible on her bookcase to this day, it was in her collection. She said this proudly. She proceeded to explain that her picture with the JLPS banner was her most commented on photo on her myspace. She was so genuine and appreciative of us.

A guy named Phil hanged out with me at the booth on the last day of the show and asked all kinds of questions about heaven and hell, raptures and why he should not be at the show and why he should go back to church. He was, as he said "born again." He had not been to church in three years...

A gal from a couple booths down that simply sells vacations came down to Craig and I on the last morning of the show and asked for a few more Bibles. She explained that last night she had started to read the Bible and found it amazing. She had tears in her eyes in her eyes as she explained this, She thanked us for simply being at these shows..

Finally, I handed a guy a Bible and he said this "Man I am going to hell," I do not know where he heard that message in his life, as I handed him the Bible and he walked off I assured him to read it and Jesus loves him no matter what.

Every person that I get to speak with has a story and it is a amazing to hand them a bible and talk about life and hope in midst of all the craziness that is the show.

- Brandon

It was the first show for Richard and I, and I have to say we were very nervous about coming. Not because we have issues with pornography, but I think because we were worried that maybe we were inviting one.

However, the worries were put to rest within 5 minutes of getting to our booth. People were taking Bibles as quick as we were able to hand them out. Many did not even wait to get one from us, but drew from a large stack we had on the floor leaning against a pillar in the aisle where people were
walking by.

There was a porn star in the booth across from us who worked the crowd the entire time we were there. She posed for every picture and seemed to have this built in sensor where she would sense someone taking a picture of her from behind and would automatically stick her butt out for the camera. She seemed to be friendly with her fans, but during her break, she immediately
put a shirt on and plopped down with a bag of chips.

A playboy girl took a Bible from me and asked, "Does Jesus really love porn stars?"

"Absolutely!" I responded, "Jesus loves everyone..."

She came back later on and I felt like there was more I wanted to say. Nothing came to mind, so maybe the simple message on X3's Bible's says it all.

The deal with a porn show is that it is all about fantasies for sale. Sure, everyone has the potential to get caught up in their imagination - especially when there are girls walking around in tight little things. I think the thing that made it easier for me is realizing that this is not how any of these girls really want to be treated or live their life. It is not real and not appreciated.

I think a deeper root to the addictive part of a fantasy (aside from the obvious sexual stuff) is that porn paints a picture of a world where one gets what one wants when one wants... even if it is at another's expense.

Lord, help me to dream about how I might serve others rather than fantasize about how I might be served.

-Tom

We travel 3,000 miles to a porn show and the thing that stood out to me the most was a conversation I had with a travel agent. She markets her company at trade shows all across the U.S. She grabbed a Bible on day 2. On day 3 she came over and said to me, "Can I have another one of these? I started reading it last night and I started to cry and wanted to share this with someone else at my booth."

God's word is powerful. It is easy to forget that or take it for granted when you are around it so much. For someone new to it, it can bring you to tears.

We had just over 3,000 bibles that we handed out. They were all gone by 5pm Saturday. Heard some great quotes today. Thought I would share some of those with you. More updates to come:

"Will it help me or save my life?"  - Person who just got a bible at the booth

"I got one email this week about you guys at my show. One guy was upset that I allowed you in. I just hit delete. He did not know what he was talking about."  - J. promoter of show

"None of my porn friends bring me a turkey sandwich." - Ron Jeremy

"The picture of me next to the Jesus Loves Porn Stars display on my MYSPACE is the most commented picture on my site." - Porn Star

"Thank you for coming" - Consumer

"I don’t need Jesus...I got Jesus and I am not backsliding." - Consumer

"Jesus was the reincarnation of Adam." - Consumer

'How come you guys always run out of Bibles?" - Consumer

"Oh, is this a parody of the real Bible?" - Consumer

-Craig

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I didn’t know what to expect, but it ended up being a lot tamer than I thought. The booth was in a good spot and well protected from most visuals.  The girls who were working at the event were dressed similarly to how they would if going to the beach…but at the beach, it’s not expected for guys to be gawking and taking pictures and video of the girls.  At the expo, it was expected.  Guys were able to do all this without dirty looks or slaps to the face.  The day had this surreal feeling to it, and by surreal I mean fake.  It just seemed like the girls really really deep down just didn’t want to be there.  They would smile, but it wasn’t like a smile that was on the inside at the same time.  One girl posed suggestively with guys for hours and hours on end, as if programmed.  She did take a break in the middle and covered up to have a light snack.  It was when she covered up that she became more attractive, if that makes sense – like she was more herself, more real.  I wondered if she goes home at night and lays awake in bed, numb to all this, contemplating how God could ever love someone like her, or if there is a man out there who could see her as God does and treat her like the princess she is. Does she even know God sees her like this?  I wondered if she could even cry anymore.

We handed out over 3000 Jesus Loves Pornstars Bibles to anyone who would take them. Some simply walked past without taking notice, others held up their hand as if to say no.  Some laughed or made jokes as they passed by, reacting to the bold statement of  “Jesus Loves Pornstars,” like that could ever be the case.   Some people asked if we were for real, or just joking around, and when we said we were serious, responded by saying, “You’re just being facetious, right?”  Others took the Bibles, not realizing what they were, and put them into their “goody” bags.  Hopefully they will find Truth if they end up reading it later.  Some people took an extra for a friend; others came and requested the Bibles when we were out.  A few people we talked to actually knew some Bible stuff and/or claimed to be Christians.  I saw a Jesus fish on a car in the parking lot… at least its going to Heaven right?  The important thing is that there were people who were affected positively by God’s love and message of hope as a result of us being lights in a dark place. Jesus Loves Pornstars indeed!

-Nathanael

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The NYC porn show is this week September 12-14. The team is gearing up to hand out 4000 JLPS Bibles in three days. We are excited to head to a show on the east coast for the first time.

Stay tuned for updates right here, starting Friday.

The show has already been moved once because local officials tried to shut it down. But as we know the show must go on....the good porn people found a way to make it happen and they moved it to a bigger venue.

If you have not heard we just launched XXXchurch.tv and the NYC porn show is episode #2 of the new video podcast. Stay tuned it will be released early next week.

A couple things you can do to be involved...

1 Pray - please pray for the team, the industry folks and all those attending the show. Pray for every Bible that goes out and every conversation that will happen at the show.

2 Give - The main cost at porn show outreaches are the Jesus Loves Porn Stars Bibles. Buy a Bible or give to the porn show outreach fund to support the NYC show.

God Bless,

-X3TEAM

I was really grateful to be a part of what xxxchurch is doing at these porn
shows. It was so fun to pass out bibles to people walking by or to hand them
a card inviting them to our church. There were many people that smiled
and/or looked surprised when they read the cover of the bible. Some had some
questions and were glad to hear our message God's love is extended to
EVERYONE.

Even though some people didn't want to take a bible. I know though that
everyone that passed by the xxxchurch booth that weekend had a positive
encounter with God. And we may never know the impact of the seeds that were
planted but I believe that God will cause his message of love to grow in
those people's hearts somewhere down the road.


One thing that stood out for me was the men. (This caught me off guard
because I was intentionally focusing on the women.) I was amazed at the flow
of men lurking around going from booth to booth. I'm sure I had some
judgment for them at first but the more I watched them, the more I just felt
deeply sad for them. They seemed under confident, lost and broken as they
crowded around the pole dancers to get a glimpse or to take a photo with
there cell phones or video cameras. I wanted to reach out to them even more
and said a few prayers for them in my head as they passed by.

-rundi

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I sat on the plane heading back east after a great weekend in LA... bummed. My seat and tray table in the upright position, I was very aware of the fact that I was coming down off the buzz of the Erotic LA outreach. All the Bibles distributed, the awesome Oasis team we got to work with, the great conversations were all still fresh in my mind as the attendant droned on about securing my oxygen mask in the event of an emergency. I didn't want to leave. I told Craig Sunday morning on our way to speak at the church that it was surprisingly hard to pull myself away from the show and now as the plane taxied down the runway, I was feeling the reality of heading home. Back to normal. Back to the mundane.

One of the guys with us at the show said he had talked to more people about Jesus in a few hours than he had in a few years, and as I considered it now, so had I. It's amazingly easy. People are receptive. Conversations are usually sincere. But then, that's why we're there. That's why we traveled here, shipped cartons of Bibles, registered, paid our entrance, and stood in a 10x10 booth for three days. We purposed to tell people that Jesus loves Porn Stars. We knew we were going to do it when or feet hit the floor first thing that morning. We were looking for opportunities to express that love and seizing them when we had the chance. And there were plenty of chances.

As I watched the beverage cart inch closer to my row, I contemplated what it would take for me to change the few hours:few years ratio. I recognized that the buzz wasn't the show, it was the obedience to Christ's call to be His arm and legs. And mouth. And that the porn show had to follow me home. Take a porn show to work. Carry the porn show to school. Walk the porn show over to my neighbor's. I can have that experience every day by doing the same things we did this weekend... being purposeful and going for it.

I handed a Diet Coke to the woman in the window seat. "Heading home from a business trip, are you?" she asked. "No, I work with a ministry and we were here doing an outreach."
"Really. What kind of outreach?" Here we go. Porn show on the plane.
In my mind I reached out to hand her a 'Jesus loves MidWest Housewives' Bible

Rob

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What was it like? That was a question I had asked many years to Craig and others on the team as they returned from previous porn shows. In my mind I imagined a struggle beyond what I ever experienced before with women barely dressed if dressed at all walking in front of me and the onslaught of temptation that would certainly follow. What was strange for me as I experienced the porn show for myself was the absolute lack of temptation I experienced. Instead I was overcome with sadness and compassion for these people. They are people. They are no less loved by God than I am and no greater a sinner than me; they are simply deceived by a world that offers the dreams of success, fame, money, status, and acceptance; it is a lie.

In the midst of the porn show I recognized an unlikely character, GOD. Everywhere I looked was the voice of God speaking into the ears of people. I could feel God’s presence as I spoke to people about why we had come and the message we were sharing. Numerous people expressed  the echo of God’s voice through various statements, “my mom’s a minister,” “I grew up in a Christian home,” “I am so far in the flesh that I know God would not take me back,” “sometimes I think that Jesus speaks to me.” These are only a few of the numerous statements people made as they were reminded of a God that loved them in the midst of their depravity.

One porn producer sticks out to me the most and I cannot seem to remove him from my thinking. He owns a rather large porn company and came to speak with me the very first night we were there. He approached me laughing and asking what we were really all about. He had noticed the large Jesus Loves Porn Stars display and the stack of thousands of Bibles we were prepared to hand out. His booth was just to our left and was set up like an office. Attached to the walls of the display were plasma tv’s playing porn with large speakers amplifying the groans across the exhibit floor. This was a little difficult at times to handle. This man immediately shared with me that he had grew up in a religious home and his mom was in fact a minister. He said he got into porn one day with his fraternity brothers never expected it to take off and grow as large as it has. He was happy, pleasant, and likeable man. As he walked back to his booth and as I interacted with him throughout the weekend I couldn’t help but believe God was speaking into the ears of this man. He may be avoiding and ignoring his voice but I believe there will be a time when God pulls him out of the midst of this life and into the life he was intended to live. This man is merely another Donny Pauling who could only resist the echoes of God’s voice for so long. It is my prayer that God will allow for xxxchurch to point yet another successful porn producer to the light.

Thanks xxxchurch for what you do and your commitment to take the light into the darkness. The darkness you venture into is merely an extension of the ordinary life we all live. These are truly real people who look like the everyday ordinary people of our world—all of which are searching for meaning and purpose. It was an honor to bring Jesus into this environment.

-Jake

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Hey Craig - some of my thoughts from Erotica LA:
 
While Erotica L.A. is the porn industry's attempt to showcase its glamorous side, I came face-to-face with its underbelly. I had to avert my gaze away from the videos that played around us - not because they were so alluring - but because they were so disgusting. Much like the addict it produces, the porn industry seems unable to stop its slide into darker, seedier and more degrading forms of human behavior. My heart broke seeing the strippers in the booth next to us displaying their "assets" for the strangers who passed by. It was truly saddening. Everything inside me wished I could do more to show them the Father's love. Referring to ministry, the apostle Paul wrote that one person plants the seed, another person waters it but God is the One who makes it grow (1 Cor 3). I walked away from many people praying "God, I know You love these people. Take these little seeds we plant and water this weekend and make them grow."
 
Most people were so surprised to be handed a Bible at a porn convention. "Befuddlement" isn't a word we use alot but it was written on so many faces. "Jesus loves porn stars?! A Bible?! Jesus loves ME?! It doesn't make sense." Come to think of it, they're right. God's love doesn't make sense. It's bigger and and farther reaching and more enduring than any of us can fathom. I think God really uses XXXChurch to surprise people and get their attention at these shows. I saw it up close so many times.
 
I'll never forget my encounter with Stymie. His name has been a prayer on my lips all weekend. In his own words, we ruined his porn weekend in the best possible way! He walked away from God 18 months ago and feels totally disqualified and (before this weekend) beyond God's reach. The idea that God wanted him back and planted us two booths away from his to drive that point home was almost more than he could take in. I wrote this scripture inside the Bible we gave him - "For even if the mountains are shaken and the hills are removed, My unfailing love for you will not be shaken and My promise to bless you will never be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you (Is 54:10). I guess that's the message we proclaimed this weekend through our presence, our smiles and our conversations - "No matter what you've done, no matter who gives up on you, God loves you and will never give up on you."
 
The only sucky part of the convention was leaving. Even though my family moved the day before and I was totally exhausted, I couldn't pry myself away. There were more people to talk to, more Bibles to hand out...thankfully, I'll be in NJ this September and will get to join the X3 team at the NY convention. The team - that's the last thing I'll mention. What a remarkable and inspiring group of people! Craig, Brandon, Jake, Rachel, Rob - I'm so thankful for the X3 Team and their commitment to "keep showing up" and extend Christ's love to those trapped in pornography and the sex industry. It was a privilege to serve alongside them and our Oasis volunteers this weekend! -jeff

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You know, as we left the show last night I said to you, "I just wonder how much of a difference all this makes."  I felt kind of bad having said that since it came off as defeatist but upon reflection (and some sleep) I can now see that my observation was borne out of extreme, profound sorrow.  The convention was far sadder than I could ever have imagined.  It was far grittier and the people far more “rudderless” than one can dream.  But in the end it was no different from any of the places that Jesus would have gladly walked right into, without ever once considering if it “made much of a difference.”  Looking back, I can see that there were a number of people to whom I gave a Bible that looked at the cover of it and smiled.  And the smiles weren’t casual but the deep, hopeful smiles you get when you know that there is something greater than you out there; Someone who loves you despite all of the junk we get wrapped up in.   If it weren’t for you, xxx.church, and all of the wonderful volunteers at Erotica LA none of these hurting people would ever even contemplate, for one moment, that Jesus really does love them, right where they are.  And for many of the women and men — both producers and users of pornography — this is their one and only opportunity to hear this.

Thanks for giving us all a chance, and a platform, to spread the Word of God to so many people who hunger so deeply for it.  It’s awesome to feel a part of such an amazing team! -Steven

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I wasn’t sure what to expect and as we drove up I was concerned I might feel anger towards the men, as I walked in that completely left me and I felt a deep sadness in my soul, these men are so lost, and they don’t have a clue That was my biggest realization…this sexual perversion probably started off so slowly and now it has escalated to this, and they don’t even get how damaging what they are doing is and how that addiction is never satisfied, it always wants more, they don’t even know what they are missing my heart cries
 
My job was to walk around and hand out little gift bags and bibles to the women.
It was so amazing to me how these women got so excited about lip gloss. When you looked into there eyes they sere so hungry for love, and I believe they felt the difference in the love we were sharing… Jesus love shining thru us I was surprised how many of them said they were Christians, as they screamed with delight at what we were doing My favorite thing was when one women asked …
which booth are you at and I siad xxx church she laughed a little and said “really which booth are you at” xxx church was my reply Is it a real church yes she just giggled and look at me with disbelief and said “wow, that is so cool” and I agreed, Yes it is very cool

she seemed so surprised at our non-judgmental approach and as I smiled at her I thought this is where Jesus would be if he were here today and I felt a deep sense of how important this little act of service was, and my heart cried out for these women, and there lack of self-worth I wanted to reach out and hug her so tight and tell her how valuable she really was.

Did she know she is the daughter of a KING? but instead I smiled at her and grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight, and I know she felt the love the experience was wonderful, and yes it was tuff for me a mother of two, to leave in the evening and be up late when I knew the net morning I would be up at 5 am with a happy little baby smiling at me

But was it worth it? It was worth more then I can ever explain to you I believe it was planting seeds and it filled me up as well How grateful I am that I know who I am in Christ what a gift, and i want to give that gift to these women so thank you Craig and xxxchurch, I appreciate that you have created a place for us to serve in this way. -tami

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This was for me, the first time I had ever been to an event like that so I was a little bit nervous about how our "message" would be received.  I anticipated people would instantly feel judged and be avoidant.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  The people who stopped to ask questions truly blessed me and were an encouragement to my own faith.  It was proof that no matter what people are struggling with in their own life, God is always gently pursuing them.  Besides only a handful of people, almost everyone was receptive, grateful and even seemed relieved.  Relieved to be treated and viewed as a good person despite the context.  It was ironic - so many people came up to just say they thought it was great that we were there and that they supported what we were doing - including the distributors of the pornography videos!  One man working at a booth promoting his pornography videos, gave me his card and said he donates regularly to ministries like ours.  He was insistent we contact him so that he could support us financially.  This man whose income is based on selling pornography wanted to give money to the ministry that tries to take his customers!  If that isn't "God working all things for good," I don't know what is!
 
As I was handing out bibles I "ran into" people from my workplace and several people who said they had attended my church before.  I encouraged them to come back and they said they would.  I was questioned by a man whose career was in front of the camera, as he put it - a male porn star.  He asked me 5 times if I really believed that Jesus love porn stars.  It was like he just couldn't believe that for himself.  Another person said it was just strange "don't you think?" that Christians would be here and not be condemning people.  He said there was a another group of them outside picketing, with signs saying that if you went inside you were a sinner.  I told him I thought that was more strange because we are all sinners.
 
I truly learned from this experience about people and their hearts.  Really, we're all looking for something, for meaning, for value, for comfort and healing.  We take different paths to try and find it, but in the end ... there is only one thing that will satisfy.  If nothing else, seeds were planted, and people were given hope that they are not a lost cause, and that there is a Jesus who loves everyone.  Even porn stars.
 
Thank you so much for the opportunity to partner with you!!! -Desire

Saturday

8pm - Here are some write ups from those who have helped us at the show. Also, scroll down to see a video from a news piece on the show from the local news in LA.

Hey Craig,  Just wanted to say thanks again for the opportunity to volunteer last night. I never thought that handing out bibles could be so much fun. And I honestly have to say that I never thought I would be able to hang out at a porn convention, and talk to people about coming to church, it is truly amazing where GOD can bring you. My prayers will be with you on your upcoming Vegas plans, Thanks again, Take care, Trish

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It was great meeting you today at the convention.

I am still processing my experience volunteering today. While I was there, I didn't have time to really think about what I was witnessing, there were so many people and they were all so willing to take a bible, I didn't want to miss anyone. It felt frantic.

I didn't have too many meaningful conversations, however, I did have a chance to look a porn star in her eyes and tell her that she is beautiful. I handed her a bible, she read on the outside, "Jesus Loves Pornstars," and then I said, "He really does." She smiled shyly and walked away with her new bible. I pray that she reads it and hears the TRUTH of Jesus Christ. 

When I left the convention I felt a heaviness on my heart, I still feel it. Today's event has made this industry much more real to me. The perversion is daunting. I feel much like I did when I first arrived in India back in October, culture shocked, powerless, and confused.

God has put this industry on my heart and for now, I will keep praying as to what He wants me to do or not do. You have my full support in your ministry. It would be nice if one day we (Ecclesia) could partner with you in the future.

Thank you for this God inspired approach to reach into the depths of this dark, dark world.

Break a leg at Oasis tomorrow! -Erin
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Hi Craig! How do I begin to describe the wonderful feeling I have this morning....the day after the porn convention.  I can't tell you how many times I've said "I'm just not that girl" when it comes to doing things for God, and He just keeps removing that statement from my life over and over again.  Had you told me a month ago I would have been handing out bibles at a porn convention, loving on people and witnessing to them, I would have laughed you right out of church.  This opportunity you presented to us has encouraged me to go to the next level in my faith with complete confidence that my Father will guide my footsteps and my words for the purpose of His kingdom.  God is so good!!!
Thanks again Craig.  Looking forward to my next porn convention. -Marguerite

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How can I start this reflection email other than exclaiming, "Wow!"  I really thought I would be relatively undisturbed passing out Bibles and talking to people who have, shall we say, different preferences or hobbies than myself. But truthfully this experience affected me to the core. It is one thing to imagine being at a porn expo as a Believer whose heart has been captured by the pure and lovely things of Jesus, but it is another thing to actually be there when everywhere your eyes fall there are video monitors showing (mostly women) doing sexually explicit, degrading (and in my opinion, disgusting) acts.

Imagery is powerful, and I saw its power in a deeper way as I volunteered at the xxxchurch.com booth. Some of these images shown on the video monitors will probably never leave my mind -and I wasn't even wanting or trying to see them. My eyes literally processed what it was and quickly turned away and yet it seems like it they will be imprinted in my mind's eye forever. One man who was given a Bible, opened the cover and said, "What no pictures? Man, that's cold!" To me, this is a poignant comment that is demonstrative of how sensate our culture is and has become. People do not read as much for entertainment. Much more prolific is the medium of TV and videos. I asked myself, "What are the chances that that man is going to read anything? Let alone a Bible?" And secondly I asked myself, "How can the church reach a sensate-driven culture?" Maybe we do need pictures in our NLTs and NKJVs.

As I stood back looking at the industry players and enthusiasts in action, asking God how my country and my city evolved into embracing porn to the point where it is considered cool and mainstream, He reminded me of the church in Corinth, and that things have really not changed that much. One of the only differences between the licentious Corinthians and the depravity exhibited at Erotica is that the video monitors replace what I would likely have seen in pagan temples. Or, behind the doors of Corinthian Christians, whom Paul was actually addressing in his letters. God reminded me how Paul dealt with sexual sin in the church in Corinth...Paul said, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Cor. 3. 16)? God (through Paul) reminded them of who they really were first, not focusing on what they did, but reminded them that they were dearly loved, purchased with the most precious sacrifice, and that they were crafted for a purpose.

And for me, that is what this Expo was all about. Of course, I was there to tell those who may not have ever heard about Jesus' love. But I was also there to remind those who may already know the truth (Christians), whether through a conversation or a smile, of what they may have forgotten or never really knew. I met a couple Christians from our church and other well-known SoCal churches who taught me just that. How I longed for their shame, condemnation and embarrassment about being at this expo to melt under the radical grace and love of our Savior as I was talking with them. What did I do? I gave them a Bible and wished them a great night. -Lauren

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1pm - The show started at 11am this morning. There was a line about 500 people deep waiting to get in. Board member Rob Supan flew in this morning and joined the crew. Some great volunteers from Oasis Church were rocking it on the show floor. Great conversations are happening and many Bibles are going out. We may run out today if the pace keeps up.

And reluctantly we must report there are a couple Christian protester out front. Check out a photo here. The guy is pretty old and should be inside chilling watching Nascar or TNN. It simply makes zero sense to protest, people just laugh. I am sure he is well intentioned...we hope to talk to him later today, when he is not yelling.

If you have a moment please pray for everyone at the show and for the team. Thanks so much and stay tuned tonight for another update.

-Brandon

Friday

A great first day at the show. You can check out the pictures on flickr. We have a number of volunteers with us at the show and as they share their thoughts on the show we will post them. Here is a little bit from Harmony

Regarding my experience on Friday, it was so great to see the sort of rapport you have developed at the convention.  So many of the people we spoke to remembered you from years prior and even said "I still have the yellow bible you guys gave me" or "I got the pink t-shirt last time you were here".  It is great to see that the work that you are doing has left such a positive impression on people and I just know that God is working through that. 

At one of the booths, a man straight up asked, "Tell us the truth, are we going to hell for doing this?"

What could have so easily turned into a religious debate was quickly turned into an opportunity to share God's grace and unconditional love.  Your volunteer seized the opportunity to share with the man and the woman he was with about the significance of a personal relationship with God and that none of us are qualified to make judgments about anyone else because no matter what form it takes, we all have junk.  At the end of the encounter, the smiles on the faces of the initially defensive man and woman said it all.

At another booth, we made a connection with a precious young woman, who, despite a line of fans waiting to talk to her, eagerly spent some time talking about the gifts and t-shirt we gave her.  When she read the caption, "Jesus loves porn stars", she turned to face her fans and called out..."See...Jesus loves porn stars!" Then she turned to us and said, "I know He does because He talks to me."   Just as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she second guessed herself, hung her head and quietly said to us, "Just kidding".  To which we responded that Jesus does want to talk to her.  Before we walked away, she gave me a hug and held me like she didn't want to let go.  I hope and pray that through our interaction with her, she felt the true and abundant love her Heavenly Father has for her.

Those are just a couple moments that really impacted me.  Thanks again and I really look forward to doing this again with you all in the future!  -Harmony

Wednesday

We are going back to LA after a one year break. We are excited as ever to get back to the west coast. It will be the two year anniversey of the debut of the Jesus Loves Porn Bibles as they came out at LA Erotica 2006. We are in need of 3500 Bibles for this show. LA here we come.

We have a great team in place for the show. Harmony Dust from Treasures will be joining us along with some of her team. Rachel Collins is back as well loaded up with over 150 Jesus Loves Porn Stars shirts to hand out to the gals. Two board members of XXXchurch, Rob Supan and Jake Larson are making their first trips to the show. We also have over 10 volunteers from Oasis Church in Los Angeles helping us out. Brandon and I will be making the trip from Grand Rapids to meet up wtih everyone else.

Donny and I did a porn and pancakes out there in February and they were stoked to help out at the show. In addition to helping us out at the show, I will be speaking at all their weekend services and we are going to be handing out invitations at the show for the services at Oasis

After the show, the whole xxxchurch staff plus a board member head out to the desert for a field trip. More on that later and more updates later in the week.

Day 1 - The first day is complete at the Miami Porn Show. More people, more glam and of course more porn, mark our second visit down to South Beach. We brought 3500 Bibles down to Miami and are not planning to take any home. Also, check out the new JLPS cutout - a new addition to Porn Show outreach booth.

It was a great day at the show to say the least. Highlights include...

One - A great team of volunteers from South Florida have stepped up to help out for the weekend, a couple of them even drove five hours to be here. It was awesome to see them work the floor at the show, We are thrilled the Florida Gals are here to help.

Two - JLPS Cutout is a hit! We had a cheap custom cutout made for the porn shows, kind of like those muscle man / woman touristy cutouts you see on vacation. It is straight gaudy and people are loving it. Check it out here.

Three - The Miami Herald stopped by the booth and interviewed Craig and took some photos. This story will run this Sunday Morning. Yea South Florida!

See all the pictures from the show on Flickr and stay tuned for updates and some video to come.

We thank you all for making this possible. We are blown away by the people grabbing a Bible for the first time, conversations such as this one from today, "That book you gave me, I read while I was at lunch today, i like it, it is way interesting..."

From South Beach...

Brandon

Day 2 - It is 11:30pm and the show is just now wrapping up. Today was a great day. The team at this show has been great. The JLPS cut out is amazing! You got to see the team individual photos in the cut out. A few highlights for me were:

Several conversations with people that asked how we afford to do what we do. Questions about how much the Bibles were and how big this outreach is. Bottom line, people get it. People get that there are real tangible costs to do what we do and they all seemed genially thankful because we cared enough to come to what we do. So many people ask us if the Bibles are free and if they can have one and to see peoples faces light up when we say yes you can take one is just the sweetest feeling. The fact of the matter is that we do care and there are a group of people that believe in this ministry that do care about visitors to Exxxotica Miami. It is a thrill to know that we are bringing good news to people. That is our job here. That is why we got on a plane. That is what we signed up for

My wife talked to a man who liked what we did. He said he understood what our ministry was all about because he knew someone that lost a marriage because of porn and someone who was addicted to porn. He then admitted it was him. Honesty on a show room floor is refreshing but also sad...

Megan, one of our volunteers. We met her via the Internet because she shared her confession with us. I got to spend some time listening to her story today. A transformed life. We shot a video with her that will come out later.

That's all I got for now. Jeanette and I are headed to a Pursuit Christian Church Sunday morning.

Craig

P.S. - El Clinto and Krissee dancing!

P.S.S - I might have had a slight altercation with a protester that ended with me throwing his sign in the street and then cars running it over. Just maybe. There is no point to it I know. You can't change these people's minds. You can't out argue them. I just wish they would go away. I get so mad when I see what they do and hear the things that come out of their mouths. I could not just stand there and listen to such garbage. So, I took his sign....I am sure El Clinto will edit that video later. Jesus came for the sick not the healthy and nothing makes me madder then listening to people who think they are so healthy.

Day 3 - The show is a wrap and we are on our way home early Monday morning. All the Bibles were gone by midday on Sunday. It was a great show in Miami. Check out all the photos from the show on Flickr and of course check the photo of the fine protester.

-Brandon, El Clinto & Krissee

All 4 days of Updates are Below.

The team has arrived. Here is the run down this year. So, when you watch any recap videos you will understand what is happening.1. THE HOUSE. We are all staying at "The Vegas Party House" I wanted the team to be together instead of all these separate hotel rooms which are normally not nice at the places I seem to book. So, solution rent a house. The house we found is called The Vegas Party House. We have six kids under four rocking the Party House, three married couples, and a few singles including Brandon...yes he is still single ladies. Each room comes with Leopard print robes, just see the flickr feed for a great shot of board member Bryan sporting the robe.

2. THE MISSION. Thousands of Jesus Loves Porn Stars Bibles to be given away at the AVN Adult Expo. The largest porn show of its kinds. It is good to be back in Vegas and hear comments like..."My Bible is on the table that I got last year or I read it every night. We have a team of ladies that are talking to the various people in the industry and handing out free shirts. Rachel who went to London with us is back heading up that side of the outreach. Heather and Annie from Las Vegas are working the show floor is well starting Thursday. We have a team of us at the booth talking with people and handing out the Bibles.

3. AWARDS. Saturday night my wife and I are actually going to be going to the award show and are able to spend some time with some great people that we have met from this industry.

4. CES. The Consumer Electronic Show is in town. So, Vegas is a mix of porn and electronics this week. Our buddies from Safe Eyes are in town for that and we look forward to catching up with them tonight at some point.

5. THANKFUL. I am so very thankful for this chance that we have to shine some light in a dark room this week. So very thankful for your prayers and support to do this.

Craig

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DAY 2

The show was crazy busy today. Many great talks and conversations on the floor and off. The girls have been hitting the floor, standing in line for the girls autographs and giving them a Jesus Loves Porn Stars t-shirts. The relationships that are created in just a few conversations are amazing to observe and show a great deal as gals from the industry come by the booth to say hello and chat for a few minutes.

In addition to being on the floor at the show I had the opportunity to interview a new friend of x3's. Darla came in touch with xxxchurch after her marriage was torn apart by her husbands porn addiction. She herself was a porn star for a couple years in the midst of a career working as a stripper. Darla told her story on camera today of how God has completely changed everything in her life. It is simply powerful and we are excited to have her and be able to share her story with others.

Thanks for your prayers, thoughts and all that you have given of yourself to make this happen. Every time a bible goes out it is a conversation, healing, hope, life and who knows what else - for God is doing some crazy stuff.

Brandon

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DAY 3

Another day, another morning woken up by a herd of children running around the "Fireman Pole" in the center of the living room. Whether being woken up by Craig's kids (See London Video) or sleeping on an air mattress next to a stripper pole, every time I go anywhere with XXXChurch its always an adventure. I can't believe that its already my fourth porn convention and it's my second year back here in Vegas.

I am here with some amazing girls (Mia and Rachel Sanchez) who brave the madness that is the center of the convention to find girls who would like a t-shirt, a bible, or maybe just a kind word. Today we spent a good amount of time with the boys of the gay porn industry and they are no doubt the kindest and most welcoming group that I have met so far. Also the day would not have been complete without mentioning Buck Angel and his wife. Buck is the first female to male transexual in the porn industry and he loved the bibles and the message of XXXChurch. We hope to meet with him tomorrow to hang out with him and his wife.

All the guys worked hard handing out the Bibles and we had so many people come to the booth today to say hi and that they remembered everyone from last year. I love seeing how many people have a connection with XXXChurch whether they are in porn, make porn or simply come back every year. Tomorrow the bibles will be gone, we handed out our last shirt today, and we know that some amazing connections were made. So many have opened their lives up to us and we hope that we can just keep them talking, sharing, and including us in their lives. And pray that we make it through the last night in the Vegas Party House, even thought I will miss the 9 foot tall leopard print chair. Crazy.

Rachel

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DAY 4

A lot of things surprised me at the porn convention, like clown boxes, teeth whitening and swinger watches. Out of all the things I've been asked, being invited to a wedding, by a stranger, at a porn convention, probably makes the top 5 weird list. The next day I show up to the booth (the wedding took place at the convention in a booth) and begin shooting. As I ask questions, I run into the groom, Jessie, and he begins to share his story. Being at the porn convention, I assume he is in the porn industry.....he's not, his wife is.

Jessie tells me, him and his bride to be, have been dating for 8 years. By the looks of the guys, I'm guessing they were high school sweet hearts. He says, a few years ago, they decided it was a good idea for her to be involved in the porn industry. Since than, their relationship has been open, yet one big secret. Jessie's wife won't tell her side of the family she is into porn. I ask him why and he shares that she comes from a Christian background. Immediately everything begins to connect and come to life. Here we have two normal people, who sure, they have a crazy life style, but at the end of the day, they have a family and God whom they are aware of.

Jessie gets pulled away by one of his buddies because the wedding is going to begin. Tons of fans come flocking to the booth. The flashing lights begin to get brighter and faster. Jessie and his wife are escorted by a priest to the top of a striper pole platform. The priest begins to share how he knows the couple and "especially" the wife (he mentioned he slept with her), and after a grope and kiss on the lips he lets her say her vows. She says something, but its drowned out by the audiences cheers and the music from the convention.The priest doesn't let Jessie say his vows. By this point, Jessie and his wife look embarrassed and confused, what do they do? Do they act like its normal and play along, or do they react to what is really going on in their hearts? After a few fake laughs and awkward moments they are pronounced husband and slut. They make out and come back down.

I go to Jessie and offer him a chance to say his vows on the camera. With his words he expresses how much he is thankful for me allowing him to say his vows to the camera, and with his eyes he shows me how much he is hurting. We exchange information and I head back to the booth to get them a Jesus Loves Porn Stars bible, and he goes stands next to his new wife as she talks with all her fans.
-Sam

We had the great opportunity to spend Thanksgiving weekend at a porn show in London. We managed to find a TEX-MEX restaurant that was serving turkey and the team took in a great meal. Craig and his family, Brandon Piety, Clint McManaman and Rachel Collins were all on the trip. There were others such as Stephen, Jonathan and Lucy that volunteered their time as well. Each of these people were just fans of XXXchurch and live nearby London. It was great having some locals there. Below is a write up from Jonathan and Lucy.

From Lucy-I've been looking forward to Erotica UK for months. That is a sentence I never thought I'd write! Having found out about XXXchurch and it's ministry about a year ago, I decided that I would go out of my way to be involved in such an amazing project. When the opportunity came up to volunteer I jumped on it.

As the time drew nearer for the exhibition I began to get really nervous. I just couldn't work out what I was going to do or say when I was there. I just didn't know how people would react to the stall, to the idea. I was worried the visitors would think we were being patronizing or trying to push Christianity on them.

My experience was quite different. Yes, some people were offended. Yes, some people refused to talk to me because the stand had the word 'church' on it but that was only the minority. It was incredible to see the positive response to the idea and the website. People were taking cards for their friends, coming back for more bibles ("can I have one for my sister?") and talking openly about their lives and experiences.

What an incredibly diverse range of people. I have met 60 year olds who like to wear funky costumes, pole dancers, page three girls, lap dancers, porn stars, a foot fetishist called John (he taught me how to massage feet. Fay's feet. She's a porn star), two dominatrixes, fetish models, burlesque artists, dancers, sexual health experts and many more. All of them happy to talk, all of them friendly and kind.

Dave's friend would rather watch porn than sleep with his girlfriend. He took a card.

Julia said that she was "the product of a Catholic education" she's a dominatrix and felt the need to add that she's also bisexual. We had a great chat about boundaries, really love, acceptance and God seeing you for who you really are, not just your job.

Her friend Ayla is a porn star. She wants to be a youth worker but can't because she's been in porn. She had a kid really young, has been through drug and alcohol abuse and just wants to move on.

What made me break down mid afternoon on Saturday was the girl in the cage. It was a small cage. People were paying £1 (about $2) to poke her with a stick. I asked her if she was ok in there and she said yes. I asked her to rate her time in their on a fun scale of one to ten. She made a face (a kind of 'yeah, not great' face). I left her and just could not stop thinking about what kind of people pay to abuse a human being in a cage. And think it's fun. Kinky. What price on human dignity? Where is our respect for other people? She is worth so much more than that.

I sat down and cried. A man from an erotic art stall came and literally wiped away my tears, asked me what was wrong, told me I was an angel and got me on my feet. So humbling. He was so compassionate. I am now challenged to live a live of compassion, kindness and acceptance to a degree I would never have thought possible a week ago.

Thank you X3. I think my life might have been changed. On the video after being at the show for ten minutes I said I wanted to see what God was doing in that place. He was everywhere. It was a privilege to be there too.

+ + + +

From Jonathan - The show in London was altogether a surprise, but probably not for the reasons you think…

What surprised me immediately was how normal it was. In retrospect it makes sense. If the organizers are going to encourage the middle of the road consumer to fork out £25 they don't want it to be too in-your-face. Don't get me wrong, it was strange, but not a freak fest!

The team was the second surprise. The whole atmosphere was so laid back (I suspect jet lag and heavy travel may have had a slight sedation effect!) But it worked very well. Instead of pouncing on every person that walked past the guys were happy just to sit and chat-spending time to share stories and experiences. It had a strong taste of 'The Real'. The reality is that we don't just want to shove a bible in every hand like our consumer culture tells us we should! We're the real deal and these guys act like it! Massive inspiration!

Lastly, the people were very surprising. Some were imaginatively dressed and that was fun! More surprising though, was the average person who walked past. Many of them had quite a vacant look on their faces! It may have been that they cottoned on to us and didn't want to make eye contact as only the British can. Whatever it was it made them seem pretty lifeless. It's amazing that people can pay £25 to wander round a building looking totally uninterested! It was a powerful image of how the whole industry sucks the life. It seems to me that the whole idea of making sex into an industry makes it really...Un-sexy…

Our next stop-Las Vegas in January. If you would like to read about how to support the porn show outreach please log on and check out this document at www.triplexchurch.com/jlps.pdf

RECAP

We are back home in Michigan after a great and long weekend at the show in Toronto. Everyone is safe and has inserted a little more "eh" into their vocab. The weekend was packed full of incredible conversations and interactions with the fine people at the show. Check out the team's reflections from the weekend below and check out the pics by clicking here. Next Porn Show is in the UK - London here we come!

We hope everyone had a great Easter. The team has returned from Miami from the Exxxotica Convention and we wanted to share some of the stories with you. Below are the reflections of the show team and also check out all the pictures on our flickr account. This was the first show I was not able to attend but the team did an amazing job. I was with 3500 pastors and church leaders at the Hawaiian Island Ministries conference in Honolulu. So, all of us were in the sun and now are back in the snow. Thank you for your support of this kind of outreach.

-Craig

Brandon Piety
More women at the show. More Picketers. And porn vending machines. That was Miami this year. And of course many Jesus Loves Porn Stars bibles in between and through it all. As the bibles go out I am amazed at the reactions every time. There are guys who grab a few for friends and other who ask poignant questions and others who simply smile. Hope is alive on a porn show floor. The conversations that happen and optimistic smiles on the show floor speak that hope is alive in the middle of so much that is broken.

In Miami I spoke to guys who did not even want to come to the show, but their need for porn made them jump in a car and get there. They were alone. At the show alone and in their eyes I could see they wanted more than the glam and the temporal fix. I spoke to dudes on spring break and guys who were at the show for no reason at all.

In every member of the Miami team, with every interaction and in every moment love was shown to people in need. From speaking to the guy in the industry across the way, to a girl who danced all day long and then came and sat in our booth for breaks with our girls. There was one single highlight of the show for me and that was seeing the team move with passion to show every individual they encountered that they are great and are loved and have worth more than they will ever know, that was the Miami porn show 2007.

Molly – 1st Time Porn Show
I'm not sure one can fully describe what happens at an X3 outreach without actually experiencing it for your self. I’ve never felt so anointed and Spirit-filled than I did at the porn show last week. It’s amazing how God just lavishes His love on people who are not even walking with Him. He loves us all the same. As people would walk by our booth I would heavily feel God’s presence and love being passed to them as we interacted. Whether it was a brief interaction or a pause long enough to really get in to things and pray with them- God was moving. He is so good like that. At a freaking porn show His Spirit was alive and clearly at work. My heart is so full and satisfied as I think back to the women God allowed me to connect with. From challenging Sonny Lane if her “void” really was filled through the porn industry; to watching tears form in the eyes of the precious girls from the Bang Bus after telling them that God has serious plans for them and loves them as a beautiful daughters; to praying with Susan and her boyfriend on the floor of the X3 booth; to praying for Adina that God will provide money so she will not have to prostitute her body anymore. God rocked that Miami porn convention. And He totally rocked me. What a precious God who will go to any length to tell His kids that He is CRAZY about them! He is too good. I cannot WAIT for my next porn show.

Jesse and Kim
Again the airport gave Kim and I some drama. This time it was the way TO instead of the way HOME though. At first glance this was just another porn show, but once we’d been there a while there were some major differences. We were right next to Ron Jeremy for one. There were a lot of young couples together and a lot of girls by themselves too. I had a great time talking to all the pornographers and their camera crews about what I am “really about.” People don’t really know how to take me. Apparently rock n’ roll Christian/Jewish guys in porn show passing out Bibles to Pornographers and their fans aren’t the norm in their life. With vulgar audio contests going on, a strip show right at the entry, and people walking around in body paint taking pictures w/ Ron going on all week, it was easy to be the one who sticks out. Keep praying for us and that we talk to the right people, have enough Bibles, get the right booth space, and just generally affect some lives on the positive! I truly believe that God, the one and only, really wants XXXchurch at these shows. The drunken guys, the strippers, the porn fans, and the addicts are now my heart. From Tulsa-rusalem I hail. I’m here to tell you God IS in this and we ARE making a difference!

J.R. Mahon
Miami... One thought, "THE NEW PORN SHOW..."

A sentence from the women leading the PR team for EXXXoctica Miami was the most telling forecast of the future of the porn industry in relation to you, me and our acceptance of pornography.

The sentence... "This is not a porn show, this is an adult entertainment show, and there is a difference." She went on to say.

Miami was my 5th show. Leaving this show, I am concerned with the new language the industry is using to normalize porn. We have officially found the dumbing down of pornography. We have come to the point where the language used inside the industry is helping level the playing field for everyone to consume porn. "It's not porn anymore it's adult entertainment, have at it, everyone else is." It's that very sentiment that helps porn squirrel itself away in every part of our lives, from the Target check out lines to the overly sexualized cartoons kids are watching on Nick. Theory... no way!

Miami was for all intensive purposes a clean show. No crazy sex on video monitors in every booth, No naked porn-stars simulating sex at every turn, for the most part porn stars had cloths on and the language was "Happy to see you, relax enjoy, no ones hurting anyone here." This show was a concreted effort to knock down the scandal of porn and replace it with toothy naked grins of the adult entertainment community. Dangerous to say the least.

I saw more couples, more women and than any other show and had more of the same conversations with industry leaders willing to admit that their careers have an end in sight.

Beyond the 2500 free Bibles, the prayers, the idiot protesters, the X3 team's willingness to stay on the show floor every second of the day... there is a loving God who laid His life down for the everyone in Miami... even the PR chick or the young men who wander aimlessly through the show, the pornographer who told me his kids worry he's going to hell, the porn star who said, "You watch my porn I'll read your Bible." or the couple who thought it would be fun to see porn stars.
He loves us all and I hope the message translates…

The new porn show is here and it should scare the crap out of us....

J.R.

Never did I think the first time I walked through the Sands Expo for the porn show back in 2002 that I would be back 5 years later. Never did I imagine the biggest male porn industry would be spending time talking to us in our booth 5 years later. Never did I imagine I would walk into the sales office at AVN at the show and be asked back for another show next year. Never, never did I think I would bring a van full of 3400 Bibles into a porn show and watch people grab at them until they were gone 3 days later. Never did I think I would hear the question, “Do you have any Bibles left?”from some porn show fans. Never did I think what started out over with two of us would turn into a full-blown assault on Las Vegas. Yes, let me explain. 

There were 12 of us working our booth. From Oklahoma, Chicago, California, to Michigan. The group came from all over to help spread the message. 26 people stayed at home and fasted for us that we know of. Over 300 hit their knees in prayer for what would take place. 

Then there were the other ministries that were all over the place. From the local pastor of a church in Vegas praying for people as they left the show. To Annie, the X hooker, who was walking the show striking up conversations, to the JCS Girls who were set up in the gay section of the show ministering to their neighbors.  

5 years ago. None of this was happening. The great joy for me this year was having the conversations with our team and the others I just mentioned and just listening. Listening to how there was a lot of light shining in this very dark place.  

We had the privilege of being interviewed by Martin Bashir from Nightline. The piece will go out in February. He is at our booth talking to me and Ron Jeremy and he says in his British accent. “Will Ron Jeremy make it to heaven?” 

I said, I hope and pray that Ron realizes that he has a God shaped hole in his heart that only God can fill. Porn won’t exclude Ron from heaven, but he has to accept this free gift. The question did not leave me. It is still with me and it serves as a reminder of why we go. Not to judge, not to condemn, not to force. But because we have been given an enormous opportunity to share Christ with those that attend a porn show. So, we go. Next stop Miami.      

Craig Gross

Enjoy as I did the recaps from some of our team.  

This year's show in Vegas was my third serving with xxx church. I am a professional makeup artist and was blessed enough to use my makeup skills that God has given me as a way to serve and love and connect with these girls. I am getting teary eyed just thinking about some of the stories they shared with me about what they've been through in life: disconnected from their families, bad relationships with dads, judgmental mothers, starting in the industry at age 16, drugs and alcohol stories ...it goes on and on. It just kills me that these women that God created feel so low about themselves.

Life is tough for them and they've dealt with so much pain and loss. They are deceived into thinking that they are "having the time of their life" by working in this business. However, I KNOW God has a much better plan for his precious daughters. I tried to just love them and serve them and encourage them while doing their makeup. I asked them a lot of questions about their lives and sometimes just laughed with them or talked about what makeup they like or where they like to go out to dinner. I began writing down the eye shadows I used on them on the front page of the "Jesus Loves Porn Stars" Bibles so they'd be sure to look at them later. I was able to talk with a few about God and how much He loves and unconditionally accepts them. One girl told me about her fiancé and how he was "saved" and wants her to get saved and leave the industry. I told her how God had begun to use my marriage to heal my wounds and how amazing God's plan for marriage is. She immediately softened and I prayed for her and her future. She said she knew her time in the industry was coming to an end and I reassured her that Christ washes away ALL the sins of our past. She could be as white as snow.

That conversation was the highlight of the show for me. I love serving God this way.
Rachel Conner

I really don’t know what to say. People were lifeless. They had no dreams and nothing to look forward to. Their goals were to get as much porn as possible, autographs of porn stars they will never have sex with, pictures of porn stars, and anything else that will get them closer to making their fantasy a reality. By the end of the day, they are still left right where they began, if not worse.
Sam Sanchez

I've been a lot of things in my life.  A baker, a lifeguard, a salesman, roadie, student, boyfriend, brother, son, friend and lots of other things.  Before this trip I don't know that I’ve been involved w/ something where everything I am and am not came into play for the positive.  Kim and I showed up in "Viva Las Vegas" late in the day.  I really didn't know what to expect.  Craig had let me know what it would be like verbally and I had watched all the little clips from the site, but how do you ACTUALLY prepare for a porn show?  After a decent night sleep the first night, in a room w/ J.R. and Brandon, we got showered and ready for the day.  (Brandon takes longer than my sister and my girlfriend combined to get ready)  We drove to the show.  The whole day everyone is asking us "rookies" if we "are ready for this."  I mean, I knew that I was, and I said that I was, but how do you REALLY know until you've been.   

Well just in case you are praying about being one of the next to go... listen to me.  The hardest part of the whole thing was the very first walk to the booth.  At a glance it looks like any other show.  (Boat show, gun show, RV shows, car show, etc.)  As you keep looking though you quickly notice the worst is true.  They did tell us it was quite a bit "dirtier" this year so I, at least, had that. After we got rolling it was all cake!  I thought to myself, "After thinking for all this time, that I really need this trip, and that they were really going to impact my life... It was THEM who really needed me there." (Them = the industry) The people were so open.  They were so shocked.  The industry people were sooooo broken.  It was the whitest harvest field that I've ever been in. 

Being a roadie for a while let me see quite a bit that most will never even think of.  This may have helped numb me to the situation.  There was; however, no better help for me then just being ME.  The ME that Messiah has been shaping ME to be.  The ME that talks like ME is tattooed and pierced like ME.  The ME that responds like ME.  God's gifts and callings are given w/out repentance (Romans 11:29).  This means that God isn't sorry for making me the way I am. NEVER have I felt more IN PLACE and RIGHT where I needed to be than in Vegas this year as XXXchurch.com!   

Meeting the two school dressed girls who poured there heart out to me and told me that they needed out, almost ended up being my "high of the week."  Talking to "Matt" EVERY DAY of the convention and each day giving him a little bit more word to ingest almost ended up my "high of the week."  J.R. and I taking the Jersey boys (Wayne and Mike) to dinner and really striking to their core was almost my "high of the week".  Connecting w/ Annie, who was starting a ministry called Hookers for Jesus or something like that, almost was. Getting to be the "go to guy" for the team when nobody else knew what to say was almost.... but my "high of the week" was spending a week being Jesus to a crowd who may have never seen Him otherwise.  A close second was becoming friends w/ J.R. (true friends) and getting closer to Craig and Brandon while simultaneously getting to be in *sings* VIVA LAS VEGAS. 

May you follow the gifts and callings of God and know that He's NOT SORRY for making you who you are! May you grow in both knowledge of the Word and love for your Messiah! 

And may you never take as long to get ready in the morning as Laci or Brandon. 
Jess Mole
P.S.  My life is changed! 

This week I got to go to my first of hopefully many Porn Conventions. When first walking into the convention, I was a little nervous. Even after preparing myself for months about what to expect, and watching the videos for XXXchurch.com, I was still wondering inside if I would be able to hang. As we were walking to the booth, just glancing around was almost painful.  

They had already warned me that it was "dirtier" this year, and they were right, it was bad. 

Almost immediately the girls, me included, went with Bibles and cards to explore and talk to some girls. We would just walk around the convention (trying very hard to keep our eyes down) and talk to the girls in the industry. If there were a line for autographs, we would wait in it until it was our turn to talk to the girl. All we would do is introduce ourselves, get them to sign a card, hand them a bible and let them know that if there was anything they needed that they could come to the booth. It was amazing to me how many of the girls really wanted to talk and had already heard of us. They were all so kind and nice. 

When I think about the convention, I can't help feeling a little sad. Sad for the girls, sad for the addicts, sad for the girlfriends/wives/daughters, etc. Most of the girls we talked to said that they only do this for money and they won't be in it long-term. Some of the girls said they loved what they did. It saddens me to think that they really believe that that is all they are worth. What really gets me upset is when I would see a young girl being led down the isle by a man more than twice her age with look on her face that is just crying out for someone to help her. 

I feel truly blessed to be part of XXXchurch.com this last week. Being able to tell people that Jesus loves them when they think that nobody does was amazing. To see the look of real happiness on the faces of those little girls when we would tell them that they are worth more than what they thought, was priceless. To work with the crew at XXXchurch.com was an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. I learned a lot this week, and I feel like I really made a difference. Thank You.                                                                                                                                                                            Kim Craft

This was my second show with XXXchurch and, in my humble opinion, way more intense than the first one.  

I kept thinking to myself "What would my grandmother say if she could spend 10 minutes here?" All in all my time at the booth was a significant experience. It was great to be part of this niche Navy Seal group going into this huge porn show to hand out, of all things, bibles.  

In general, two things stood out for me about show. The first is that people genuinely want to hear about God and what life might really be about. There was more than one occasion where a few people would come up to our booth all cocky and full of the porn experience and then wham...once one of us started talking seriously and confidently about God a spiritual hush would just come over them as they listened. Many, many people really do want to know the truth.  

The second thing that struck me is how penetrating and devastating this porn industry can really be to certain individuals. The best I can equate it to is Gollum from Lord of the Rings. Once he had his hands on the ring, he just kind of morphed into this sickly creature far from where he initially was. I saw this firsthand in one conversation that JR and I had with this individual who openly admitted that he went abroad to hire younger prostitutes for himself when he had the chance. Unbelievable - seems like the industry can do this to people. 

My whole time there I could feel somehow in my heart just how much God loves the people at this convention and how much He is hurt by what we saw there. I am thankful that XXXchurch and others are reaching out so boldly to this industry. 

Eric Conner 

This show…was hard. It wasn’t the images, videos, sounds or the barley dressed women or even finding out Screech did porn. It was the stories. The crazy, sad depressing and lost stories I heard for 4 days. From Joe the Fireman who visits Thailand twice a year to have sex with teenage girls to a 23-year-old east coast guy who has never had a girlfriend because porn is more important. The stories hurt this year. 

You do your best to meet each person with hope. Sometimes you know you’ve made a difference as you talk, other times it’s like talking to a wall.  

I love the people of the porn industry and those who surround it. I can’t see doing anything else. Porn shows are great opportunities to live out faith and bring hope to people. This year it seemed there were more sad stories than any other year. I was perhaps a bit unprepared for that. I just didn’t expect so many of them. I’m a big boy, I will be all right but I just ask everyone to ramp up prayer for these folks who desperately need the love of Christ. 

Over the time I have known Christ I have understood the peace and happiness a life lived in Him can yield. Porn shows teach big lessons for those willing to go. The biggest lesson…there’s nothing happening in a porn show that you can’t find anywhere else in our under spiritualized and overly sexualized society. This awareness brings the humility necessary to love everyone like Christ did.  

So…Another AVN, another chance to spread the love, another shot at closing the gap, another opportunity to let Christ change a few lives. It’s all-good, it hurts a little this year but it’s all good. Find your own porn show, will ya?                                                                                                        

J.R. Mahon

The Consumer Electronic Show is the same week as pornography show in Vegas and they have much in common. In both industries there is a pursuit to push the boundaries. There is a pursuit to innovate. To go somewhere no one has ever gone. To do something that no one has ever done. Hope is found in this pursuit to push the limits. I talked to many gentlemen in suits who ventured to the show next door, the pornography show. They were curious. Though vastly complex individuals there is something remarkable that happens to a man in a suit at a porn show. He smiles and laughs and has the wonder of small child. This experience brings hope and joy, for a moment.

How do you not go? How do you not bring hope crashing into a place that desperately needs it. A hope that will deliver.

What happens after the show? Joe continues to jump on flights. The businessman has a new suit at the show next year. There can be change. There can hope after the show. 

The second porn show of my life and I am struck with the power of listening. I am struck with the power that hope has. I will always remember the smiles and stories from Vegas. The guy in the suit and the firefighter from Chicago and the actress who smiles at cameras for hours, all need someone to listen to their story. I will always remember that when you let hope crash into story after story you are living what god intended humanity to live. 

Brandon Piety

Travels went well. Everyone got up here safely and the trip was uneventful. Taped the podcast this morning and talked to some of the people that were going. Make sure to check it out. The booth space at the show is perfect for what we are doing. Wally is kind of big so we need some space. He doesn't fit perfectly in the booth.

The bibles are ready. The Jesus loves porn stars tee shirts are ready. The postcards are ready. Its countdown time for the morning. Keep praying. We will keep posting. Mike.

Today, we are headed to Las Vegas for the annual porn convention. We would ask for your prayers for this and wanted to give you an idea of what is going to be happening there. I just got back from TN  it is 1:30 am and everything is loaded  up and ready to go. Here is the plan...Craig

Booth #1 -Craig, Mike, Jr

The three guys will be standing in front of Wally and asking people to take Wally’s 7 day porn challenge. We did this earlier this year in Los Angeles and the response was great. We are asking people to stop looking at porn for 7 days. All of our wives will be traveling with us as well as the kids. Obviously, the kids will not be coming inside.

Booth #2 –Laci, Katie, Diane, Kim

The Jesus Loves Porn Stars booth will be back in action. We have 5,000 postcards that have been printed, stickers and T-shirts. The girls will stand in line to get autographs of all the porn stars. The porn stars will autograph one of the postcards and then be invited back to the booth to receive a free Jesus Loves Porn Star shirt. This is the start of hopefully some conversations and relationships. Remember, this is where we met Trinity a few months back during this type of outreach.

Hair and Make Up –Julia, Sue, Angela, Rachel

While we were at Willow Creek church for Porn Sunday, we met Rachel and Angela. Rachel is a professional hair and make up artists who works at a strip club in Chicago. Rachel won Angela to the Lord a few years back and Angela now works at the same strip club as the house mom. They heard our story and we heard their story and they wanted to come join the team. Julia went to the Los Angeles show with us and she happens to be a full time hair stylist. So, here is the plan. We have rented a suite at the Venetian Hotel, which is next door to the convention. Through some of our xxxchurch contacts and other girls that the team will meet at the show, the plan is to offer to do hair and makeup for any porn star for free. This could be before they have to make an appearance, before a party, or before the big award show on Saturday night. Girls like to talk especially while getting their hair done. One of the frustrations that the girls who came to Los Angeles with us had was that the showroom floor is so loud and the girls were always on the go. We are excited about this outreach and can’t wait to see what happens. If it is slow, the girls have agreed to touch of Mikes gray and do something with Craig’s hair.

Daily Updates

Every night we will be updating the blog on the XXXchurch website. Simply log onto xxxchurch.com and hit the link on the main center box to see what is happening.

Radio Show

Listen to this week and next weeks radio show. Well, listen every week, but especially these to find out all that is going on with this trip.

Pray and Fast

We do some crazy stuff around here, but we take the porn show outreach very seriously and have spent numerous hours in prayer for this trip. You can join the prayer team if you would like to. Ginny heads it up, just send an email to ginandlynny@verizon.net and join the team. We even have people fasting for us, if you want to know more about fasting email rob@gatecreative.com and he will give you the run down on fasting.

Thanks again for your support, and prayers.

God Bless

Craig

Bryan and I spent Sunday sharing some of the stories from Friday and Saturday with the people at Tides Church. Tides was home to me for two years prior to moving to Michigan. I actually interviewed Bryan at church this morning and got his take on his first ever porn show. I will have that up soon on the site.

ABC World News Tonight spent a good part of Friday with JR, Bryan, Brandon, and me at the booth and did a sit down interview with me about the Bibles.

Here is a link to the video and a copy of the article.                         http://www.abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2117600

Hope you enjoy!

Craig

By DAN HARRIS and FELICIA BIBERICA

June 25, 2006 —

This weekend at the erotica convention in Los Angeles, Pastor Craig Gross, who runs an anti-pornography ministry, handed out hundreds of "Jesus Loves Porn Stars" Bibles. Gross, in his "porn-mobile," is a regular fixture at porn conventions. His anti-porn Web site is provocatively entitled XXXChurch.com.

"I believe Jesus, he'd be in the show with us," Gross said. "He'd be mixing it up with these people. 'Cause he doesn't look at them as porn stars, or porn producers. He looks at us as all the same."

While the porn professionals seemed to like the new Bible, many of the companies licensed to publish Bibles do not.

The American Bible Society, one of the country's oldest bible publishers, wrote Pastor Gross a letter refusing to print his Bible "out of a sense of propriety," saying the "wording … was misleading and inappropriate."

"People just freaked out," Gross said. "These Bible companies are going, 'Wait a second. I've never seen something like this and I don't know if we can do this.' "

Gross says his unconventional measures are what it takes to reach people today.

"We're trying to reach a new audience and so we can't just do things like our parents did, like the generation did before us," he said.

Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a popular Christian radio host, agrees evangelicals need to take risks to save sinners, but thinks that Gross's Bible cover goes too far.

"These younger guys seem to say that older evangelicalism is just out of touch," Mohler said. "In a rush to be relevant I think these guys have crossed a line that I would not cross and I would not commit."

Mohler thinks Gross's Bible may end up as just a kitschy keepsake.

"I just have to wonder what people think when they see that cover," Mohler said. "In other words, are they expecting the Bible or are they expecting something else?"

For Gross, the main thing is that people just open it.

"Whether it's a joke, whether it sits on the table and they make fun of the thing, I think if someone cracks this thing open, that's our prayer, that's our hope, then their lives will be changed," Gross said.

What makes this new Bible doubly controversial is that some say it's not a Bible at all. It's called "The Message" — part of a new breed of Bible that veers from the standard translation to put the Gospel in modern language. There are now comic strips, even a Bible you can read in one sitting, which some find offensive.

"It is, after all, the word of God, and there's no way to package it as just another book," Mohler said. "It's not just another book."

Mohler says he admires what Gross is doing, but just has questions about how he's doing it.

"If they have another approach, if they have another idea, come join us," Gross said. "We're here riding solo here. There's nobody else doing this. … Sure we're gonna maybe make some mistakes along the way but we're trying."