Keeping with our 10 year theme this year, we wanted to share this with you about our outreaches. The last post about support you can read here. Enjoy this write up from Ryan Russell.
“You lead groups of Christians into porn shows? “
This is just one of many questions that I get about my unique pastoral position with XXXchurch.com… and I love it! When I first took on the role of heading up all of our outreach teams I was a bit anxious about having to explain to my mom that I was trading in my role as a youth pastor for that of a ‘porn pastor’.
“Well mom, I lead mission trips to porn shows.”
“You go inside?!”, she asked.
“Yes.”
“Oh.”
And after three years of leading these teams, she is one of the biggest fans of the ministry. Why? Because she, like so many others, now understands that it is all about relationships, Jesus and love based evangelism.
XXXchurch.com has been going to porn shows for 10 years now. When this new mode of ministry started, I was just a very passionate friend of Craig’s… not an active leader. I was one who supported from a distance and cheered them on. I wasn’t one of the original, fearful yet adventurous people who paved the way to having booth space and presence inside the conventions. I wasn’t one of the founders who started great conversations, talked about grace, shared Jesus, handed out Bibles or who came up with the very catchy (and true) slogan, “Jesus Loves Porn Stars.” And even though I wasn’t the earliest adopter, I am proud to be a leader in our growing, international plans to take the gospel all over the world in this very unconventional, non-traditional fashion.
May God continue to bless the next ten years!
Ryan Russell