How did the network start?
The network started completely organically and by the sheer grace of God. Several of the women who had served faithfully at Scarlet Hope Louisville moved to other cities and wanted to start a Scarlet Hope in their new hometowns. In the past seven years, after a whole lot of prayer, conversations, and paperwork, Scarlet Hope Cincinnati, Reno, Las Vegas, and Nashville were launched. In addition to launching other Scarlet Hope sites, the network assists ministries all across the world as they minister to women in the adult entertainment industry. We started doing this simply because there was a need for it. Scarlet Hope was consistently receiving emails from people who wanted to know how to do this kind of ministry and needed help doing it. As a result we formed the network so that we could have a part of our ministry that was solely focused on equipping, training, and encouraging other ministries to share the gospel with women in the adult entertainment industry.
How do I start a ministry like this?
The first thing we instruct you to do is to pray and fast about the calling to minister to women in the industry. Prayer is essential to hearing and discerning the Lord’s calling on your life in this area. The next step is to do some research on the adult entertainment industry in your city. Is there already a ministry or church that ministers to women in the industry that you could partner with? How big is the adult entertainment industry in your town? What kinds of laws and restrictions does your city have in regards to the industry? Finding out some basic information about the industry in your city will help you as you approach the clubs and make plans to minister to the women. Another step you’ll want to take as you prepare to start this ministry is to find people to help you. You can’t do this alone; you will need other women who also feel called by God to go with you. Finally, as you start preparing to do this kind of ministry we recommend attending one of our trainings. We go into great detail about first steps, answer any of your questions, as well as give you many valuable resources.
Does Scarlet Hope provide training to learn how to start a ministry like this?
Training up churches, individuals, and teams is one of the things we are most passionate about. Each year we host multiple events that help equip others to start or improve their ministries. Our primary objective is that these trainings will provide all the tools you need to start ministering to women in the adult entertainment industry. Find out more about our events here.
Why do the clubs let you go in?
The short answer is “because God has called us to this mission and He opens the doors.” The longer answer is that we are allowed in because our mission is very simple and we do not stray from it: we go into the clubs to share the hope and love of Jesus. Our purpose in going into the clubs is not to try and get the women to leave and it’s not to try and get the clubs shut down. We are there to love and serve the women, and tell them about the greatest Hope and Love they could ever know. Keeping our mission first and foremost and letting God do the rest of the work allows us to have honest conversations with the owners about why we are there.
Where did you get the name Scarlet Hope?
Click here to hear Scarlet Hope founder Rachelle Starr tell the miraculous and God-glorifying story of how we got our name.
How are you set up as a 501(c)(3) organization?
Scarlet Hope Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. We have a group exemption that allows our daughter sites to operate under our 501(c)(3). Each site has a Governing Board and the Executive Director reports directly to the board. Each site is held accountable by our Network Board of Advisors at the parent level.
How do churches partner with you?
We are a parachurch organization and we desire to partner with gospel-centered local churches that will come alongside the women we are ministering to. Our hope is that local churches will help the women in our ministry feel supported and connected to a safe body of Christ. We train churches, pastors, and leaders on the best ways to love and serve women from the adult entertainment industry. In addition, we invite churches to volunteer with our ministry and we partner with churches for financial support.
What does my giving go towards?
Your giving goes directly to support our efforts to reach women in the adult entertainment industry. It also helps support our programs that serve women who desire to transition out of the industry. Finally, your giving allows us to train and equip ministries all across the country who are sharing the gospel with women in the adult entertainment industry.
How do you help the women?
Our ministry is built on two pillars. Our first pillar is to GO to women who work in the adult entertainment industry, reaching them wherever they are, whether they are in strip clubs, massage parlors, the streets, jails, brothels or online. Our second pillar is to disciple women from the adult entertainment industry. We disciple women through our Career Development Program. Our model is to build relationships with each woman and offer her opportunities to grow in a personal relationship with God and live a life that restores her dignity and brings God glory. We do this in various ways and each site is building a discipleship model based on its location and the needs of its community.
How do I volunteer or get involved?
If you live near one of the five cities where there is a Scarlet Hope, we’d love for you to volunteer with us! Each of our sites has a slightly different process to volunteer, so click on the location near you to find out more.
