Thunder Over Louisville, along with many other downtown events, creates an interesting atmosphere on Market Street every year. Parking on Market is not allowed, and many lots are roped off in order to sell parking spots during the all-day event. This means that clients and their companions can come from any direction and at anytime. This morning was no different, however it did appear that most of the clients went in towards the beginning of the morning and not towards the end.
Here are some highlights of our morning:
Praises:
-At least one woman who had an appointment at EMW decided to stay at A Woman’s Choice! Keep her in your prayers.
-One sister reported that for at least 2 clients she was able to speak to them without any escorts following or talking to them. The escorts didn’t even approach the client. We do not always know why this happens, but we praise the Lord for any uninterrupted conversations!
-The gospel was boldly and lovingly proclaimed by our brothers and sisters in Christ!
Prayers:
-12 Women went into the clinic this morning to end their child’s life. While this is considered a “lower” number, we grieve the deaths of these children and ask that you would pray for the mothers now, as they wait in the waiting room or go back for their procedure.
-The escorts. As always, the escorts continue to be one of the most challenging obstacles in this ministry. We were saddened to see a group of giggling escorts posing and waving in front of the clinic while having their picture taken this morning. Pray that the escort’s would be open to talking to us genuinely instead of ignoring us or mocking. Pray that they would consider checking out Immanuel.
Some announcements:
(next) Saturday, April 28th is the Mini-Marathon. Read Street Closings here. Dr. Bizer’s has confirmed that we can park in their lot as long as we leave before 9:00 and have our vests.
Saturday, May 5th: Clinic CLOSED! The clinic historically closes for the Kentucky Derby. If this changes, we will let you know. Otherwise, we rejoice that there will be no innocent lives taken this day.
Thankful for you all.
FYI – Escorts gain consent from every client, every time. If a client says no thank you, we do not walk with them. That is why you will see the occasional client and companion without escorts. You see, we believe is self-determination.
I would also like to add that I do not step on your message or talk over you. As long as you respect the basic social custom of giving clients and companions a few feet of personal space, you can say what you want. Now, I may tell the clients that the sidewalk is broken and they might mind their step. I will also make sure they are comfortable with where they parked. I will answer any questions they have and provide any information they request.
Given this construct, why can you not walk next to me while I walk next to the client, and still deliver your message? Why do you have to be in the client’s face? Do you not see how creepy it is that you want to touch and brush up against total strangers? How would you like a six foot tall Chinese, Mexican, or Egyptian man pressing against you as you tried to make your way to the doctor for a treatment they deemed contrary to their religious beliefs?
If you really care about these clients, if you really want to speak to them so they can hear you, if you want any chance of delivering your message – you have to respect them and allow them the power to decide to accept it.
And that starts with respecting their personal space. Which, with their consent, usually is on the other side of an escort.
Hey Ken, I had a feeling you would reply with something similar to your response. Actually the escorts did not approach the two clients, period. They didn’t ask them if they wanted an escort, just watched.
Did you listen to the sermon?
Yes, sometimes we miss clients. But if they are not bothered by the scene, we tend to let them do what they want. Again, self-determination.
I did listen to the sermon. While I appreciate how it would stir you, it still begs a huge amount of faith. I do not intend nor want to offend, but I transcended that kind of faith acres ago on my spiritual walk. At the risk of sounding smug or whatever is the worst word you can find for it, he spoke as if he were talking to preschool children with no impressions or experience in the world around them. Yes, his ideals play well in gated communities and suburbia, but in the real world of sexually active young adults and exploring individuals, he sounds like Mr. Rodgers. Sorry. It just does not translate to this side of the tracks.
And can you address the rest of my post? I really want to understand why you must invade peoples’ space when you try to engage them.Specifically, can you imagine the scenario of the tall, ethnically variant men doing the same to you as you walk to your dentist or gynocologist?
Ken,
thanks for listening to the sermon. However, Tim Keller was preaching in the middle of New York City, hardly suburbia. His church is/was highly diverse in regards to race and economical status. However, the reason I know this is because I’m reading his book right now: The Reason for God Want to read it with me?
The reason I didn’t address your other point is because you have already heard the answer many times. you’re welcome to download our training manual, which is very clear. I don’t really understand your statement about tall, ethnically variant men, but I do remember a few months ago when you told me you would “Move me” if I did not move when you felt it necessary. Is that the kind of encounter you speak of? I don’t really think you would hurt or push me, but you did threaten me. I didn’t even realize that it was a threat until I told Andrew about it later.
And what about women speaking to women? I’m not a man, and you believe that it’s possible to “trust women”. If that line of thinking were true in all senses then you could Trust Me, and believe that abortion doesn’t make the situation better or take it back.
But ultimately, our hope is that you would Trust God, the God of the Bible. That his Word is living and active, and if you turn to him through Christ, you will find true forgiveness, true peace, true meaning and purpose in this life (to give Him glory). Come to Immanuel!
I am sorry if I threatened you. This was not my intent. When I spoke of moving you, it is in the context of how I moved other folks – when things get compressed at the front door of the clinic and people start bumping into one another, tempers can get flared and I have, in extreme circumstances, picked people up and moved them to alleviate the pressure. I do not like this. I do not feel comfortable touching anyone without their consent, but when their safety is at stake I will resort to those extremes. At least twice, I have picked up Ms. Donna when she nearly fell in front of the client-companion-escort pact, a place where she surely would have been bootstomped, kicked and worse. Again, I apologize if I have ever made you feel threatened. That is the last thing I want to convey to you.
If time permits and I remember, I will re-listen to that sermon. I have too many books on my current reading list to add another, however. (Remember when I went blind for 16 months with cataracts? I couldn’t read anything then and have little hope of catching up!)
I am still not understanding why you and the other protesters feel that it is OK to get up in peoples’ personal space. As we have seen time and again, it is counter-productive when you are trying to reach people in a very short time. I just gotta think if you respected peoples’ space, they’d be more open to hearing you.
And I do Trust You. I trust you to make your decisions about your healthcare, your family and your parenting. Would you want escorts, or the Catholics or the Soapbox preachers making any of those decisions for you?
Oh, I have been to Immanuel! I attended early Sunday service in February and again in March. Several of you (not you specifically, though) spoke to me but no one recognized me. That is where I first met Stephanie’s husband. Again, I do not mean to offend, but I am at a very different place along my spiritual path. The service, the sermon, it was, ummm, remedial to me. But I may have missed something. Afterall, I wasn’t exactly comfortable there. I left there wondering why 99% of the congregation drove there. The neighbors do not worship there. What is up with that?
Ken, I’m not sure who you met at Immanuel but it wasn’t my husband. He works on Sunday, and because of that he hasn’t been to IBC on a Sunday morning since New Year’s Sunday. But so glad you came & praying you come again!
Really? I thought that was him who came to me before service, welcomed me and hoped I’d come regularly. But if you say so, hmmm. Odd that. I have mistaken people before though so I am not surprised that I am wrong.
I doubt I will return though. It is a lovely chapel and the service sincere. But my presence does not add to the, um, I want to say reverance, maybe sincerity. Your worship is yours and my presence does not add to that. I came to see what I wanted to see but do not want to distract from your all’s spiritual observances.
Sometimes Ken I think you forget why we’re out there and why we want you to continue to come to Immanuel. You know we aren’t on the sidewalks to win the fight or to be proven right. We are there because we genuinely care about people and peoples’ destinies without Christ. I do not want and pray for you to become a Christian because I want you to finally be right. I want and pray for you to become a Christian because I I do not want you or anyone to be eternally separated from a good God, who would otherwise welcome you into perfect communion with him. invited you to my wedding because I consider you to be a friend, a friend who isn’t a believer, but nonetheless a friend. I care about you as a person, and thus I care deeply about your eternal state. It grieves my heart to think of your eternity without Christ. I do not want anyone I know, or don’t know for that matter, to perish without Christ. We love you Ken, and we pray for you regularly. This is first and foremost a battle of souls. Please do return to Immanuel soon and often.