Emails like this are exciting! I’d like to share one I recently received through the ministry team:
“I was looking at Julie’s Stirring Up the Church webpage. I want to know how I can help. I think God is leading me into some kind of ministry for the JWs to hear the gospel. I read that article and I got excited. So, I just had to contact you and ask. How can I help?”
What a blessing to hear! The person who wrote this is now in an emailing relationship with me to discuss ideas on how she can reach out to the JWs in her life. She has been reading the information on our website for some time and is now ready to put it to use. In addition to this, she joined our prayer support group to cover her ministry. The heart of the church is being stirred up to reach out to Jehovah’s Witnesses! I think she will come to find as many others have that a ministry to Jehovah’s Witnesses can actually strengthen your own faith as another person wrote:
“Life has been topsy-turvy lately–family, home, work, self, even church. But amazingly the study with my JW friends has been such a blessing because it has renewed my thirst for the Word of God. I have re-discovered my faith through trying to defend it & revived my compassion for those without Christ.”
Both writers of these letters have joined our Christian Prayer Support Group where we cover their ministries in prayer. As one ex-Jehovah’s Witness put it,
“Once upon a time I did not know of this group of Christians praying in my behalf while I was still held captive mentally to a false religion. Today, I am very grateful for everyone here that has lifted up a prayer in my behalf that allowed my eyes to be opened to real truths.”
We regularly intercede for Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses during our monthly scheduled “cyber prayer” Meetups, but those who leave the cults also need to know they’re not alone in the rollercoaster of emotions that follow and that’s why our discussion groups are so important. Those who are in the process of healing from participation in a cult are being helped through fellowship with one another in our discussion groups for ex-Mormons and ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses. One writer put it well in saying this,
“I wish I’d had the courage to cross the line years ago. I feel like I wasted so much time. It’s a lot easier having a place like this forum to come and talk through the emotions that beat you up when you leave the pack. I don’t know how you guys did it on your own – those of you who left years ago before there were groups like this. I was really struggling with deprogramming myself before I found this site. I still struggle, but reading all your comments helps bring perspective that would have taken years to arrive at on my own. Thanks!”
It is truly a blessing to be part of this ministry and I am so thankful to God for using all of us together through whatever resource we’ve been given to help people transitioning out of oppressive religions. Thank you for supporting this ministry through prayer, donations, administrations, readership, and witnessing. You may never know how many lives you are helping, but I hope these expressions have inspired you to continue to reach out to Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses in whatever way you are called to do so.
Keep yourself in God’s love, Julie
