| Company Keepers Dance Ministry Monthly May 2005 Volume 1 No. 1 |
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| New Dance Ministry Newsletter to keep dance ministries connected! |
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| Welcome to our first issue of Company Keepers! Company: Association with one another: Fellowship Keep: To stay in accord with / Support Company Keepers was established to provide dance ministries with needed resources, support and fellowship needed to maintain a solid dance ministry network. Whether church or community-based, dance ministries play an important role in the spreading of the gospel through various outlets. We pray that this newsletter will be a blessing to your dance ministry. You are important to the Kingdom. Feel free to e-mail us with events, questions, suggestions and feedback. Let’s keep each other lifted in prayer, and continue in fellowship! |
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| Rekesha Pittman, Editor-in-Chief e-mail: companykeepers@rainreinreign.com |
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| Dance the Word Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp. Psalm 149: 3 They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children dance. They sing to the tambourine and harp, And rejoice to the sound of the flute . Job 21: 11-12 |
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| In This Issue: Building the Temple of the Holy Spirit Event Calendar Dance Ministry Resources Featured Article: The Power of Praise Dance On the Move: Dance Event Report |
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| To dance for God is an honor and privilege indeed, but such gift from our Creator comes with great accountability for the Dance Minister. We know that we must feed our spirits with the Word of God for our faith, and that our lives stand on Biblical principles. We should feed our bodies the same way- with fuel that builds strong and healthy dancers for Jesus. As said Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Or don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” Living in a country where food is cheap and abundant (Praise God!) has its blessings, but can also cause us harm (the enemy’s plan). The media world invests millions trying to sell easy, fast and large amounts of foods empty in calories. We are bombarded with commercials and ads for sodas, large burgers, fries, and potato chips-- not to mention fad diets (Atkins, Low-Carb, liquid- diets, etc...). The "bigger, better combo" type of mentality has led America to become the # 1 country in heart attacks and cancers in the world. Most of these conditions can be prevented by having a proper diet and exercising, since we can not change our genetic make up. As Dance Ministers, we have the responsibility to take good care of His temple. The Lord has entrusted us to minister His Word through body movement and to be a good role models in all that we do. When dancers minister the Word through dance, the Holy Spirit (who lives in you) comes forth and gives the Divine Message that blesses, edifies and saves lives-- but how can the Holy Spirit dwell in a polluted body? The Lord said in 1 Peter 1:16 “Be holy for I Am holy,” and so is His Spirit. If the Dance Minister’s body is filled with the wrong fuel it will not be able to minister as it should- for the excellence of the Lord! So, you may ask, how do we keep our bodies healthy and strong when we dance? First, in prayer, ask the Holy Spirit of the Lord to show you what grieves Him in your body. Second, write down all of the food that you put in your body for about one week, log it and review it. Pray again and ask the Lord to deliver you from any unhealthy food that hinders and grieves the Holy Spirit in you. The third step is to get rid of the unhealthy foods we consume (and we know what they are…), and begin to nourish our bodies with a variety of fruit (5/day), vegetables (5/day), lean meats, low-fat dairy products, soy products, grains, nuts, and most important- water, to flush out all of the impurities we don’t need. Next time we’ll get more into diet for dancers and more specifics in feeding His Temple. Be healthy and be blessed! |
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| Dance Ministry Events - MAY 2005 Saturday May 21st - 12 noon - 8:00pm KJLH Gospel Showcase- Knott's Berry Farm Featuring Ministry in Dance by: Zoe Expressions with Victory Praise Dancers & Monik Jones * Saturday May 28th - 2:00pm (Matinee) & Sunday May 29th - 7:00pm An Evening of Praise With Day 3 Location: Glory Christian Fellowship International 225 D W. Torrance Blvd. Carson, California 90745 For Online Ticket Orders: Click Here |
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| When I dance unto the Lord, He takes me to the place I long to be. I journey to a place called hope, freedom and joy. I have very few memories of what life was like as a teen. I have memories of county social workers, school psychologists and court judges. I remember living in fear and trepidation. I remember being emancipated from the system at age 17 with no place to go. I remember long, dark nights and cold days. In my 20’s, I remember a world void of love and devoid of hope. My experiences could have killed me, but I am a witness of how God turned my mourning into dancing. Dance is a tool, a weapon, and a gift from God. The gift of dance has helped me through the darkest and most difficult moments of my life. I experienced a time when I was in “the state of silence.” I was unable to verbalize my hurts and pains to anyone, but God made a way out of no way. When I dance, God enables me to communicate to Him my innermost hurts. When I dance, God allows me to express my joys and sorrows to Him. The Bible states, “It is in Him, we live, move and have our being.” It is an awesome experience when we allow the Lord to move through us and dance His dance in us. Amazing things happen when we allow God to have HIS way. God is my help, the one who sustains me (Psalms 54:4). He healed me emotionally. He set me free from all the negative emotions that had me bound. When I dance, I am no longer haunted by images from the past. When I dance, the Lord sets my sprit free. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. I am a witness that the anointing released in dance has the power to set the captives free, and to heal the brokenhearted. When God healed me, He healed me so I could share the love of Jesus with others. I have a burden and a calling to minister to children who have had similar experiences. In 2001, I adopted my daughter from Los Angeles County Foster Care. I value family. I am blessed and privileged that God entrusted me with a precious little one who I love deeply. I also lead an outreach dance ministry with young girls, many of whom have had adverse situations. It is a blessing to hear them pray and to see them dance unto the Lord with all of their might. Some of the girls minister to their unsaved family members. Thank you Lord for the ministry of movement. Praise Dance liberates me! It ignites my spirit. Why do I dance? I dance because God created me to dance-- to celebrate Him with turns, whirls, spins and jumps. I dance because I am healthy and able-bodied. God is gracious and gave me legs, arms, energy and strength- so I let ALL that is within me "Bless His Holy Name!” I dance because it is Biblical. The Bible tells us to praise Him with tambourine and dancing! * Robin Deane attends West Angeles Church of God in Christ where she serves as Leader for the Adult Dance Ministry. She also founded The Victory Dance Ministry, Inc., a citywide outreach dance ministry that reaches out to young girls by teaching, equipping and training them for ministry. |
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| On the Move Dance Ministry Event Report |
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| MIRACLES Praise Dance Concert by Rekesha Pittman |
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| MIRACLES were witnessed at New Testament Church (Los Angeles, CA) on Saturday, March 19th, 2005. This annual Pre-Easter dance concert was coordinated by Alyce and Derek Johnson of New Testament Church and featured 14 participating dance ministries! Each dance ministry ministered according to the theme and exhibited the miracles, sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus. This event was well-attended and well-organized. The song selection was diverse. Dance ministry representation included soloists, trios, and larger groups. Special ministry consideration was provided for the hearing impaired throughout the worship service and was a blessing for all. We pray that this event will be a success for years to come! |
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| To post dance conferences, events, or announcements, please e-mail: companykeepers@rainreinreign.com For dance concerts and events, please submit dates for June 2005 only. All submissions must be received by May 25th for inclusion in the June newsletter. |
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| Company Keepers Staff: Rekesha Pittman - Editor-in-Chief (Founder- Rain Rein Reign Ministries) Sherry Traylor - Consulting Editor (Dance Director- Zoe Expressions Dance Ministry) Grace Schraner - Staff Writer (Dance Leader- Steps on the Rock) Robin Deane - Staff Writer (Dance Leader- Rejoice Adult Dance Ministry & Victory Praise Dancers) |
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| Dance Ministry Resources |
| Conferences and Workshops 2005 May 27th - 28th Glory Christian Fellowship International - Carson, CA Dance Ministries Present 3rd Annual “God’s Plan… Your Feet.” A Dancer’s Call to Service For Online Registration: http://www.glorychristian.org/events/yourFeet.htm Or call Margo Webb at (323) 333-2274 July 8th – 9th Citizens of Zion M.B.C - Compton, CA Host: Dancers Array “N” Christian Evangelism "I Need Thee" 9th Annual Liturgical Dance Conference Registration: Bennie Letcher (310) 639-2826 July 20th – 22nd Zoe Christian Fellowship of Whittier, CA “Encamped About Me” Dance Camp Registration: Sherry Traylor (562) 906-5000 Ext 148 e-mail: dancecampzoe@zcf.org September 7th – 11th Dancing Preachers International - Atlanta, GA “The Bride is Ready” Registration Website: www.sabrinamckenzie.org October 14th – 15th Rain Rein Reign Ministries - Los Angeles, CA “The Firmament of His Power” Worship in Dance Conference & Concert Registration: (562) 208-8592 E-mail: power2005@rainreinreign.com Website: www.rainreinreign.com |
| Event Calendar |
| Building the Temple of the Holy Spirit by Grace Schraner, RN |
| The Sewing Room (Custom Dance Garments, Streamers & More!) Anyse McMurray, Designer (310) 672 - 4456 Dance Ministry Listings & Conference / Workshop Advertising (FREE!) www.christiandance.com |
| The Power of Praise Dance A Praise Dancer Shares Her Testimony of Hope and Healing by Robin Deane |
