| Company Keepers Dance Ministry Monthly September 2005 Volume 1 No. 5 |
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| Keep: To stay in accord with / Support |
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| Dance the Word And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn... 1 Kings 2:3 Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Psalm 24:7 |
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| Company: Association with one another: Fellowship |
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| The Highly Effective Dancer by Sherry Traylor |
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| Our churches are making diverse moves for diverse purposes in Arts, but worship Dancers are particularly unique. More intoned to created moves in Worship than performers, more spiritualists than artists, and perhaps more theatrical now than 10 years ago. Yes dancers, we are moving in the flow of the Holy Spirit- movements that come directly from God’s own Heart. For us, Dance is a spiritual tool to connect people to God by demonstration. And if our aim is to bring people into the presence of God, then the Bible is the tool by which we must keep our focus for effectiveness. Here are (5) Key Principles we can use to help our Fruit to Remain in the Dance arena. I pray they will help any Worship Dancer excel in facilitating spiritual worship in the Dance Ministry. 1. Knowledge of God It is imperative that worship dancers know God intimately in order to bring others to him. He must have a large view of God. When we dance in worship, we are leading people to the Lord—to Who and what He is. It is a journey upward. They read the Word of God and study the attributes of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They focus equally on the spiritual aspects of Dance as well as the technical. 2. Humility and a Worshipful Heart Worship in Dance begins in the heart of the believer, not on the platform or dance room. An effective worship dancer has a habit of constant worship before God. He does not worship only when he is on a platform in front of others. It is impossible for us to lead others in worship if we are not ourselves worshipers. God's thunder sets the oak trees dancing a wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches. We fall to our knees - we call out, "Glory!" Psalm 29:9 Highly effective worship dancers change the atmosphere when they minister, because they know God, have been with God and have a worshiping heart. 3. Worship in Spirit and in Truth If a worship musician is to aid and facilitate others in spiritual worship then he must be unusually sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Worship is done “in spirit” as Jesus instructed (John 4:24) and “by the spirit” as Paul taught (Phil 3:3). Without the ability to discern what the Holy Spirit wants at any moment, a worship Dancer is handicapped. You must develop a habit of regular and continuous prayer. They “walk with God” and “talk with God.” The dancer is also sensitive to those they lead and can discern where the group is spiritually. 4. Caring to Bless God’s People Unlike a performance dancer, the worship dancer does not dance to please themselves but is a minister—a servant of others. The worship dancer has the concern of those they minister to at heart. We demonstrate what others need in our movements and not what we want because we want to minister to God first and the people second. A performer cannot lead them into the presence of God- that requires a Dancer who is genuinely spiritual with God’s anointing. This requires a prayer life, obedience and diligence in the things of God, and a strong desire to see the lost sheep saved! David had to be an example with his anointing in worship; David replied to Michal, "In God's presence I'll dance all I want! He chose me over your father and the rest of our family and made me prince over God's people, over Israel. Oh yes, I'll dance to God's glory." 2 Samuel 6:21(The Message) 5. Passion in Your Gift The effective worship dancer knows where the gift of dance fits in the list of priorities, it must be a passion. For them it is a tool to be God’s vessels that helps set the captives free! Dance is a powerful expression that colors, flavors and gives voice with our bodies being used as praise instruments. The worship dancer helps facilitate the worship expressions of others and helps usher in the Glory with their anointed presence. Anointed Dancers have a habit of developing their skill. Just as Samuel’s school of prophets studied music and led others into the inspiring presence of God, effective worship Dancers today practice, take lessons, have spiritual encounters with God and enroll in courses to improve their technique and skill, and have an open heart to always hear what the Spirit is saying to the church I hope this help give you a clearer sense of your own purpose and role in his Kingdom as a DANCER! |
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| * Sherry Traylor attends Zoe Christian Fellowship of Whittier, CA where she serves as Dance Director. Sherry has been blessed to facilitate dance conferences, and is in the process of writing a book on the ministry of dance. |
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| Event Calendar |
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| Conferences and Workshops 2005 September 7th – 11th Dancing Preachers International - Atlanta, GA “The Bride is Ready” 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 |
Dance Ministry Events - SEPT 2005 |
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| About Liturgical Dance Conferences & Workshops by Grace Schraner |
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| Someone asked me this week how to choose a Liturgical dance conference or workshop to attend. First of all, I pray and ask God’s guidance and His will -not mine- be done. Our Father in Heaven knows all and “He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him” (Ps 145:19). There are uncountable reasons to attend these Christian events. The experience you acquire from going to these conferences and workshops are priceless. However, here are some characteristics you need to look for during your research: 1. The event has to be Bible-based. If it’s not, it’s all about dance, not God. 2. The topics presented have to reflect God’s righteousness, His glory, greatness, majesty and all that He is. 3. The dance taught has to glorify the Lord in any style that is presented. 4. The Temple of the Holy Spirit (His people) need to be covered with meekness and modesty reflecting the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). 5. The fellowship needs to reflect love, compassion and respect to edify one another. (No gossip, criticism or competition). 6. The Word of God must be preached somewhere during the event to feed our spirits. 7. The organization and the host ministry/leaders will also reflect that God is a God of order in all aspects of the event. 8. The prayer/worship/devotion time must be powerful, for Jesus is powerful! 9. Dance technique and other teachings (accessories, music, etc) need to be taught in Christ’s way of teaching (In the Word, in the Word, and again in the Word). The hosting ministries of liturgical dance conferences and workshops may choose to charge a fee in order to provide food, pay for paperwork, expenses, and advertising. Others will rely on your offerings to help with the cost of the event. Either way, we should gladly pay for the fees, and in addition give considerable offerings to support these ministries, who are ordained to teach God’s word through dance. I have learned so much from dance conferences and workshops and I thank God for the people who are anointed to host them. I praise God for companies like Ballet Magnificat in Jackson – Mississippi (4 weeks training for dancers and teachers) rooted in the Word of God with wonderful teaching, and a marvelous Christian environment! Citizens of Zion (Dancers Array "N" Christian Evangelism) in Compton, CA has been serving Jesus in this area for 9 years now. Thank you Sister Shackelford! I thank the Lord for conferences such as “Encamped About Me” hosted this past August 31st through September 2nd by Zoe Expressions in Whittier, CA. This ministry makes you want to get out of your body to praise Jesus! Upcoming local conferences include “The Firmament Of His Power” hosted by Rain Rein Reign Ministries October 14th and 15th – and judging by previous conferences, I know that the Lord will be in the house and He will do the teaching with powerful, uncompromising biblical foundation for dancers. As you noted we are very blessed with so many options throughout the whole year, but before you decide to attend one, please pray about it and consult with your church leaders (if it’s the case). Research and find out more about these events before you and your ministry commit to go. Remember there are a lot of dance groups “performing” under a Christian title that are not ordained by God. They teach doctrines filled with disobedience and dissention through dance ( Matthew 7:15). Be aware. Pray! The Lord will protect and guide you. |
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| * Grace Schraner serves as Dance Leader for Steps On the Rock in Santa Clarita, CA. Grace also has established Steps of One Dance Studio, and is an instructor in dance technique. |
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| Leaving Elementary Principles and Moving On to Maturity by Machelle Lewis |
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| "Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God." Hebrews 6:1 What is Elementary? Webster’s Dictionary defines elementary as relating to, or dealing with the simplest elements or principles of something. A professor at Princeton University described elementary as being easy and not involved or complicated; whereas the world's perspective is simply not being educated, using limited resources and a lack of knowledge and understanding of things in which we have learned but have not yet mastered - be it education, life’s lessons or the Word of God. When most of us were children, our parents, grandparents, or teachers taught us these simple prayers: “Now lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take" and, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom, Thy will be done…" You know the prayer! Did you know your parents, grandparents, and other influential adults were teaching you the basics of praying (or should I say the elementary principles), and it was up to you to mature in your prayer life. Basically people that had or have an influence in our lives simply planted seeds (elementary principles) and from there it became our choice to allow those seeds to mature. In Exodus 20:3-17, God gave us the Ten Commandments, which are elementary principles. You probably ask yourself, “What does the Ten Commandments have to do with leaving elementary principles and moving on to maturity?" Well, I’m glad you asked! God has given us the principles in the Ten Commandments in order to follow His path, and if we allow ourselves to neglect these principles by reading them and not applying them- meaning moving on to maturity, guess what…that’s elementary! Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 2:15 “ Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.. Now you’re probably saying to yourself “I correctly handle the word of truth!” Let me tell you- if you have a bad attitude, are unforgiving, gossiping, lying on someone or about something, disrespectful to your parents/elders/pastor/ peers/dance directors/leaders, are not teachable, or as the Bible warns about “having the spirit of error”, you are still in elementary. If you cannot be happy for the person in your dance ministry that has moved to the next level, are stealing someone else’s choreography, mimic fellow dancers movements instead of using the moves that God gave to you - or anything else for that matter (I figure you get the picture by now) you need to check your level of maturity. If someone pulls your “coat-tail” to correct to you, how do you respond? The Dictionary and the world defines maturity as "the state or quality of being fully grown, developed, or mature." However, the Bible teaches us that we as dancers for Christ need to grow toward the kind of maturity that Christ talks about, and the only way to do that is through His Word- not just by reading it, or remembering it. We must take the next step by doing what God tells us in Proverbs 8:33 “Listen to my instructions and be wise; do not ignore it." We should not have to waste our energy fighting childhood battles or nursing old hurts and wounds, because that’s elementary! Maturity can only be built on a sound foundation. That foundation is applying the word of God- and with respect to dance- learning technique, practicing frequently, and building up your temple to be the best vessel possible. When we can move beyond the past, remain adaptable, recognize our own faults, and realize who we are, we are applying the characteristics of God’s Word through which we know a change comes. That’s maturity! In closing, I leave you with advice from Galatians 5:22-23a: A mature dancer for Christ allows the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, knowing that he is loving the way Christ loves. We grow mature when we are doing the work of Christ, seeking wisdom, knowledge, technique through dance, being sensitive and compassionate to others, responsible, gaining strength from God and being purposeful. Let us show the same care for each other and for the work of the Kingdom as Christ has provided the example for us. |
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| * Machelle Lewis is a dancer with Zoe Expressions (Zoe Christian Fellowship of Whittier, CA). Machelle has worshipped the Lord in dance for many years and has assisted with dance conference administration for Dancers Array, Zoe Expressions, and Rain Rein Reign Ministries. |
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| Dance Ministry Resources |
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| We want to support you! |
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| Company Keepers - Back Issues: |
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| May 2005 |
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| Company Keepers Staff: |
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| 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) Marlita Hill - Staff Writer (Founder - Dancing Hill Ministries) Machelle Lewis - Staff Writer (Assistant - Zoe Expressions Dance Ministry) |
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| September 17th @ 7:00pm |
| In This Issue The Highly Effective Dancer Event Calendar About Liturgical Dance Conferences & Workshops Leaving Elementary Principles And Moving On to Maturity Dance Ministry Resources |
| The Burning Bush Church Presents: "I Am Free to Dance" The BBC 5th Annual Fall Praise & Worship Fest. 27737 Bouquet Canyon Rd- Saugus, CA (Behind Telly's) Featuring: "Beauty for Ashes" (BBC Dance Team) The Burning Bush Church Choir and Praise & Worship Team. Special Guest Dancers: "Anointed" (SCCF) Porsha Daniels (Vine-Life Christian Fellowship of San Bernardino), and "Silent Praise" (Covenant Worship Center - Inglewood). Don't miss this awesome celebration of Dance and Praise unto God! |
| Crystal Dull Worship Dance Consultant for Dance Distributors website: www.WorshipDancewear.com email: dancedistributors@msn.com Phone: 717-625-1592 Dance Ministry Listings & Conference / Workshop Advertising (FREE!) www.christiandance.com |
| To post conferences, workshops, or announcements: E-mail: companykeepers@rainreinreign.com For dance concerts and events: Please submit dates for October 2005 only. All submissions must be received by September 25th for inclusion in the October newsletter. |