From the Mail Room: May 2009

Once a month Paneh will post questions collected from the previous month.  If you have a question, feel free to send me an email with the subject "Question from the Mailroom."  Where applicable, I will supply Scriptures to support the answers.  Some items are matters of opinion and experience.  If that is the case, I will say that as well.  You all are welcome to offer your point of view on a given question in the comments.  Iron sharpens iron! 

Last month was the first implementation of this series. The question was in response to the D.A.N.C.E. Out of Debt article originally published in Paneh’s Newsletter (Kingdom Finance Edition: Feb 2009)

The first 4 questions were asked at the Dance for JOY Youth Praise Dance Workshop (April 25, 2009):

 1.)  How do you deal with a child that doesn’t want to be a part of the dance ministry but is only there because their parents are forcing them to come?

The short answer is I don’t!  During the early forming phase of the dance ministry it is important to sit down with your spiritual leaders and share the vision, mission, direction and purpose of the ministry.  If you have a written proposal (highly recommended), share that with your leaders.  It should contain eligibility requirements for the ministry.  One of those eligibility requirements should be something along the lines of a heart with the desire to minister through movement.  A child that is coming because their parents are making them come does not meet the eligibility requirements.  This is why manuals and other administrative aspects are important; they allow you to set a standard.

Another suggestion would be to create a covenant agreement sort of contract for the ministry.  It should contain a spot for the youth’s signature as well as the parent / guardian.  If the youth expresses a desire to be released from the ministry, have them re-read the original agreement and sign an exit clause if they desire. 

Without paperwork in place, it may be difficult to implement a new policy.  I suggest you start by talking with your pastor to make sure you are on one accord before implementing any changes.  Next, you’ll want to place the new policies in writing and inform all current participants (that includes parents) of the new changes and when they go into effect.

2.)  What is the difference between praise dance & mime ministry?  Are there Scriptures to support mime ministry?

Mime is the expression of a thought or idea through gestures and expressions; bringing an abstract intangible concept to life.  Therefore, mime ministry is simply using the art of mime to minister (serve God’s people).  For a history on the origins of Mime and its place in today’s church, check out Mime Ministry by Susan Toomey

Praise Dance (also sometimes called liturgical dance or worship dance) is a generic term adopted to define dancing before the Lord.  Psalms 149:3 says Let them praise HIS name in the dance!

Dance is defined as moving rhythmically usually to music, using prescribed or improvised steps and gestures.

Based on this definition, it is my understanding that when we dance (move) before the Lord with the desire to praise, worship celebrate HIM, we are generically speaking, "praise dancing." The type of art form you use to express yourself may be Mime, Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, African, etc. There are no Scriptures that explicitly mention mime, but the concept is certainly there. The Creation as recorded in the book of Genesis is the greatest example of something abstract (void / nothing) being brought to life. Also, the prophet Ezekiel acted out many of his prophecies (see Ezekiel chapters 4 & 5). Also Hosea 12:10 AMP says I have also spoken to [you by] the prophets, and I have multiplied visions [for you] and [have appealed to you] through parables acted out by the prophets.

3.)  How frequently should you accept ministry assignments & rehearse?

There is not one standard answer for this as it depends on a variety of factors. The leader needs to be sensitive to the time of the people in the ministry.

"Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back" – Harvey MacKay (Inspirational Speaker, Business Man, Author)

We must realize that people have lives outside of the dance ministry! Marriages, homework, school, extracurricular activities, jobs, businesses, other church responsibilities, PTA meetings, soccer games, etc, etc, etc!

What is more important than the frequency is the consistency of rehearsals. If you set a pattern, then it is easier for members to integrate it into their schedule.

Also, remember that every opportunity is not an assignment. You will not be able to say yes to every opportunity that comes your way.

With JOYED UP (the youth dance ministry at my church), the general rule of thumb that I’ve adopted is not to have them minister more than 2x a month. We rehearse weekly for 2 hours. We also have a supplemental rehearsal time block that we use as needed.

4.)  Is it OK to let people know you are available to minister?
The question is shortened, but the overall thought had to do with promoting ones own ministry.

This can be a touchy subject.  Let’s start with some Scriptures:

I know thy works: behold I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it Rev. 3:8
For not from the east nor from the west nor from the south come promotion and lifting up. But God is the Judge! He puts down one and lifts up another. Ps 75:6-7

Many in ministry have a genuine desire to share the gifts & talents God has given us.  We just have to make sure we are channeling that zeal properly.  Proverbs 19:2 (NIV) says it is not good to have zeal without knowledge.  The Great Commission is the Go and make disciples (Matt 28:19) and this can be fulfilled without letting people know you are available to minister.

As a frequent event holder I receive several solicitations from people (that I do not know) letting me know that are available to minister in a certain capacity at a certain engagement.  1 Thes 5:12 reminds us to know those that labour amoung us.  I find it troubling that the same people that want to come and minister are not available to attend the event as a supporter.  Personally (this is Kita, not gospel), a major factor is relationship.  This can be through phone, email or some other medium that gives me an opportunity the see the heart of a person.  The first interaction should not be solicitation.

Be prepared, you don’t have to solicit people!  They will find you.

2 Timothy 4:2 reminds us to be instant (Amplifed version says keep your sense of urgency, stand by and be ready).

It is OK to have a business card for your ministry ready to present when asked.  This is different than pushing it into someone’s hand.  Websites that define what services you offer allow people to find you.  Support others in similar ministry without any ulterior motives. Participate in discussions about the topic of interest (most will allow you to leave your website in a signature tag).  If you have information to share about a topic, start a newsletter (allow people to opt in/out – no spam!) and send information to people who have elected to receive it. 

In summary: It is my opinion and practice not to solicit people for ministry opportunities; however, I intend to prepare as best I can for assignments by focusing on the ministry vision and making information available for those who elect to receive it.

5.)  As the leader of the Praise Dance Ministry at my church, it has truly grown over the last 3 years.  Now we have a boy’s and girl’s praise step team.  Some of the young ladies are interested in mime ministry and flag ministry.  My question is does this all fall under the Dance Ministry?  I heard you say for each ministry each one should have its own foundation/purpose/vision.  Right now as the Leader, I feel like GOD is enlarging territory so I’m willing to be trained in these areas, but is it OK to have someone oversee the Mime ministry, Flag ministry, and Step Team? 

- Rosalind

It is my opinion that these different entities would fall under the dance ministry or some worship/creative arts umbrella.  As leader you should have an understanding of the needs of the different areas, but that does not necessarily mean you have to be trained in those areas if there is someone else willing to lead. 

Here are a couple examples I’ve seen:

Pastor     - Worship Arts Director         – Drama Ministry         – Puppet Ministry         – Dance Ministry             — Youth dancers             — Adult dancers         – Mime Ministry             — Youth mime             — Adult mime         – Step Ministry

Pastor     - Dance Ministry Director (Advisor)         – Dance Ministry President             — Adult dance ministry leader             — Teen dance ministry leader             — Children’s dance ministry leader             — Step team

 

Make sure the roles and responsibilities are clearly defined to prevent misunderstandings

 

6.) I would like a bit of direction regarding instructional DVDs.  Would you be able to suggest a good DVD for me to purchase?  Also I wanted to know if you had any teaching suggestions for my dancers (ages 7-18)

- Pamela

Instructional DVDs can be a great tool to build your ministry vocabulary and gain inspiration.  My direction would be to use them as a tool and not a crutch for choreography ideas.  Too often people begin to rely on the DVDs for entire choreography when the Lord wants to give you a download.  Use DVDs to enhance your vocabulary so you can better articulate the message. 

These are some of the DVDs that I know of.  I was asked to write an endorsement / review of "Till The Walls Fall" by Dawn Pruszkowski , which is recorded on her website.  Other than that, there is no endorsement implied on any items listed:

• Pastor Lynn Hayden offers several instructional praise dance DVDs
  
• In addition to “Till the Walls Fall,” Dawn offers several other worship, lyrical, hip-hop and praise dance instruction DVDs
  
• Dance Leadership 101 by N-Him we move
  
• Dawn Churchill offers DVDs on pageantry, flags, choreography and basic dance
  
  

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As for the second question, these are the suggestions that come to mind:

• Consistency & Communication is important!  Develop a routine and stick to it.  Keep the parents informed.
• 7 year olds learn differently from 18 year olds.  If the group rehearses together, your challenge is to find a way to keep the attention of the entire age range without others getting bored or discouraged.  
  
• Make time for them outside of rehearsals!  Attend games, plan outings, but get to know them.
• Instill ministry from the start.  Teach them about prayer, fasting and studying God’s word so they can become effective ministers.    
  

7.)  We have new youth in the dance ministry.  Should they minister with the praise team?  We are currently small in number. Do I need a large number to minister effectively with the praise team?

- Darlene

There is not right or wrong answer here, but again, I’m going to stress the importance of some type of manual or written procedure.  Age should not be a factor if the person is spiritually equipped to flow with the praise team; however, I’d recommend some sort of orientation period to allow the person to get acclimated to the ministry.

You do not need a large number of people to minister effectively.  Remember Gideon and the army the Lord cut from 22,000 to 300 (Judges 7).  I visited what would be classified as a mega-church (over 20,000 members), yet only 4 ministers danced with the praise team and it was effective.

If the vision of the leaders is for a large team, submit to that and the Lord will honor your obedience. 

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