Comments on: Dance Ministry Ethics #1: Leaving After Ministry

By: Minister Angel

Minister Angel — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:06:57 +0000

God's evening!
It appears that this is something that all movement ministries and or groups have dealt with one way or another. I use the word groups because…let's keep it real…everyone who presents to gospel music are not in it to glorify God and edify the people, some are there for self-gratification. This separates the ministries or ministers from the performers…the entertainers! As ministers we are called to serve, our service does not stop after we have given our presentation. A minister is always on watch…we are Watchmen and as so we should always be ready and available for the shifting of the Holy Spirit. I agree with Deacon James, if you do not have intentions of staying for the entire service or least until after the alter call, which is when you may need to minister to someone who was touched by what the heard and saw, then why are you attending the service? Our intentions should be to minister to and be ministered to. This is to Tiaa–with regard to having lives outside of ministry…if this is going to conflict with the ministry's schedule to minister then I would suggest that the member decline to participate at that particular service…everyone does not have to make every "praise party". Use wisdom…knowing and doing what is right.

Blessings in abun"Dance"!

By: Tiaa

Tiaa — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:45:09 +0000

I agree that if you are there to minister to people through mime or dance, the individual or group should stay to be ministered to as well. The team members should alway get there early to greet the host and express your gratitude, this way if you do have to leave they won't feel like you just skipped out. However under circumstances members of the groups can not always stay. It like when your invited to a party, maybe you go for a few hours than you have to leave, no harm done. The team leader should already know the situation with each member, so it not a surprise. Now that i'm thinking about it, I've seen special guest ministers or pastor leave after their sermon, they don't alway stay til the end of the conference or benadiction. Is that ok? The reality is people have lives outside of the ministry, but they still want to participate during the events.
So should you removed your team member if they are faithful to the ministry, go to outside event to minister, but can't alway stay?

By: Lakita

Lakita — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:30:39 +0000

@StephNIE:

First of all....welcome to the site! I hope you'll find the information here helpful and you'll return and visit us again.

You bring up a good point about blocking your blessing...we just never know how the Lord will move throughout the service or whose heart we've touched that may want to share their testimony...it may be an opportunity to further minister to someone. Excellent point!

@Irma: I agree with your course of action!

@Jason - I'm laughing at your "shameless plug"...haha!

By: StephNIE

StephNIE — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:34:10 +0000

I think if you are an invited guest, upon accepting the engagement you should make it known whether or not you will be able to stay for the duration of the program. Also it depends on the nature of the program as well. But to simply "disappear" after a program blocks a blessing. Often times just like people in the congregation may want to talk to a speaker or Pastor after a service / event etc. they may want to speak with a praise dance minister to give a testimony or to let you know how they were moved or to inquire about the ministry itself. It's a blessing to be a blessing….I am new to the site… but I simply had to comment on this one.

By: Irma (Redeemed Dance Ministry)

Irma (Redeemed Dance Ministry) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:21:34 +0000

Very good question. It has never crossed my mind to leave right after we minister. When our Pastor preaches at another church and he requests the dance ministry to minister, it usually happnes right before he preaches so I suppose that is why I personally have not thought about this when asked to minister at other churches. Nonetheless, if a ministry has other engagements, family obligations, etc. I believe the right course of action should be to alert the host and make your exit at the least obtrusive time in the service. Otherwise, stay and be blessed!

By: Jason B. Jones

Jason B. Jones — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:07:52 +0000

I feel that both suggestions would be helpful for the event coordinators to give. Participants would then be able to make quality decisions about being able to be involved (it is like a marriage – props to Mr. Douglas for the image)! I pray that ALL of our comments raise the bar and get us to think about how the participants and coordinators can come together and create events that praise the Lord in the fullest (like the Equipping the Saints Conference…SHAMELESS PLUG, can’t wait ’til 2010!!!!!!!!)!

By: James D. Douglas

James D. Douglas — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:34:27 +0000

@Lakita – write the vision and make it plain. Maybe a little of both 1 and 2. Just like in a marriage, if one spouse doesn’t share what is expected or desired, then the other spouse operates off their own expectations or what they think the other will “accept” (sermon for another day LOL). I think we are all privy to seeing music ministries jet after their presentations so since we are in the same category, “why can’t we” is the attitude of many. As we raise the bar, we need to begin to speak out what we expect and hopefully it will change the status quo. This blog is an example of someone taking a stand to speak to challenges in ministry and dealing with them to effect the whole for good. I think that is the only way change will ever occur. Now I don’t believe oour communication should be negative, but a gentle reminder of what we are looking for (ie. We would hope that after your presentation you would continue in service to support and witness what the other ministries have prepared so you can receive ministry after you have poured out before the King)

By: Jocelyn

Jocelyn — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:10:06 +0000

The pupose of our dance is to lead people to worship the Lord. If you must leave than leave. However; always remember your purpose. When we “dance” the “ministry” continues after the “dance” is over. After we dance someone, might want to get saved, someone else will be healed,a someone else give and receive a phrophetic word, and much more. If you leave you might miss all of what God’s wants to do.

By: Lakita

Lakita — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:46:28 +0000

@James: That is a great mentality…it is an entire ministry effort. And you’re right…”we” are not that important…I think its good that you try to get full commitment in advance

@Daviette: Thank you for your honesty! I think we’ve all been there at some point. This caused me to take a closer look at my punctuality for services where I am NOT “on program”…we are ministers 24/7 and should be ready to serve and support.

@His Hem Ministry: Thank you for bringing out the definition of ministry!

So it seems the consensus is to stay unless circumstances are preventing it. So my question is…why is this such a problem? Shifting the focus from the invitees to the organizer temporarily….should the event organizer:

1. Express the expectation for ministries to stay before confirming
2. Provide an estimated duration of service

And should the invitees accept invitations if they KNOW they can only attend in part?

By: His Hem Ministry

His Hem Ministry — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:02:31 +0000

Just why do we minister in praise dance in the first place?
Many of us probably say it is to praise and bless God, or to help usher His Presence into a place or help someone to understand His Love and Word better.
But when we really understand what it is to “minister” — ‘to attend to the wants and needs of others,’ according to WordNet — do we accomplish ministry if we do a ‘dance-and-run’ at various events?
And while I know circumstances might prevent us from always staying until a program’s end — such as the time I helped chaperone a younger group of girls who ministered much later into the night than the adults involved had anticipated, with some of them scheduled to attend a sleepover birthday party that same night — we should make those times the exception rather than the rule. (Incidentally, some of that same group, now much older, were prepped and did minister at a church an hour away two Sundays ago, this after attending a full morning and day at their own church and not arriving back home until 6 that evening. Meanwhile, they all stayed alert and engaged while the minister preached and the rest of the program continued, causing the host pastor to comment positively on their mature behavior.)
Also, as dance-ministers, we should consider who it is that God might want us to truly’ touch,’ really minister to in that environment. I was reminded this morning that our ultimate job is still to ‘witness’ for Him and grow His Kingdom here on earth — period.
If we’re already gone, the person assigned to our closer-up ministry might just still be waiting . . . ‘