Starting a Dance Ministry (part 3 of 3)
April 28, 2009 by Lakita
Filed under Practical Advice
The Administrative Side
This is the last article in a 3 part series on Starting a Dance Ministry. Part 1 dealt with the spiritual requirements, part 2 dealt with the practical concerns. This final portion will address some of the administrative concerns and provide a few sample documents to get you started.
Administration is often overlooked because of the level of attention needed to tasks that are often viewed as mundane or insignificant. However, these items left unattended can cause turmoil later.
Some leaders are also administrators. If you find yourself planning every step of the way, highly organize, and detail oriented – then you may have the gift of administration. There are some leaders however, that are graced with an exceptional ability to lead and motivate people. They see the big picture and are not concerned with how it will be accomplished. If that sounds like you, it is important to pray about who is supposed to be the dance ministry administrator (hint: it does not need to be a member of the dance ministry, but should definitely be someone gifted in administration!)
Here is an example of a leader / administrator roles in action:
The ministry receives an invitation to minister at a guest church in a month
The leader’s focus is probably on ensuring the group is ready to minister effectively
The administrator has a few more questions:
Who from the group can commit? Will we need to purchase garments? If dealing with youth – permission slips? Etc etc….
Many leaders are administrators and are capable of leading and carrying the details. Other ministries are fortunate enough to have an administrator. But if you are newly formed, perhaps you don’t have an administrator and the idea of dealing with details is a bit intimidating. Here are some documents that can be altered to suit your ministry for a variety of needs. Some of these are modified templates that can be downloaded freely from Microsoft Office Template Directory.
- Attendance sheet (Excel format)
- Calendar (Word Document)
- Letter to ministry (parents) (Word Document)
- Thank you letter for ministry opportunity (Word Document)
- Permission slip (Word Document)
- Medical Information Form (Word Document)
Some other items that would be good to have are a dance ministry handbook, ministry agreement contract, garment tracker and income/expense report to name a few.
Starting a Dance Ministry (Part 2 of 3)
April 21, 2009 by Lakita
Filed under Practical Advice
The first part of this series, Starting a Dance Ministry (part 1 of 3) dealt with the spiritual aspects of starting a new ministry. This portion will explore the practical applications necessary to begin on a solid foundation.
Spreading the Word
Once you have the go ahead from the church leadership and come to an agreement on the vision, mission and purpose of the dance ministry. It is time to plot out the logistics for rehearsal. Consider these things before you announce anything:
- Who is eligible to participate in the ministry? Age range? Gender? Church membership status?
- Where are you going to conduct rehearsals? When? Frequency of rehearsals?
- What do you require the new dance ministers to wear to rehearsal? What should they bring?
- When can people join the ministry? Certain times of year or anytime?
- Will rehearsals be open or closed?
Once you have this information, you should be ready to start your announcement campaign. Start early enough to allow people time to sign up. Here is a sample announcement:
Dance Ministry Rehearsal
Starting June 1st
Every Saturday
10am – 12pm: Ages 5-15
12pm – 2pm: Ages 16 & up
What to bring:
Bible, Notebook, Pen, Water bottle
What to wear:
Modest clothing suitable for movementFor More Information or to sign up:
Your contact information
Use whatever is at your disposal to spread the word: church announcements, bulletin, projectors, phone tree, email distribution, etc
Dance Ministry Rehearsal
It’s important to have a plan in place for the rehearsal period. Be sure to convey the mission, vision, purpose and expectations of the ministry and revisit them often. Review the biblical foundation dance. When was it used? Why? How is it applicable to us today?
Additionally, inform everyone of any garments & accessories that they will need for ministry.
Allow an opportunity for people to ask any questions they may have. It is also a good idea to ask the members questions to see if you have anybody experienced in dance ministry or other gifts (administration, seamstress, intercessors) that can be of assistance to the ministry.
Movement Ministry!
Play whatever song you are using in its entirety and spend a time discussing the song. What is the message the song is trying to convey? What scripture(s) supports the message of the song (required)?
Be sure to stretch & warm-up properly before any strenuous movement. Once everyone is properly warmed up, then it is time to move on to ministry exercises & choreography. One exercise I frequently use to build our ministry’s “dance vocabulary” is to simply call out a word and have everyone display it. When we first started, I would give them the word and about 10 seconds to think of what they were going to do. Here are some words you can use: prayer, protection, worship, joy, fear, love, and victory. A variation on this exercise is to pair up the members and have them collectively express the same words.
Another exercise (this works especially well with mime ministries, but dance can use it to) is to express the Word through movement! Some scriptures frequently I frequently use: Genesis 1, Psalms 3, and Psalms 23.
Finally, effective choreography should match the mood of the song to effectively convey the message. In other words, a song about worship may confuse people if you are running, leaping and clapping your hands! (Hint – Look up the Greek & Hebrew words for worship using a Concordance for insight on worship movement).
The final part in this series will deal with the administrative side of Starting a Dance Ministry as well as list a few sample administrative documents.
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3 Tips & Resources for New Dance & Mime Ministries
April 17, 2009 by Lakita
Filed under Practical Advice
If your dance ministry has not formally started yet, you may want to read Starting a Dance Ministry: Prepare Now or Repair Later first.
Col 3:23
Phil 4:6-7
, Mary Alessi: When Women Worship
, Israel: A Deeper Level
For a more comprehensive list, check out my praise dance & mime ministry books list
ChristianDance.com is an excellent source for finding conferences, workshops and seminars. Pray and be open about traveling about traveling outside of your local area. The conference the Lord may want you to attend may be outside of your city, region, or even country!
Starting a Dance Ministry (Part 1 of 3)
April 14, 2009 by Lakita
Filed under Practical Advice
One of the seminars I teach is called Starting a Dance Ministry: Prepare Now or Repair Later. While this article series is not meant to be a replacement for the seminar, it is my prayer that new dance ministries will be able to use this as a resource as they launch into a new area of ministry.
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? ? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. ? He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ? But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” Luke 6:46-49
The power of preparation and building on a strong foundation is often not appreciated until the storm comes. However, it is the preparation and strong foundation that enable us to survive the storm.
How to prepare?
Use AAA (Not the car people!)
Assessment
Take a look at the current situation. Is there a dance ministry or has there been one in the past? If so, what happened to it? How does the leadership feel about dance ministry? Answering these will help determine how to proceed.
Alignment
Ask yourself “Am I lined up correctly?” , “Am I postured to take a leadership role?”, “Do I have the time necessary to submit to this ministry?”
Attitude
What is your attitude about yourself? God? Leadership? Your peers?
Prayer
Pray specifically & strategically about the possibility of starting a dance ministry. Address the 3-As listed above as you seek the Lord for an answer and guidance
James 5:16b
Vision & Purpose
You have to have PURPOSE and a VISION!
A vision statement isn’t something that is just put in a manual or on a website to sound “catchy” – it keeps you on track, brings about unity, is a catalyst for passion and energy. Your vision is a” ministry motivator!”
Proverbs 29:18 Where this is no vision…the people perish
Your vision will keep you on track! If you are seeking to start a dance ministry within your church, this should align with the vision of your local assembly. For example, if your church has a strong focus on evangelizing and outreach, then that will probably be the focus of your dance ministry. Alternately, your pastor may be seeking the dance ministry to assist in setting the atmosphere for the preached word; write that into your vision. Make sure you internalize and revisit your vision often to stay focused.
Starting a Dance Ministry part 2 addresses practical issues such as advertising the new ministry, sample rehearsal schedules, garments, and fund raising. Additionally, Starting a Dance Ministry part 3 addresses the necessary administration documents
** If you will like to be notified as soon as information is posted, subscribe to my RSS feed***
Also, check out Praise Dance Central’s article on starting a dance ministry. They have covered a wealth of information!
Share your dance ministry start-up story! Let us hear the good, the bad and the ugly that others may learn.
DANCE out of Debt – 5 starter steps to eliminate debt
April 10, 2009 by Lakita
Filed under Practical Advice
Note: This was originally published in Paneh's 2/2009 newsletter (Kingdom Finance edition). I will be slowly migrating newsletter articles onto this site.
As ministers and children of God we experience great liberty ~ who the Son sets free is free indeed! However, in lieu of this liberty, many of us remain "financially incarcerated". I can't get away from the analogy of a minimum security prisoner. While they may experience some freedom, there is still a definite boundary and when that boundary is reached they are reminded that they are not as "liberated" as they thought they were.
Recently I've experienced what I am calling my own personal "financial awakening". I want to share with you all what I'm learning as a result of this transition.
- According to Bankrate.com, the average household carries $8,400 in credit card debt.
- 11% of the population pay the minimum amount on their credit cards
- Over 50% do not pay their cards off in full each month (therefore incurring interest)
Ever wonder how long it would take to pay off that card? Consider this scenario:
- $8,400 in debt (the National average)
- Minimum payments of $212.50 (2.5% of the balance)
- Your interest rate is 15% (the National average)
It will take you 21 years and 5 months to pay this off while paying $8,284.39 in interest.
Check this yourself using CNN Money's Debt Payoff Calculator. Whether you are $500 or $5,000 in debt it will project how long it will take you to pay off debt making minimum payments, fixed payments, and create a plan for you if you want to be debt free in a fixed amount of time.
I'm sure we can all think of better ways to spend $200 per month than on credit cards!
Here is another scenario showing the power of interest
- Credit card balance is only $1000
- Minimum payment is only $30
- Interest rate is 28%
These are the types of cards a lot of college students are getting. Typically the interest rate is very high because they have no credit history. Paying the minimum only it will take 9 years and 9 months to pay this card off while paying $1,595.10 in interest.
Interest is very powerful, and we need to make sure it is working in our favor (savings & investments) instead of against us. The lesson is clear — get rid of damaging credit card debt as soon as possible!
It's worth noting that in the Bible, the concept of loans and interest was addressed in several occasions. However, the law did prohibit charging interest to the poor. Ironically, our financial system charges the highest interest rates to those with lower incomes. Since the borrower is servant to the lender do we really want to spend years in financial servitude? Will you resolve to abolish dangerous debt so you can move freely? If this isn't your testimony, will you share it with someone who may need the information?
Take these steps to DANCE your way out of debt!
Diagnose the problem:
You cannot come up with a solution until you know what the problem is. Here are example problems:
- I have too much dangerous debt
- I'm not prepared for retirement
- I don't know if I'll be able to send my son/daughter to college
- I am living paycheck to paycheck and worry what would happen if I lost my job
Assemble Your Data
Once the problem has been identified, you'll need to gather more information such as:
- Current net worth (Use this net worth calculator)
- Monthly income vs. expenses (Review bank statments)
- Current credit standing
— You are entitled to at least 1 free credit report each year. The official source is http://www.annualcreditreport.com. Don't be fooled by imitators that offer you a free report by signing up for some other service.
— If you want your credit score, you have to pay. Most lenders use FICO. You can get your score from their official site http://www.myfico.com *
* Note: Currently there is no regulation entitling you to a free score. Offers advertising a free score is usually dependent on signing up for some type of paid monthly service. Be sure to read the fine print!
Negate Bad Habits
Once steps are taken to remove dangerous debt; we have to turn around the habits that got us there in the first place. Some examples are:
- Spending more than you earn / Living on credit cards
- Little to no emergency savings funds, forcing you to use credit
- No budget or spending plan for accountability
- Frivolous spending without regards for needs vs wants
Create a Plan
Your plan will be based on your situation. If you have a lot a debt, your focus should be paying that off. If you are actively paying off debt but have little savings, perhaps that is your focus. Or maybe you just want to exercise better financial principals. Here are some ideas:
- Set SMART (Simple, Measurable, Accurate, Realistic, Timely) Financial Goals
- Pay off debt with the "Debt Snowball Method"* or use the Debt Payoff Calculator to create your own plan
- Review your spending habits and see if there are areas where you can curtail spending
* Note: You'll notice that the debt snowball method pays off the debts with the smallest balance first enabling the quickest victory and drive to continue. However, you can spend less in interest if you pay off the card with the highest interest rate first. You need to know what works for you.
Execute & Evaluate
Notate where you are today. Set a goal for yourself (3 months, 6 months, 1 year) and notate where you are in the future.
- Is the plan working?
- Does it need to be adjusted?
- Have priorities changed?
There are wealth and blessings laid up for us but we have to be in position to receive them and practice good stewardship. As we continue to do the work of the ministry lets shift the position of finances from a yoke of servitude to a tool we use to grow and bless others.
Editor's Note: This information contained in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute advice. The links to other websites are not under our control and are provided for your convenience only but does not necessarily imply endorsement. The content contained in this article are merely suggestions, however it is up to each reader to make their own decisions or to consult with a certified financial advisor.
photo credit: Andres Rueda
Update: If you are interested in more personal finance stories, I invite you to follow PesonalFinanceJourney.com
