Judah Dancewear

Why We Minister in Dance

God is the originator of dance.  It is the enemy that has stolen it and distorted it.  Our mission is to take it back as holy unto the Lord.  Even as King David used the holy dance in his Tabernacle, we must put dance back in it's rightful place in the Church today and use it as the mighty weapon that it is. 

We minister dance to the Church to prepare the atmosphere and to open the doors for praise and worship.  We also minister in dance as warfare that the people may be delivered from their bondages.  As we provide the holy dance, we also want to open the eyes of all the saints and show them that it is okay to praise God openly, evenly "violently," without shame. 

Dance is meant to usher in the Holy Spirit so that the people may be healed and delivered.  Our focus is to minister the dance, not just dance the dance.

There are two different levels of ministry in dance:  (1)  There are the entry level, praise and worship dances that anyone can and should do,

and (2) the prophetic dance. This is when the "called" anointed dancer ministers prophetically in dance over a person or people.  As the dancer matures in the Lord, and particularly if that person is already anointed to move prophetically, he or she begins to move in the prophetic side of dance ministry and dance becomes a mechanism by which strongholds are broken and people are healed and set free. 

This deeper area of the prophetic side of dance is where we need to grow into in dance ministry.  This is the level in dance ministry where:  effective praise dancing, effective worship dancing, effective intercessory dancing, effective conveyance of what God has to say dancing, and effective warfare and deliverance dancing are administered and where demonstrations of the Spirit occur.

This is where a prophetic dancer moved on by the Holy Spirit can minister over someone individually and reveal (because of Word of Knowledge) what is in that person's heart, or whatever the Lord wants to help them with or say to them, or give a prophetic word for the future.  This is where the dancer's movements and the music are ordained by the Lord to come together and touch a heart and impart a vision, word, or impression given by the Lord.



Who Can Minister in Dance?

There are two main spiritual requirements (beyond salvation) to be an effective minister of dance:

1.  You must know without a doubt that the Lord Jesus Christ has called you to minister dance unto Him and to His people; and

2.  You must have a willingness to empty yourself (and your agenda) so you may become full of the Lord.

Ministering dance is not about a feeling.  It's not something you want to do because you danced in the world and you think you'd be good at it, or because you just like to dance or because you need the exercise.  It's not something you do because the garments are pretty or because you'll be in the spotlight.  It's a ministry!  It's not recreation!  You're effecting people lives when you put on those garments of praise, worship, and warfare.  You must be called by the Master in order to enter in and be effective.

Ability, training, talent or gracefulness aren't requirements.  You must  just have a heart that truly wants to worship the Lord and to see people set free.  Of course we want to give the King the very best, but don't let training, talent or ability (either lack of, or the abundance of) get in the way.  Don't let too little or much training be tools that Satan can use to bring pride into your dance, and then change the focus away from Jesus and onto yourself.

As a team and as a church, we should desire the Spirit of excellence be upon all that we do.  Training is necessary in order to grow, and you should regularly attend workshops and conferences so you can be encouraged and improve your knowledge and abilities. 

So, while technique is important, ultimately our heart attitude towards the Lord will be the greatest determining factor in the level of anointing that we operate in.  If we have no anointing, we have no power, and there will be no fruit!  When there is no fruit, no one can prosper from your dance.
 

How Do We Dance? 

David didn't just dance; he danced with all of his might because he recognized that he was in the presence of the Great I Am and "In His presence there is fullness of joy."  Ps 16:11

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be so caught up in the Holy Spirit that you lose total control of yourself?  Can you imagine letting God direct your steps?  Can you imagine someone getting delivered because you let God use you in dance?  That's what dance is all about!  It's about Jesus, not about you!

The Heart of the Dancer Minister

The dance minister should possess certain qualities.  You must be a praiser, and a worshiper.  You must be Spirit filled, committed, anointed, and pure and holy before the Lord.  You must also study your Bible regularly, attend church services regularly and attend dance practices regularly and on-time.  You should get extra training to perfect your moves and to grow.  You should also know what the Word of God says about dance.

Remember, Prayer, Praise and Practice bring Power, Peace and Perfection.

Let's be the very best we can for the Lord so that He will be glorified and magnified as He flows through us in dance.  

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Now, let me talk to you about some issues that are not pleasant to think about but, unfortunately still happen relating to dance ministry.

Some Things to be Aware that Dance Ministers Quite Often Encounter:

1.   the Praise and Worship Team don't acknowledge you

2.   if you have a choir, the Choir Members don't speak to you

3.   the Pastor gives everyone credit in the ministry except you

4.   the members do not know you exist; they pay attention to the choir and praise and worship team or whomever else the pastor acknowledges

5.   if you are a dance ministry leader, you are not considered a real ministry leader; other leadership in the church do not contact you when they do want someone to dance; they just go directly to a dance ministry member and ask them if they will prepare a dance

6.   your needs as a ministry group are not addressed: 

you have no real place to practice, no equipment, your garments are not respected as holy, there are no funds provided to further the dance ministry, the dancers cannot be seen when dancing, and/or when any other activity or ministry event is scheduled, dance ministry rehearsals are always bumped

7.   even the Pastor may say that he believes in dance ministry, but does not make room for it, and simply allows it to exist.  It seems to be used as decoration.

Why is this?  I think that most people do not believe that dance in the Church is really ministry.  First, we have to treat the dance ministry as a ministry. 

But if you find yourself in the situation delineated above, you are going to have to get on your face before the Lord and find out what to do.  Every situation is different.  Sometimes it's just warfare that you have to do.  Sometimes you have to educate the dancers and the people.  Over time, they may come around.

Another reason for this behavior is because some have taken the holy dance and blended it with worldly dance.  Some of us are dancing in church like we used to at the clubs.  We are using our hips; the young people are doing the latest hip-hop moves; and we are putting more worldly moves in our dance than is necessary.  Think about these questions:

When David danced, how do you imagine he danced? 

If Jesus were to praise his Father, how would He dance? 

Would he dance today's popular dances?   Pop-and-Lock dancing?

Many forms of dance are usable to praise God, dependent upon the outcome you are looking for.  If you are trying to get young people to turn towards Jesus and keep them busy, you might incorporate today's dance moves into their dance classes.  But when it comes down to the praise and worship that draws the whole body of Christ into His presence, I feel that we need to be very careful how we move.

Finally, just remember, God called you to dance, --not the people, --not the Pastor! 

You are ministering dance because He called you. You just have to make sure that you are in the place that He called you to be, at the time that He wants.  If you are, dig your heals in and start fasting and praying for breakthrough.

Yes, we're a part of praise and worship; yes, we spend hundreds of dollars on our dance attire; yes, we get up just as early as the singers and the band do on Sunday morning, but it's okay.  When that one person from the body of Christ takes the time out to tell you how you blessed them or they got healed during your holy dance, it is the most wonderful feeling in the world!

Knowing that Jesus Christ is working through you is enough.

If God is for you, who can be against you!