Amy – Page 8 – Worship Dance Ministries

Doors Open when we say “Yes”

Many of us have to learn to say, “No,” to turn down something good in order to focus on what we are truly called to. We need to learn that just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. We need to make sure we don’t just say “Yes” to please people or to avoid guilt. We need to make sure we don’t commit to something we aren’t able to follow through on. There is a time to say, “No.”

But there is also a time to say, “Yes,”to give our wholehearted assent and to venture into something new and risky, be it a large risk or a small one. Saying “Yes” is what I want to talk about today, because saying “Yes,” can lead to open doors and can expand us in ways we can’t even anticipate when we let that word slide out of our mouths. Continue reading “Doors Open when we say “Yes””

Prophetic Dance: When and Where?

When and where is it appropriate to minister through prophetic dance?

Every time we are ministering through dance, having prayed over the dance and received inspiration from the Holy Spirit about what to do and how to do it, our dance is prophetic. In addressing the question above today, however, I’ll focus on the aspect of prophetic dance in which we direct our focus to individuals, bringing a word from the Father to them. We make eye contact with these people and deliver a message through movement especially for them. To minister through prophetic dance in this way, we need permission both from the leadership and from the person.

Continue reading “Prophetic Dance: When and Where?”

Meet Me in SC and be in this DVD

I’m really excited to be able to travel to South Carolina in November to attend Dancing for Him’s Streams and Streamers Conference and I hope I can meet many of you there.

I’ve been to several of Lynn’s conferences, and each time I go away full of the joy of worshiping through dance, having my toolbox full of new ideas, and having received ministry that frees my spirit.

Here’s some questions to answer to determine whether this conference is right for you:

Would you love to learn many aspects and concepts of worship/expressive dance?
Would you love to learn some fresh movement and choreography ideas?
Would you love to be in a professional video production?
Would you love to learn many creative ideas and dance composition with streamers?
Would you love to receive ministry through and be activated in prophetic dance?

Photos from the Dancing for Him Conference I attended in Santa Maria this past March

If you register in time (before September 15), you’ll receive a tunic and streamer with your registration. It’s also a graduation conference. In fact, I’m graduating from Level II of Lynn’s online dance ministry school. I anticipate a strong anointing for ministry, not just for the graduates, but for all who attend.

Read Lynn Hayden’s description of the conference here:

Be set free to dance before Him with full and total abandon while learning techniques to help your dances minister most effectively. Come experience the intoxicating, overpowering flowing streams of His presence and go home with not only fresh ideas, but changed!

In January, 2014, we had the original Streams and Streamers conference and it was amazing! Though we covered a HUGE amount of material and creative ideas, there is just so much more!! This time we are going to focus much more on the creative activations! You will go home with a plethora of new, fresh and creative ideas!!

If this sounds good to you, come join us.

I will not be teaching at this conference, nor am I hosting it. I’ll be attending and receiving my Dance Ministry Leadership Certificate and my License from Dancing for Him. I would love to share this experience with you. I know you’ll be blessed by Pastor Lynn’s teaching and the fellowship with other worship dancers.

Again, the deadline to register and receive a tunic and streamer is September 15. Please let me know if you register. I really look forward to seeing you there.

Movements of Breakthrough

Strongholds are anything that hinders the will of God in our lives. They can be long standing patterns of behavior or thought, even things that seem to be woven into the fabric of our personalities that keep us from doing God’s will or abiding in Him.

There are strongholds in families, strongholds over cities, institutions, and nations. They manifest in relational conflicts, in addiction, in injustice, crime, illness, and more. The outward symptoms are physical and material, but the root of the problem is in the spiritual realm.

The apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 that God has given us authority in Christ to pull down these strongholds:

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Our greatest weapon in pulling down these strongholds is prayer, and when we pray according to His will, we know He answers. As dancers, we intercede not just with our words, but with our movements.

In this 4 minutes video, I share movements you can use in your prayer and devotion to break down strongholds in your life, in the lives of your loved ones, and in your community.

This teaching comes from the DVD Weapons of Warfare/Movements of Breakthrough. The Weapons of Warfare/Movements of Breakthrough DVD contains four basic sections. In the first section, Pastor Lynn teaches out of the Dance, Dance, Dance! book on the Hebrew words associated with power movements.

In the second section, we learn how doing movements like circling, marching in procession, whirling, and shaking can bring deliverance by pulling down strongholds.

In the third section, Pastor Lynn gives four scriptures that describe the Lord bringing victory and deliverance through praise, and she gives movement ideas for each of these scriptures. She goes on to develop 8 counts of punch-kick movements that you can use in your own workout or to lead a group of dancers.

And, finally, in the fourth section, she demonstrates how to put all this together into a 20-minute time of movements in which a group of dancers can do spiritual warfare while also getting a cardio workout. Each section builds on the previous section, equipping the dancer with movements for intercession.

I love this DVD. One of my primary callings as a dancer is to intercede in my own prayer time and to equip others to intercede through movement. This DVD gives me strong movements for warfare (where my natural bent is towards fluid, gentle movements) and a strong biblical basis for using them.

Whether you purchase this DVD or just incorporate the movements for pulling down strongholds into your devotion (and create more movements of your own), I pray that you are encouraged and equipped by these in your prayer time.

Please share your thoughts in the comments:

Did you find this helpful?

How have you incorporated dance into your time of intercession?

DIY Worship Flags for Children

red worship flags 5 — Flags add beauty and glory to the worship experience.

Flags add beauty and glory to the worship experience.

They can be powerful tools for spiritual warfare.

Children will much more readily dance spontaneously if given a flag.

And flags are expensive!

As I was preparing to teach worship dance this next year at my church, I found myself longing for a full set of child-sized worship flags. I’d love to have 10-12 sets of flags, enough for a room full of children to have their own flag or set of flags with which to worship. I researched the best prices for child-sized flags (The lowest price I could find, buying in a large quantity, was $11/flag. Most were between $15 and $20).

So, I decided to see if I might be able to make some simple flags, even though I’m not a seamstress (I do have a sewing machine that I know how to use). I found several tutorials online that were extremely helpful. So, I wanted to share with you a synopsis of what I learned and one anointed tutorial on flag making that was looked doable for an unskilled sewer like me.

Materials: For a child. you want a flag to be about 17″x24″. A little smaller will work. So, for one set, you’ll can use 3/4 of a yard of fabric with a width of 42.” You’ll also need a 3/8” dowel, cut in half and sanded, giving you two dowels about 17″ long. While there are several ways to make the flag, here is a method that seemed both simple and beautiful to me: Continue reading “DIY Worship Flags for Children”

Strength, Flexibility and Balance without Yoga

worship exercise DVD — Scroll down to watch this 4 minute tutorial to develop strength, flexibility and balance.

Strength, flexibility and balance are all critical for dancers who want to improve their technique without risking injury. In fact, they are all invaluable to lifelong health. Many people, Christians included, are looking to Yoga to gain these benefits.

Years ago, I took yoga, with the mindset, “I’m here for the physical benefits and not the spirituality.” I put on my Jesus filter when I walked into the studio. The physical benefits I experienced were undeniable. My balance improved. My posture improved. I grew stronger and more flexible. And I felt better physically. Honestly, it helped me prepare for natural child birth more than any class I took at the hospital. I was grateful for that.

But I always had nagging questions in my mind about engaging in yoga, because of its roots in eastern religion. And as a runner and dancer, I found my workout plate too full to take another yoga class, so I never developed a regular practice of yoga.

Several years ago, as I found mentors in worship dance, those I respected the most warned me to stay away from yoga unequivocally. The reasons they described resonated with the unease I had felt in my spirit. So, I decided to listen to their warnings and make a decision to purposely (not just because I didn’t have time) skip yoga, even “Christian yoga” (by the way, this article is not a case against Christian yoga, just an attempt to tell my story). For me, it was a “When in doubt, leave it out.” Continue reading “Strength, Flexibility and Balance without Yoga”

Why dance in church? Is it biblical?

theology of dance This past weekend, I was blessed with the opportunity to meet with the Pastor and the Children’s Ministry Director my church. They had gathered several people who love dance to discuss the possibility of incorporating dance at our church, beginning with children.

This was an answer to prayer. It was such a gift to have these leaders come to me and to ask me to share about dance with them. I have been ministering outside my church in dance through workshops and classes this past year, but have not danced in my church.

It has been hard to imagine dance being welcome in this church. There are just one or two people who raise their hands in worship. Our Pastor and Worship Leader are very intentional to avoid or minimize anything that draws attention to the leader or a specific person. They do this because they want the congregation’s attention focused on the Lord and not the leaders, which I highly respect. The worship team leads from the side of platform and have said that they want to be “invisible” for the same reason. I appreciate their hearts and their humility.

Nonetheless, you can see how it would be hard to see how dancers could lead worship, since the goal is for leaders to be invisible. As dancers, our goal also is to point to the Lord and not to ourselves, but we use a visual art to do this.

In addition, the denomination operates under what is called the “regulative principle,” which basically states that we don’t incorporate anything in the worship service that is not expressly prescribed by scripture. So, if dance is to be incorporated in corporate worship, the Pastor and elders need to have solid theological grounds for doing so.

congregational dance During the discussion, my Pastor turned to me and asked,“If someone new came into our church and saw people dancing and asked, ‘Why?’, what would you tell them?”

He wasn’t asking, “Is it okay for Christians to dance?” or, “Can dance be used in evangelism in the community?” He felt secure that the answers to both of those were, “Yes.”

He was asking specifically, “Is dance appropriate in the sanctuary, in corporate worship?“ Continue reading “Why dance in church? Is it biblical?”

Bless your City by Dancing in their Parade

parade praise dance I sense that the Lord is calling dancers out of the four walls of the church and into the cities. At this critical time in history, when there is so much turmoil, confusion, and change, we have an opportunity to be part of the blessing our cities and ushering in God’s presence. Where His presence is, every good thing follows.

A powerful way to let God use your in your city is to dance in their parades, to get out in the streets and bring a dance of joy, healing, and hope.

My friend and fellow student in the Dancing for Him Dance Ministry school, Bobbi Muncy, has danced in countless parades over the years and knows how to it. (You can see that in the pictures, right?)

I asked her to write for us, sharing how she finds opportunities to dance in parades, what she does to prepare, and what practical tips she can offer us to help us be ready to truly be a blessing.

Read on to hear from Bobbi:

“Everyone loves a Parade!

“A friend asked recently how she could do a parade with her team and bring glory to God. To say I was excited to share is an understatement! I have been doing parades for over 14 years.

“It all started with a call from a friend of a friend. They asked if we would be willing to be in the NE Minneapolis Parade. All we needed to do was bring flags and dance. We just showed up and the rest is history.

“Over the years the dancers, music, cities and and the costumes have changed. But we continue to bring glory to HIS name and take back the streets for Jesus. Our motto is “the praise goes forth first!” This is based on 2 Chronicles 20: 17-21. NKJV When King Jehosephat realized what he was up against, he called everyone to pray and fast. He then consulted his people and appointed the men to sing and give praise to the LORD. As they praised the LORD, He took care of their enemies! That is how we see parades.

“Scripture also says, “my word shall not return void” Isaiah 55:11 NKJV. The songs we use always bring a message not only to the people, but they fill the atmosphere! Imagine Michael W. Smith’s “Forever”. The words of the song fill the atmosphere and chase the enemy away! We have also danced to “God’s Not Dead! It is fun to see the look on some of the faces in the crowd.

“I usually start praying about what parades we should do starting in January. Many of them we do every year as they almost always ask us to come back. When I am thinking of new area, I check with the local Chamber of Commerce to get dates and applications. Be aware, some parades charge a fee to participate. I have paid up to $100 for a parade and it turned out to be nothing but a drunk fest. Really seek God first before committing.

“We do the parades with flags and tambourines. I use a minimum of 5 people doing tambourine. I love to include flags and banners when I can. Especially if I have kids or extra people. These can be choreographed if need be. I have also had a dancer out front leading us.

“We use the same songs for every parade and usually for a few years. This way everyone becomes very proficient with the routine and can worship from the heart. We do about 3-5 parades a year in and around our community. We use the tambourine patterns from Shachah Ministries.

“Here are some practical tips:

•Keep it simple as this is a parade and you are moving most of the time.

•Keep your dress modest and be creative! Color is awesome!!

•Be sure to wear good shoes, sunscreen and sunglasses if needed.

•Stay hydrated. But note that there usually no bathrooms near the line ups, so be prepared.

•Line up is usually and hour prior to the parade. I highly suggest you go in as a team so no one gets lost.

•Pre test your sound system to make sure everything is working properly.

•Try to arrange someone to pick up the team at the end of the parade as everyone will be very tired.

“Remember to pray continually as “the enemy seeks to devour”. This is frontline warfare. Pray for your team and for the people you will be passing on the streets. Pray protection over backlash as the warfare can be very intense!

“There is a lot more to what I have written here. Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have! I would love to hear from you!

“You are LOVED! John 3:16″

Take a minute to join the discussion by sharing in the comments:

Have you danced in a parade? If so, what tips would you add?

What did you gain from this post? Feel free to share it.

What I learned about planning a Praise Dance Camp

summer praise dance camp collage We just finished a fabulous week of Praise Dance Camp in Pasadena. I’m so grateful for the week, for your prayers, and for how the Lord worked.

Read on as I share four things I learned about planning a summer praise dance camp for children and to watch a 4-minute video recap of the week. Continue reading “What I learned about planning a Praise Dance Camp”

Dance in Thanks for our Freedom

Happy 4th of July. I encourage you to find some time today (maybe just before going to bed), to dance a prayer of thanks for the incredible freedom we enjoy in our country and to pray for our leaders.

“1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior…” -1 Timothy 2:1-3