ICDF Networks Up Close
DANCE FOR CHILDREN
Belma Vardy lives in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. She has been travelling internationally working with children since 1986 & has produced a number of children's worship dance videos/DVD's which can be found at www.celebrationofdance.com
"Hi, I am Roz Hancock and I live amongst gum trees on the outskirts of Sydney with my husband and five home educated "children".
"In Matthew 21:15, 16, Jesus said, "Have you read, out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants, you have perfected praise?" God wants to use children. He wants us to release and allow and encourage them to be dynamic little instruments in His Hands.
"Do you have a heart to minister with children? Are you a dance teacher or leader of a Children's dance team? Do you want to start?
"The Children's Dance Network is for all who are or would like to be involved with teaching and leading children in Christian dance.
"We will hold regular (every six months) networking cyberforums so that we can share ideas, teaching methods, learn from one another's personal experiences in teaching children, share dances, share resources.....and most of all share our hearts. We desire to be available to mentor those who would like to serve in this area of ministry within their church, other Christian organisation, school, or community."
DANCE THERAPY
Eileen McDonald lives near Sydney, Australia. She teaches Dance Therapy at the Wesley Institute,Sydney and teaches workshops at conferences and communities in many countries. Eileen enjoys gardening, Israeli dance and semi sweet dark chocolate.
"The ICDF Dance Therapy & Healing Network is made up of people throughout the world who facilitate healing through the use of dance movement. Network members are involved in ministry/work that combine dance/movement with healing in the context of our shared Christian faith.
Some members of this network are dancers or dance groups using dance ministry workshops or presentations and others in the network are dance, music, art or drama therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, counselors, social workers, psychologists, psychotherapists, nurses, teachers, pastors, missionaries, youth and children's ministry workers.
To facilitate effective prayer, members are encouraged to send in any information and prayer requests at least once a year. Information about training & resources in this field can also be shared with or obtained from the network.
The ICDF Dance Therapy & Healing Network is preparing a journal for publication, incorporating past and present network articles relevant to the use of dance in healing in a Christian context. All members are invited to submit articles to the Dance Therapy & Healing Network coordinator to be considered for publication."
DANCE ARTISTS
This is an email network of Christian dance artists who are seeking to
affect their culture through their artistic
endeavours and/or by their professional positions in the dance arena.
This includes professional and semi professional dance artists who are
involved in ministry, professional companies, independent dance
artists, mission work, or educational roles. The purpose is to
network, fellowship, share stories, resources, and support one another.
Members have usually had at least 3 years full time training as
dancers and/or are very experienced performers, and are keen to unite
with other Christian dance artists on an email listing. Newsletters
include a featured artist or group from the list, upcoming performances
and productions, audition or employment opportunities, and
inspirational devotional meditations.
This fellowship ring is for visionaries who can envisage the arts taking a forefront position in the work of God in their own country. It is for those who can see and will act on the creative possibilities of dance companies, ministry teams, organisations, training colleges, and projects emerging in the future, bearing the signature of God in their work and extending the Kingdom of God by engaging their faith within their culture. It is also a challenge for those who are in relationship with a living, redemptive God to lead in creativity, inspiration, revelation and prophetic declaration in their area of artistic skill and gifting, demonstrating art that reflects both the beauty and truth of God's world.
CREATIVE ARTS AND SOCIAL CONCERN
Andrew Park and Lucy Andrew-Park Jarasius live in the 'happening city' of Sydney, Australia. This gives them opportunity to travel and network extensively with all kinds of people and ministries involved in the areas of Christian Faith, Social Justice and the Creative Arts. Andrew's decades of practical experience in pastoral care and welfare work, Lucy's many years of service in Christian creative movement arts, and their shared interest in theology and incarnational mission all happily intersect in the coordination of the ICDFN for Creative Arts and Social Concern.
"Our aim is to network with Christian creative artists reflecting on and engaging with the concept of being and doing church in new ways... individuals and groups involved with diverse urban or ex-urban creative mission... being discipled by Jesus, discipling others, and demonstrating God's love that overflows every human barrier, whether of social, political, economic, cultural or even, dare we say it, "Christian religious" construct... being friends of Jesus... being his loving works and workers of art... being and seeing the Good News proclaimed imaginatively to ALL, including the marginalised, disenfranchised, and otherwise privilege-denied!"
DEAF SIGNING
"Hello everyone, My name is Linda Wells and I live in USA where my husband and I moved in 1998 to work with Operation Mobilisation. I was an interpreter for the deaf in the UK and have many friends in the deaf community there. I have seen God heal emotionally, spiritually and physically through dance and especially when it is used in conjunction with Sign Language.
"We cannot allow anyone to be isolated from the Gospel or Body of Christ. Sign/Dance can also help hearing people connect heart and head as well as see the deaf ministered to and included in worship. In this way is acts as a bridge of blessing to all.
The Network gives members an opportunity to share their experience of using sign combined with dance and movement in both worship and evangelism."
FLAGS AND BANNERS
Marie and Andrew Bensley live in Somerset, England, and have 6 cats! Their ministry website is www.kingdomdance.co.uk
"Despite the fact that flags and banners have been used in worship in many churches for some years, there are still many Christians for whom this is a newly discovered means of praise, and many more who have no idea how flags and banners can be used in spiritual warfare, prophecy, intercession and healing. The Flags and Banners Network brings together those who already have an interest in this area, as well as those who simply want to learn more. We have found on our travels that there is a particular need to teach the appropriate use of flags in churches, as there have been some people whose careless and inconsiderate use of this medium (often due to unbridled enthusiasm!) have brought it into disrepute, or at the least thoroughly put off fellow Christians who might otherwise have appreciated the creativity flags can bring. Our vision is to open people's eyes to the positive virtues of using flags and banners".
David Stanfield lives in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. He has been moving with banners since 1993. Recently he felt the Lord lead him to wear a half-beard as a prophetic statement of major change that the Lord wants to bring to His people. His ministry website is www.worshipbanners.org
"I believe that we are on the edge of a HUGE shift within Christendom and that flags and banners are a part of that shift. I believe this shift will be more kingdom than church focused with an increase in unity, more expressive worship and more participation in prophetic acts and neighbourhood transformation led by ordinary Christians, with the arts taking a lead.
Throughout history God Himself has chosen to wield a banner at strategic change points in His people's journey. I believe He is doing so again today, and what we see our Father in heaven do, we should do! This Network is a way for those involved in using banners to share experience and knowledge with one another in a way which will help forward God's purposes in his Kingdom."
MEN IN DANCE
Andy Raine, from Holy Island, Northumberland, UK is one of the founders of the Northumbria Community. I'm a reluctant traveller, although I do quite a bit of it - I love to be at home with my wife Anna and our two children.
"This Network is a forum for all men involved in Christian dance. We can hopefully provide some understanding of what men characteristically bring to the dance, what we enjoy, how we learn, and what can be achieved when men move together... in dance, in friendship and in prayer. Some men work with other male dancers but lack the opportunity to give public expression of their faith through dance. There are also some who feel isolated because they find themselves 'painted into a corner' as the only man in a group of women dancers, a situation which is fine for a while but leaves them longing for some male company and perspective. Others are looking for good dance material, ideas, music and reports of men's teams or dance-groups. One song we often use to for warm-up exercises on our men's dance days says, "Show me a place where I don't have to worry... show me a place where I don't have to hurry - that's where I belong!" On average a woman will take two steps to every one a guy does, even if we cross the floor together. Let's hope we can take some long, strong strides forward and arrive each in our place to stand ready to move at God's command."
- Dancing as worship: Men on the floor??
- Read an interview with Andy Au and other articles from the Men's newsletter
MESSIANIC DANCE
Vera and her American/Italian husband Paul live in London, England. They have 3 children and 4 grandchildren. Since 1994 Vera has taught workshops or toured with the New Jerusalem Dancers, a Messianic dance company, in 20 countries.
"Messianic dance can also be known as Davidic, Israeli or Hebraic. The title is not as important as the fact that they all have Jewish roots. They are also communal in nature and usually danced in a circle. In Messianic and Davidic dance the emphasis is on dances where the steps are repeated and can be used in many different songs from not only messianic but all cultures so people can experience "the one new man" - Jew and Gentile worshipping together for G-d's glory. The repetition makes it easy to focus on the worship and the words of the song. The words are normally taken straight from Scripture and singing Scripture as you dance makes the worship so uplifting.
The network aims to share ideas and choreography for Messianic Dance and especially ways of encouraging worshippers with little or no dance training to use Messianic/ Davidic dance in their worship, including most importantly men who find this dance style easier than most. It also aims to encourage people to search the Word to discover G-d's Biblical plan for Israel and the Jewish people, and to obey the command to 'pray for the peace of Jerusalem' (Psalm 122)."
MISSIONS
Hello everyone, my name is Linda Wells and I live in USA. I work with Operation Mobilisation a Mission organisation with 4,000 full time missionaries. We have worked internationally in various cultures the last 25 years and have recently launched a Dance Ministry called Dancelink.
"God has clearly shown me that dancers in fact clear the heavenly realm as they dance, thus enabling other giftings in missions to see breakthrough physically and spiritually in their land of service. Psalm 149 also says: "Let them praise Him with dancing" (V3) and V6 "May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double edged sword in their hands". There is GREAT power in praise that can defeat the kingdom of darkness.
The Missions Network enables members to share opportunities, theory and experiences of using dance and arts in mission. Dance Warriors for the Nations...come and join us!"
PRAYER
I'm Rebecca Jeavons; I live in Sydney, Australia, and serve on the ICDF Steering Committee.. My first love is dancing for the Lord but my second love is to watch a good game of Rugby Union. Go the Wallabies!
"This Network is for people who love praying for others not just in word but in movement! Through regular newsletters members are encouraged to pray for the needs of the Christian Dance Fellowships around the world and for the overall work of ICDF. There are also regular opportunities to find out about what others are doing through prayer movement around the world."
