"Dance Pastor" is a practical manual for equipping dancers to release the Kingdom of Heaven. This book is designed to help begin dance ministries at churches and also to help existing dance ministries to grow in a healthy way. It builds on Saara Taina's previous book, "Encountering God Through Dance," which gives a solid Biblical foundation for dance ministry. "Dance Pastor" introduces four core values in Christian dance ministry: Presence of God, Partnership with one another, Pursuing excellence and Pastoral covering. And it includes 24 practical dance exercises to help dance teams to apply these core values in practical ways. This book also gives practical insight how to launch and run dance ministries in any congregation, in Healing Rooms setting and in ministry schools... and how to train children and adults to minister through dance. All this teaching comes from many years of experience in different cultural contexts.
Release the Kingdom through Dance! You can experience God’s presence and healing power through dance. Encountering God Through Dance equips believers to worship Jesus in wholehearted devotion—to express love without fear or shame. What people are saying: Encountering God Through Dance is the wonderful journey of a radical lover of God…and a manual for instruction and inspiration. —Bill Johnson, Senior Pastor, Bethel Church This is by far the most refreshing book I have read in a long time. Saara Taina has given her life to a core area of life that is far too marginalized in many churches. —Marc A. Dupont, Mantle of Praise Ministries, Inc. Rarely do you see a book that offers passion, testimonies, and biblical expertise so that others can be fully equipped. —Theresa Dedmon, Director of Prophetic Arts, Bethel Church We have personally experienced the breakthrough power of the dance many, many times in Succat Hallel, our 24/7 worship room that overlooks Mount Zion in Jerusalem. —Rick and Patti Ridings, Succat Hallel The author’s personal journey of devotion through dance has taken her worldwide. She wraps her exciting travels with a solid biblical framework for the importance of dance in the Kingdom of God—on earth, today!
Clergy suffer from certain health issues at a rate higher than the general population. Why are pastors in such poor health? And what can be done to help them step into the abundant life God desires for them? Although anecdotal observations about poor clergy health abound, concrete data from multiple sources supporting this claim hasn't been made accessible--until now. Duke's Clergy Health Initiative (CHI), a major, decade-long research project, provides a true picture of the clergy health crisis over time and demonstrates that improving the health of pastors is possible. Bringing together the best in social science and medical research, this book quantifies the poor health of clergy with theological engagement. Although the study focused on United Methodist ministers, the authors interpret CHI's groundbreaking data for a broad ecumenical readership. In addition to physical health, the book examines mental health and spiritual well-being, and suggests that increasing positive mental health may prevent future physical and mental health problems for clergy. Concrete suggestions tailored to clergy are woven throughout the book.
The magic of dance has been an important part of Gil Hill's entire life. Through deep love and deep loss, a spin on the dance floor has always served as the best way to celebrate as well as the best remedy for an aching heart. Not only did Hill's parents fall in love on the dance floor, but so did Gil and his love and first wife, Melva. When she passed, Gil found comfort on the dance floor where he first captured the heart of his wife, Nancy. Since the day she offered to repair his dance shoes bag, the two have been happily dancing the night away. Throughout this heart-warming story, Hill shares much more than life as a dancer and preacher; he was a yeoman in the navy, a teacher, coach, husband, salesman, father, and friend who grew in faith to find his true calling as a pastor. His story shows how faith helps one endure life's struggles and tragedies. It is also a testament to letting God direct your life because He will always put you where you are meant to be, which may just be jitterbugging on a cruise ship as a dance host. In The Dancing Preacher, Gil nimbly illustrates how following your passions and staying active helps you maintain your health, spiritually, physically and mentally. His story exemplifies a life well lived-full of love, faith, adventure, new beginnings, and happiness.
The history of dancing in liturgy ... models for using dance in the eucharist ... and examples of dance consistent with the church year. How to dance. Why to dance. And how dance fits into liturgy. Kane's easy-to-follow format lets you choose the right movement for different parts of worship, much as you would choose the right music. VerEecke shares his personal account as a dancer - a theologian's conception of his art. Gagne provides a historical look at dance in worship and a chronology of the events which have shaped attitudes toward dance. Includes suggested gestures for danced prayer, step-by-step dance movements for use in your church, and many photographs. Inspiring. Informative. Easily reachable. A practical guide - with scholarship to back it up. -- from back cover.
Do you want to step into a deeper level of intimacy with the Holy Spirit? This compilation of journal entries from the Bethel Healing Rooms dance team is a powerful witness of the nearness and the goodness of God. These testimonies release faith for you to believe and receive everything that Jesus paid for! You will get an inside look into what it's like to do healing ministry and prophetic ministry through dance, and how to partner with the Holy Spirit as a dance team. Whether you consider yourself a dancer or not, you will be encouraged in your journey with God. He wants to partner with us all. There's literally abundance available!
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point, here would be no dance and there is only the dance. (T. S. Eliot. Four Quartets) The metaphor of the dance is one I have chosen to describe the movement of the Spirit in my life as pastor in a small Protestant congregation in northern California during 197888. I dance a light and joyful dance when I remember that God in Christ is the still point of the dance around which the various parts of myself arrange themselves. As the people of God and I dance together we become a healing energy field in which the Holy Spirit powerfully moves . I have written this book in gratitude for the gift of the presence of the Christ as the creator of our dance together with all creation. It is a book for pastors and for students in training for church ministry, but it is for lovers, parents, business executives, and teachers as well. I invite you, my brothers and sisters, to dance with me. From a colleague: Your book is very good; very readable, very insightful and sometimes profound. I appreciate your open (and courageous) description of your personal spiritual journey, also your description of Psychosynthesis and its possible manner of application to ones self and to the activity of the Church. . . . I think . . . that your work could be particularly helpful as a teaching tool for ministers and Seminarians. THE PASTOR WHO LEARNED TO DANCE: HOW I LEARNED TO BE MYSELF IN THE CHURCH by Howard S. Fuller