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Your First Meeting "In the beginning you laid the foundations." Psalms 102:25 O God of Second Chancesand New Beginnings Here I am again. ©1981 —Nancy Spiegelberg "And he arose and came to his father. "Create in me a clean heart, O God; September Meeting "Dance before the Lord with all your might." 2 Samuel 6:14 This meeting is not like any other you will attend at your school. This meeting is for Jesus, about Jesus, and let's face it... Jesus is there with you. How can I be so sure? Because His word tells me so... look at Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them." You may want to recognize and glorify His Presence by singing a few praise songs or hymns and saying a prayer at the beginning of your meeting. Some suggestions for this months meeting: Take prayer requests and praises from your members. Members can pray together in small groups for a short time during the meeting. Small groups often help members get to know each other better. They also help to foster a sense of accountability and understanding among members. Encourage your members to avoid gossip or to avoid tempting others to gossip by showing discretion about prayer requests involving others that are of a personal or sensitive nature. You may want to consider praying for every person on your team. You can accomplish this quickly by dividing the team roster up and breaking into small groups for this prayer time. Since this month's meeting is about Liturgical Dance, you may want to have some selections of contemporary music at the meeting. After discussing the "definition of Liturgical Dance" as seen below, have members brainstorm musical pieces that would either convey God's word through dance or would glorify God through Dance. I recommend that you have members choreograph a lyrical liturgical dance to something like "Koombayah" . Members can hum or sing the song while performing the movements. They will likely be surprised at how dramatically they can express their love and need for Christ through their movements. Another activity could be breaking into small groups and choreographing different types of dances (jazz, modern, ballet, lyrical) to different types of Christian music. If you don't have a Christian radio station in your area you may not be familiar with different Christian artists. I encourage you to visit www.musicforce.com for a great resource to Christian music. They have clips of every song on every album for you to listen to on your home computer.... here are a few: El Shaddai by Amy Grant from the Age to Age album http://www.musicforce.com/mf/album/1,1289,078630066255,00.html or Joy in the Journey album http://www.musicforce.com/mf/album/1,1289,777750051435,00.html You may want to begin looking for a song that your ensemble can choreograph and perform to. You might be able to perform this routine later at a Team Booster Club meeting, at a senior citizen home as a ministry service, at a basketball game, church service, junior or senior high church youth group activity or at a local church. Take a picture at your first meeting and also take some time to think of general activities that your group will want to do throughout the year. Assign a person to organize each activity that interests the group. When planning these activities focus not only on Christian fellowship, but on sharing your Christian beliefs and the saving message of Jesus Christ with others.
Your ensemble might want to participate in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Proclaimation
that is to be signed by members of your school and then sent to FCA. These signed proclaimations denouncing school violence and promising a peaceful school environment will be presented to the students of Columbine High School later this year. To read more about this proclaimation and to print out the proclaimation for your school to sign, please follow this link. (http://www.gospelcom.net/fca/proclamation1.shtml)
At every meeting, please make it a point to have someone explain the gospel (http://www.encroix.org/gospel/index.htm). You never know who among you might not have accepted Christ as their personal savior through His death on the cross. You might also want to have a member of your ensemble share their personal testimony or ask a teacher from your school to share their testimony at one of your meetings. What is Liturgical Dance What is Liturgical Dance? Giving definition to this term could create as many definitions as there are denominations. Lit
urgical Dance defined literally becomes dancing the Lithurgy, or a rite of worship. Although dancing has historically played a significant role in the world's religions, Liturgical Dance refers specifically to the Christian religion. With this literal translation, how then does the Christian dancer define Liturgical Dance in practical terms? At its most basic, this form of dancing could simply be taking stock of one's music and choreography. A dancer may choose to dance to music that has lyrics that are about God or a specific biblical theme. In inventorying one's chosen movements, a conscious decision made in foregoing imitation of the latest music video while incorporating a style that interprets the lyrics or theme of the music. Liturgical Dance can be literal or symbolic. Christian dancers have incorporated sign language into their choreography. Symbolic gestures, such as the bowing of the head or raising one's arms, might be a part of the dance. A dance may have neither of these and simply flow from the heart of the dancer and/or choreographer. A dance could be used as a part of a worship service, for instance, incorporating it into the presentation of the elements of the Lord's Supper or integrating dance with the Celebratory or Worship Songs. Liturgical dance may be theatrical in nature, acting out a biblical scene or communicating forgiveness to an audience. Perhaps, like a ballet, a story may unfold. Liturgical Dance may reflect many different styles of dance. Ballet, modern and jazz may be used. A dance might have an ethnic influence. Elements of traditional folk dance, such as circle or line dancing, could become part of the dance. As much as there is variety in Liturgical Dance, there are a few basic elements that help to define it. The Liturgical Dance has one of two purposes, worshipping God or communicating to others the liturgy, the Word of God. In both instances the Creator rather than the creation (the dancer) becomes the focus of and purpose for the dance. All gifts are from God. Liturgical dance is a beautiful and glorious way to use God's gift of dance to return to Him in sacrificial giving (worship) or to share God's Word with others. "What is Liturgical Dance" compiled by Terri Williams
September Meeting Notes compiled by Melissa Interrante |