Starting a Worship Arts Ministry

"To whom do you go and what do you do?" is a question that many people face when asked to start a worship arts ministry. Perhaps your pastor has asked you to start a dance ministry and organize a dance team in your church.

Worship leader and pastor, Rachel Moore, gives this answer in her book, Rivers of Praise Worship Through Movement:

To answer the first two questions in this section, “To whom do you turn and what do you do?” first turn to God for guidance, and then to other available resources. I immediately began to build my resource library. When I first started, resources for the dance ministry were terribly limited, but God continues to expand His resource pool. Dance and other worship arts conferences are very helpful because you are able to make more contacts and establish variety for your dance team.

Become a student of the Word and study about dance, praise, and worship. Purchase books, audios, and videos referencing the dance in ministry and worship arts. Allow God to expand your territory in this area of your life. Begin to carry a notebook to write down different ideas, songs, or movements that you get, see, or hear. Sometimes if you don’t write it down you will lose that thought and have to struggle to remember it later. Begin to build your music or song library as well. Prioritize time in your schedule to listen to worship or praise music and worship the Lord. During these times God will draw you to a particular song for the dance team. Listening to Christian radio stations will also help expand your knowledge of what songs are available.

Don’t carry the burden of the ministry alone. Enlist others on the dance team to help. They could have their eyes and ears open for new resources, listen for songs to dance to, and even help with choreography. Also listen for the theme of the pastor’s sermons or teaching series so that you will be more sensitive to songs carrying a similar message. You could actually choreograph a dance to complement the Word of God going forth to the people, and minister in dance just before the pastor gets up to speak. In that way the people will receive the Word visually and audibly.

To learn more keys for a successful dance team, check out Rachel's book in the resource section.