Commanded Dance Ministery

by Debbie
(Norwich Ohio Muskingum)

In 1996 I attended my very first dance workshop, and experienced a new dimension of worship that I had never seen or even heard of.

I had a very bad childhood,coming from a dysfunctional family...dealing with being molested as a child.....an alcoholic father....and a mother who looked outside of her marriage for companionship....

At this workshop, Dr. Pamela Hardy lead us in a dance exercise where she took us as far back as we could remember...to our youngest experiences...and had us use our bodies to express the feeling that that we had.... I asked one of the ladies that I came with how I could possibly dance to molestation....the leader of the group told us that if what we were feeling was anger at a wrong that had been done to us...we could express it by throwing our fist into the air...to even use our faces as part of the inward expression....

I must admit that a lot of tears followed that exercise....and then the leader took us through different stages in our lives....to the happiest moments...falling in love...marriage....the birth of a child...again she had us use our bodies to express what we felt inside....

I went away from that workshop a different woman than I was. The Lord had done a wonderful cleansing, and healing of guilt...shame...anger and set me free...and for the first time I was able to forgive not only my father, but my mother as well.

Since that day, I have been commissioned by the Lord to create and design worship garments for the body of Christ. I have been making garments that have gone throughout the United States and beyond..

I have created a children's line like the adult line ...so that they too, could learn how to worship the Lord....

I am involved in our adult dance team as well as being an associate to our leader Pastor Sherry Henifin.I aid and assist in teaching class with the pre-school, and elementary school ages...also having a hip-hop- mime-tap-and ballet classes available.

Dance has changed my entire life...I have found a fulfillment and a deep sense of the presence of the Lord in my dance...and as long as I have breath, I will be involved in some way with it.
It is my prayer that every person would come to experience this kind of worship....that draws you...and pulls you into the very atmosphere of heaven....to feel the tangible presence of God in a powerful way.

I would encourage those who have been involved....to go deeper....to allow the Holy Spirit to help you with your dance language....and that you would dance with one goal....to bring Glory and Honor to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Blessings to All
Debbie
debbieorwig@hotmail.com