Last month I said that I would write about more choreography rabbit trails. Oops. I’ll do that in October. Right now the Lord Jesus has laid a serendipity on my heart……..Let me explain.
A few weeks ago I got an email from my friend Mary Jones who lives in Australia. Mary is a Christ follower who deserves special recognition from me. I first met her many years ago in San Francisco at a dance conference(1996?). Later, Mary spent a week in Redlands at my house. During that time, I was blessed to have her lead a workshop for dance ministry at Trinity Church(everyone loved it)! It has been a joy to remain connected through the years. But there’s a bigger picture. She is the founder of International Christian Dance Fellowship(ICDF) and of Christian Dance Fellowship USA(CDF USA).
Back to the present. Mary let me know that would be in Los Angeles for a few days in September 2014, and as our emails progressed, we decided that it would be wise to gather some movement leaders from the Los Angeles area to discuss church dance ministry. It was a unexpected meeting that produced some wonderful connections and great discussion(See my facebook page for pictures). SERENDIPITY. Before I go on, I want to thank my daughter Elizabeth who graciously allowed us to gather at her home in the Santa Monica area.
More about Mary Jones. In 1978 the Christian Dance Fellowship of Australia (CDFA) was established by Mary. Soon after, Mary began a Christian dance fellowship in the USA. Beyond that, she has been instrumental in promoting unity and net-working among Christian worship dancers around the world. Moreover, she is responsible for instigating encouragement and training for creative expression and outreach, while emphasizing freedom in worship and prayer through dance. She is also the founder of Caramayan which is a Christian alternative to Yoga and Tai Chi. It blends simple movements with scripture meditation and worship music.
Read more about ICDF with this link: http://www.icdf.com/icdf-history.php. Mary also developed an educational certificate in dance ministry through an online program: http://www.icdf.com/dloads/Diploma-Info-2014.pdf
Please pray for Mary’s efforts on behalf of CDF USA. After she left our meeting in Los Angeles, I took her to LAX where she flew to meet Dawn Churchill, the new president of CDF USA. Let’s lift up both Mary and Dawn in their efforts to unify and connect dance ministries in the USA and pray for unity in dance fellowships that exist all over the world.
A prayerful thanks to Mary Jones who followed God’s call to listen to His leading. And, by the way, consider joining CDF USA.
