Kerygma Nøtterøy 2010

”For in Him we live and move and have our being.” Act 17:28

Nov 13-14 the congregation of Nøtterøy parish together with “Dance for Jesus Resource Center” hosted a week-end called: “Motion to God’s glory”. The Location was Torød church with nearly facilities.
A planning group, consisting of cantor Jan Rosenvinge, Nina Dittmann and Astrid Askeland (all of them from Nøtterøy), were responsible for the arrangement.
The instructors from Dance for Jesus Resource Center were Hilde Olsson (Oslo), Jolanta Alhaug (Hamar) and Anna Grabon (Oslo), Vibeke Gundersen (Oslo), Elisabeth and Lars Godman (Råde). The seminar was open to anyone, disregarding age or previous dancing skills. Adults had their workshop, consisting of three different dancing sessions, each part with both theoretical and practical teaching. The children had their own part with Vibeke, with two dance lesions.

 

1.  Workshop. Hilde had made Choreography to the song ”Jesus, I want to give You my life and my worship”.

2.   Workshop. Jolanta and Anna led three Messianic dances.

3.   Workshop. Elisabeth and Lars taught of Banners/flags. The men were introduced to the use of rod, foreshadowed by the ministry of Moses. We practiced use of the Banners to the song ”To Him, the Highest”.

The Seminar was concluded in the church, where the children performed the dance they had learnt. The participants gave response to the course program, and many shared that it had an impact on their Christian life. They expressed great joy over the seminar, even thought the schedule had been quite “over filled”. It was all concluded with prayer. We were all together 33 participants from all over the country, mostly eastern Norway, one from the North west coast and one from Lofoten. Everyone was invited to worship evening in the church on Sunday, where a few of us served in dancing.
Worship evening in Torød Church November 14.

Sunday Torød congregation celebrated ten years of evening worship services. The congregation wished to underline this by deepening and exposing the various dimensions of worship. Jan lead the evening service in words and tunes. The worship team lead the common singing, supported by good musicians from the congregation.

Through testimonies, worship and dance, and even through being ministered to the altar, people experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit. We were also greeted by the bishop Patrik Opembe (Kenya), main speaker at the prayer conference during the church convent inTønsberg. The alliance “Pray for the Norwegian Church” organized the prayer conference (The evening worship service in Torød church opened this conference).

The Daily newspaper,”Tønsberg Blad” , had a positive covering of this weekend “Motion to God’s glory”. The marketing and the event worked very well. The message was distributed by posters, placards, advertisements in the local papers and by the Christian daily paper “Vårt Land”. Leaders in Norwegian Lutheran churches and free churches were addressed. Reporting and interviews in “NRK Østafjells” (local television station) and “Visjon Norge” (Christian TV channel) paved our way.

When making journeys and giving seminaries we realize the need for this kind of teaching and training in lot of congregations and fellowships in Norway. We see how the dancing with Banners brings forth joy, sets people free, renews and refreshes people’s faith. Our desire is, through the movements of worship with Banners, to focus more on Jesus Christ and less on our selves.

We experienced the cooperation between “Dance for Jesus Resource Center” and Nøtterøy congregation as a successful project. The local congregation took responsibility for the practical arrangements, whereas “Dance for Jesus Resource Center” contributed with the actual content of the seminar. The instructors were involved in the planning at an early stage, which surely resulted in the successful cooperation Thus “Dance for Jesus Resource Center”, which was established this year, got a really good start.

Heavenly Father we pray:
that You moves us closer to You and Your will! We pray for the experience of the Love of Your Father heart!
Thank You Lord Jesus, we worship You, our Saviour, not only ours, but the whole world’s Saviour!

Immanuel
Elisabeth and Lars Godman

banners@godman.no