Luciana Session
In 2009, I, Luciana Session, answered the call to Worship through the ministry of dance. With prayer and in-depth study, I found that before one considers this ministry, he or she must have a true revelation of and a relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It would have been a vain and an empty process to attempt to continue my ministry of worship when I did not have a relationship with or know the God I wanted to worship.
Through the teachings and studies under both my pastors, The late Rev. Moses A. Knott, Jr and The RIGHT Rev. Alphonsus E. Platt of this August body of believers here at Nia, I can wholeheartedly say that I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and pray continuously that He will do a new thing through me.
I know some of you have asked yourselves.
What is the purpose of dance ministry? Well I’m glad you asked…
Yes, it is ministry! The purpose of this unique ministry is to minister the gospel through various forms of visual interpretation and any worship instrument including but not limited to sign language, flags, tambourines, war sticks and movement.
Another definition is to show forth the praises of the One who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Showing forth His praises has to do with the point of origin of movement. In essence, we are called out of darkness to show forth the glory, beauty, and majesty of God so others can see who He is through you.
It was God’s intent and purpose for creating dance to be taught in balance and in accordance with His word within the church. Throughout the years the world/man has transformed the dance into a distorted version of what God intended. God has placed a desire in our hearts to see the gift of dance restored in purity to His glory, honor, and power. The dance that God longs to see restored is one of spirit and truth, not flesh and soul.
To that end, with my Pastors permission, I chose to enroll in the Eagles International Training Institute, founded by Dr. Pamela Hardy. Not just because I knew people who were involved but I’ve watched, prayed, and researched what their mission was all about for the last 2 years. I looked passed all the distractions and focused on the structure. And on October 28, 2022, I received my WINGS!
Desire without knowledge is not good, and to be overhasty is to sin and miss the mark. (Proverbs 19:2 AMP)
The Eagles International Training Institute (EITI) is an Associate Member with Transworld Accrediting Commission International. Serving the Christian education community for over 30 years. Transworld is a federally recognized, non-profit church educational organization. Their philosophy is to demonstrate accountability to the consuming public for education obtained in nontraditional evangelical educational institutions.
EITI is a one year, on-line, intense, and in-depth training course for those who desire to soar to higher heights in various areas of the arts, business, and theology. Our goal is to train and educate those called to the ministry, then release them to be effective servants, teachers, and leaders who will establish the Kingdom of God in all the earth. Our motto says that we are - Serving with humility, soaring with excellence, advancing the Kingdom, and taking healing to the nations, leaving a legacy.
Why Eagles? Remember - Eagles do not flap! THEY SOAR!
When we define to soar, we find that it states:
To rise or increase dramatically (as in position, value, or price) [Merriam-Webster]
To rise very quickly to a prominent level [Cambridge]
To maintain height in the air without flapping wings or using engine power [Oxford]
While the first and second definitions speak to a rapid rise to a great height, the third definition caught my interest because it speaks to maintaining such height without expending much energy.
This elaboration makes it clear that soaring is not the same as inactivity; rather, it is an intentional, strategic mechanism that harnesses accumulated momentum and internal mechanisms to sustain a great height while conserving energy. In other words, soaring is a strategy for energy efficiency and sustainability once one is at a great height.
See INTENSE AND INDEPTH!
Some of us often try to move on without waiting for the process to be completed, without waiting on the Lord to renew us daily, without waiting for the wind of the Spirit to carry us. We are not designed to flap; we are designed to SOAR. Don’t push yourself out and try to flap! Wait on the Lord so you can SOAR!
We are soaring Eagles, going forth in the Spirit of the Lord God, anointed by His grace, called by His name, setting the captives free! We serve with a spirit of humility, and we soar with the spirit of excellence!
Our favorite scripture says…
But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall soar on wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31)
So I’m inviting you to join our ministry and get ready to SOAR!
