this month to share its talents with Bermudians.

The Ebenezer Liturgical Dance Ministry of Ebenezer AME Church of Fort Washington, Maryland, directed by Faye Chandler, will arrive on August 19 to conduct a series of workshops on dance.

The workshops, which will involve 20 of the ministry's members, will include a series of activities leading up to the Richard Allen AME Church Women's Day on September 15.

Juneann Furbert, of Richard Allen, told The Royal Gazette she became interested in bringing Ebenezer's dance ministry to Bermuda after she attended a retreat at their church in Maryland.

"The workshops were superb,'' she recalled. "I've always ministered in dance so the total experience of the retreat left a desire to do something for the Lord.'' Mrs. Furbert said dance creates a visual impact on a congregation and helps to bring up the spiritual level of the worship service.

"At Ebenezer the dancers ushered in the whole congregation,'' she explained.

"Everyone was outside and the dancers worshipped as the congregation came in.

It heightens worship and gets the whole congregation involved in praising God.'' Mrs. Furbert stressed that dance was a talent that can be used in worship.

"All talents can be used to the glory of God whether it is playing the piano, doing drama, preaching, sign language or dance,'' she said. "Dance is visual and people can relate to it, souls can be saved through a dance ministry.'' Christian churches of all denominations are invited to attend the workshops to learn how dance could enhance the worship experience at their own churches.

The workshops that will be presented are "Dancer for Christ: Anointed and Appointed'', "Dancing in the worship service'', "Interpreting the scriptures with dance'' and "Choreographing with the Holy Spirit''.

During the workshops participants will learn about the Dance Ministry's role in the church as worship leaders, the dancer and the spiritual warfare, and the dancer's call to ministry. Participants will also learn about the anointing and appointment of dancers to prophesy and to interpret the psalms.

Mrs. Furbert said the workshop will cover the different components of a worship service, choosing music that is appropriate for the service, and knowing when it is appropriate to dance during service. Participants will also be given an opportunity to choreograph dances to music appropriate for dancing in the worship service.

Dancers will also learn how to use creative movement, interpretive dance, and African dance to interpret the scriptures, she said. A list of songs and scriptures will be provided for each participant to use as a resource. Through the use of scriptural-based music dancers will be guided while developing choreography to take back to their individual ministries.

In addition, participants will learn how to seek the Holy Spirit when developing choreography. They will also explore the use of props when creating symbolic movement that has been inspired by the Holy Ghost.

Mrs. Furbert said the workshops will be especially helpful to those who have either just started a dance ministry or are thinking of starting one.

Dance ministries have already started at St. Paul's AME and Bright Temple.

Richard Allen hopes to launch its own dance ministry during the workshops.

The Ebenezer Liturgical Dance Ministry was formed in 1987 under the direction of Faye Chandler with the support of the church's co-pastor Rev. JoAnn Browning and pastor Rev. Grainger Browning.

It was the vision of Rev. JoAnn Browning to include dance as part of the worship experience.

The object of the ministry was to: Glorify God in praise and worship through dance; Bring new souls to Christ through outreach and community service; Provide a visual demonstration of what God is doing and saying in the worship service, ushering the congregation into a higher realm of praise and worship; Provide education and training on the uses of dance for "spiritual warfare'' and "ministry'' versus "secular'' dancing and performing; and Provide support to other ministries, and outreach activities in the life of the church.

According to a spokesperson for the Ebenezer Liturgical Dance Ministry, the ministry has throughout the years ministered at many prayer breakfasts, homeless shelters and hospitals, trial sermons and ordination services.

In 1991 Joan Cambridge-Syers formed the Ebenezer African Dancers as part of the Ebenezer Rites of Passage Ministry. The African dancers danced at the Rites of Passage Crossover Ceremonies, African Liberation Sundays, during the Women's Retreat season, and have blessed many school and community outreach programmes with their dancing.

In 1994, the African dancers joined with the Liturgical Dance Ministry.

It is approaching its tenth anniversary and is made up of 80 dancers for Christ who have not only grown in number, but in depth of ministry.

The local dance workshops will be held at the Anglican Cathedral Hall on Church Street.

Children from ages five to 16 years will participate in workshops from August 20 to 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.. The workshop cost $40.

Participants 16 years and over will have workshops from August 19 to 23 from 6 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. The price for the adult workshop is $50, which includes a prayer breakfast to be held on August 24 at Ordinance Island, St. George's, beginning at 7.30 a.m.

The prayer breakfast programme will be directed by the Ebenezer Dance Ministry and Ms Chandler will be the guest speaker.

Those who do not wish to attend the workshops, but are interested in attending the prayer breakfast can purchase $10 tickets at the Christian Book Store on Burnaby Street in Hamilton.

Registration for the workshops will also be held at the Christian Book Store.

The deadline is August 14.

For further information call Richard Allen AME church at 297-2311.