When words fall short, dance provides a way for students to express their faith.
Pepperdine has 95 active clubs on campus, including 11 Student-Led Ministires, according to Peppervine. Jesus Moves, the newest ministry, became official in January. It offers classes combining both physical motion and spiritual praise.
“Our mission is to minister the heart of the Lord through movement and creative expression,” said Swan Gerlach, senior and co-founder of Jesus Moves. “What we try to do is cultivate genuine, authentic worship, but through our physical bodies.”
Gerlach said a sermon at The Well spoke on the importance of Jesus being at the center of every part of our lives, inspiring her to do the same. After hearing that message, she said she knew she wanted God at the center of her own passion — dance.
She said it started as a random idea, but Gerlach felt reassured after talking to Drea Plascencia, co-founder of Jesus Moves. Plascencia supported the idea from the beginning and not only shared a passion for dance but also had a background in dance ministry.
“God just happened to put all these little pieces together, and so we decided to make it official,” Gerlach said.
Pepperdine recognized Jesus Moves as a ministry through the same process as every other organized group in the Inter-Club Council, Gerlach said. Gerlach credits Nicole Son, student ministry program manager, for helping every step of the way.
“I shepherd and oversee the student-led ministry program as a whole like in a pastoral capacity,” Son said. “I serve as a mentor for leaders, and I’m a pastoral presence at their events.”
Jesus Moves’ Growing Impact
Jesus Moves typically has about eight to 10 people in attendance, but they don’t have a set group of members at every event, Gerlach said. However, she said it has positively impacted their ministry because different people have experienced this new way of worship.
“I got really excited about it,” Son said. “From my understanding, Pepperdine has never had a dance ministry. And so I thought that it was just such a unique need.”
Senior Xaree Reyes said she wanted to explore her faith and believes inviting Jesus into every space is very important.
“I didn’t think that it could be considered worship,” Reyes said. “Or that you could even organize something like that.”
Reyes said she has always loved to dance and continues her passion in college as a member of Pepperdine University’s Step Team. She said Jesus Moves is the perfect ministry to participate in to incorporate her faith into an extracurricular.
Students Finding God and Community
However, regardless of whether someone has dance experience or not, Jesus Moves ministers to everyone, Gerlach said.
“You can literally just jump up and down,” she said.
They are still in the process of developing their structure for Jesus Moves, Gerlach said. The group hosts worship nights every other week, and once a month, they have choreography nights. She said every meeting looks very different, but Christianity remains at the core.
“They shared a little like devotional before we started the class,” Reyes said. “And a little bit about the history — how David in the Bible danced for Jesus. So we’re kind of bringing back some of the things that you see in the past that we don’t often do now.”
The Jesus Moves ministry not only connects with God through dance and devotionals, but they also engage in prayer during their worship, Son said. They study the Bible together, reflecting on Jesus’ teachings and enriching their worship experience.
“I really encourage people to come,” Gerlach said. “If they have ever felt any physicality in their worship, like, even just like raising your hands or moving your upper body, like, that’s something so natural, I think, for most people.”
It is special to have a tight-knit group of believers to do life together, Son said. All three women said they expressed their gratitude for Jesus Moves not just for its movement aspect, but for the way it brings Christians together and allows them to express their faith.
“Worship is worship, and everyone can always give that to God,” Reyes said.
Upcoming Events
Jesus Moves will hold its next worship night called “Dance in the Garden” on Tuesday, March 25 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at Alumni Park. The outdoor event will feature dance, food, fellowship and worship.
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Contact Triniti Gregg via email: triniti.gregg@pepperdine.edu
