Apprenticeship Program
Restored to Glory has an Apprenticeship Program to train dancers to become dance teachers. We call them our Teaching Assistants.
I believe the Lord wants our teachers to come from our dancers. He has brought them here to be trained in worship, study, discipleship, and dance. We have a very specific program here- growing up in the ministry lays the perfect foundation that is in place before the girls are even called to be teachers. With 130-150 dancers each year, many dancers would dream of becoming an Assistant. Not everyone can teach and not everyone is called to teach. Our teaching staff is always praying, looking, and most of all listening for the Lord to impress on our hearts who the next Assistant will be.
At times it is very clear who He is calling to join us, other times it is a labor of love to be patient and wait. When the Lord begins to point out certain dancers to me and sometimes to my staff, we continue to pray and watch and listen. I take this decision very seriously as I believe the Lord has a purpose for each one of us when He created us. It's about His will. I want to find the girls that He created to teach, not just the ones that I think are good dancers. After all, what if He's not calling her, but I am? I don't want to distract a young girl from what it is that God may be calling her to do by filling her time with training here if that is not in His plan for her or for us.
Once I feel confident I contact the parents and ask them to pray. If the parents are in agreement that this could be in God's will for their daughter, then she will also be invited to pray with us. Many times I find out that the dancer asked has been praying for years to become an Assistant, so when she is invited she already knows that her prayer has been heard. It is a time consuming commitment, and not always as much fun as it looks, but those that are truly called to teach stay to devote their time and effort into their student's lives. We are thankful for the teachers and their commitment to be good examples to our young dancers.
Once the dancer accepts this position I talk to her class and share the good news with them. This announcement may be hard for her peers, for they too may have been praying for this very thing in their lives. I talk to the girls, sharing that I believe the Lord has a purpose for each one of us. I challenge them to seek the Lord and listen to see what it is that He has in mind for them, as I believe life is at its best when we are in the center of God's will.. My question to the dancers is, "What did the Lord create you to do?" If God created us with a gift to do a particular thing, then our job as young people is to pray and to ask Him what it is and then obey whatever that may be. I also remind them how they would want to be received by their peers if this was their good news. We talk openly together each time I share this news, hoping that it will help protect hearts and relationships within the class. I am very proud of our dancers and how much they love the Lord, waiting and praying for His will for their lives.
~Peggy Alberda
Director/Founder
Restored to Glory Ltd 2015
Leo, Indiana
RTG is a limited liability corporation
Leo, Indiana
RTG is a limited liability corporation