Do you have a message to share?
Where do you begin?
What steps should you take?
According to the Book of Lists, public speaking is the #1 fear for many people, surpassing the fear of death. Fortunately, there are tools that can help to alleviate the fear.
Carol Kent and her highly qualified staff from across the country make the process of learning fun and encouraging. You will be given instruction, and then have the opportunity to try out what you have learned in a small group setting with people who have similar backgrounds in speaking. A trained facilitator will make the experience safe and enjoyable.
Participants in the Speakers’ Track with the Classic Package will have the opportunity for two face-to-face appointments with speaking coaches, branding experts, platform builders, social media experts, life coaches, and more. Those with the Premier Package will have four 15-minute appointments. This time can be used to evaluate where you are, and where you would like to be in your ministry’s journey. Learn More about our 15-minute appointments.
Below you will find 12 breakout sessions that are designed for those in the Speakers' Track, and below those you will find 18 more options that cross over with interest to both writers and speakers. For those who alumni, new sessions are added every year to take you to the next level in your ministry.
If you are in the Standard Package you will have access to ALL the breakout sessions in the Speaking Track, and they will be available to you for a full week after the conference.
If you are in the Classic Package, you will have access to everything on this page for one month after the conference.
If you are in the Premier Package, you will have access to everything on this page, and everything on the Writers' Track page for one full year.
Speaking Track Sessions
Developing a Topical Presentation”
The fear of public speaking is the #1 fear of people in the U.S. today. But people who learn to communicate their message have the opportunity to give hope, courage, truth, and inspiration to others. This session will give you a start-to-finish overview of how to prepare a talk on any topic. You will learn how to analyze your audience, select a topic, write out a specific, measurable aim, and conclude with appropriate applications.
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Not sure how much to charge for a keynote message or weekend retreat? Worried about discussing your honorarium with an event planner? If you’ve ever wondered how best to communicate with others about your fees, contract, and expenses—this workshop is for you.
Join Cindy Bultema as you learn:
- 3 important factors to consider as you set and/or increase your speaking fees
- Effective tips for presenting and negotiating your fees and expenses with confidence
- Key components of a speaking contract and why you need one
- Creative solutions when a group wants you to speak but the funding is not sufficient
- The #1 tip to remember when discussing speaker fees
In addition, each workshop participant will leave with a contract, speaker fee overview, and sample script to help negotiate your next event’s honorarium with clarity and confidence.
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Speakers and teachers are evaluated as being either boring or interesting within the first 30 seconds of speech. Carol Kent has trained thousands of Christian leaders across the U.S. and Canada to communicate their messages effectively. This session will help you to communicate so people will listen. You will learn how to gain the attention of your audience, develop effective illustrations, and master powerful delivery skills.
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Communicating with event planners can be time consuming and overwhelming. You need a plan! In this session, Shannon offers you clear guidelines for serving your event planners well, while saving yourself time, and growing your speaking ministry. You’ll receive:
The 7 basic touchpoints between Speaker and Event planners
Guidance on setting up email templates, plus samples
Event and retreat planning templates
Speaker Agreement templates
A spreadsheet for tracking your speaking events timeline
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The Word of God is life changing and powerful! This session will give you all the tools necessary for taking a Bible passage and producing a dynamic talk for Bible studies or adult Christian education classes. The information in this session will be helpful for studying the Bible, as well as for teaching. Handouts will outline a step-by-step approach to Bible study that could change your life and ministry.
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If you want your audiences sitting on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what you will say next, then you need this workshop. Karen Porter will teach you how to take storytelling to a new level as well as how to open and close your presentation. She will give you practical tips you can use right now to sharpen and enhance your stage presence and media/technology.
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Eeeeek! Outlining? Many people get a headache just thinking about it, but this session will make outlining FUN! Learn to put your messages together so they are creative and memorable. Learn the secrets of outlining, and take home the tools to make it happen without breaking a sweat.
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Using Karen Porter’s tool for building your outline will help you build a presentation that you can remember without notes. The workshop will include hands-on practice for participants to show how this simple system will allow you to speak with depth and power without a paper in sight.
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You Have a Story to Tell"
Have you ever wondered what to include in the story of your life? Every Christian has a personal testimony and God can use your journey to offer hope to someone else. Come to this session to learn how to concisely share your testimony in a way that will positively impact listeners. Whether you’re sharing your story from a public platform or in an informal setting, you can communicate your faith-journey with confidence, authenticity, and conviction. This session will help you decide what to delete and what to include as you point people to everlasting hope.
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Fear of public speaking is the greatest fear among 75% of Americans. It ranks higher than the fear of dying for most. As Bertrand Russell says, “To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.” This class will give you the wisdom you need to overcome anxious feelings to speak freely.
We will discuss topics such as finding your “Why”, identifying anxiety triggers, how to connect to your audience through your story, how to get started in small ways, and much more!
There is power through your spoken words. When you are willing to share your story of how you have overcome battles, God will send the exact people who need to hear. By being obedient to His calling on your life, He will use you to reach others no one else can reach.
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Are you interested in taking your speaking to the next level? Do you want to go from Inspirational to Transformational? This session will give you the tools to make that happen. Discover the secret to having your audience actually remember and apply your message to their own lives. Learn to work within an aim frame and you will never be long-winded again. This technique will give your audience take home value.
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Whether you are a “veteran” speaker or just getting your speaking ministry started, we’ve all had moments that we’ve thought, “I sure wish I would have known that ahead of time!” In this practical and inspiring workshop, you’ll learn simple speaker “hacks” to enhance the effectiveness of your speaking ministry and make life easier, including:
- Communicating effectively with the planning committee or organizer
- Understanding the felt needs of your audience
- Creating memorable and engaging messages
- Identifying potential pitfalls and navigating around them successfully
- Leaving a lasting impression that encourages people to recommend you to other events.
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Speaking & Writing Breakout Sessions
Marketing is KEY to building ANY business, and a speaking and writing ministry is no different. S.H. Britt said, “Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. YOU know what you are doing, but nobody else does.” Indeed, we must let others know what we have to offer. But how can we do this effectively without looking like we are “marketing ourselves?” One of the best ways to organically advertise your ministry is to establish both a speaking and writing platform. This allows your voice to be heard, your face to be recognized, your message to be magnified, and creates a “breadcrumb trail” to your door. This workshop will help you (1) Craft a strong speaking bio that will leave a lasting impression, (2) Identify the most common psychological road blocks hindering the marketing success of any minister, counselor, coach, writer, or speaker, as well as strategies for overcoming these road blocks, and (3) Explore unique marketing strategies familiar only to the most experienced professionals.
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Focusing on Instagram and Facebook primarily, Jill will teach you how to grow your platform using social media. In this workshop, Jill will:
- Discuss why social media is important to engage.
- Explain how to use it to its fullest ability without it taking over your life.
- How to set up a compelling profile on each platform.
- How to use the smartphone apps to the fullest.
Note: This is a very practical workshop, please bring your smartphone with you and have WordSwag, Instagram, and Facebook apps already loaded on it. You are welcome to bring a laptop with you as well.
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You’ve heard it said that you need a platform, but what does that really mean? How do you maintain and grow an effective email management system that engages your subscribers?
In this session, you will:
- Understand why email marketing is NOT DEAD
- Know how to choose the best email management tool for your website both for now and the future
- Recognize how to gain subscribers who ACTUALLY read your emails
- Learn how to write emails that prompt your readers to action
- Comprehend the purpose behind the practice of emailing your readers
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Keep your audience on the edge of their seat, or your reader unable to put down the book.
Wish you could tell a story and have the audience or reader so involved they are captivated? In this workshop you’ll learn how to:
- Find great stories to tell
- Develop a cast of characters
- Use body language and vocal techniques to captivate your audience, and
- Access on-line resources for storytellers
Jesus, the Master Storyteller was concise, relevant, and kept crowds and now readers captivated. Come and learn how, with God’s help, we can do the same.
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A book that synthesizes the central message and story of your speaking ministry is a wonderful tool to have on hand when you’re at events and to expand your reach online. But speaking is one thing, and writing a book is another. In this session, book editors Janyre Tromp and Joel Armstrong guide you through the process of distilling the core message of your ministry, creating an effective narrative and chapter structure for your book, and lacing your writing with illustrations, applications, and thoughtful questions from your speaking engagements.
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Much of our fear and insecurity is based on comparison. We're not sure that what we have to say is important because so many others are saying similar things, seem to say it better, and/or have larger platforms. This talk helps writers and speakers focus on obedience, growing and developing their skills, and trusting God for the fruit.
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Communication that produces change happens when we apply the truth of God's word to people's lives. Today in ministry, we must be prepared to share the truth of Scripture to a culture that has gone digital. This interactive workshop will demonstrate the use of Logos Bible Software for effective speaking preparation, writing research, and personal Bible study. What normally takes five to 10 hours of flipping through paper books for speaking prep and Bible study can be done in seconds - and the depth of study is unparalleled! Logos 8 gives you access to your entire biblical library wherever you are because it is compatible with Mac®, PC, iPad®, iPhone® and Android™ - this ease of use and power of Logos will be clearly taught and demonstrated.
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With ministries like MOPS, Proverbs 31, and Catalyst jumping on the podcast bandwagon, it is clear that podcasting is a communication method that is here to stay. Podcasts are an incredible way to deliver content to your audience and connect with them in a very personal way at a time that is most convenient for them, but the setup processing and beginning stages can be daunting.
This practical workshop will give you all the tool you need to choose the right equipment on a shoestring budget, determine your hosting platform, get listed on ITunes, all the way to creating content that moves people and batching work. Allow Lee Nienhuis, host of the wildly popular, Moms in Prayer Podcast help you decide if a podcast is the right step for connecting with your audience!
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Are you a Bible study teacher/leader who gets discouraged from spending continual time in Bible study, yet not observing your desired spiritual growth among participants? Are you wanting to write/teach more of your own curriculum, but you’re unsure how to start? Do you wonder how to reach across generations to encourage different ages to commit to study time? Then it’s time to rock the boat and step into the waves! We’ll look at how Jesus modeled teaching truth; ways to make growth and change an anticipated part of study times; uncover simple formats and practical tips to construct application driven lessons, and why now, more than ever, effective teaching of the full counsel of God’s Word is imperative.
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Don't go it alone on your writing and speaking journey! Gather a ministry team to help minimize isolation and maximize your impact. Speakers, authors, and podcast hosts, Lee Nienhuis and Katie M. Reid, will share time-tested tips and different approaches to gathering the people you need to help you succeed. From formulating a prayer team, to hiring an assistant that fits your needs and personality, to swapping services with colleagues, you will walk away equipped to take the next step in building a strong ministry.
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Join Chandee and learn the basics of audio/visual production and editing. Authors and speakers will learn how to DIY their own production. Production is vital in platform building, content marketing, book sales, and in a speaking ministry. Learn how to produce basic audio and visual content to grow your reach and establish your brand.
*Is production for me?
*Why learning production can be a game-changer for your ministry
*How to add production to your ministry
*Where to start at an affordable rate
*When to share it with others
*What you will need to get started
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Raise your hand if you have a fear of rejection in ministry? Before we realize it we can quickly slide into living a life where we are constantly trying to protect our hearts and lives from rejection. As an author and speaker are you afraid of the no’s? The fear of no’s can keep us from moving forward with our yes to God. What if a publisher says no? What if that speaking engagement doesn’t accept my proposal? What if I get a bad review? Is this fear of rejection paralyzing you? In this workshop participants will
- Look at Biblical characters who had a fear of rejection and how God helped them move forward in faith in their calling by God-- instead of being stuck between fear of success and fear of failure
- Provide action steps to help participant examine how they may be stuck in areas of ministry due to fear of rejection as they move forward in their calling
- What do you do when you get the no’s? Participants will be encouraged to find courage when they experience no’s, seeing how God is still moving in their story.
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Our stories are one of the most powerful tools we can use to impact the world and share our faith. In this session we’ll discuss considerations for developing your hard story into a memoir as well as the many way your story can be leveraged into other types of media. We’ll pose questions and consider discernment for which parts to tell, timing of sharing, and developing a theme or focus for our story. Additionally, we’ll cover a variety of ways to use our story to inspire and encourage through avenues such as articles, blogs, memes, and truth-inspired fiction.
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Speaking and writing professionals have specific demands which require emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual care to prevent stress and burnout. In this seminar (or intensive workshop), licensed counselor and life coach Brenda L. Yoder equips participants with practical, personal tools for soul care and life balance for the longevity of your ministry or writing and speaking career.
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So, you have a dream. It is precious, perhaps secret, and you wonder… could it really happen? Is it good? Is it foolish? The truth is God loves you, and your dream could never ever be stupid. But just as true is that God will take your dream and refine it, because it probably isn’t in its final stages yet. He will give you vision. He will give you provision. He will connect you with others to help, because your dream is bigger than you. If it’s a God-sized dream it affects the community, and it will involve other people! He will open doors of opportunity. He will empower you to do your part. He will train you. He will provide encouragement. He will walk with you through every step as you co-labor with Him! Come, let’s dream together!
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Though competition is a natural response in this industry, it can be deadly to your own mission and message. In this workshop we are going to get real and dig deep to establish our confident identity, our own unique story and our strategy for living, speaking, and writing authentically to a hungry world.
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The Essentials of Bible Study to Speak and Write the Truth
Hermeneutics isn’t typically a word that comes to mind when we think of Christian writers and speakers, but it certainly should be. Many times, we have neglected the call to the ardent study of The Word before we venture in to sharing a message with God’s people. There is an immense responsibility, as Christian communicators, to share the whole counsel of God- not only the small portions that we have sliced away from their original meaning and context. Even as well-meaning writers and speakers, we can miss God- and subsequently miss sharing Him with our audience. This break out session will cover basic biblical interpretation methods, resources, and instruction on infusing these skills into writing and speaking.
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What is your greatest need? What obstacles or opportunities are overwhelming you? For reasons or seasons, speakers and writers may need to enlist others to “lift them” in practical, tangible ways, so they can stay focused and energized. Whether it’s meals for your family while you’re away speaking, advice about a blog post or book proposal, administrative or organizational support, or more strategic help when an unexpected crisis occurs, God has unlimited resources and people to support you, if you are willing to receive. Come share your greatest need and leave with a creative next step to enlist your support team of Leaderlifters to help you.
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