I received this email recently, which is quite typical of the questions I often get:
I’ve done a lot of speaking at women’s events in my church and other local events, and have always been very well received. I’m comfortable leading and teaching women, often using stories from my own life, what God’s teaching me through the messes I’ve made, and just the challenges of everyday life. My kids are grown and I want to use my time and talents to minister, as you say on your website, strategically.
What’s holding me back is that I’m wondering if the Lord should confirm this desire through an opportunity or invitation, as He has in the past, or if I should move forward and start making things happen, myself? A mentor of mine, who has published a couple of books and speaks/ministers widely himself, once said that he has always allowed the Lord to open doors to ministry.
Waiting on the Lord for direction is foundational, but I also believe I’ll be called to account for the talents I’ve been entrusted with, however great or small they may be…would you have any insights to share with me on this?
Here’s my quick answer:
That’s a tough one, and I know where you’re coming from. I guess the way that I’d think about it is this:
If God has seriously given you a message to share, then He wants you to share it. And you can’t share it unless people know about you. So you have to get the word out.
Should God be solely responsible for getting the word out? If we leave it entirely to Him, then it’s as if we’re saying, “I don’t really want to participate with You in this, Lord. You have to do all the work, or else I won’t step out in faith.”
So you’re basically doing a Gideon thing, asking God to prove Himself. But if God has really called you, then He wants you to go forward.
God has opened many doors for me, but they have usually come after I have also stepped forward in faith that this is what God is calling me to. When I received a book contract, for instance, it was only after approaching an agent, writing a book proposal, and praying a lot. I didn’t wait for a publisher to come to me.
I understand people who say that God should open all doors, and that is the way that it works for some. But in my experience, we also should play a role. God wants us to step forward in faith, and if He has a message for you to share, He wants you to share it.
What do you think? Let’s talk!
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | marketing speaking ministry
This is such a hard area to come to terms with. Thank you for your thoughts.
Dear Ms. Gregoire,
I agree with you, in order to get offers to speak, you must let people know that you are available to speak. I recently launched a Christian Motivational Ministry, my first couple of engagements came, because I made some calls to let people know that I was available, however I realize that God was still the source of the open doors. People may know what you are doing, but it is God that touches their heart to invite you to speak.
As an author I also give out free copies of my books with my business card stapled to the front page. I do sell my books, speaking CD’s, and CD’s of my musical projects, after my speaking engagements. As speakers for Christ, we must ask, seek, and knock.
Barbara Caldwell
I believe we each have to determine what God wants for us individually.
Some will be asked to actively pray and wait. Maybe they are the Type A, the go-getters. For them, they need to wait, instead of run after it right away. Others might be asked to step out in faith and say “I’m available to speak”. Maybe those are the Type B, those who tend to over-think or move ahead cautiously.
I don’t know the answer to this question. It’s haunting sometimes. But I do believe there is a season for BOTH waiting and going. Knowing makes all the difference.
It’s hard to listen to all the advice of mentors, friends, or our peers. I get paralyzed when I do that. I want to be wise so I do seek the counsel of those who have gone before me. I love to learn all I can before I make a move. But I don’t want to jump ahead of God if it’s time to grow my faith behind the scenes. Looking back I am glad I didn’t jump ahead years ago, I would’ve missed precious times with my kids.
For me- I need to stop looking and listening to others as the “final” word on this –and start looking and listening to God.
He knows best. I must follow Him regardless. His plan will prevail.
I pray we all follow the path HE has set for us, for this season. There are many voices needed. Including YOURS…
In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9
The toughest part of speaking for me by far has been self-promotion. I can research topics, prepare a great message, and am a natural storyteller and teacher on the stage. But to get invited somewhere, people need to hear about you, which means self promoting. Since I am NOT a salesperson, this is tough! But I do it, and slowly but surely, things are picking up. And to clarify, by self promotion, I mean telling people who have already heard me and liked me to pass my name and website on to others.
I see this as a Both-And situation. We both knock on doors AND we wait for God to open them. We knock by putting our name out there in front of potential clients who are looking for a speaker. But if you’ve ever tried to open a door yourself, you know how pointless that can be! The invitation is the response to our knock – the door opens. We can’t make doors open by ourselves – that’s an illusion, I think.
Yes, our steps are ordered … including the step to put our name in front of others via blogs, Facebook, a website, a book written, marketing, etc. As you go along, you’ll know where you should put your time and efforts into presenting what you have to offer. The key is in the listening, the sensitivity to follow the promptings, that make the doors seem to open “miraculously”.
I use several techniques that help me stay sensitive to that inner prompting and I teach my clients these techniques as well. They take practice, but once you are used to them they really come in handy when a new opportunity suddenly comes your way. You “know” how to respond appropriately because you’ve trained yourself to recognize a green light from a red light or a caution/slow down signal.
Thanks for the post! I am in a similar position now where I want to teach, but am in a good paying job now at a university. If I remain here, my son can attend and have free tuition. However, I can’t teach here at the university.
I feel God gave me the ability to teach art. I have been offered a chance to teach art at a small charter school. If I take the teaching job, I will also have more time to devote to writing. I am a published author. BUT we will have to help our son with college tuition.
Help! Lots to pray about. I am one who firmly believes in waiting on the Lord in prayer but also taking that step of faith in the right direction.
God is good!
Thank you for this post. I just started a Dementia Care Training Semniar business. My class is offered to healthcare professionals. While I was working at my job I liked very well. I was planning my escape from working for others to working for myself. The doors that God opened for me was numerous.
As the company was showing signs of deterioration due to the owner’s foolish actions. God was leading me out the door. Each month planning, networking, and so forth. Then in January when I thought I would announce I was leaving the company. My employer beat me to it. She got up in the meeting and announced she was steping down from her business. 2 days later she was gone. The company was left in my hands to close down. I did this by February 29th of this year. When I left I left with the “spoils of Egypt”.
I am amazed at how God orchestrated everything. I left with a few extra dollars in my pocket, new computers, office supplies, a copier, and new printer.
I believe God gave me all this so I can focus on starting and building my seminar business. My steps were prayer, wait and look for the answers, then take the actions that God was leading me to take.
We need to let people know we exist. I think the key to this is two-fold: taking steps to make sure you can easily be found (have a web site!) and taking steps to let people know you exist and that you’re available. It may look like self-promotion, but if we believe what we have to offer is valuable, we shouldn’t be shy about getting the word out. If we don’t believe we are worth listening to, why should we expect others to?
I was booked to speak at a women’s event in upstate New York because they didn’t know where to begin and did a Google search on Christian women speakers in New York, and my web site was the first to come up (I’m in Seattle now, btw). That was good incentive to make sure my web site is up-to-date and that I include key words for search engine optimization. I also occasionally send email out to women’s ministry leaders in my region, letting them know if I’m speaking somewhere or mentioning a new topic I’m developing. “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver…” Sometimes timing is everything! You never know when your email of introduction to a women’s ministry leader is the very answer to her prayer for a speaker for her next event!
So many great responses!!! Thank you to each and every one of you! I think this is possibly the biggest challenge I face; discerning when to wait and when to invest my time in “self-promoting.” I truly believe that if we love Jesus first and are in His word daily that everything else we do will turn out just fine. HE KNOWS OUR HEART! That is what matters. If your heart is for getting attention or feeling valuable because you have a public persona or any other merely self centered reason (which btw I think is very seldom the case) than you may make things happen but they will all be burnt up anyway and there will be no peace and joy to accompany you on the journey. On the other hand if your heart truly is to share a message of hope and freedom in Christ and He has gifted you in this area and provided skill sharpening tools (like Sheila’s) than God will be there to lead and guide, comfort and give you wisdom. “He gives grace to the humble.” One thing to keep in mind I have found is BALANCE. If you are a wife/mother or have other family care commitments just be sure to keep life in balance. The advice of the other ladies here really covers everything, I think. Pray, wait, go OR pray, wait, wait, go. Just love Jesus above all else and God’s grace will be sufficient for our weaknesses. It’s not the end of the world to miss the mark or mess up here and there, if your heart and priorities are in the right place it will all be fine. One last thought; remember what one of the other ladies said, if you have small children, time with them is very precious. Honour your family, you don’t want to have regrets or resentments from your kids because they felt neglected in the name of the LORD…Balance, balance, balance.
) God’s blessings, strength and open doors to all you ‘well sisters’ as you take the greatest message this world has ever known! -JOY2U Jamie