Communicate God's Way
Rian Seipler
3 different types of workshops
Communicate God's Way
This workshop covers all 10 chapters of the book. This is a 3-5-hour fun and interactive workshop that will discuss many aspects of our communication skills. We speak 16,000 words a day. How do we desire to use these words?
Our world continues to change, and often not for the better. But as Christians, it is our responsibility to bring positive change to the people with whom we interact and to share Christ’s Gospel. Two millennia ago, apostles taught by Christ were accused of turning the world upside down. What can we do to be accused of turning the world upside down for Christ today? There will always be powerful forces in our world that will try to negate the positive effect that we, as Christians through the Holy Spirit, have on our family, friends, coworkers, and even the people we meet on the street. One reason we are losing ground in today’s world is because the world does not see us as being different or relevant. We must be different from the world! People must see something remarkably different in us. Furthermore, this must be something they want or, more importantly, something they believe they need; and being an excellent communicator will go a long way in showing this difference. We cannot underestimate the influence and impact we have on other people’s lives. Let me repeat that—we cannot underestimate the influence and impact we have on other people’s lives, and often, we do not realize that we do. We impact someone’s life (several, in fact) every day, and it is our choice whether to make this a positive or a not-so-positive impact. One of the most powerful ways that we can impact the people around us is with the words we use and how we communicate.
Witnessing in the Workplace
This 3-4-hour interactive educational workshop will discuss how you as an individual can use your gifts to witness to the people you work with. We will also discuss the best way to navigate through the workplace obstacles that will make you confident and excited to share Christ. These principles can be used with families, neighbors and anyone you interact with. And remember God says that nothing we do for Him is in vain.
Every time we witness, we are honoring the Lord! Even when we are totally rejected by the person to which we are witnessing. Results are up to God, not us. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:58)
Also, according to Paul in Corinthians our responsibility is to witness, and we will be rewarded. “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” (1st Cor. 3:6-9)
Excerpt from book – Communicate God’s Way
Prior to retirement, I was an executive in the retail business, and I often struggled with how to best share my faith at work. In my position, I reported to a vice president, I had to build quality relationships with her staff, I had ten to fifteen direct reports, and I had about five hundred to six hundred people in my organization. So, there were many dynamics that I had to navigate when I wanted to share Christ. As I continually tried to share my faith and witness to the people around me, I grew in my understanding of how best to witness in the way that worked. I passionately believe that we all have individual gifts and skills that enable us to witness in ways that are comfortable and effective for us. In 1 Corinthians 12:7, Paul explains that God, through the Holy Spirit, gives us different gifts to enhance the body of Christ, and one of the ways we will use our gifts is to witness. This will be different for each of us, so we do not have to follow a step-by-step pattern but follow Christ’s principles. Christ is concerned about us as individuals, so we will have our own unique way of sharing His Word. But we all must make the decision to share God’s Word intentionally!
Everyone yearns for spiritual fulfillment and finds it in many ways. Let us ensure each person hears that real spiritual fulfillment is found in Jesus Christ.
Prayer in today's World
This 3-4-hour interactive workshop will be incredibly important for every church to begin a path to become ‘A Praying Church’. We will discuss what the Bible says about prayer, the prayer-life of Jesus, the prayer life of other biblical people and we will pray together.
In his book, Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders says the following: “But, strange paradox, most of us are plagued with the subtle aversion to pray. We do not naturally delight in drawing near to God. We pay lip service to the delight and potency of the value of prayer. We assert that it is an indispensable adjunct of mature spiritual life. We know that it is constantly enjoined and exemplified in the Scriptures. But despite it all, too often we fail to pray.”
In Fred Hartley’s book, Everything by Prayer, the author states, “Prayer is something that does not come naturally to any of us. We do not know how to pray as we ought, so the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groans too deep for words” (referencing Rom. 8:26).
Many of us feel that since we are not anxious to pray nor have an overwhelming desire to do so, there is something lacking in our spiritual walk. This is just not true! For most, prayer does not come naturally. We must quit beating ourselves up over this and rather learn to understand how we should pray and its overwhelming benefits.
Another intriguing part of J. Oswald Sanders’s Spiritual Leadership book is this statement: “If prayer could have been dispensed within any life, surely it would have been in that of the sinless Son of Man. If prayer were unnecessary or unreasonable, we would naturally expect it to be omitted from his life and teaching. On the contrary, it was the dominant feature of his life and the current element of his teaching.” For me, this comment is so true. Why would Jesus—God incarnate—need to pray? I could ask so many questions about this, but here is what I do know: I know Jesus prayed, and He prayed often. I know He commands us and teaches us how to pray. And I know He says that prayer is the most effective method to accomplish anything in life. So, this workshop on prayer is not to teach anyone how to pray but to convince everyone that a quality prayer life is essential in all walks of life.