Speaking Engagements

Report Back: Women Thriving God’s Way Retreat

September 14, 2022September 13, 2022 Michelle Lesley

What a joy it was, last weekend, to share with my sisters from Highland Bible Church of Woodland Park, Colorado at their fall retreat: Women Thriving God’s Way! Conferences are great for reaching out to women in your community and surrounding areas, but sometimes you need an event where it’s just family. Retreats provide an intimate atmosphere for the women of a local church to bond together as sisters in Christ. It was an honor to speak into HBC women’s family time.

I grew up in southern New Mexico, but I had never crossed our northern border into Colorado before, so it was exciting to touch down at the Colorado Springs airport.

First on the agenda was dinner with Pastor Jeff and his wife, Sharon (who kindly picked me up at the airport), and Adriana (who organized the retreat) and her husband Asa. In the body of Christ, you never meet a stranger, only extended family, and we had a wonderful time of fellowship together.

After dinner, Adriana and Asa checked me into the delightfully rustic Golden Bell Camp and Conference Center:

“Welcome to Golden Bell, a mountaintop experience.”
The lodge
The ladies’ cabin
What a nifty place to live where you can landscape with Christmas trees!

On Friday morning, Adriana and her daughter Jenny Lynn were so kind to take me around and show me some of the sights. The Colorado Springs area is home to a number of notable sites, including the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, the United States Air Force Academy, Pike’s Peak, Focus on the Family, The Navigators, and their striking conference center, Glen Eyrie Castle.

Since our time was limited, we focused on two other sites I was particularly interested in, The Garden of the Gods, and Charis Bible College.

The Garden of the Gods is a beautiful area just outside of town, with huge sandstone rock formations set against Pike’s Peak as a majestic backdrop. It’s easy to ignore the evolutionary fairy tales about how the rocks and mountains were formed, because it’s more than obvious that God’s awesome creative hand was at work here!

Balanced Rock
Balanced Rock
Balanced Rock
Pike’s Peak (the light grey peak , center)
Those dastardly Christians!
Pike’s Peak (the light grey peak, center)

After a great lunch at a local deli, we did a quick drive through tour of Charis Bible College. I know, kind of a weird choice for sightseeing if you know anything about the school. Or me.

Charis “Bible” College was founded by Andrew Wommack, a key figure in the New Apostolic Reformation / Word of Faith movement. If you’re at all familiar with Bethel’s School of Supernatural Ministry, Charis is kind of like that but with more of a “real” college atmosphere and approach. Still, students are required to take courses with titles like “Healing,” “Holy Spirit I & II,” “Establishing a Prosperous Soul,” and “Operating in God’s Best”. And yet the code of student conduct has the audacity to admonish:

“Spreading false doctrine is not allowed…it is not appropriate to…teach against the doctrines in Charis’ statement of faith.”

The campus is gorgeous and the surroundings enchanting.

I was intrigued by this unique speed limit sign (below). No explanation was posted, and I searched Charis’ website and the internet extensively to no avail. At first I thought it was a reference for a Bible verse, but I looked at every chapter 22 in the Bible, and the only 22:53 references I found were:

1 Kings 22:53: He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger in every way that his father had done.

Luke 22:53: When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

Pretty appropriate if you ask me, but I doubt Andrew Wommack would have chosen either of those verses.

The only other thing I found is that 22.53 km/hr is roughly equivalent to 14 mph, so…maybe that’s it? I don’t know. If you know, comment below. Curiosity is about to kill me! :0)

This odd speed limit on Charis’ campus remains a mystery to me.

Not long ago, my friend Justin Peters was preaching at HBC, and he and Pastor Jeff took the time to visit a class. Needless to say, their questions weren’t welcome, and they were Kicked Out of Charis. I didn’t have time to do anything that would get me kicked out. :0) (You can see more of the opulent insides of the buildings in this video, too.)

We arrived back at Golden Bell in plenty of time to rest up for a fun and delicious dinner and “getting to know each other better” time of fellowship, followed by our first teaching session on biblical womanhood: Rock Your Role at Home and at Church.

Participant gift bags. Thanks, ladies! I really needed a new journal!

Saturday after breakfast, we got right down to business with our second session: Holy Mothers (and Others) of God’s Word, one of my favorites. We strolled through the Bible and took a brief look at the lives of several of our Old and New Testament sisters, and their examples of holiness to us.

Between teaching sessions and other activities, the ladies had the opportunity to craft these cute Christmas ornaments. They kindly gave me a couple to take home. What a treat!

Session 3, Practical Holiness, a look at practical ways to pursue holiness in our daily lives, came right after lunch. And after a fun afternoon of rest and recreation, capped off by a mouth-watering supper, we ended the day with teaching session 4, God’s Word: Our Foundation, addressing the necessity, authority, and sufficiency of Scripture.

I had to get up at 4 a.m. to catch my flight home the next morning, but it was worth it to be able to be with my own church family Sunday night. Flying on 9/11 was an interesting experience. The Colorado Springs airport asked us to observe a moment of silence in remembrance, and everyone respectfully complied.

Many thanks to Pastor Jeff, Sharon, Adriana, Jenny Lynn, Russ, Ely, and all of the HBC ladies who worked so hard to host a great retreat, took care of all my needs, and made me feel so welcome. If you’re ever in the Woodland Park area, be sure to stop in to Highland Bible Church for a visit!

If your church or organization is ever in need of a speaker for a women’s event, I’d love to come share with your ladies as well. Click here for more information.

Photo Credits

All photos marked with a white star were taken by retreat attendees.

All other photos by Michelle Lesley

Speaking Engagements

Upcoming Events: Schedule One or Attend One!

July 20, 2022July 19, 2022 Michelle Lesley

Looking for a super, doctrinally sound women’s event to attend? Here are some I’ve got coming up in 2023. Can’t find one close by? Schedule your own 2023 event!

Can’t wait that long? I’ve still got space on my 2022 calendar for a few events!

Schedule an Event

Want to plan an event for the ladies of your church or Christian organization that will encourage, edify, and equip? It’s easier than you think, and I’d love to come speak to them! Read through all the info on my Speaking Engagements page, then, let’s find a date and make it happen!

2022

If you’re good at putting events together quickly, the following dates are still available for 2022, but you must contact us right away to book:

August: Any weekend
September: 23-24
(Sept. 30 – Oct.1)
October: 7-8
November: 4-5, 11-12 (last date for 2022)

2023

Need a little longer to get your ducks in a row? Try one of these 2023 dates on for size (February is booked):

January: 13-14, 20-21
March: 10-11, 17-18
April: 14-15
Any weekend from May 12-13 through November 10-11
(except June 9-10, 16-17)

Planning an event is not as difficult as it sounds – especially if you keep things simple – and my events coordinator (and husband!) Scott, and I make things as easy as we possibly can on our end. Plus, I’ve got some great resources that can help! These, plus much more helpful information, are all at the Speaking Engagements tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page whenever you need them:

Conference schedule, teaching topics – where do we start? Right here, with my Speaking Engagement Packages worksheet. Choose from a variety of topics. Pick your format, add in registration time, worship, breaks, lunch, or whatever you like, and – voilà! – your event is practically planned.

Stuck for theme or decoration ideas? There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Take a look at a few of my previous conferences and get some inspiration from your sister event planners.

Is your church new to hosting conferences, retreats, etc., and you need a little help with the details? Check out these articles:

Women’s Events on a Shoestring Budget and Other Practical Tips

Event Planner FAQs

2023 Events

The dates and locations of these events are set, but some details, such as exact times, have not yet been finalized. Teaching topics are also subject to change.

Nebraska

Nebraska, I’m headed your way February 3-4 for a women’s conference at Providence Bible Church in Gretna, Nebraska! We’ll get things kicked off with teaching sessions on Hooked on a Feeling: Living by God’s Word Instead of Our Feelings, Biblical Womanhood, Teach What is Good (Titus 2:3-5), and we’ll round out the conference with a fun Q&A session. This conference is open to women in the surrounding areas, but you must contact the church directly to register.

Oregon

On February 24 & 25, I’ll be speaking at Grace Bible Fellowship’s women’s conference in Tangent, Oregon. Friday at 6:00 p.m., we’ll start the ball rolling with Hooked on a Feeling: Living by God’s Word Instead of Our Feelings. Doors open at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday with How to study the Bible in Session 1, followed by brunch, and Discernment in Session 2.

This conference is open to women in the surrounding areas. Registration for those not members of GBF will open November 1, 2022 and close January 20, 2023, or when seating is at capacity. Cost: $15 – includes snacks on Friday and brunch on Saturday. You must contact the church directly to register.

Ohio

No foolin’! On April 1 I’ll be speaking at a one day women’s conference at The Ripley Church in Greenwich, Ohio. Join me for a buffet of topics that are sure to equip and encourage you in your walk with the Lord. We’ll tackle Discernment, Hooked on a Feeling: Living by God’s Word Instead of Our Feelings, and Managing Media, and we’ll close things out with a time of Q&A. Lunch will be served between sessions 2 and 3. This conference is open to women in the surrounding areas, but seating is limited, so you must contact the church directly to register.

Tennessee

I’ll (Tennes)see you April 28-29 for Mill Springs Baptist Church’s women’s conference in Jefferson City, Tennessee! It’ll be a jam-packed weekend with sessions on Biblical Womanhood, The Authority, Sufficiency, and Necessity of The Word, Discernment, Hooked on a Feeling: Living by God’s Word Instead of Our Emotions, and a super Q&A to wrap things up. This conference is open to women in the surrounding areas, but you must contact the church directly to register.

To keep an eye out for an event near you,
or to schedule me for your own event, check out my
calendar of events and booking information on my
Speaking Engagements page.

Hope to see you soon!

Speaking Engagements

Report Back: Denton, Texas, Conference

May 10, 2022May 9, 2022 Michelle Lesley

I had a such a wonderful time recently sharing with the ladies of The Church at Pecan Creek of Denton, Texas, at their spring women’s conference! Ladies from as far away as Louisiana and Oklahoma, as well as various areas of Texas, came out to fellowship with us.

The FAA’s mask mandate was dropped about ten days or so before my trip to Denton. I fly a lot, and – no joke – I haven’t been this excited to fly since I was a little kid.

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A post shared by Michelle Lesley (@mdlesley)

Felicia (wife of TCPC’s pastor, Trey Talley) was my charming hostess for the weekend and greeted me with this awesome gift bag when she picked me up at the airport Friday afternoon. Boy, were my husband and sons jealous! They love them some Bucc-ee’s, and we don’t have one in Louisiana. (Don’t worry, I shared a little bit when I got home.)

Dinner at The GreenHouse that night was tasty, and I spent a lovely evening chatting about all things women’s discipleship with Felicia and the other two elders’ wives, Melodie and Carrie.

My dear friends, Beki (Mrs. Gabriel Hughes) and Jennifer (Mrs. Tom Buck), came all the way from First Baptist Church, Lindale, Texas, for the conference. Providentially, we discovered we were staying in the same hotel, so we got to catch up for a little while after dinner. (I was just the tiniest bit excited to see them. :0)

Beki, Michelle, Jennifer
Photo courtesy of Beki Hughes

Beki brought along Sonya, another sweet friend of ours, and they blessed me with these great gifts. Beki didn’t know it when she bought the mug, but “You Are My Sunshine” is Louisiana’s state song. They told me that the Lindale Candy Co. is just down the street from FBC Lindale, so both places are now, of course, on my bucket list of places to visit.

Saturday morning, it was conference time!

All of the ladies were greeted by these two handsome gents. Holding the door open for ladies will take you far in life, young men! :0)

Welcome and check in. It was such a great idea to invite conference guests to visit TCPC for worship the next day!

It was super helpful to have the schedule up on the screens throughout the church.

In our first session on Suffering, we explored Jesus as our hero in suffering, the hope in our suffering, and ways to biblically handle our suffering.

Session two was all about Managing Media – being wise and discerning with news, social media, movies and TV, and other media we consume.

Session three was Hooked on a Feeling: Living by God’s Word Instead of Our Emotions. We studied Jesus’ example of living by every word from the mouth of God and some practical ways to be led by God’s objective Word rather than our subjective feelings.

We finished up the day with a fun Q&A session. These ladies asked some sharp questions!

Keep an eye on TCPC’s website for soon to be posted conference video. In the mean time, my good friend Robin Self over at A Worthy Walk was also able to attend, and she has kindly shared her thoughts and notes on the conference with us in her article, A Day With Michelle Lesley.

For lunch, Felicia whisked me away to Rosa’s Cafe, and I am crushed that we don’t have one here at home. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was fun!

During and after the conference there was a little time for a few more pictures…

You’re never too young to learn sound doctrine!
Photo courtesy of Morgan Lynn

FBC Lindale brought a group of 41 women to the conference!
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Buck

Beki, Jennifer, Michelle, Robin Self
I love these ladies!
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Buck

And all too soon, it was time to head home.

Many thanks to Felicia, Melodie, Carrie, the pastors, elders, and all of the other ladies and gentlemen of The Church at Pecan Creek who worked so hard to host a great conference, took care of all my needs, and made me feel so welcome. If you’re ever in the Denton area, be sure to stop in to TCPC for a visit!

If your church or organization is ever in need of a speaker for a women’s event, I’d love to come share with your ladies as well. Click here for more information.

Photo Credits

As marked.

All other photos by Michelle Lesley

Speaking Engagements

Report Back: Faithful Conference

April 8, 2022 Michelle Lesley

I had a wonderful time last week sharing and fellowshipping with the ladies of Providence Bible Church (and the surrounding area) in lovely Culpeper, Virginia, at the Faithful conference!

I arrived in Culpeper on Thursday evening, so there was plenty of time to rest up and prepare before the conference.

My hosts for the weekend were the perky Miss Katie and her aptly named husband, Happy. They live in a beautiful home on the lake, and I loved hearing their testimony of coming to Christ, and to each other!

Some sweet hostess gifts were waiting in my room

Friday, Katie was kind enough to treat me to a delicious Italian lunch followed by a little sightseeing.

Culpeper is home to the Packard Campus of the Library of Congress’ National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, “where the Library of Congress acquires, preserves and provides access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts, and sound recordings.”. On my trip to Faber, Virginia, last year, I learned that the local flavor is often captured in a LOVE (“Virginia is for lovers”) sculpture. Culpeper’s is made of film reels, paying tribute to the Conservation Center.

We also stopped by Culpeper National Cemetery. Originally established in 1867 as a burial ground for Union soldiers who were killed in the area during the Civil War, the cemetery is now the final resting place for over 7500 of our nation’s heroes.

Friday night, it was time to get down to the business of teaching and studying God’s Word. (Conference audio/video will be available on PBC’s website as soon as they’re able to get it processed and posted.)

After check in and worship…

Check out what was in the ladies’ “swag bags”! I really liked the little packet of memory verses (about faithfulness, of course!) with the wooden card holder. What a great idea!

These ladies did a wonderful job leading us in song and prayer

…we kicked things off with Faithful to the Word, a teaching session on the basics of how to study the Bible.

Next up was a hearty baked potato bar for dinner in the gym. Didn’t the planning committee do a fabulous job of decorating?

Don’t you love how all the flowers match the flower art on the Faithful materials (programs, PR materials, etc.)? I love continuity of theme, and these ladies did it spectacularly!

Isn’t this rough-hewn bench gorgeous? You can see it sitting under the arbor in the picture taking area in the photo above. Heather Edgecombe, wife of PBC’s pastor, Jarred, is the one who initially reached out to me last year to speak at the Faithful conference. A few months into planning, her cancer recurred, and, sadly, she was unable to attend the conference due to undergoing treatment for it. A husband and wife team created this masterpiece to raise money for Heather’s treatment. Y’all take a moment to pray for Heather, please.

Our last session for the evening was Faithful to Our Roles, discussing the beauty of the biblical role of women in the home and in the church. The ladies then broke into discussion groups to talk over the material.

Saturday morning started bright and early with Faithful Discernment. What is discernment, and how can you tell if what you’re being taught matches up with Scripture? Faithful in Suffering was our final teaching session. As Christians, there’s a hero for our suffering, there’s hope in our suffering, and, in Christ, there’s a way to handle our suffering.

After teaching, the ladies rejoined their discussion groups to share what they had learned.

Our last gathering was a fun time of Q&A.

Ladies from all over Virginia and from as far away as Tennessee, Kentucky, New Jersey, Maryland, and North Carolina came out for Faithful! It was a great turn out!

Lunch and fellowship was a great way to end the day!

Just a bit more sightseeing before heading home – we passed by the Pentagon on the way to the airport. I was told this was the side of the building that the plane crashed into on 9/11. Sobering.

Many thanks to Heather, Julie, Lesley, Katie and Happy, Danielle and Rob, and all of the other ladies and gentlemen of Providence Bible Church who worked so hard to make Faithful a great conference, took care of all my needs, and made me feel so welcome. If you’re ever in the Culpeper area, be sure to stop in to PBC for a visit!

If your church or organization is ever in need of a speaker for a women’s event, I’d love to come share with your ladies as well. Click here for more information.

Photo Credits

Photo of Michelle in front of “LOVE” sculpture by Katie Hash.

Photos marked “1”- Photographer unknown (if it was you , let me know so I can credit you! :0)

Photo marked “2” by Melissa Morris

Photos marked “3” by Julie Smith

Photo marked “4” by Lesley Lezcano

All other photos by Michelle Lesley.

Speaking Engagements

Report Back: Women’s Advance Conference

February 4, 2022February 2, 2022 Michelle Lesley

What a joy it was to fellowship and share with the ladies of Agape Bible Church and several sister churches, last week in charming Willits, California, at the Women’s Advance Conference!

I arrived in Willits late Thursday night and checked in to the lovely Baechtel Creek Inn. Now, I wouldn’t normally take the time to recommend a hotel to you, but I travel a lot and I stay in a lot of hotels, and two things most of them don’t have is good water pressure in the shower and decent lighting in the bathroom for applying makeup. Baechtel Creek Inn has both in spades. So if you’re ever in the area and need a place to stay, I highly recommend it.

Friday’s festivities started off with lunch with the conference organizers at a cute little sandwich boutique called The Loose Caboose Cafe.

In addition to great food, The Loose Caboose has an homage wall to Seabiscuit, the famous racehorse. Seabiscuit retired to Willits, and is buried at Willits’ own Ridgewood Ranch. (The Baechtel Creek Inn has a Seabiscuit themed room, too, if you’re a fan and want to visit.)

Friday night, it was time to get down to the business of teaching and studying God’s Word.

I love the big posters a lot of the conferences are using lately for signage and to decorate. Here’s some of the print work that greeted conference attendees.

The theme of Women’s Advance 2022 was Finding Hope, Peace, and Victory in Times of Suffering. In our first session Friday night, we studied Isaiah 53, exploring how and why Christ suffered. I don’t know whether or not the audio from the conference sessions will be made public, but if not, you might enjoy reading my article, Christ- the Suffering Servant, on which session 1 was based.

Each session started with worship music led by
these sweet ladies: Kelly, Cindy, and Julie.

Saturday morning the ladies were treated to a continental breakfast, followed by our first teaching session on having a biblical view of suffering, which was drawn from my articles True or False: Is Your Theology of Suffering Biblical? and God’s Good Purposes in Suffering. Our final teaching session was all about how to respond biblically to suffering. You can find some of the thoughts I shared with the ladies in my articles Six Reasons to Rejoice that Christ is Enough in Our Suffering and Band-Aids vs. Chemotherapy: Why Suffering Women are Drawn to False Doctrine and 7 Things We Can do to Help.

Next up was a delicious lunch of hearty soups, salad, and dessert, followed by our last conference session – a super Q&A where some very astute ladies asked some very good questions!

ABC’s Pastor Paul Henebury was so kind to make sure that before I left, I was given an autographed copy of his latest book, The Words of the Covenant. It looks like a great read! Thank you, Pastor Paul!

Many thanks to Julie, Cindy, Chris, and all of the other ladies and gentlemen of Agape Bible Church who worked so hard to make Women’s Advance 2022 a great conference, took care of all my needs, and made me feel so welcome. If you’re ever in the Willits area, be sure to stop in to ABC for a visit!

If your church or organization is ever in need of a speaker for a women’s event, I’d love to come share with your ladies as well. Click here for more information.