Q: How do you decide which speaking engagements to accept and decline?

A: Your question about the speaking engagement is fair and I’m happy to give you a detailed explanation of my decision making process. About the year 2000 I hit a wall in my ministry when I reached a critical mass of speaking requests on top of my teaching load and writing ministry. I was exhausted and torn between my desire to do God’s will, my innate tendency to be a people pleaser, and the needs at home I was neglecting with two teenage children. I was only accepting about 20% of the requests that came in, but I was still gone almost 100 days a year. My wife, and my accountability partners (Chris Dewelt and Steve Sigler) helped (demanded, prodded, exhorted) me to develop a list of criteria by which I would make decisions about engagements outside my teaching duties. Here’s what I came up with:

1. Priority will be given to youth events (high school and college age) where the likelihood of raising up future ministers and missionaries would be greater.

2. Multiple church events would be given preference since those who attend (often leaders) would be more able to export my influence back to their churches.

3. Events that center on evangelism and/or missions would be given priority because of my own commitment to completing the great commission.

4. Churches that run over 500 and are led by OCC graduates would be given priority since they would be more likely to know my style and be able to create opportunities that would maximize my gifts.

5. I decided not to do marriage retreats or camps since these tend to require much more energy since I’m working outside my native giftedness.

6. I decided not to schedule more than two years out and to only make decisions three times a year (Dec, May, August) rather than deal weekly with the requests that come in. That also allows the decision to be made by all of us, not just me. This gives my wife a feeling of connectedness and influence in where I go. It protects me as well from missing opportunities that my counselors perceive would have substantial results.

One other thing I want to mention. Money is never an issue for me (especially since OCC has, up until July of 2002, received all the remuneration generated by my speaking). I never ask about it, nor look at the checks until I get home to fill out the paperwork for reimbursement from the college. I do very much appreciate your confidence in me and your desire to have me come speak. I do not follow these rules above as the law of the Medes and Persians, but they have been helpful guides in matching my gifts with opportunities and hopefully maximizing my influence for the Lord while protecting my family and myself.

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