HOW does it work?
The PowerUP Conference is held at the
sponsoring church. The focus is on
health and wellness for spirit, soul and
body.
There is no charge to the public
for entrance to the workshops or main
sessions. Everything is free and open to
the public. Workshop leaders are
trusted Bible study/Sunday
school/Women's or Men's ministry leaders
you select from your church and
community. Workshop
leaders can also be believers you know
and trust who are chiropractors,
doctors, nutritionists, naturopaths,
health food store owners, massage
therapists, people with fitness
ministries/classes -- it's important
that all workshop leaders are
believers/followers of Jesus Christ.
What kind of Workshops?
Laurette can help you with ideas. You
enlist workshop leaders from your
church and community willing to give a
workshop at no charge.
It's up to you!
There can be workshops on
various aspects of health and wellness,
nutrition, exercise and weight loss; as
well as classes on praise and worship,
prayer, healing,
spiritual warfare, starting a
Bible study, the use of drama, praise
dance, effective tools for
evangelism, ministering to women (or
children, men, divorced people, cancer
survivors, prison inmates, etc.).
The
list of possible workshops is endless -
but they all have the spiritual
Christian component.
This shows one and
all that Jesus has an
answer for EVERYTHING - especially
health and wellness in spirit, soul and
body!
Last year we offered special
workshops for teens on Gospel Improv and
comedy from a woman who had a drama
group in her church. There can be classes for
children, too.
Do you have
Certified
PraiseMoves Instructors in your
community? They can offer classes!
Recommended
format: 3 workshop sessions are given
on Saturday, with 6-9 workshops offered
in the
morning and afternoon. Classrooms at
your church are used to hold the workshops.
See examples from
our 3rd Annual PowerUP Conference:
Speakers and
Schedule.
What's in it for them?
Workshop leaders do not charge for their
workshops. They benefit by having people
come to their classes (and they have the
option of having a free booth with any
products they may offer).
Bible study
teachers benefit: Many believers who do
not go to Sunday school or attend Bible
studies may decide to
come to this teacher's class on a
regular basis.
Professionals in the
community benefit: Health
professionals who give workshops want
more people to know about their
services. Free workshops allow them to
demonstrate their expertise to the
community.
For example, chiropractors
brought coupons
for consultations or 20% off
a series of visits. They
gained new clients, for which they were
very grateful!
What about Vendors?
Vendors are given
free space for their products -- trusted
people in your church and community are given
booth space to sell their
services/products to the public.
Workshop leaders can also have a table
as a way to thank them for their
participation.
What about Food?
We've offered
lunch before which people paid for at
registration, but this year we
simplified things by giving everyone 90
minutes for lunch on their own. They
also have dinner on their own. You may
want to supply a list of nearby
restaurants to participants.
What
about Main Sessions?
Noted evangelist and speaker Laurette
Willis (who is also an actor and
comedian, singer, TV/radio host, Harvest
House Publishers author and PraiseMoves
Ministry founder) is the main sessions
speaker during 5 sessions: on Friday
night, Saturday morning before the
workshops, Saturday night, Sunday
morning and during the Sunday afternoon
"soaking in His presence" session.
Each PowerUP has a theme, such as this year's
focus "The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength."
Laurette built on the theme with each
session, sharing insights from the Old
and New Testaments, Hebrew word
pictures, and personal stories told in
Laurette's inimitable style (both
touching and hilarious -- you'll hear
why she's called "The Woman of 101
Voices!").
Read
Recommendations for Laurette
Willis from Pastors and Ministry Leaders
from many denominations (including
Baptist, Methodist, Assemblies of God,
Lutheran, Salvation Army and others).
Christians are
Destined to be Leaders!
Instead of people going to the world
for the answers, we can direct people
to the Word instead! They will
see that believers have answers to
life's most pressing problems.
Health
evangelism is a tool to reach people
- both believers and non-believers.
The PowerUP Conference is for
everyone: all churches, all
denominations - as well as the
un-churched who are looking for answers
and health/wellness alternatives. We,
the body of Christ, have the answers!
Alternative health practices focus on
preventive care and building up the
physical body.
Wholeness in mind,
emotions, and relationships is also
addressed from a biblical perspective.
We offer answers
as believers, with Christ as the
cornerstone of ALL health and wholeness.
Expenses for the Church?
The only expenses the church would have
in addition to any publicity or
marketing expenses (fliers, local
advertising, etc.) would be Laurette's
travel expenses (round-trip airfare from
Tulsa, Oklahoma, hotel and meals).
An offering or local business can help
underwrite this nominal cost.
Laurette requires 2 tables for
the PraiseMoves Christian Fitness products, and someone
to watch the table for her so she can
devote her attention to PowerUP Conference
attendees.
Our non-profit
501(c)(3) ministry foundation is Willis
Ministries International. There are 3
opportunities for the congregation,
conference attendees and church to give
to Willis Ministries: at the Friday
night and Saturday night main sessions,
and the 2nd offering on Sunday morning
(the first Sunday morning offering would
be tithes to the church). These
offerings are
the financial remuneration given to
Willis Ministries - the church would not
have to pay Laurette a certain stipend for
ministering at their church, as churches
and organizations
ordinarily do when she speaks at
churches, retreats and conferences.
What we can do for you, all at no
charge:
We will advertise
your church's PowerUP Conference on our PowerUpConference.com
website and our FitNews which reaches
thousands around the United States and
Canada, as well as other nations.
We will link
your PowerUP to your church for
schedule and contact information.
We will give access to
your church to our logo and
images for your publicity, as well as
give them
the use of the PowerUP Conference name
and website for advertising your event.
Will
they come if you don't charge?
YES!!!
Women AND Men!
While we have had people from
coast-to-coast and various countries
come to our PowerUP Conferences in
little Tahlequah, Oklahoma, how much
better it is to bring the PowerUP
Conference to YOU in a way that every
person in your community who takes part
can benefit.
At this year's PowerUP young
mothers told us they would not have been
able to attend if they had to pay for
the event. And they
were so blessed! Several have started
coming more regularly to church and
bible studies. They are growing in the
Lord, letting Him lift them and their
families up and out of
difficult circumstances.
A young
newlywed told Laurette that he and his bride
were so blessed at the PowerUP. Jason
said, "I had never been to a church
event that was so open and joyful. This
was a really new experience for me and
it was great. It really made me start
thinking about how the Lord does touch
our lives and how much we have to be
grateful for."
Want
to learn more?
Contact Laurette
Willis at 918-458-1800 or email
praisemoves@gmail.com to ask about
scheduling a PowerUP Conference in your
area.
"With God all
things are possible" (Matthew
19:26).
"Beloved, I
pray that you may prosper in all things
and be in health, just as your soul
prospers" (3 John 2).
A
note from Laurette Willis: 
PowerUP
Conference and the Local Church