Seminars (with reviews)
Dave Wiedis regularly speaks on a wide range of topics and is available for conferences, retreats, seminars, and workshops. Please give him a call if you would like to discuss having him speak at your event. Using his extensive experience in teaching, counseling and law, Dave combines case studies, humor and an interactive approach that will keep you informed and interested throughout these presentations.
Here is a sample description of some of the topics:
Your Ruling Passions: Do They Rule Your Pulpit? How the Idols of Your Heart Can Sabotage Your Ministry, Marriage and Family? (Specifically tailored for pastors and ministry leaders)
Henry Scougal said “The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love.” What and whom do you most love? What are you most passionate about? What energizes you? What are your priorities? How do your passions positively and negatively affect your relationships with your family, friends, and God? Your ministry? Are there any hidden areas in your life that have the potential to sabotage your life, marriage, family, and ministry? Pastors and ministry leaders are not exempt from hidden landmines and idols of the heart. In fact, it can be even more challenging to identify these because they often are disguised by the seduction, challenges and trappings of “ministry.” Examining the lives of the Apostles Peter and Paul as biblical examples, this in depth, interactive seminar provides a forum to honestly explore and prioritize your passions in a way that can help you deepen your walk with God and others, and help avoid the dangerous landmines that have the potential to sabotage your ministry, marriage, family and relationships.
Your Ruling Passions: How the Idols of Your Heart Can Sabotage Your Life, Career, Marriage and Ministry. (Similar to the above, but specifically tailored for general audiences)
What People are Saying About the Ruling Passions Seminar:
“The depth of information was astounding . . . Accurate and clear.”
“Thanks so much for the time you put into the ruling passions class. It was great.”
“I received “newfound clarity, joy and enthusiasm for living.” I would recommend this seminar to anyone seeking . . . the boundless wealth of an abundant life.”
“Great format and style, thought provoking concepts.”
“You really helped to ‘unlock the door’ for me.”
“Your expertise is desperately needed for people like us.”
“Your enthusiasm was great. I loved the biblical connections that gave it all the more meaning.”
The class “went way beyond my expectations.”
This seminar “really connected with me.”
“You are a great teacher!”
“Your personal illustrations were helpful for us to appreciate the dynamics of the principles you presented.”
“Gave me a new vocabulary to things I was vaguely aware of but hadn’t framed like this before.”
“Great job! I think all of us felt highly convicted. Your use of Peter [as an example of ruling passions] was extremely powerful.”
“Everything” about the seminar “was helpful.”
“The concept of being a good steward of our past painful experiences was meaningful.”
“The Ruling Passions Seminar was a brave journey into the valley of an examined life . . . universal principles and themes that are as relevant today as they were in ancient times.”
Wisdom for the Journey: Avoiding the Nightmares of Pastoral Flameout and Burnout.
Flameout (moral failure) and Burnout (physical and emotional exhaustion) are leading reasons why ministry leaders are forced to leave the ministry. Pastors, missionaries, and church planters are at particular risk due to the 24/7, fast-paced, non-stop demands and inherent isolation of ministry. This seminar provides a detailed discussion of the phenomena of Flameout and Burnout, the downward spiral leading to these conditions, and the necessary and practical steps for avoiding these two ministry killers.
Comments by Rick Smith, Field Director, InFaith Ministries:
Twenty-two InFaith staff and friends gathered in Philadelphia to interact with Dave Wiedis on the subject of “Avoiding the Nightmares of Ministry Flameout and Burnout.” Dave helped us to see the warnings signs and the way out of these ministry traps. His presentation was effective, practical, and down-to-earth. Those in full time ministry often find our lives compromised due to our response to the pain and problems we experience in ministry! We foolishly think we are immune to such things because we are Christ followers! Masking our struggles by pretending they’re not there easily leads to a loss of integrity (a split between who we are publicly vs. privately). As this dichotomy deepens we may seek to medicate ourselves. Often we are willing to do anything that makes us feel better in an effort to dull the pain of this inner struggle. Dave rivited our attention on this much-too-familiar experience. As Dave was sharing healthy responses to avoid this negative cycle, one participant blurted out, “I wish I had heard this forty years ago!” Unexpected tears rushed from my eyes–tears of sorrow, that what he said was true; tears of joy, that from this day forward we could stop pretending and run to our Savior and Redeemer for fresh wholeness in our lives.”
Avoiding Leadership Failure
No leader is immune to failure. The devastation hurts families, ministries, churches, and communities. This seminar addresses common landmines that make leaders susceptible to failure and provides practical steps to expose and avoid factors that weaken leaders and cause them to implode.
Avoiding Pastoral Abuse of Authority and Sexual Misconduct in Your Church.
Shepherds have a high calling to feed their sheep. Scripture solemnly warns them to not feed on their sheep. Nevertheless, pastoral abuse of authority and sexual misconduct occur at epidemic levels. Sexual temptation is a real and direct threat to the heart of your church ministry, marriage, and family. The real question is not if but when you will face temptation! Abuse of power and sexual misconduct are the primary reasons pastoral counselors and pastors are sued and experience ministry failure. Using a series of real-life hypothetical’s, this interactive seminar will help you experientially examine the multiple level of power dynamics that occur in church planting settings, including pastoral counseling, and help explain why those dynamics can create a tsunami of factors that can destroy even those with the highest integrity and resolve. What is abuse of power? What should you do when you are sexually attracted to a congregant or she/he is attracted to you? This talk could save you, your family, and your ministry from a lifetime of heartache and failure.
Legal and Ethical Issues in Ministry and Counseling, Honoring God and Your Flock While Safeguarding Your Church from Legal Nightmares.
Most pastors engage in pastoral counseling but have had little training in the legal and ethical landmines that can potentially explode into personal and legal nightmares for the pastor, staff and church when ethical standards are ignored or violated. This seminar introduces legal concepts of negligence and intentional tors with which your pastoral staff should be well acquainted. It then exposes dangerous hidden “landmines” and address issues of: abuse of power, competence, high risk counseling practices, referrals, confidentiality, communication with elder boards, medications, sexual misconduct, and mandatory child abuse reporting requirements.
Connecting With Your Lover
God designed us for intimate connection in marriage. What are the factors that destroy intimacy and connection? This seminar explores the negative cycles that can afflict marriage and provides practical ways to regain intimacy and emotional connection.
Homosexuality and The Church: Burning Issues in the Age of “Tolerance”
What does the Bible say about homosexuality? Are people “born gay?” Is it a “choice?” How should Christians and the Church respond to individuals as well as the GLSBT community? Do you know how to address issues such as “Gay marriage,” “civil unions,” “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” “tolerance,” and unwanted same sex attractions? What are the implications of these issues on religious liberty? This interactive seminar will address these and other issues and provide you with a loving, cogent, and biblical response to this important, and relevant topic.
