I recognize that having a high quality speaker or workshop leader for your event is so important, and if I’m the right fit for you, I’d be happy to speak with you about your event. 

WHAT I CAN BRING

I bring a relaxed presentation style, and high quality content, with over 13 years experience as a pastor. I have many years of experience in youth and young adult ministry, 3 years in a traditional Church context, followed by starting a New Church, and transitioning them through a merger with a more established Church, where I am still the pastor.

I am an author of several books on faith, and also a few fantasy books for kids. I am passionate about writing and speaking on a variety of topics – see below…

I am equally comfortable speaking in a lecture or sermon style or in leading more hands-on, activity or discussion based workshops.  

You’ll find a couple of videos at the bottom of this page with some samples of my speaking.

I take a few speaking engagements each year, but because my main priorities include preaching at Prairie Presbyterian Church and spending time with my family, I cannot say yes to every request. Feel free to contact me anytime to begin a conversation about an event or workshop you are putting on.

TOPICS

Below are some topics that are my greatest areas of interest.

Let God Be… – A series of talks based on the books Let God Be God, Let God Be Present, and Let God Send. This series provides you with a lot of flexibility. Each one could be the focus of an entire weekend event, or there could be a single talk on each subject.

  • Let God Be God – This talk or series focusses on our tendency to put other things in the place of God and moves toward what we need to do in order to allow the One True God to be the only real God in our lives.
  • Let God Be Present – This talk or series focusses on the reality that we don’t always desire God in our life. It lead people toward the discovery of new ways of thinking about and being open to the presence of God.
  • Let God Send – This talk or series focusses on the common stance of Christians as casual consumers of religion and moves people toward seeing themselves as sent-ones with a God given mission and calling.

Spirituality for Normal People – A walk-through of some of the most basic Spiritual Practices, like reading the Bible, and conversational Prayer. I would work with you to design what best suits your group in terms of speaking and hands-on, interactive learning. We might incorporate things like prayer-walking, use of labyrinths, lectio divina, centering prayer, and others.

Falling in Love With Reading (30 minute talk) – I regularly speak at schools (usually grades 4-6) about my series of Fantasy books. I talk about influences behind my fiction writing, including Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis, and The Wizard of Oz. I also speak about how I was a reluctant and very slow reader, but when I found the right book that all changed. Generally, I love encouraging kids to read, and also throw in a few tips for creative writing.

Faith and Fantasy – C.S. Lewis and Tolkien are among my greatest influences and both defended the fantasy genre as something for adults and people of faith. This talk looks at C.S. Lewis’ conversion to Christianity as a model for seeing the connections between mythology and gospel, and then moves looks at the current fascination with Superheros and what they might teach us about God and faith.

Small Church, Big Vision – Even the smallest Churches can seek a big vision. (This doesn’t always mean having more people in worship, but sometimes it does.) This talk or series is designed for leadership and membership of small churches who are interested in working on ways to serve the Kingdom of God in big ways regardless of their size. 

Samples of My Speaking

The following two videos were originally posted on Facebook Live. The quality is not fantastic, but it will give you an idea of my style. Both are from sermons preached at Prairie Presbyterian Church.

BE IN TOUCH

Contact me any time to start a conversation about how I might be able to help you.

The best way to be in touch is by email: matt@mattbrough.com

I look forward to hearing from you!

Matthew D. Brough