If an event planner asks me, “Our audience is secular. What does bringing faith into your talk actually mean?” my answer is simple.
I keep my faith to myself if the room has not explicitly asked for it.
The Room Sets the Terms
My faith is personal. I don’t insert it into a room that hasn’t asked for it. A conference audience comes for the outcomes their planner promised them, and my job is to deliver on those outcomes. Respect for an audience isn’t withholding. It’s the job.
What I’d Agree On With the Planner First
Clear outcomes come first. What should this audience walk away thinking, feeling, and doing differently? If that outcome includes a spiritual message, we name it. And if it includes a spiritual message, is a Christian message welcome in this room? That conversation happens before the booking, so there are no surprises for the planner, the audience, or me.
When the Topic Calls for Spiritual Language
Some topics, like healing, purpose, or breaking old patterns, can call for a spiritual angle. When the talk we’ve agreed on needs it, the language should fit that audience: the universe, universal love, the Creator. And it’s never appropriate to talk about things that are not appropriate. What we agreed on decides, and I honor it.
When the Gospel Is Welcome
At the same time, I’m always thrilled to speak to Christian rooms and weave the gospel into the teachings I bring. The same clarity that lets me honor a secular room lets me go all in for a believing one.
Your Path of Growth, Not Mine
If a planner says, “No spiritual message, just the topic and the outcomes we’ve agreed on,” am I comfortable taking that booking? Absolutely. My goal as a speaker is to inspire and guide people along their path of growth, not mine. A room full of people moving forward on their own terms, in their own language, is the outcome I came for.
So can a Christian speaker fit a secular conference? Yes. I can speak to either room: spiritual language when it’s part of what we agreed, a Christian message when the room welcomes it, and none of it when the room hasn’t asked. If you’re planning a conference or event and want a speaker who respects your audience, reach out and let’s talk about the outcomes you’re after.