CLASS Communiqué - Tap Your Passion!

CLASS Communiqué CLASSEMINARS.org

February 2010

C L A S S E M I N A R S

TRAINING CHRISTIAN COMMUNICATORS
AROUND THE GLOBE SINCE 1980

Will we see YOU?

CLASSEMINAR
February 8-10, 2010
Palm Springs, CA

In honor of CLASSEMINARS' 30th year celebration...we are offering a special savings for first-time attendees and alumni for the
Palm Springs CLASSeminar!
Special Price: $300
Regular Price $450 (Alumni $350)

Register online today at CLASSEMINARS.org.

In this edition:

CLASS Reunion

Out of the Overflow

What is Jesus' Gospel?

Personality Training

Blogging from Your Passion

Callouts and Contests

Celebrate the Legacy -

at the 2010 CLASS Reunion

February 26-28, 2010
Doral Desert
Princess Resort
Palm Springs, CA
Register online,
CLASSEMINARS.org.

Florence Littauer, Founder

The CLASS Reunion will "CELEBRATE THE LEGACY" of the last 30 years and give those in attendance a PREVIEW of the future. We will launch our NEW ADVANCED SEMINARS to be introduced throughout 2010. It will be an exciting time as we gather together seeing old friends, meeting new friends and hearing God's plans for the years to come.
If you have attended any CLASS sponsored event,
you are encouraged to join us.

Join us in Palm Springs, CA, February 26 - 28, 2010 at the
Doral Desert Princess Resort for a spectacular celebration.

Registration includes Friday night dessert reception, two general sessions,
two seminars, Saturday night banquet, Sunday morning worship service, and CLASS commemorative year book. Cost: $150

* Bring your spouse and make it a couple's weekend.
Special spouse rate $75 (does not include workshops or yearbook).

** Local residents may attend banquet only for $50 per person, please e-mail Gerry Wakeland for banquet-only reservation.

*** If unable to attend, you are invited to send letters and cards of congratulations to Florence and faculty.
Send to: CLASS, P.O. Box 36551, Albuquerque, NM 87176.

* For hotel reservations contact the Doral Desert Princess Resort 1-888-386-4677 and ask for the CLASS rate of $139/night.

Out of the Overflow

by Betty Southard

"For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." - Matthew 12:34 NIV

Not long ago I attended a day retreat at the Center for Spiritual Development. I had been so busy for several weeks, and was feeling drained and burned out. I needed refreshment, time and space away from all my responsibilities. Even though I kept up my regular daily time with the Lord, I would often find my mind shifting over to what needed to be accomplished that day. I find it very helpful to get away from home, the phone, computer, all the "shoulds" that confront me everywhere to concentrate on the Lord.

With anticipation, I drove to the retreat center. The day started with some Scripture reading, contemplation, times of silence and prayer. Then we were offered options to do during a scheduled three-hour time of silence. One of the options was to take a hunk of clay, and shape it into whatever form came to mind. Having never worked with clay, I didn't know how or where to begin. Briefly turning to the Lord in prayer, I asked for an idea. Mary, the mother of Jesus, came to mind. My personal verse for the year had been a repeat of her answer to Gabriel, "May it be to me according to your word." A prayer of submission and commitment to do His will. As I thought about Mary, I realized that she gave life to our Lord and Savior. Through that life, Jesus, God has given you and me new life.

Click here to read the rest of Betty's story.

CLASS wants to help you live a life out of the overflow of God's presence
in your life.Throughout the year, we will be sharing lessons we've learned
to help you discover living out of the overflow.
I pray you will join us in that discovery.

What is Jesus' Gospel?

by Bill Gaultiere

To follow Jesus we need to believe his gospel. What was the Good News
that Jesus preached, taught, and manifested? Christians have
different answers:

"Jesus died on the cross for you so you could be forgiven and go to
heaven when you die."

"Jesus came to set us free from oppression and now we need to extend
his compassion to those in need."

"God wants to bless you. If you use the Bible's wisdom He will meet your needs."

These three Gospels each contain important truths. It's easy to find verses from the Bible to support these messages. But they are not Jesus' Gospel. They are not the Gospel that the Apostles lived and ministered in Acts and the Epistles. They do not naturally lead to making apprentices to Jesus who become like him.

Jesus' Gospel was centered on the availability of God's kingdom (his rule):

"Think again about how you're living your life in light of the opportunity to live your daily life with me as my apprentice in the kingdom of the heavens; turn your life over to me - each aspect, each decision - and I will govern you in love and wisdom" (Matthew 4:17, Bill's paraphrase).

What a wonderful adventure it is to learn to do what we're doing by standing with Christ in his kingdom! It changes the way we write and speak and minister. Peace! Purpose! Power! Hallelujah!

William Gaultiere, Ph.D. is a psychologist, spiritual director, author, and speaker. He is the Director of Spiritual Formation Ministries at the Crystal Cathedral and with his wife Kristi has a ministry to pastors and leaders.

"Like gears, belief is forward;
unbelief is neutral and disbelief is reverse."

- Fred Smith

Are you a Certified Personality Trainer?

How do YOU use the personality training?

A deeper understanding of the Personalities helps you relate to people in new ways, allowing for deeper, more meaningful interaction and relationships.

Tell us how you use the Personalities.
Write to Editorial Assistant, Shonda Savage Whitworth.

"I teach high school students and their world is all about them, so they particularly enjoy thinking and talking about themselves. I introduce the personalities to them not only to help them know more about themselves, but also to help me understand their idiosyncracies.
My passion is not only to teach, but to..."

Click here for more from Sharon Norris Elliott.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I've found the Personality Training particularly helpful in witnessing to and ministering to neighbors and friends. I learned how to step off my choleric soapbox and reach those around me with words and actions that truly meet their needs and help lead them to the Lord."

- Tama Westman

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"If it is possible as far as it depends on you,
live at peace with everyone." - Romans 12:18

"If we are true to that verse, we cannot be selective in practicing it.
Neither can we limit ourselves to equipping others through our
Personality Training seminars. We must be available to train
people in the church, workplace, educational arenas, and more.

While I was judging a literary meet at a local school,
one of the administrators stopped by to chat.
She mentioned a problem in one of the classrooms.

"You know what you need?" I asked.

Surprised by the promise of help, she responded, "No what?"

"Your teachers need the Personality Training."

Click here to read more from Linda Gilden.

Are you ready for Personality training?
Is it time to take your training to the next level?
Check out these workshops coming in 2010:

2010 Personality Workshops:

March 15 - 17, San Jose, CA

June 14 - 16, Columbia, MD

October 4 - 6, Plainfield, IN

Advanced Personality Workshops:

August 23 - 25, Las Vegas, NV

CALLING ALL CERTIFIED PERSONALITY TRAINERS
Interested in connecting with other personality trainers around the country? Looking for a forum to share your hints, tips and ideas for using the Personalities?
CLASS wants to design something with you in mind, and let you run with it. Send your ideas to Tama Westman.

"You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you. If you don't have that kind of feeling for what it is you are doing, you'll stop at the first giant hurdle."

- George Lucas

Blogging from Your Passion

by Lee Warren

I've been a fan of the Kansas City Royals since my uncle from Kansas City came to visit family in Omaha, where I live, when I was a boy. After visiting with everybody, he'd grab a transistor radio, sneak out to my grandparent's front porch and turn on the Royals game.

I followed him.

He talked to the radio as if the players and manager could hear him. In between those conversations, he explained the game to me. His passion for the game was infectious and shortly after one of his visits, I went home and turned on the Royals game in my bedroom.

I've never stopped listening.

In 2004, when people were still asking me "What's a blog?" I began blogging about the Royals and it was easy to update because I knew so much about the team's history, players and fans.

I made some mistakes along the way. Early on, I was too much of a fan and therefore didn't show enough objectivity. I rarely thought about material that might interest readers. And it took me a while to figure out that my blog would be more experiential and story driven than analytical.

But even as I made adjustments, the blog began to get noticed.

Click here to read the rest of Lee's story.

CLASS Faculty Member Lee Warren is an author, a writer for Baptist Press Sports, and a feature writer for the Heartland Gatekeeper newspaper in Omaha, NE. A popular blogger, you can visit his posts at Royal Reflections, Little Nuances, Warren Writing, Single Purpose and A Write Start.

"Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion."

- Hebbel

rtnering with Pros -

Life Coach Jerome Daley

by Linda Jewell

Have you ever felt like you're bungling around, trying to figure out God's will for your life? Or, even if you're clear that God has given you a message, a ministry and a mission, do you sometimes get lost? Sometimes get stuck? Sometimes get discouraged?

While seeking God's will for our lives, we often need someone who listens and speaks with wisdom-to help us find a map to the right path, good solutions or a way out of a dead-end situation, or encouragement that God indeed has a plan for each of us, a hope and a future.

Just as sports teams and performers need help to become the best they can be, we speakers and writers can also benefit from a life coach.

Jerome Daley, ACC, DPM is a leadership coach, consultant, author of five books, and publisher of the Christian Coaching Magazine. He helps others become the men and women God created them to be.

"Coaching is an alliance between you and a coach that results in self-discovery and forward movement. Coaching supports clients who are prepared to move forward into a purposeful future," Daley says.

Click here to read more.

Linda Jewell lives in Albuquerque, NM and encourages brave hearts on the home front. Read about ways you can support our military men and women in her weekly Support Our Troops blog.

News, News

Are you sharing your message with the world? We want to celebrate your book releases and news announcements,please send info to:
Editor Tama Westman.

**********

Congratulations to CLASS Team Member Lee Warren on his work included in the recent Chicken Soup for the Soul: NASCAR.

**********

Congratulations to CLASS Grad and Olympian Trish Porter on the publication of her book, Rekindle Your Dreams (Bridge-Logos).

**********

Congratulations to CLASS Grad Tracy Crump on publishing her story, "Wild and Free-Again", in newly releasedThe Ultimate Bird Lover (HCI).

**********

Congratulations to CLASS Grad Kathryn Graves, who pitched an idea to Focus on the Family Editor, Jesse Florea, at the CLASS Christian Writers Conference, and will publish her story, "Are You a Sheep?" in April's issue of Clubhouse magazine.

*******

Sharon Marshall Lockett announces Matrix Media, the national talk radio syndication firm that launched Animal Planet Radio, Travel Channel Radio and the HGTV Design Minutes, will work with Lockett to produce a weekly radio show titled Home Sweet Homework. You can hear the show at www.WebTalkRadio.net.

CLASS-ifieds

ROOMMATE NEEDED: I'm looking for a female roommate for the CLASS Reunion...I'd like to attend, but husband can't come. Contact Jeanne Reddick.

***********
Books and training materials for Speakers and Personality Trainers
available through CLASServices.

CLASSEMINARS, Inc.

CLASS Speakers

Issues of the CLASS Communiqué are archived on our website, CLASSEMINARS.org, so you can read again, or SHARE with friends through the convenient SHARE button (link) at bottom of page.

Communications Team:

Editor-in-Chief:
Tama Westman

Editorial Assistant:
Shonda Savage Whitworth

Editorial Advisors:
Linda Gilden
Betty Southard
Gerry Wakeland

Please note: You receive this newsletter as you have expressed an interest in CLASSEMINARS, Inc. in the past. If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from CLASS,
please use the SAFE UNSUBSCRIBE links at the bottom of this newsletter.

CLASSEMINARS, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501c3 corporation and is not affiliated with CLASServices, Inc.

CLASSEMINARS, Inc.

Are you interested in equipping and empowering those in your church or community to become effective Christian communicators?
Contact Karen Porter
to learn how you can bring
CLASS to your community.

CLASS logo design by
NThreeQ Media.

A Note from the Editor

Tama Westman

We are revving up and busy preparing for the CLASS Reunion, to be held this month in Palm Springs, celebrating 30 years of training Christian communicators.

With this edition of the Communiqué, we hope to strengthen your belief and spark your passion with words of wisdom from Betty Southard, Bill Gaultiere, Lee Warren and Jerome Daley.

Believe in the gifts God has given you, like young David did when facing Goliath in 1 Samuel 17.

Passion pivots you from being a good speaker and writer to being a great speaker and writer.

Jim Rohn said, "Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% what you feel about what you know."

Summarizing Paul in Romans 13:11-14:
Wake up! Abandon your old ways and put on the way of Christ. Be.
Believe.
Be passionate.

Blessings,
Tama Westman,Editor.

VIEWING INFO:
Enable HTML Viewing and/or "Display Pictures" in your e-mail program for complete newsletter.

Feel free to SHARE this newsletter with your friends on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks by clicking on the SHARE button (link) at the bottom of the page.