Marriage Conferences
These conferences most typically consist of four speaking sessions, though they can be customized to 1, 2, or 3. Each session typically consists of 60 minutes of talking time except the third session which is 75 minutes of talking time. If these need to be shortened, they can be. Each conference is based on the book of the same name.
Sacred Marriage
Sacred Marriage doesn’t tell how to build a better marriage; it shows how your marriage can help you deepen your relationship with God. Gary is honest about the difficulties of marriage but then explains how God can use those difficulties toward a glorious end: helping us grow as believers and leading us to be more dependent on God.
Session two talks about the wonder of building a “sacred history” together, session three speaks of how even lovemaking can be used by God to shape our souls, and session four talks about how marriage helps us achieve one of our greatest needs. Everything about your marriage is filled with the potential for discovering and revealing Christ’s character.
A Lifelong Love
You believe your marriage has eternal purposes. You long for it to reach beyond your home and encourage others. But what does it look like to have a spiritually intentional relationship in the midst of dirty dishes, work deadlines, and car pools? Get the practical tools to craft your marriages into inspiring relationships that breathe spiritual life to others. Gary talks about the importance of purpose, the pursuit of righteousness, and the four spiritual building blocks for lifelong marital intimacy.
Cherish
The traditional wedding vows include “I promise to love and to cherish until death do us part.” Gary explores what it means to cherish our spouse and then spends several sessions giving practical suggestions. When a husband and wife know they are cherished by their spouse, it brings out the best in both of them. Discovering how to better cherish your spouse has the power to infuse your relationship with new hope and promise.
Married Sex
One to three sessions.
A great sex life is something you make, not something you find. If you feel confused or frustrated about your sex life–or simply wonder, Is there more to it than this?–Married Sex is exactly what you need to make your marriage stronger, in and out of the bedroom.
Gary will help you understand God’s purpose for marital intimacy, and the wisdom of putting intention and effort into a fulfilling relationship with a practical resource to encourage you to take ownership in the process of making love, seeing a great sex life as a beautiful opportunity to honor both God and your spouse.
Relationships – For Singles!
Sacred Search
One to two sessions plus Q&A.
What if you stopped looking for a “soul mate” and started looking for a “sole mate”? – someone who will live out with you the great purpose of God?
Gary Thomas will transform the way you look at romantic relationships. Whether you are single, dating, or engaged, Gary’s unique perspective on dating will prepare you for a satisfying, spiritually enriching marriage even before you walk down the aisle. As Gary reminds us, a good marriage is not something you find—it’s something you make.
When to Walk Away
One to three sessions.
Whether it’s a sibling, parent, coworker, or friend, we all know toxic people who seem determined to frustrate our life’s calling. While you’re seeking first God’s kingdom, they’re seeking to distract your focus and delay your work. Yet it’s only once we learn to say no to bad patterns that we are set free to say yes to the good that God has planned for us.
Discover how to:
- Learn the difference between toxic people and “difficult” people
- Find refuge in God when you feel under attach
- Discern when to walk away from a toxic situation
- Keep a tender heart even in unhealthy relationships
- Gain new vision and enthusiasm for seeking first the kingdom of God and investing in reliable people
We can’t let others steal our joy or our mission. It’s time to strengthen our defense, learn to set good boundaries, and focus on our God-given purpose.
Parenting
Sacred Parenting
Parenting is a school for spiritual formation, and our children are our teachers. The journey of caring for, rearing, training, and loving our children can help us become more like Christ.
This seminar is not a “how to” course that teaches you ways to discipline your kids or help them achieve their full potential. Instead of discussing how parents can change their kids, Sacred Parenting turns the tables and demonstrates how God uses our kids to change us. You’ll be encouraged by stories that tell how other parents handled the challenges and difficulties of being a parent–and how their children transformed their relationship with God.
Sacred Parenting affirms the spiritual value of being a parent, showing you the holy potential of the parent child relationship and offers a new perspective on the sacredness of this high and holy calling.
Spiritual Development
Sacred Pathways
One to four sessions.
This book and workshop have been beloved by so many for over twenty years. Gary’s work has been quoted by and used in sermons and books by such notables as Rick Warren, Andy Stanley, Les Parrott, John Ortberg, and many others. It’s based on the premise that we connect best with God and grow spiritually in one of nine unique ways. Learn how to lean into your spiritual temperament and how to appreciate other people who engage with God differently.
Gary will describe the nine spiritual temperaments and encourage you to investigate the ways you most naturally express yourself in your relationship with God. Thomas will help you discover the traits, strengths, and tendencies in your devotional approach so you can eliminate the barriers that keep you locked into rigid methods of worship and praise.
It’s by the design of a Creator who knew what he was doing and who has unique intentions for you. Discover the route you were destined to travel, marked by growth and filled with the riches of a close walk with God.
Spiritual Formation
One to four Sessions
Based on his book The Glorious Pursuit, Gary explores the foundations of spiritual formation: renewing of the mind, practicing the virtues, and highlights several practical steps for Christians to grow. Instead of a negative spirituality (holiness if defined by what we don’t do), The Glorious Pursuit explores a holiness defined by who we become. The ancients celebrated “practicing” the virtues of Jesus, which means identifying them, and adopting practical steps to put them into practice.
Authentic Faith
What if life isn’t meant to be perfect but we are meant to trust the One who is? In this workshop, based on Gary’s Gold-Medallion award winning book, Gary sharpens our spiritual vision and fortifies our commitment by examining the “authentic disciplines” (seasons and trials that God brings into our life) such as waiting, suffering, persecution, sacrifice, and more. Authentic faith is about more than a smooth ride through a fallen world. It is shaped, tempered, and purified in the flames of struggle. This eye-opening look at what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus will encourage you, bolster your faith, and help you rise above shallow attachments to fix your heart on things of eternal worth.
Thirsting for God
Are you tired of trying to live on the spiritual equivalent of fast food? Promises of quick fixes and formulas for successful living abound. In contrast, this workshop focuses on the common wisdom Gary gleans from the great Christian classics. Discover what Christians throughout the ages have learned—a truly relevant Christian walk has nothing to do with fads and styles and everything to do with a life that’s centered on God. Gary looks at the practice of spiritual reading, cultivating humility, cultivating the quiet, the remembrance of death, and the glory of Christian surrender.