Travels from: Tulsa, OK   Click here to inquire about or book a speaker Laurette Willis Speaker Actor, Singer Author Workshop Facilitator Founder of PraiseMoves™ Laurette Willis is a popular speaker, actor, and author of BASIC Steps to Godly Fitness (Harvest House Publishers, 2005). Her dynamic, entertaining style will keep you laughing while her obvious joy in the Lord will touch your heart and inspire you to believe that with God all things are possible! (Matthew 19:26) An energetic Christian communicator, Laurette came to Christ after 22 years’ involvement in yoga and the New Age movement (ages 7-29). Set free from the bondages of alcoholism, compulsive overeating, and false religion, she says, “I came to the end of myself on April Fool’s Day 1987 when I went from being a fool for the world to a fool for Christ!” A professional actor and playwright for over 25 years, Laurette’s comedic and dramatic talents were honed Off-Broadway in New York City where she earned the nickname “The Woman of 101 Voices!” Today she uses her talents to bring famous Christian and biblical women to life – as in her moving one-woman musical drama, Great Women of the Bible. She also portrays Susanna Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley and Sister Aimee (the dynamic 20th century evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson). Just for fun: nostalgia and wacky comedy take center stage in The Nutty ‘40s Radio Show where everyone gets into the act and YOU are part of the show! During the last few years, Laurette has achieved international attention as the founder of PraiseMoves, a Christ-centered alternative to yoga. PraiseMoves has been featured in articles in Today’s Christian Woman magazine, Fit Christian e-zine and is the subject of an upcoming Harvest House fitness project Laurette is writing. She is currently training instructors to bring PraiseMoves to churches and health clubs nationwide, and has produced PraiseMoves books, videos and DVDs. Laurette is an IFPA-certified Women’s Fitness Specialist, Personal Trainer, CLASS-certified Personality Trainer, charter member of the Christian Wellness Association and a member of CITA (Christians in Theatre Arts). Keynote Topics Becoming a Vessel of Honor (2 Timothy 2:20-21) You can be the person God called you to be. Interestingly, the qualification to be a vessel of honor is up to us (“If anyone cleanses himself…”). Discover that God uses willing, ordinary people to do outrageous, extraordinary things! Deliver Me from the New Age! Laurette’s remarkable, moving, and often hilarious testimony. From her life on the New York stage, to a 20-country trek through Europe and the Andes “looking for God in all the wrong places,” to her soul’s cry to the Lord on a lonely hilltop in northeastern Oklahoma – you’ll laugh and cry with Laurette as she shares her compelling “journey to Jesus.” You’ll see that God chooses the foolish things of the world (“Like me!” says Laurette). Extreme Makeover by God’s Design (2 Corinthians 5:16-17) Ready for an extreme makeover? Television’s reality shows tempt us to look only at the outward person. “Ugly ducklings” suddenly become graceful swans, yet the Lord reminds us to “regard no one according to the flesh” – even ourselves. Looks like it’s time for a radical “faith lift!” Can spiritual beauty be developed? How can I look more like Jesus on the inside so His beauty radiates through me on the outside? A Word-based, encouraging seminar that will leave you feeling uplifted – in all the right places! Many Flowers, One Bouquet (Romans 12:4-6) Different gifts, different callings… one body of Christ. Whether encouraging volunteerism at church, or greater fellowship among believers, the Lord persuades us to love one another and work together for His glory. We are each a special and vital part of the beautiful fragrance of God’s “bouquet.” Apples of Gold Have you ever wanted to bite your tongue after saying an unkind word – or a string of them? Based on Proverbs 25:11, you’ll discover how a word “fitly spoken” can heal hurts, change lives and sow blessings into the hearts of family, friends and those we meet. Uncover the mystery of taming the tongue. We can ditch the “rotten apples” and cultivate a golden orchard of blessing! Other Topics When I Grow Up (Habakkuk 2:2) “Write the vision…” Getting in touch with God’s purpose for your life, dreams and goals. It’s never too late to fulfill the call of God on your life. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Explore the Hebraic roots of our Christian faith and see how they point us to Jesus. The blood covenant, prophecies in the Old Testament, the Hebrew festivals, Ark of the Covenant and Mercy Seat, the names of God, even the meaning behind the letters of the Hebrew alphabet all point to our Lord! (Can be given as a talk or seminar.) From the Cross to the Throne (Ephesians 2:6) God has “raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ.” Discover who you are “in Him.” Let’s become Kingdom-conscious! Recognizing our heavenly citizenship as Ambassadors for Christ, we can come down from the high chair (or high horse!) and find our peaceful place on the throne – in Him. Please Note: On request, Laurette will prayerfully design a talk based on the theme of your event. Seminar Themes Fitness for His Witness™ featuring PraiseMoves™ (“The Christian Alternative to yoga”) In this enlightening seminar, Laurette covers scriptural keys to health and fitness for spirit, soul and body (based on Romans 12:1-3; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and Hebrews 5:13-14). She also shares valuable tips she’s learned to help people at all levels of fitness get in shape, “Six Seeds to Sow for Vibrant Health,” and clever ways to introduce health-giving habits into our family’s lives. All teaching is given with a generous dose of humor based on Laurette’s trial-and-error experiences on the road to victory after years of being overweight and out-of-shape. Laurette also outlines the dangers of yoga, and the dynamic PraiseMoves difference. Gentle stretching and movement combine with STRONG scripture for stress relief, weight loss, flexibility and strength. Half the seminar is given in a teaching format, and the other half is a gentle PraiseMoves stretching workout for all ages. Discover PraiseMoves for yourself during this invigorating yet relaxing session. Be refreshed! The Personality Puzzle Trained by Florence and Marita Littauer, Laurette uses the well-known foundation of The Personalities training to focus on the vital role your personality strengths and weaknesses play in achieving success in life, relationships, work and ministry. (Can also be given as a keynote.) Lessons Learned from Great Women of the Bible Lessons of Purpose, Passion and Patience learned from Elizabeth, Mary Magdalene, Priscilla and Ruth. A wonderful follow-up to a performance of Laurette’s acclaimed one-woman musical drama. The foundation scripture for Laurette’s ministry is Luke 1:37 – “With God nothing shall be impossible.”   A weekend with Laurette Willis is entertaining, enlightening, encouraging and “Pass-me-the-Kleenex” moving – from tears to laughter! Depending on the format of your retreat or conference, a weekend with Laurette can include any or all of the following: Powerful Performances Scripture comes to life as you meet some of the Bible’s most compelling ladies. Choose from among Elizabeth, Mary Magdalene, Priscilla and Ruth in the critically acclaimed one-woman musical drama Great Women of the Bible. You may prefer Susanna Wesley or Sister Aimee (Aimee Semple McPherson). Perhaps wacky comedy is the order of the day. Take a nostalgic musical comedy look at the 1940s in The Nutty ‘40s Radio Show. Be a member of the studio audience on the day everything goes wrong – and become part of the show! Hear for yourself why Laurette’s nickname is “The Woman of 101 Voices!” Dynamic Presentations Choose from a variety of timely messages, or ask Laurette to prayerfully design a keynote address tailor-made for your event. Whichever you choose, rest assured you’re getting a seasoned Bible-literate professional who’s sensitive to the needs of others and the leading of the Holy Spirit. And everything Laurette does is peppered with a generous dose of joy and laughter! Winning Workshops Breakout sessions available: Fitness for His Witness featuring PraiseMoves (spiritual, emotional and physical fitness), The Personalities, Bible women, drama or storytelling. Quiet Time This allows participants to personalize the messages they’re hearing and enables the Holy Spirit to attend to their hearts one-on-one. Prayer After her presentations, Laurette is honored to pray with your participants for their personal needs and those of their family. Communion To anchor the experience of the weekend in our hearts and what has been learned from the Lord during our time together, taking communion is suggested. Laurette asks us to renew our commitment to the Lord and return to our homes better than when we left.   CLASServices, Inc. Copyright 2001

Looking for a Speaker? CLICK HERE   Are you planning an upcoming event? Need some help in the planning and details? Click here for the article "Secrets of a Successful Meeting" ******* What others are saying... "Laurette is a fascinating speaker who combines the gift of acting and humor with spiritual words of wisdom and biblical truths. I highly recommend her... I thank her for giving women across the denominational lines of Christianity the lift they need in Christ Jesus." Mary Beth McElroy, Director - Heart Like His Ministries, Will Rogers United Methodist Church, Tulsa, OK “Laurette – I’m still smiling! What an awesome conference. I wanted to let you know we were touched by your keynote, PraiseMoves, your music and especially your welcoming, compassionate spirit.” Jenny Neubauer, Women’s Ministry Director, New Beginnings Church, Stevens Pt., WI “Laurette is multi-talented, and humbly uses these talents to present the gospel message… Her heart is completely set on bringing glory to our Lord.” Dr. Charles E. Higgs, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Portland, TX "Thank you for sharing your many gifts with the women of southern New England! You have truly been a blessing! While your professional background shows through, your commitment to the Lord and sensitivity to His Spirit outshine it." Nancy Hidle, Women’s Ministry Director, Southern New England District Assemblies of God "Your ministry truly brings glory to the Lord and I hope that you can continue to share the gospel story in this unique way. Lives will be touched and changed through your work." Ron Rice, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tahlequah, OK “Your presentation was superb. You made Elizabeth, Mary of Magdala and Priscilla living disciples and you shared the Gospel through their experiences. Powerful.” Bishop Robert M. Moody, Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma "Laurette is very professional, but also has a very sweet Christian spirit that comes across in her performances. I would highly recommend her as a speaker to our District Directors of Women's Ministries across the nation." Linda Stamps-Dissmore, Women's Ministry Director, Oklahoma District Council of the Assemblies of God "Laurette came to our Church retreat in answer to prayer. What an answer she was! Little did we know she was a woman of so many talents. We were entertained by 'Elizabeth' from the Bible, regaled with music, uplifted with PraiseMoves, and gifted by the Holy Spirit through an amazing prayer time. We are now working to have her back again!” Nancy Thomson, Women's Ministry Director, First Baptist Church, Boise, ID “Laurette Willis has an excellent stage presence that makes one hang on her every word. I highly recommend her work as an entertaining, educational presentation you won’t soon forget.” Linda M. Harker, Senior Pastor, Faith United Methodist, Tulsa, OK “Since I am a visual learner, I especially love the way I felt drawn into the history and culture of the Bible through Elizabeth, Priscilla and Mary Magdalene. The Bible came alive with each character as we anticipated the birth of a longed–for son, poured the precious oil on Jesus’ feet and served with Paul and visited him in prison. What a great time we had with Laurette!” Jean Bond, Pastor’s wife, Countryside Baptist Church, Stillwater, OK “Our Women’s Ministry Team at Christ First FSBC cannot begin to thank you enough for the terrific conference presentations you provided. We have had tremendous feedback from our attendees on both your ‘Extreme Makeover by God’s Design’ (keynote) and your PraiseMoves (workshop). Some mentioned even having already worked out to your video. Your multi-talented and perky personality contributed greatly to the success of our first-ever women’s conference. Not only did you share from a heart that is deeply in love with our Lord Jesus Christ, but you also brought humor and excitement into your presentation. We are already talking about a way to have you back for a church-wide event where we could tap into your ‘radio’ personalities (The Nutty ‘40s Radio Show). Thank you again for delivering to us what you promised.” Marcia Y. Johnson, Christ First Women’s Ministry Team, First Southern Baptist Church, Topeka, Kansas “This letter is to recommend in the most positive way, the ministry of Laurette Willis. She is a delightful blend of professional actress and anointed minister. Her dramatic presentations bring a greater depth of understanding to the Bible stories we've always known. Her portrayal of characters like Mary Magdalene and other great women of the Bible seem to bring these people back to life and reveal their very souls. Watching her perform is like taking a ride on an emotional roller coaster all the way from joyous laughter to tears of grief and then joy again. She loves God and it shows. Her ministry will be a blessing to any church.” Robert O. Johnson, President, Independent Assemblies Fellowship of Churches and Ministries “It was our pleasure to have Laurette Willis come to our church in December for a wonderful weekend of laughter, entertainment, and anointed ministry. She performed The Nutty ‘40s Radio Show at our Christmas Banquet on Saturday night, and brought the house down! She performed songs, imitated famous voices and sound effects, and used audience interaction to make a very enjoyable experience for all who attended. Then on Sunday morning, she performed ‘Mary Magdalene’ from her one-woman show, Great Women of the Bible. The Bible stories came alive on our stage as Laurette ministered in drama, costume and song. Our church family was on the edge of their seats the whole time, and the Spirit of the Lord was very powerful, indicating that Laurette had spent time with the Lord before coming to our church. I highly recommend her ministry to any church or outreach ministry, and will definitely ask her to come back to our church soon.” Mickey Keith, Senior Pastor, Evangelistic Temple, Ada OK, Vice-President, Independent Assemblies Fellowship of Churches and Ministries