Frequently Asked Questions:
What topics will Dee cover when speaking?
Dee will visit with you about the maturity of your women, the needs you see, and will pray about the topic. She is seeing a tremendous impact from her book Idol Lies in really changing lives, so lately has been speaking on that. She has also spoken on grief, women’s friendships, and growing in our love relationship with Jesus. If you keep the retreat theme fairly general, such as “Matters of the Heart,” or “Pressing on To Know The Lord” it gives Dee freedom as the event draws nearer. She’ll listen hard to you and to the Lord. One popular theme has been “Responding to the Lord of the Dance.” Then Dee can speak about responding to the Lord in friendship, in matters of the heart, in grief…she does use some dance clips to illustrate that when surrender and let the Lord lead, it leads to beauty and joy.
How do I invite Dee to be a speaker at my next women’s event?
Your first step is to fill out our Booking Request Form.
Dee prayerfully considers each speaking invitation. Some of the best retreats are a result of churches working together, having leaders from several churches on the Retreat Planning Committee, so that they have ownership and want to invite their women.
An alternative for small churches is Dee’s Friendship Retreat In A Box. (You can read about it in the store section. It has videos, small group questions, and games to help your women bond with one another and the Lord.)
How will I know if Dee has accepted my invitation?
Dee will pray about it, may want to talk to you, and will not keep you waiting long. If you don’t hear back quickly, e-mail again in case your e-mail was lost. If you mutually agree God is leading, a contract will be emailed to the contact person who in turn will print, sign and return the contract with a $500 deposit to reserve the date requested.
Will Dee Brestin Ministries help me with promotional materials?
Yes. We will provide you with various examples of promotional materials used at past events, plus we will equip you with press photos, Dee’s bio, and other information needed to create a promotional piece to be used in your church and community. There is a promotional video of Dee on her website you may request a copy of to show if you like.
Is Dee willing to do radio interviews?
Yes. This is a very effective way to promote your women’s event. Dee’s assistant will work with the event coordinator to make the necessary arrangements needed with radio personnel for a phone interview.
What is Dee’s speaking honorarium and what other expenses are involved when booking Dee?
Dee has agonized over this and never wants to pedal The Word of God for profit. She does have expenses and she is partnering with a prison ministry for women and uses anything left after paying her employees to donate Bible studies for the women in prison. She has handled this in several ways and is open to talking to you. Occasionally, if you have a large group, she will do a five minute presentation about her prison ministry and take an offering and lower her honorarium. The following is her usual honorarium range for typical situations within the United States. If you live within a few hours from Dee she will lower her honorarium. It’s best to visit with Dee by phone about this. She doesn’t want it to be the primary factor, but she also needs to pay those who work for her.
Dee needs her travel and hotel paid, and those of her assistant, though she doesn’t always need an assistant to come if you have someone wonderful and reliable who is tech savy and can run her presentation and also oversee the volunteers at the book-table and make sure the books are packed up without damage. An assistant does free Dee to minister to the women.
Who makes the necessary travel and hotel reservations?
We make them. We book ahead, fly coach, and look for the best rates. The Event Coordinator will be responsible for making local hotel reservations or can work with Dee’s assistant, Rebecca.
Is Dee willing to have dinner with members of the event team prior to the day of the event?
Dee prefers to celebrate after the event with an early dinner where they can reflect on what God did and also evaluate. If the team wants to meet with Dee the night before the retreat, it needs to be an early supper so that Dee can be back at the hotel no later than 7:00pm. It’s so important that she wind down and get a good night’s sleep before she speaks. This will be dependent on Dee’s travel. She’ll make her plans to get in by mid to late afternoon, but sometimes planes are late, and in such a case she will have to regrettably pass on Friday dinner plans.
What kind of technical equipment is needed when Dee speaks?
Dee’s presentations are enhanced with VIDEO CLIPS, AUDIO CLIPS, AND PHOTOGRAPHS. It is important that the facility in which Dee is to speak is equipped with a sound system and projection equipment that can support this type of multi-media presentation. Dee will bring a Mac laptop with a Pro-presenter presentation. She can run it herself with a remote from her phone but still needs someone at the soundbooth and projection booth. She will need to meet the technical person before the event.
Are Dee’s books and other merchandise sold at the event?
Yes, and this is a great opportunity for volunteers to help serve Dee and her assistant. Instructions for operating the book tables will arrive along with the inventory approximately one week before the event. Dee’s assistant will train volunteers on the details of handling the inventory and purchasing process.
Will Dee spend time signing books and meeting with women who attend an event?
Absolutely! It is Dee’s hope that the Lord will use her to minister to ladies throughout the event, not just from the stage. While meeting the women and signing books, Dee finds herself often led to pray with women and takes the necessary time to listen to their personal stories.
What is Dee’s church affiliation?
Dee has been a member of the Presbyterian Church of America which is the conservative branch of the Presbyterian Church committed to the inerrancy of Scripture. She has recently moved to Wisconsin and is involved in a church plant of The Evangelical Free Church. Dee sees herself as a member of the Body of Christ and is sensitive to differences in denominations.
Is there an Event Tool Kit that covers more details regarding the setup/teardown of the merchandising tables, the pre-event preparations, sample agenda for the event, etc.?
Yes. You can view the Event Planning Tool Kit for answers to these and other specific questions.