Conference FAQs
The following offers general church instructions for Bill Jackson’s NothinsGonnaStopIt! seminar. Note that these instructions can be adapted to other seminars as well.
Program Times (example is for NothinsGonnaStopIt!)
Friday night I need to be introduced no later than 7:30 pm. We have to do the intro and entire OT on that night so we can’t spare any air time.
Saturday morning I need to be speaking by 9:00 am (which means starting promptly at 8:30 for worship if you are going to have it). We will have two good breaks during the morning, one after the Second Temple period lecture and one after the Life of Jesus lecture and before the lecture on the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.
Lunch will be approximately 12-1 pm but this is a little flexible depending on when we get done with the morning. The last two lectures are 45 min. apiece with a break in the middle. We should be done by 3 pm, including a ministry response time.
Ministry Time
We will not be having a ministry time on Friday night since we have to make it all the way through the Old Testament. It is best to do one ministry time at the end of the seminar so people have a chance to respond in an appropriate manner.
If the senior pastor or another church leader could help during this phase, I would really appreciate it. I am usually pretty tired by this time!
Promotion
When you begin to announce the seminar, have people visit NothinsGonnaStopIt.com for a preview of what to expect. There are some video clips on the site to give people a flavor for what the teaching is like.
On the web site there is a Word file of a four color brochure that you can print out in either color or black and white to tri-fold and put in bulletins. It has the registration info built right into it for downloading and then reworking to reflect your specific information. Please follow the timing sequences given above.
Syllabus
I have a 100+ page syllabus that you will need to build into your conference cost. This way I do not need to charge sales tax. It is very important that each student have a syllabus because there is way too much information to absorb and this way the attendees can have a written account of the content for their further reflection. The version I use for the seminar has no footnotes so as not to overwhelm anyone.
I will send you the Word file of the notes and you can photocopy and package the material any way you want. Financially I would like 20% over the cost of production as my author’s royalty so figure this into your cost structure. You can either build in the price of the syllabi as part of the conference registration or sell them at a book table. It is preferable that everyone has a copy of the notes so those who learn better by looking at written material in addition to the audio and visual components (I have a power point) can follow along. At the very least they can have the notes to review when they get home. There is way too much information to absorb so they need a means of review.
Extra copies of the syllabi are also available to buy off the web site by following the materials link.
Microphone
I would prefer a wireless mic if at all possible.
Power Point
I have a 180 slide presentation that I use when I do NothinsGonnaStopIt! that can be run by the power point person you select. It is easy to use. I have a set of my notes, which I do not deviate from, with a number and picture of each slide at the point where that slide is to be used. If the person is paying attention to where I am we always stay in sync.
Materials
I have a professionally produced 6-CD set of my NothinsGonnaStopIt! seminar that I will be selling at the conference.
My standard policy is to allow the hosting church to purchase a library copy of the CDs for lending at the church.
If you want to record the seminar yourself for library lending that would be fine, but please do not sell them or distribute them in any way. We worked hard to get the content right on the professionally produced CD and this is what I want out in public domain.
If you are having me in to do one of my other seminars for which I do not have professionally produced CDs, you can record the seminar for either library lending or to sell. If you sell the tapes, please negotiate with me so I can get a fare share of the sale price of the product.
Selling Materials
I will have both audio CDs and video DVDs of the seminar for sale. I can also sell extra copies of the seminar notes. Prices will be available at the seminar. I will bring a cash box and if someone could be assigned to take the money, I would really appreciate it.
Checks need to be made out to Radical Middle Ministries.
Expenses
I would ask that all expenses would be covered by the hosting church. This would include gas, plane ticket, meals in transit, parking costs, etc.
I would prefer making my own plane reservations and have you reimburse me after the seminar. I am fine with traveling coach.
Per expenses, we could do this two ways. I could send photocopies of receipts after the event is over or I could turn in receipts to be photocopied at the events covering the costs of coming to the conference. Those expenses could then be approximately doubled to come up with the total cost for expenses.
Honorariums
I have never had a set fee for any seminar I have done. I have always been willing to go to any church, no matter the size in order to teach the kingdom. On the other hand, this is one of the ways I make a living. Somewhere in-between those realities I pray that God would show you what to pay me. Try to gage what a person at my age and experience level would make per day for your estimate.
To give you some guidelines: Travel and preparation take about a day and the seminars usually take two days. All told, to do a seminar takes 3 to 3 1/2 days counting emotional and physical recovery time.
When I am asked to preach on a Sunday churches have always considered that a separate event and have made honorarium adjustments accordingly.
One idea is to provide a base honorarium depending on what the Lord is putting on your hearts and then take a special offering before the event is over.
Honorariums should be made out to William C. Jackson or another RMM speaker if applicable and receipted and notated expenses should be made out to RMM. The address, if you need to send me mail, is:
25634 Santa Barbara
Moreno Valley CA 92557
Phone: 858-922-2602
Email: jax@radicalmiddle.net
Attendance
How many should attend? I settled it with the Lord a long time ago that I would do seminars for whoever would listen. For the smaller churches it would be good to have at least 20-30 there, however for the dynamics to be right. I would suggest having multiple churches host the event. It is best to have at least 100 people in the room.
Venue
Please put us in a venue that is appropriate for the size of the group. It is tough to teach 20 people in a room that seats 300!
Housing
I have not minded staying in host homes as a general rule. If you are having me in to do NothinsGonnaStopIt!, however, this seminar is particularly exhausting physically. If you have me stay in a host home, it needs to be with the caveat that the hosts need to respect my need for rest. Sometimes they want to “get to know me” until midnight! I’d love to get to know them too (under other circumstances) but in order for me to do a good job teaching I need to have my down-time.
If a moderate hotel is in your budget, if you could consider it that would be wonderful.
