bio
Keri Wyatt Kent writes and speaks about spiritual transformation. She challenges her readers and listeners to grow, no matter what stage of life they find themselves in.
A Christian for more than 30 years, Keri draws on the experiences and wisdom of those years in her writing and speaking. She graduated from Wheaton College (Wheaton, Illinois), and she has been writing professionally for more than 15 years. Her experiences include 10 years as a reporter, seven of them at The Daily Herald, Illinois's third largest newspaper, where she specialized in business writing. She continues to write on assignment for The Daily Herald.
She is an active member of Willow Creek Community Church (South Barrington, Illinois), where she has attended since 1987. She has volunteered at Willow Creek in the communications department, writing brochures, letters and newsletters. She was also a writer for Willow Creek Magazine, formerly published by the church.
Keri teaches spiritual formation classes at Willow Creek Community Church. She is currently teaching a class on her book Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life, and she is a part of the Spiritual Formation leadership and teaching team. She also speaks and leads retreats for women's groups at other churches. She has been a workshop speaker at the Hearts at Home women's conference and she is a popular speaker with M.O.P.s (Mothers of Preschoolers) groups.
Keri also runs her own freelance writing business. She has written many articles for trade publications and business associations, and ghostwritten numerous articles for clients in a variety of magazines. She's been a contributor to Christian Parenting Today and Discipleship Journal. Her books now include God's Whisper in a Mother's Chaos, The Garden of the Soul, Breathe, Listen and Oxygen: Deep Breathing for the Soul.
testimony
I was raised in a Christian home, brought up in the church. I accepted Jesus as my savior at age five.
Growing up, I was the good and dutiful eldest child, but I believe my spiritual growth was genuine. I was a student leader in my youth group all through high school.
I went to Wheaton College where I met great friends and inspiring professors. But the emphasis on rules brought me to a season of doubt. I began questioning my faith—while never rejecting it, exactly.
After college, I went through a season of rebellion. I was duplicitous: I believed (even expected) that God loved me; I just didn’t want to obey him completely.
Eventually, I found myself in enough pain to seek God’s grace and leadership. I found myself at Willow Creek Community Church, restored by God’s amazing grace.
I’ve been at Willow for 19 years. I met my husband there, and am raising my two kids in the faith. God’s allowed me to serve through various ministries at Willow and through my writing and speaking. My ministry is now focused on helping others experience transformational grace so they can grow in love and authenticity.
Specialty
SUGGESTED RETREAT TOPICS:
Breathe - Are you living your life at a sane pace? Or are you hurried, worried, stressed and overwhelmed? Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened." But how, exactly, do we do that? Wouldn't it be nice to just have a little space to catch your breath? That's exactly what the Breathe retreat is all about. You'll look at the physical, emotional and spiritual damage that a hurried life can cause. Then, you'll look at very practical ways to create space for God in your hectic life. Learn to slow down, breathe deeply, simplify, and even take a real rest. Learn what it means to live in Sabbath Simplicity, but still live your real life.
God's Whisper in a Mother's Chaos - This retreat focuses on helping mothers learn, in very practical ways, to listen to God's still small voice. Moms will come away from this weekend refreshed in their souls, encouraged in their calling and equipped to continue to listen to God's whispers. Participants are introduced to spiritual practices of solitude, journaling and listening prayer.
The Garden of the Soul - How does growth happen? Like a flower, your spirit needs proper care and the right conditions to grow. How can you provide proper care and create the right conditions? This retreat includes teaching sessions, small group discussions and individual spiritual exercises, all designed to provide you with the tools to cultivate the garden of your soul. Learn how to work with God and open yourself to his work in you so that your soul can become like a "well-watered garden."
SUGGESTED SHORT EVENT TOPICS:
The Gift of Christmas Present - Planning a holiday event? Whether it's a Christmas tea, holiday brunch or year-end event, you want a speaker who will engage audiences with laughter and fun, but also remind them about the real meaning of Christmas.
Keri's newest talk, "The Gift of Christmas Present," looks at how we often don't enjoy Christmas because we are thinking about all we have to do or all the stress we associate with the holidays. This talk looks at how we can be fully present (rather than focusing on past problems or future to-do lists). By being present, we can receive the gift of Christmas present--Jesus himself.
Keri shares several biblical examples of how Jesus interacted with people and invites us to interact with Jesus--to be fully present with him, and then to be fully present with our family and friends. Her presentation ends with a nonthreatening, seeker-friendly invitation to receive the ultimate Christmas present by asking Jesus to forgive our past and secure our future.
Letting Go of Guilt So You Can Grow - Based on a chapter in God's Whisper in a Mother's Chaos, this talk can be presented as a workshop or keynote. Understand what guilt is, why you feel it, whether guilt is ever good and how you can create new benchmarks for growth that will enable you to let go of guilt.
A Mom's Day with Jesus - Learn how to invite Jesus into your ordinary moments, so that you can draw on his strength to get you through the day. Learn to recognize teachable moments with your children and to incorporate spiritual disciplines into your daily routine.
The focus of this workshop is not to give you more things to do, but to teach you how to do everything in Jesus' name.
Solitude & Other Impossible Dreams- What are spiritual practices? How can they help you satisfy your desire to grow closer to God? How can you ever find the time to incorporate them into the crazy daily life of a mom? Learn about simple steps you can take to grow spiritually.
Putting the Quiet Back into Quiet Time - What can you learn from the contemplative traditions of the Christian faith? This talk focuses on practices like prayer and meditation that can draw you closer to God, as well as on the importance of silence and listening in your prayer life. Includes practice of lectio divina and the Jesus Prayer.
Solitude in the Life of the Writer - This workshop, designed for writer's groups, highlights the importance of the spiritual discipline of solitude in the life of a writer. Although writing is a solitary activity, writers who wish to communicate spiritual truth must also dedicate time to the practice of solitude: solitude in which they simply listen and don't write. An empowering, interactive workshop for writers.
You may also customize a retreat or event to meet the needs of your group.
Performer: Keri Wyatt Kent
Travels from: Chicago, IL
Performance Fee: Call for quote
Travel Requirements: Airfare & Hotel for (1)
