“Make a careful assessment of who you are, what you were created for, and then just do it.”
Galatians 6:4 paraphrase

That verse makes it sound so simple, doesn’t it? However, for a myriad of different reasons, many people never attempt to discover and fulfill their God-given purpose, and our world is suffering for it.

We cannot ignore the fact that there is an epidemic in our society and its symptoms are even prevalent within the church. It seems our belief isn’t changing our lives!

• Large numbers of Americans surveyed reported they found no personal fulfillment at their jobs
• Even larger numbers of 25 Christians surveyed reported they did not know their life’s purpose
• Alcohol & drug use is still rising in this country, hitting younger & younger age groups
• Adultery & divorce also continue to climb, even in Christian families
• Depression & suicide are at all-time highs, for all ages groups

This epidemic has many names: low-self esteem, no self-worth, victim, busyness, frantic lifestyles, etc. Whatever the label or symptom, at Courage to Be You we believe that the root cause can be traced to one source- a lack of purpose, specifically a God-designed purpose.

There is a plan and a divine purpose for every life. However, intentional resources are rarely offered to equip and encourage individuals to discover, fulfill, and live out their God-given purpose. Courses of this type are not taught in our high schools or colleges. The topic isn’t one that is often given priority from the church’s pulpit or in children’s classrooms. No one is going into prisons, juvenile halls, or rehab centers declaring this message of purpose to the hopeless individuals confined there. Though many wonderful organizations exist to feed the poor around the world, not many devote their time and resources to proclaiming the life changing message that you were created on purpose for a purpose. This is the message the world needs to hear. This is the message that can transform lives.

“Before I shaped you in the womb I knew all about you, before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you.”
Jeremiah 1:5 Msg.

At Courage to Be You we have an urgency and passion for proclaiming this message to the world. One of the ways our organization equips and encourages individuals for this journey of discovery is through our Courage Conferences.

What happens at a Courage Conference?

Courage Conferences are a two-night, one-day conference/retreat event”and we mean EVENT”to declare the message you were created on purpose for a purpose! Music, drama, dance, Bible-based inspirational, motivational messages, self-awareness exercises, small group accountability, solitude challenges, and much more are incorporated into this weekend. We touch all the senses and engage all learning styles to provide each attendee an environment conducive to hearing God’s voice and experiencing His presence. For in seeking God not only do we find him, but we find ourselves.

Courage Conferences are more than just a mountain top, motivational-type experience. Tangible exercises and take-home materials assist attendees in discovering who you are, what you were created for, and then providing resources and opportunities to help do just that. The Bible says we are âtransformed by the renewing of our minds. That is exactly what a Courage Conference does”renew your mind while inspiring your spirit.

Courage to be You was founded on the principle that each and every life not only has value, but a unique purpose and destiny. We believe that in addition to a personal relationship with God, discovering and fulfilling our life’s purpose is the adventure and the life we were created for. Courage Conferences are an amazing way to begin or renew this grand adventure.

USA Pricing

Price: Student($25), Single($45), Couple($75), Family Couple plus 2 teens($100) includes all conference materials but no lodging and meals. Special music is also provided at various sliding scales. Courage Conferences can be customized for Woman’s Events, Men’s Events, Youth Events and/or a church or community wide event.
To book Courage Conferences, Courage Concerts and Empower Nights- email Creative Director Stephanie Midthun stephanie@c2bu.org

Courage Conference Speaker Jenny Williamson not only believes that each life has value, but that each life has a God-given purpose and destiny. She believes that discovering and fulfilling that destiny is the adventure of a lifetime. Jenny’s passion and purpose is to equip, encourage and empower everyone that crosses her path to be all that God created them to be” nothing more, but absolutely refusing to settle for anything less.

Jenny is a professional life coach, former Woman’s Ministry Director, business owner, wife, mother, and founder of Courage to Be You, Inc.” an international, non-profit organization that helps people find their purpose.

Her own life was forever changed when God branded the very personal and profound question upon her soul: Do you have the courage to be you” the you I created? Scared to death and with all the courage she could muster, Jenny began the journey of discovering that before time began she was, created on purpose for a purpose. Now intentionally running like crazy toward everything God has planned for her, she loves speaking to audiences around the world encouraging them to do the same. Jenny’s passionate message includes increasing awareness about an invisible, vulnerable population of children who are being held captive and sold for sex daily in the U.S. and around the world. C2BU, the organization she founded, is building Courage Houses” homes for children rescued from sex trafficking. In these homes, hope will be given, dreams will be renewed, and lives will be restored.

From a young age, Clayton Butler felt a call on his life to live out the pure religion described in James 1:27: to take care of the orphans and widows in their distress and to keep himself from being polluted by the world. This call has led him to serve the oppressed and disenfranchised in places like Peru, Nicaragua, India, and Thailand. Most recently, God stirred his heart for the plight of the modern day slave. Clayton has served in Cambodia helping to bring transformation to some of the darkest corners of the planet where the slave trade still thrives. He has a passion to see the same transformative power that he witnessed in Cambodia come to every city, town, and country where slavery and child abuse exist. Clayton has a Bachelor of Business Ethics from William Jessup University and a Masters of Theological Studies from Liberty Theological Seminary. He spent three years working in Cambodia with Agape International Missions as Director of Svay Pak Ministries and is now currently working in Sacramento, California with Agape International Missions as Director of U.S. Prevention.

Barbara Wilson is the founder of Freedom Bound Communications, a ministry that brings healing and hope to those with a sexual past and the former director of the Sexual Health Education for faith-based Alternatives Pregnancy Center in Sacramento, California.
Barbara speaks internationally, on radio and television to youth and adults with her message of sexual bonding and healing. Barbara has also spoken at the United Nations Status of Women Conference in New York City. Released from a past of her own, Barbara shares her journey to healing in her books, The Invisible Bond: How to Break Free From Your Sexual Past, and Kiss Me Again; Restoring Lost Intimacy in Marriage published by Multnomah Waterbrook Press, a division of Random House Publications.
She is an active member of the multi-campus, Bayside Covenant Church in Granite Bay, California where she leads leads men and women to God’s forgiving, healing power for past sexual sin, abuse and trauma using her bible study, Break Free From Your Sexual Past; A Study of Freedom, Forgiveness, Healing and Hope. Barbara and her husband Eric have been married for 30 years and have four great kids, two wonderful daughter-in-laws, and 3 beautiful grandchildren.

Aquanetta Gordon, a motivational speaker, is also a woman who has single-handedly raised five children and who continues to trust God in spite of facing tremendous adversity. At the age of two, Aquanetta’s fourth child, Benjamin Underwood, was diagnosed with a rare eye cancer called Retinoblastoma. Both his eyes were removed to save his life. As Ben grew up, he became known all over the globe as the boy who could see with sound. Through what Aquanetta attributes to a supernatural ability bestowed upon him from above, Ben learned to see his way around his world using echolocation. Ben’s cancer returned in 2007 and he passed into the care of heaven on January 19, 2009. Ben’s was a life that shows how God can make the impossible possible in the life of a believer. Aquanetta and Ben’s story, while heartbreaking, is perhaps the most inspiring story you will ever hear. Ben’s story has been featured on CNN and Oprah.

The Reel is an Alternative/Rock/Pop Band that began with two guys and their acoustic guitars. It was hard to deny the musical connection; The Reel was born with their first album, Come Alive. After two years, Cameron and Curtis were introduced to Christian and they knew that he was right guy to lay down the groove. It was obvious who the other two band members would be. Kevin, a long time friend and guitarist, and Jacob, who truly knew the meaning of “slap da bass!” Becoming more brothers than friends, The Reel found their sound. Coming from Placerville, California, The Reel is most commonly known to play around California in churches, bars, and festivals. However, they have made it around the United States and other countries, traveling to Niger, Africa and Delhi, India. In just the past two years, The Reel has accomplished national radio with their song, “Come Alive,” as well as several interviews on local radio stations. They have also been featured in newspapers across California. In addition, The Reel is proud to be a part of Courage to Be You, Inc., an international, non-profit organization dedicated to building homes and providing care for minor of human sex-trafficking (www.C2BU.com). More recently, The Reel won a competition and headed to Nashville where they were privileged to perform at the CMAs. They won 2nd place for their song “What if You Believe.” Their new song, “Made For You,” recently won Grand Prize for the West Coast Songwriters International Song Competition. Beyond their love of music, The Reel’s passion is to inspire, challenge, and move people. The Reel ‘s second album Stars is out now and can be purchased at a show or on iTunes

Stephanie Midthun, Creative Director for C2BU, has given her life to leading worship and directing music for the last 25 years. Stephanie and her two sisters formed the group threefour:one in 2000 and have recorded 5 CD’s. Audiences often say their music and personal testimonies lead them into the healing presence of the Father. In 2003, Stephanie went to Africa and God broke her heart for the street children and clearly called her to be the voice for those that have no voice. In 2008, but what could only be described as a divine encounter , Jenny Williamson and Stephanie met for coffee and Jenny told Stephanie about the dream of the Courage House and that she needed a song to the story of the young girls who are being sold for sex here in the U.S. and who need to be rescued. A few days later, Stephanie wrote the song Believe in Me. Soon after that Stephanie gathered several local bands and artists to be a part of the Believe in Me CD for the Courage House and together they have done numerous benefit concerts which Stephanie oversees as well as Courage Conferences. Stephanie’s heart and passion is for worship and justice and to inspire the church to rescue the children, both here and around the globe. Stephanie and her husband, Pastor Joel from Living Water Church, have 3 sons and reside in Elk Grove, CA.

With a message that touches the heart and a singing voice that inspires, Chaya tells of the greatness of God’s mercy and grace. She has experienced His love, forgiveness, and healing in a most powerful way, and longs for everyone she comes in contact with to have that same experience. She reaches all ages with her personal story that tells of a wonderfully happy childhood that was shattered when she entered her early teens, finding out that important parts of her life had been a lie. She tells of the road back to wholeness through Jesus Christ, and is living proof that with a life sold out to the Lord, there is hope and triumph in the midst of tremendous heartbreak.