*Read through the entrire page to view speaking details and Shane's bio

SPEAKING INQUIRIES

Shane tries to keep a healthy rhythm for speaking and travel, held in sync with the rest of community life and activities here at The Simple Way and Potter Street Community. Because he so highly values his time in the neighborhood, Shane has a group of friends that help him carefully discern speaking engagements so that he is a good steward of his time. If you are interested in having Shane speak, please check out this form, complete it and send it by email to: mdelong@eastern.edu. We will consider this initial inquiry and get back to you in 3-4 weeks. (Download Form Here.)

Please include:

• A detailed description of how you would like Shane to participate, including all possible times you would like him to speak.
• The attendance and type of audience you expect, and a description of the event and venue.
• The proposed date or dates for the event (please note if your dates are flexible, and give preferences).
• A full description of your organization/institution/community.
• Your complete contact information including name, address, phone, and email of the primary contact person.

Thanks!!!

(Shane generally plans 6-12 months in advance for speaking engagements.)

BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR SPEAKING REQUEST, PLEASE CONSIDER THIS…

Shane receives a high volume of speaking requests, and is only able to accept a small percentage of those engagements.  Priority is given to invitations meeting the criteria below:

• one larger venue in the area (500+) such as a chapel, convention, rally, or worship service
• at least one smaller venue for discussion (workshop, seminar, lunch Q&A)
• folks willing to fast from fuel to offset carbon imprint (see details)
• events willing to open the event to the public (and to let folks come to Shane’s talk for free)
• diversity of other presenters (good mix of men/women, ethnicity, old/young...)
• diversity of audience

SPEAKING DETAILS

Detail Information for Shane Claiborne's Speaking Engagements

Honorarium: Shane has no set fee for speaking, but rather asks the hosting group to suggest an honorarium (payable as a donation to The Simple Way) they think is appropriate. Because he is passionate about money not being the only determining factor for where he speaks, Shane often speaks for groups with little money to offer (or who take a freewill offering for The Simple Way). On the other hand, because he so highly values his time in the neighborhood, Shane seeks to be a wise and careful steward of his time away.

Travel:  Shane requests travel for two.  We have found great wisdom in the Gospel mandate to travel in pairs -- for accompaniment, accountability, and shared leadership. When within 3 driving hours, car rental or Greyhound is a good option.

Creation Care:  Being mindful of the impact that our hyper-mobile pace and fuel use have on Creation, and of the fragility of the current patterns of consumption that have led to wars over natural resources and the degradation of God’s earth, Shane has  a commitment to offset the ecological impact of his travel.   There are two ways a group hosting Shane to speak can participate:  either have a group of folks fast (go without) oil for a day the week Shane visits (a good guideline would be, at least one person go without fuel one day for every 100 miles Shane travels)  -- this may mean something as simple as carpooling or biking to work or as imaginative as converting your car to run off used veggie oil (awip.us) –OR- (less exciting) you can add an additional $100 to the honorarium  and Shane will donate that to a group dedicated to erasing the footprint his travel has on the environment.   For more information on this, check out demotorize.org.  

Lodging:  Homes, not hotels.  Shane does not like to stay in hotels.  In the Spirit of the early Church's houses of hospitality, we request to stay in the home of someone in the community or congregation.  Dorms are also fine.

Food:  Not picky -- Shane prefers a vegetarian diet, and likes to have meals in people's homes, or prefers choosing small family-owned restaurants over corporate chains when possible.

Discussions: After a large group event, Shane often has "Talkback Sessions" with people who are interested, inviting questions and response to a message. Shane is very relational, and enjoys having group dialogues whenever possible – these can be incorporated into the large gathering (i.e. with an open mic) or can be scheduled as a separate post-session event. 

Logistical Needs: We request a table setup to display photographs and literature. Copies will be made available.  Depending on the event, we may also bring merchandise such as handmade buttons, t-shirts, or books and DVD sets, which will be available at a suggested donation.    

For speaking, Shane requests a music stand or small podium (or just something to put papers on!), and prefers a handheld microphone.

Video/Audio:  Shane usually uses video clips in presentations (VHS/DVD), and occasionally uses Audio (CD) clips.  This can be worked out prior to the event.

Publicity:  Shane has a biographical brief available to help with program material (usually included with this letter).  Feel free to edit this appropriately for your context.  Photos are also available upon request and are usually included here as well.

Contact info: Don't hesitate to call if you have questions or need anything further.  This was just put together to help with details that usually come up initially.  The Simple Way intentionally has no paid staff, and Shane works on most of the logistics himself with the help of friends at EAPE.  If you have any further questions, feel free to contact the office who handles Shane’s engagements by mail or by phone  (610) 341-1735, or Fax (610) 341-4372. Or email Melissa Delong at mdelong@eastern.edu

Melissa handles speaking requests only, all other letters can be mailed to The Simple Way PO Box 14751 Philadelphia, PA 19134. Letters or donations to the community can be addressed to “The Simple Way community”, and personal letters for Shane can be to his attention at the PO Box. Shane reads all his mail, and responds to as many letters as he is able (granted it usually takes him several months).

SHANE'S BIO

Bestselling Author
Prominent Christian Activist and Sought-after Speaker
And Recovering Sinner

With tears and laughter, Shane Claiborne unveils the tragic messes we’ve made of our world and the tangible hope that another world is possible.  Shane graduated from Eastern University, and did graduate work at Princeton Seminary. His ministry experience is varied, from a 10-week stint working alongside Mother Teresa in Calcutta, to a year spent serving a wealthy mega-congregation at Willow Creek Community Church outside Chicago. During the recent war in Iraq, Shane spent three weeks in Baghdad with the Iraq Peace Team.  Shane is also a founding partner of The Simple Way, a faith community in inner city Philadelphia that has helped to birth and connect radical faith communities around the world.

Shane writes and travels extensively speaking about peacemaking, social justice, and Jesus. He is featured in the DVD series “Another World Is Possible” and is the author of the several books including The Irresistible Revolution, Jesus for President, and Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers. Shane speaks over 100 times a year in a dozen or so countries and nearly every state in the US. Shane has given academic seminars at Vanderbilt University, Duke University Pepperdine University, Wheaton College, Princeton University, Goshen College and Harvard University. Shane also speaks at various denominational gatherings, festivals, and conferences around the globe. Shane’s work has been featured in everything from Fox News and the Wall Street Journal to CNN and National Public Radio.

SHANE'S TALKS

Download the latest document that lists the talks that Shane gives regularly. Click here.