Each time I receive an invitation to speak at an event, lead a retreat and/or preach at a church, there is a part of me that looks over my shoulder to make certain that they don’t have the wrong guy. At the same time, I realize that over me life, I have had an opportunity to see the church and world in different ways and bring a unique perspective around faith, politics, race, technology and life in general — so I am honored to be asked.

I will generally use either of my two books as the foundations on my talks: social media and/or race. That said, I am also willing to engage in a variety of settings: traditional keynoting of conferences, casual church retreats, web streamed gatherings, or any other ways that people gather these days.

If you are interested in having me come to your gathering, please take a look at my speaking guidelines as well as my speaking calendar below. If you think there is a possibility, please drop me a note and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

Speaking Guidelines as of October 1, 2014

Honorarium: My honorarium is flexible – it really is – but please keep that this is the way I make my living and I take into consideration the time spent away from my home and family. My rates are $3,000 per presentation day for the first day and $750 per day after that. This includes up to four hours of “on time” per day  including workshop, keynote, preaching, etc.

Payment: Please have the honorarium ready to hand to me before I leave . . . please.

Travel to and from: I prefer to arrive the night before an event begins in order to get settled. If I need to fly, I prefer Delta Airlines and originate from San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Parking is $15 per day or cab is $40 each way.

Travel during: For events that are going to span more than a few days, I am willing to rent a car and get myself around. The event would simply cover the cost of the car and any extra fuel. My car rental company of choice is Hertz.

Room: Accommodations do not have to be fancy, but I prefer a hotel/private room. More of an introvert that I would like to admit, hanging out with folks 24/7 (even in someone’s home) is just too draining. My hotel family of preference is Hilton.

Board: Meals should be covered during the span of the event.

Expenses: There are generally no other expenses unless agreed upon in advance.

Other Support: I am generally pretty self-sufficient for events. I usually need to have a projector with sound capabilities available. Wireless is generally needed for participants, but not a necessity for me.

Book Sales: I also hope to be able to sell my books on-site if possible. This can happen via the conference bookstore and/or via a display that I can bring. I can provide a 40% discount for events. Book-signings are not inlcuded in program hours.

Contracts: As soon as we agree on dates and scope of my services, we must sign a contract stating the exact terms of our time together. If, after that, you require more services, we will renegotiate the agreed upon honorarium.

Optional BRC Amenities*

• As I leave my room each morning, white doves will shower lavender rose petals along my path.
• Whenever I walk into a room the theme from the Friends will be piped in.
• All blue M&Ms will be removed from my sight line of site.
• All depressing news or mention of the NY Yankees will be clipped from my morning paper 😉

Again, I am flexible on any of this, but I figure that it is better to put it out there and get all the awkwardness out of the way.

If you would like to explore the possibility of me being part of your event, please take a look at my travel schedule below, contact me and we can work from there.

* Just in case my humor is lost on some folks, these are not serious.

The Definitive-ish Guide for Using Social Media in the Church
(Shook foil Books, 2012) 
[twitter] [facebook page] [reviews on pinterest]

Synopsis:

For anyone who has wondered if and how social media can benefit the church, Presbyterian pastor and social media early-adopter Bruce Reyes-Chow steps in with answers. He deftly weaves practical how-to’s with a convincing rationale for why social media matters for the church. Social media novices will find an accessible introduction and ideas for getting started, while more experienced users will discover new ways to use social media in congregations. Readers will learn from Bruce’s experiences managing information overload and navigating social media issues during a pastoral transition. This is a book to pick up for both practical purposes and Bruce’s insightful and inspiring commentary on the ways social media is changing our culture and the church. Learn how social media allows Christians to be in the world in new, powerful, and God-honoring ways. [More . . .]

But I Don’t See You as Asian: Curating Conversations About Race
(Kickstarted and Self-published, 2013)
[twitter] [facebook page] [reviews on pinterest]

Synopsis:

In “But I don’t see you as Asian,” Bruce Reyes-Chow curates a collection of cringe-inducing statements about race such as, “If they can say it, why can’t I?” ” “Do you know martial arts?” and “He’s a different kind of Black,” hoping to turn awkward moments into a dialogue between friends.

Sitting in the sweet spot between lectures in academia and activism on the streets, Bruce invites the reader into a salon type of atmosphere where he directly addresses thoughtless words and diversionary tactics, such as dismissing racial discussions as being impolite or avoiding race conversations altogether. He invites the reader to chuckle, gasp, and perhaps nod in understanding as he lists the kinds of statements often used against persons of color in a predominantly white culture. But rather than stopping there, Bruce asks readers to swap shoes with him and reconsider their assumptions about race.

Useful for individual reading, or as a tool for opening group and community discussions, “But I don’t see you as Asian” puts one person’s joys and struggles on the table for dissection and discovery. [More . . .]

AUTHORGRAPH: [Bruce can sign your electronic version]

To purchase all versions, please visit the appropriate distributor.

Bruce on iTunes	Bruce on Amazon	Bruce on Nook

JUST TAKE ME TO AMAZON

Thanks for visiting the store for Rule #2: Don’t Be an Asshat: An Official Handbook for Raising Parents and Children where you will find all the #DontBeAnAsshat merch and resources you could ever want.

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Not to be a total control freak . . . actually I take that back, to be a total control freak, here are some guidelines and understandings that will be helpful if you wish to engage in any discourse on this here blog.

First and foremost, my blog is like a place I call home, a place where I hope to provide hospitality to strangers, friends and family. Being my home I feel that it is, not only my obligation to keep you well fed, but also to keep it emotionally and spiritually safe for all those who enter.

After hanging out a bit it is my hope that you will at some point be challenged, comforted, intrigued, cared for and on occasion given reason to give a deep exhale or a loud and hearty guffaw! Like a big ol’ gathering around the dinner table, it is my hope that we can fully experience the joys of being the complex, creative and amazing people God has made us to be.

But with all that flowery optimism, there are some lines that shan’t be crossed in my home. My lines may be further out there than some, but make no mistake . . . they are there. Here are few to keep I mind should you want to stay part of the this particular house party.

Your comments MAY be deleted if . . .

• I SAY SO // While I will not play this card unless you REALLY violate some of the other guidelines below, I do reserve the right to delete comments, block users and otherwise ask you to leave my home until such time as we can repair our relationship and come to some mutual understanding of blog behavior.  There are consequences my friends!
• YOU ARE RATED R+ // PG-13 people.  Easy on the swears.  I don’t have all that many kids reading my blog, but please only use profanity when it there is no other way to express your feeling AND kindly use the cute little symbols up there by your number keys – @#$%^& – to replace actual letters.
• YOU ARE MEANY McMEANY // I understand that being “nasty and mean” to one person is “speaking the truth in love” to another, but I reserve the right to delete any and all comments that I have deemed unhelpful, mean-spirited, vindictive, violent, sexual or otherwise inappropriately personal in nature.
• YOU DROP SPAM HERE // Really, hocking your wares on someone’s blog?!?!?  Now I don’t mind if it has something to do with the post, but make it personal, make it relevant, and don’t make it seem like you are some automatic spybot with a horrible English translation feature.  Off-topic posts of any kind will be deemed spam.
• YOU ARE TOO ANONYMOUS // While I understand that some folks need to stay anonymous because of work, family, etc. be aware that when assessing a comment I will ask the question, “Is this a real person who is willing to share their opinions with some accountability?”  This means tha anonymous, unlinked comments will probably be deleted if there is any questions about their validity or helpfulness to the discourse.
• YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER // My home is not a place to be a jerk, not take responsibility for your words, act a fool, be stupid or otherwise disrespect the space for discourse and growth the blogosphere is meant to be.  If you are new to the blog world and are learning the culture that is one thing, but being intentionally destructive will not be tolerated.

So that is it . . . please let me know if you have any questions, thoughts, additions, etc. and I’ll update it as appropriate.