1. A detailed description of how you would like Richard to participate and, as much as possible, possible times you would like him to speak
2. A description of the event and venue to which you are inviting Richard, and a general idea of the attendance and type of audience. This will not be used, in any way, as a deciding factor, however, it does help Richard tailor his message to your needs.
3. The proposed dates/times of your event, and please do note if these dates/times are fixed and/or flexible.
4. A full description of your organization and/or the organizing body for the appearance including noting whether they are non-profit, charitable, religious, for profit or other. If this event is a fund-raiser, please clearly specify the organization to receive funds from the event.
5. Name, address, phone and e-mail of the primary contact person.

Richard generally seeks to plan appearances 3-6 months in advance, however, this is more flexible for Midwest appearances and weekend appearances.

RICHARD'S SPEAKING GUIDELINES

• Honorarium: Richard has no set fee for his speaking appearances. Richard asks that the host group suggest an honorarium that is deemed appropriate. Richard has long operated under the philosophy that money should never be an exclusionary factor for organizations. Richard quite often speaks for small groups with little or no money to offer (or who will take a free will offering). However, in an effort to be a responsible steward both physically and financially, Richard does seek to choose his appearances wisely and responsibly in counsel with others. All honorariums and offerings benefit the Tenderness Network.
• Travel: With the exception of Central Indiana speaking appearances, Richard prefers travel for two. This is consistent with Gospel teaching of traveling in pairs, and out of respect for his own physical needs. If the appearance is within a few hours of Indiana, Richard often travels by car and/or Greyhound (Greyhound offers discounted companion travel).  This issue can be discussed more in-depth for extended and/or long-distance speaking appearances. 
• Lodging: Richard prefers homes, not hotels. Recognizing that wheelchair access may be an issue, Richard is open to dorms, retreat centers, churches and/or other basic accomodations.
• Food: Richard is not particular picky, however, he prefers to share meals with families or participants. This allows for relationship building and continued dialogue.
• Logistics: Depending on the type of speaking requested (inspirational, keynote, workshop, preaching, teaching), Richard's needs tend to be fairly basic. Podiums are seldom appropriate as he is in a wheelchair and they are usually taller than he is! He prefers a lavalier microphone, as it allows his hands to be free, however, he's perfectly willing to work with a hand-held mic. He would appreciate the presence of a table, music stand or some other shorter stand on which to place papers. We'd appreciate the opportunity to have a table display of Tenderness Network materials, including a few items we might offer for sale (including his upcoming book if it's out yet!).  While Richard doesn't historically utilize powerpoint or multimedia, in adapting for individual audiences this is subject to change!
• Biography: A brief bio is available. Richard usually tailors it to the individual group, however, he's quite comfortable with it being edited to fit your needs. In the near future, it will be posted on this website.
• Contact Info: You can contact us at:
  Tenderness Network
  5115 Devon Drive
  Indianapolis, IN 46226
  richard@tendernesstour.com
  317-691-5692

SPEAKING TOPICS

Richard is generally recognized as a wildly flexible speaker capable of adapting virtually any of his messages to your needs, whether they be based upon time, venue, audience or purpose. Richard's appearances have included everything from brief remarks at prayer vigils to keynote messages in churches, conferences and schools. He's spoken to all-school assemblies, classrooms, colleges, churches of virtually every denomination, civic groups, health professionals, public officials and many, many more. Generally, his messages fall into the following areas:

• The Tenderness Tour: Lessons Learned From a Life on the Road- This 15-60 minute message is Richard at his most laid back and inspirational. He shares his journey from victim to survivor to thriver...sharing honestly and openly his often painful and frequently funny lessons from 18 years and 3,000 miles on the road. Richard often invites dialogue during and after his message!
• The Perfect Life- This message is, perhaps, Richard's most strictly Gospel-based message...a message about God's love, faith, the power of community and the miracle of forgiveness. This message, too, can be tailored to fit both brief and extended appearances. "The Perfect Life" can also be adapted for religious and survivor conferences as a workshop.
• Everyone is Beautiful- With this message, Richard reaches out to both abuse survivors and individuals with physical and/or developmental challenges...he calls this message his "victory dance" of celebrating who we are.
• These three basic topics are, quite honestly, often intertwined and easily adapted for other messages. Along with his inspirational speaking, Richard has led workshops on healing through the arts, flashbacks (for survivors), the spiritual aspects of grief and many more. Additionally, Richard is available for Sunday morning preaching, Sunday school lessons and educational appearances on child abuse, domestic violence, disability, grief issues and nonviolence as well as, of course, good ole' fashioned traditional preaching!
• Of course, Richard is willing to serve weddings, funerals, baptisms and in a chaplaincy capacity for special events, conferences or otherwise.