Money Matters, Simplified.
Church members contribute $2.4 million on Warren’s plea
by Jamie Anderson - January 3, 2010 - comments
In what Pastor Rick Warren called radical giving, Saddleback Church members not only heeded his call to quickly raise $900,000 but exceeded it by at least $1.5 million.
Los Angeles, CA, January 3 -- Preacher Rick Warren's plea for donations led to a mind boggling response from parishioners!
The appeal to contribute towards a $900,000 deficit at Warren's Saddleback Church was posted online Wednesday and a mammoth $2.4 million was garnered at the mega church by New Year's Eve.
The radical giving
The response was so amazing that the church was inundated with men, women, and children filling donation cartons so quickly that they had to be emptied every 30 minutes.
"This is pretty amazing. I don't think any church has gotten a cash offering like that off a letter," an elated Warren said during a sermon at the church on Saturday.
Warren said that he was expecting more funds to pour in by hand and by mail in days to come. The priest declared that he will talk at length about the overwhelming response at the Sunday sermon, to be termed as ‘The Miracle’.
Referring to the fact that the feat was achieved by the hoi polloi, Warren said, "We're starting the new decade with a surplus. It came from thousands of ordinary people. This was not one big fat cat."
“It speaks volumes about you, the depth of commitment in this fellowship, and where God is taking us in 2010 – our 30th Anniversary year,” noted Warren.
Why the need arose
The pastor had to shoot out a communiqué asking for aid since a tenth of the church’s family was laid-off from work due to the ongoing recession.
He noted that the church largely remained within its budget for better part of 2009; however, the Christmas donations dipped drastically which led to the shortfall.
The missive not only enumerated the church's accomplishments in 2009 but also talked of the way forward. It detailed that the offerings would be used for, among others, the church's food pantry and the dispossessed ministry.
About Rick Warren
The Saddleback Church was founded by Warren in 1980 in Lake Forest, approximately 65 miles southeast of Los Angeles. As on date, it is the nation's sixth largest congregation.
The congregation has got enormous recognition and appreciation for its forums on civil issues and HIV/AIDS and for the outreach to Africa.
Warren himself is the author of several books, including the best-selling "The Purpose Driven Life". Warren’s charisma is probably what prompted President Barack Obama to invite him to give the incantation at his inauguration.
Warren is a marketing wiz who uses the media shrewdly whenever and wherever possible. At the launch of his newest book, The Hope You Need, Warren held a global competition for the art design for the cover.