Faith Raising, Not Fund Raising
October 1, 2002
Does a building campaign change the way a church teaches stewardship? For our congregation, the answer is dramatic, but not in the way you might expect. You see, for 15 years, our church did not own a building. Saddleback Community Church grew from a few people meeting in an apartment, to renting facilities in various schools, to meeting in a tent. Then in 1995, with over 10,000 regular weekly attenders, we built our first building. And now we're in the process of raising $14 million for additional facilities for our Children's Ministry Center. Recently a journalist asked me, "For years your church found much of its identity in being a people without property. You had a pioneer mentality, not a settler mentality. Now you've got a multi-million-dollar campus, and you're adding on. How has that changed you, especially the way you teach stewardship?" My answer surprised him. "It hasn't." And it's true. Our pastor, Rick Warren, is an entrepreneurial evangelist, whose personal anthem is "reach one more for Jesus." He's committed to seeing the church grow. In fact, he believes we're never going to stop growing, not because we simply want to get bigger, but because there are people around us who need Jesus. He doesn't want us to become settled in or satisfied with the status quo. He told us, "If any building gets in the way of reaching this community, we'll blow it up. If it starts making us feel too comfortable, we're moving." This commitment to growth, spiritually and in community impact, has influenced every aspect of our church, including how we create a climate for growing generous givers. ... We're not "stupid"
It all starts with how we approach the subject. No question, Rick Warren has a uniquely effective communication style, ...
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