The Question Joel Osteen Asked Me

The question that Joel Osteen asked me is one that many pastors ask. Before I let you know about the question let me give you a bit of background. Lakewood Church in Houston where the Osteen’s pastored was looking to move downtown into the Compaq Center. Joel had already raised around $12 million. $100 million was the price tag for making the move so he hired the firm I worked with owned by John Maxwell. Along with two other VP’s and our company president we started working on plans to raise the amount of money needed. We put in hours of planning and preparation before we ever met with Joel and Victoria.

On a Monday morning, our team was invited to the Osteen’s house and we all sat around their dining room table laying out the plan to raise $100 million dollars. I don’t remember much of the specifics but I do remember at one point Joel asked, “Why can’t I just get up this Sunday and ask the people to give?” Then he looked right at me!

Here is the answer. The larger the amount you need to raise the longer it will take to raise that amount.

OK, so you don’t have to raise $100 million but my guess is that you are probably struggling financially. Recently Baptist Press reported that “In terms of the offering plate, 34% of pastors say they’ve received less in 2020 than at this point in 2019, with 29% saying giving has stayed around the same and 28% saying it has increased.” Your need for dollars is relative to where you are not the size of the amount.

Our answer to Joel that day is the same that I still give. In fact I have built all my approaches to giving around this principle,

The formula for a successful giving initiative is, Information + Inspiration + Time = Success.

My advice to churches is that they plan out each and every offering. It is why weekly my clients get an offering talk written for them. Find out how you can get yours weekly at https://acts17generosity.com/memberships/

Special offerings take longer to plan for and you must give your donors longer to process the information. You can’t decide the night before to hold a special offering. It takes time and planning. I know, you are short on time. So, what the typical church leaders does is, well mostly when it comes to reversing declines in giving, we do nothing! Nothing will get you nothing!

Because you can’t just get up this Sunday and ask people to give more I have developed for you a plan of action to raise potentially one week’s worth of additional offering called, “Recovering the Lost Offering of COVID19.” I give you everything you need to pull off a successful come from behind offering. I can help you end your summer well and better position your fall. But we must get started ASAP! Download the manual here at, https://acts17generosity.com/shop/recovering-the-lost-offering-of-covid-19/

By the way, Joel accepted my answer and our plan went into place. If you wonder how successful we were just look where Lakewood meets today. Down town in the renovated Compaq Center.

If I can help Joel Osteen, I can help you! Get Recovering the Lost Offering of COVID19 NOW! https://acts17generosity.com/shop/recovering-the-lost-offering-of-covid-19/

Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach

@stewardshipman