Rick Warren Asks Saddleback Attenders to Offset Shortfall

Posted on December 31, 2009
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In a letter posted on the Saddleback Website, Rick Warren is asking that Saddleback attenders help him close a $900,000 gap in the church budget by the end of the year (tonight at midnight). In the letter posted Wednesday at the church's website, Warren says that ministry and results are way up, but the struggling economy has caused many not to be able to give as much as in the past.

You can read the whole letter from Rick Warren to the Saddleback family here, along with a couple of local press articles about the announcement:

Rick's letter to Saddleback

Pastor Rick Warren urgently asks faithful for $900,000

Saddleback Church members say 'Amen' to pastor's request

Comments

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Carl Thomas on Thu, December 31, 2009

This is only news because of the numbers involved and the fame of Warren. $900k is about $4.5 per attendee. If this were a church of 150 we are talking about less than $700.

Rick’s church is doing so much good I hope they get it all.
JOB on Thu, December 31, 2009

I would lower the budget.
bishopdave on Thu, December 31, 2009

OUr church is under 200, we will finish the year about $5k ahead of expenses—thank you Lord.

That is with offerings down from last year by about $17,000. Oh and last year, with $17k more in income, we were in the red at the end by nearly $4000. Yes, we gave over $22k to missions.

Sorry if this is bragging, but God ought to be bragged about.

By any chance does this make our church better than Rick’s or Rod Parsley’s?
Peter Hamm on Thu, December 31, 2009

JOB writes [I would lower the budget.] After the fact? How exactly do you do that? Change the budget in the last few days of the year… How?

At least he didn’t do the Rod Parsley thing, eh?

bishopdave writes [By any chance does this make our church better than Rick�s or Rod Parsley�s?] Better? No. More responsible? Perhaps.
Fred on Sat, January 02, 2010

Something is not right when churches have sermons, meetings, seminars and etc. about how to do your finances and then you find out that they don’t have “Financial Peace” themselves.
Is this leading by example? Oh it’s only 900,000 and they can make that up so easy.
Could everyone please send me a donation? I was doing like the church taught and was helping so many that I came up a little short. 10,000 should be enough (until next time). lol!
Jim on Sun, January 03, 2010

Before throwing stones on this it is probably good to remember how difficult this economic downturn has hit california. The numbers (attendance or dollars) couldn’t have been fully anticipated when this budget would have been planned (some 16 months ago as a guess). don’t have the additional financial challenges that places like Michigan and California have right now.
Anonymous� on Mon, January 04, 2010

Fred�
I�m with you on this one� poor budgeting on the half of Rick Warren� we minister in an Urban area� with the anticipation of low income, lay-offs, and financial crisis� we cut our budget this past year� and we were able to do more ministry with less finances� we cut down on entertaining the people� and had old fashioned church and evangelism� this year we were able to put our priorities in order� and we come out on top�
I still don�t get how you could ask donations to offset entertainment costs when families are struggling to make ends meet�
For the record, I like Rick Warren�
Accredited Online Degrees on Mon, January 18, 2010

The church does not make its financial information public, so it�s impossible to tell just how big of a hole in the boat this $900,000 represents. A spokeswoman for Warren said the church does not release detail on its finances, so it�s hard to put the shortfall in context.