Radical GenerosityPastor RIck commends Saddleback Church for their generous response to year-end giving requestThe first weekend of the year began with selflessness and gratitude, as Pastor Rick once again commended the Saddleback Church congregation for their radical generosity, announcing their faithful giving totaled $2.4 million. These gifts came in response to Pastor Rick's year-end letter, urgently requesting support to offset a $900,000 budget shortfall to meet critical community needs.
“That’s a record for churches, a cash offering on the basis of a letter,” Pastor Rick exclaimed. “We are ending 2009 in the black and beginning 2010 with a surplus.”
Undeniable faith
Expressing his gratefulness to the congregation for their ongoing faithfulness, Pastor Rick announced the total at each of Saddleback's six weekend services by bringing onto the platform 24 volunteers, each holding a sign highlighting a Saddleback ministry and representing $100,000 in donations received.
 “I wasn’t surprised by this offering, as Saddleback is famous for radical generosity,” Pastor Rick said, reminding those in attendance of their similar contribution of single offerings totaling $1.6 million and $1.7 million respectively to help victims of the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. “I say without fear of contradiction, that I don’t know of a more generous church.”
Earlier in the first service, Pastor Rick summarized an extraordinary year of ministry impact, including food assistance to 2,000 local families, more than 2,800 baptisms, adding 4,000 new church members, record junior high and double senior high attendance, and an average of 40 individuals per month making new faith commitments.
Pastor Rick clarified that the church had been essentially on budget for the first half of its fiscal year, until this past week. But despite ten overflow Christmas eve services, the seasonal offering benefiting many of the church’s benevolence outreaches was down significantly; and the timing of Christmas on Friday affected attendance and giving on the final weekend of the year.
 He said the needs of congregation and community has put the church in a “more bricks, less straw” ministry position, demanding the staff and programs provide more assistance with fewer resources.
“2009 was a very tough year, with ten percent of the nation and our own church out of work,” Pastor Rick said. “But we took on a lot of new responsibilities. All of our ministries not only made major financial cut backs, but also experienced major ministry expansion.”
Sacrificial giving
Through a special edition of the “News and Views” congregational e-letter Dec. 30, Pastor Rick provided an opportunity for the church to help give back.
He challenged the congregation to help offset a $900,000 shortfall from the final week offerings that help fund year-end benevolence ministry prior to the start of 2010, which would allow Saddleback to continue to minister and meet the needs of not just Orange County, but Southern California, the nation – and the world, through the PEACE Plan.
 “Within an hour of sending out the newsletter, your gifts began to roll in and they didn’t stop,” Pastor Rick said.
Following the announcement, Pastor Rick shared the final message in his “Radical Christianity” series titled, “Radical Generosity.” He noted that radical generosity is not just about money, but is about giving in all aspects of life, and should be done with enjoyment, joyfulness, enthusiasm, and as a spiritual habit.
Generosity is so much more
“Radical generosity is not an offering, it’s a lifestyle,” Pastor Rick emphasized. “Generosity is an attitude, not an amount – it's not what you give, but how you give. God doesn’t need your money, your time or anything else from you; what he needs is your generosity, which comes from your heart.”
Pastor Rick continued by sharing five ways that radical generosity can transform one’s life, including increasing one’s love for Jesus; making one more like Jesus; demonstrating one’s faith; causing others to thank God; and honoring God as a witness to the watching world.
“We stand at a historical hinge point,” Pastor Rick added. “This new decade is what I’m calling ‘the decade of destiny.’ If you think God has used Saddleback in the last 30 years, then hold on to your hats. I believe the next decade is going to be the most amazing ever.”
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