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February 22, 2005
The $14,000 Sermon
(Filed under: Examples)Loud gasps were heard in the 125-member Newsong Church in Grove, Okla. when Pastor Steve Dyer handed out $14,000 in cash. Adults received $100 bills and children $50 bills, and the congregation has seven weeks to invest the money before returning it to the church to support missionary work (though the church isn't keeping track of who received money).
It's all part of the best sermon illustration ever. Dyer preached on the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-28. Church marketing isn't just postcards and phone book ads, it's anything that helps communicate the message of your church. And a sermon worth talking about can easily spread that message.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at February 22, 2005 2:38 PM
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Comments
I've heard of this being done before, though not on such a large scale. The pastor of this church handed out $100's to people in one of their services...
http://www.southlandchristian.org/
Posted by: Nathan Smith at February 22, 2005 4:27 PM
North Point in Atlanta (Andy Stanley's church) did this a couple of years ago and handed out $32,000 to their large congregation. They handed out envelopes with 5's, 10's, and 20's.
it's a great idea, they found a lot of money made it's way back to the church in one form or another.
nice blog!
podro
Posted by: podro at February 22, 2005 6:07 PM
We did this at my church last year, but with $1's, $5's and $10's.
Some of the stories that came out of it were really amazing. One of the best was an auction of items gathered through the campaign. My wife and I bought a piece of furniture that was found on the side of the road that was repaired and refinished.
Posted by: brand1m at February 28, 2005 9:50 AM
With respect, this is pitiful. The parable of the talents, as I understand it, is about:
burying the talent (syn with God's spiritual gifts)
so deep in the ground (buried in our fleshly needs e.g. self-interest)
that the talent doesn't even earn interest (that the gifts can't work by themselves, without God's grace -- for example, almost everyone, Christian or no, understands and uses the concept of love and mercy)
What has Christ got to do with money? Render under Ceasar that which is Ceasar's and unto God what is God's.
Posted by: Sue at September 7, 2006 12:40 PM
This was done by Coast Hills Church in So Cal back in 2000 - the Pastor at the time was Denny Bellesi... He and his wife Leesa ended up in Time Magazine and on 20/20 as well as Oprah, it was called the Kingdom Assignment. It all came from the concept of "Paying it Forward"
Millions were raised and ministries started all over the country... they wrote a book and I think they may have a website as well.
Posted by: Sean at April 9, 2007 8:10 AM
This was done by Coast Hills Church in So Cal back in 2000 - the Pastor at the time was Denny Bellesi... He and his wife Leesa ended up in Time Magazine and on 20/20 as well as Oprah, it was called the Kingdom Assignment. It all came from the concept of "Paying it Forward"
Millions were raised and ministries started all over the country... they wrote a book and I think they may have a website as well.
Posted by: Sean at April 9, 2007 8:16 AM
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