DENVER, CO - A small 90-page book on how to lead a more generous life by pastor and church giving authority Brian Kluth is something of a “publishing miracle” that is being used by churches, denominations, and ministries across the United States and around the world to inspire greater generosity and increased giving.

 

In order to keep up with the increasing demand, 500,000 copies of the “A 40-day Spiritual Journey to a More Generous Life” have been printed.  When 100,000 copies were printed in the first nine months, David Neff of Christianity Today, said “anytime you get 100,000 copies of any book into the churches, you’re making some impact. Doing so in a 9-month period is spectacular."

 

Hundreds of churches have ordered it for every family.  Denominations are sending copies to every pastor, parachurch ministries are giving copies to their donors and seminaries are handing out copies to students.

 

The story of this booklet has even caught the attention of the media with news stories on NBC TV evening news in Colorado, a live interview on CBN TV news and talk show, a front page story in the Colorado Springs Gazette newspaper Life section, a 1 hour live interview on Moody Radio's 250 stations nationwide, The Christian Post (as a top story), REV! Magazine;  Church Executive Magazine,  CCM Magazine, UPI - United Press International, USA Religious News,  Christian Newswire, Christian Headlines, Google News, Yahoo News and MSNBC News. 

 

Kluth said that several Christian publishers had declined to publish the booklet because they said there was no market for a book on generosity. “Last summer my wife and I used some inheritance money to ‘by faith’ produce and print 15,000 copies and we thought it would take years to distribute this many.  But within a few years we needed to print 500,000 copies," he says.

 

Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock used a customized copy of the booklet in their $35,000,000 relocation campaign.  One of Fellowship Bible pastor’s said, "We researched every available resource we could find to inspire people's generosity.  This booklet was the best thing we found anywhere!"  

The "Spiritual Journey to a More Generous Life" book takes people through 40 daily Bible readings that help them understand what the Bible teaches about managing their finances. "Years ago I was in debt and had financial problems. As I learned what the Bible teaches about money, God helped me completely turn around my finances and gave me the freedom to live more generously. I am grateful that so many other people can benefit from the things I learned," said Kluth. 

The book is currently scheduled to be translated into over 40 foreign languages in 2008, including Spanish, Chinese, Russian, German, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Mongolian, Hindi, Serbian, Croatian, Afrikaans, Urdu, Punjabi and many other languages.

 

Plans are currently underway to distribute the Generous Life devotional in Spanish and Portuguese to tens of thousands of churches across Latin American in to help spark a generosity movement across the entire continent.

 

In Australia, the Salvation Army is utilizing the devotional and accompanying videos they created for small groups and Sunday school classes in all their churches over the next few years and churches experienced a 35% increase in giving.

 

Other denominations have expressed interest in being part of the foreign language translation partnerships.

 

Kluth reports that the Southern Baptist’s Stewardship Development Association made a private label version they will promote and sell in 11 states. Their first order was for 15,000 copies but feel there is the potential for thousands more to be ordered in the future.

 

The devotional is available in a standard version or churches ordering over 1000 copies can order a customized cover for just $1 more per booklet.  Some of the largest churches in the country have been ordering thousands of copies for every family in their congregation, including the First Baptist Church of Orlando; Church for the Nations in Colorado; St. Luke's United Methodist in Indianapolis; Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock; Crossroads Fellowship in Charlotte, NC; Grace Community Church in Tempe, AZ; Rivertree Christian Church in Ohio, First North SBC in Spartanburg, SC; Gateway Christian Fellowship in New Haven, CT, among other churches.

 

Kluth reports that after bank failures in Mongolia, the largest church in the country translated the booklet and gave it to their 1,100 believers. “Over the next two months we saw offerings increase nearly 60 percent,” the Executive Pastor emailed to Kluth.

 

“This whole thing is a God-sized journey for us. We’re doing our best to keep up with what the Lord is doing with this book,” Kluth says.  He is senior pastor of First Evangelical Free Church in Colorado Springs, CO.

 

Kluth has had a ministry of stewardship for several years and offers materials, seminars, and other aids to churches and ministries in this important area. Kluth was honored by the Christian Stewardship Association with the Outstanding Stewardship Educator of the year award and the Salvation Army in Australia presented him with their "General William Booth" Philanthropy Statue

 

Kluth’s web sites can be accessed at www.MAXIMUMgenerosity.org  and www.GenerousLife.info