Joel Osteen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joel Osteen
Osteen preaching at Lakewood Church in July 2016
Religion	Non-denominational Christianity, Charismatic Christianity, Word of Faith
School	Humble High School
Church	Lakewood Church
Alma mater	Oral Roberts University
Personal
Born	Joel Scott Osteen (1963-03-05) March 5, 1963 (age 61) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Spouse	Victoria Iloff ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	2
Parents	John Osteen (father) Dolores Pilgrim Osteen (mother)
Relatives	Paul Osteen (brother), Lisa Osteen (sister)
Religious career
Post	Senior pastor (1999–present)

Joel Scott Osteen (born March 5, 1963) is an American pastor, televangelist, businessman and author based in Houston, Texas. Known for his weekly televised services and several best-selling books, Osteen is one of the more prominent figures associated with prosperity theology and a focus of its critics.

Early life and family

Osteen was born in Houston, Texas, and is one of six children of John Osteen and Dolores ("Dodie") Pilgrim. His father, a former Southern Baptist pastor, founded Lakewood Church (of which Osteen is the current senior pastor) in the back of an old feed store. He graduated from Humble High School, a public high school in the city of Humble, Texas, in 1981, and attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he studied radio and television communications but did not graduate; he did not receive a degree from a divinity school. In 1982, he returned to Houston, founded Lakewood's television program, and produced his father's televised sermons for 17 years until January 1999, when his father died unexpectedly of a heart attack.

Career

Osteen was ordained through his father's church in 1983 and preached his first sermon on January 17, 1999. By October 3, he was the new senior pastor of Lakewood Church. In 2003, Lakewood Church acquired the Compaq Center, former home of the NBA Houston Rockets and the AHL Houston Aeros and subsequently renovated it. According to Osteen, in 2008, Lakewood Church's weekly service TV program was viewed in more than 100 countries.

Osteen was included on Barbara Walters's list of the 10 Most Fascinating People of 2006. Former presidential candidate John McCain described Osteen as his favorite inspirational author. The Osteen family attended an Easter breakfast hosted by President Barack Obama at the White House in 2010.

Preaching style

Osteen's sermon preparation involves memorizing his remarks and listening to himself on tape. Osteen says he chooses to focus more on the goodness of God and on living an obedient life rather than on sin. He says that he tries to teach Biblical principles in a simple way, emphasizing the power of love and a positive attitude.

Events

Since 2004, Osteen, along with his wife, have hosted Night of Hope events, as well as their annual stadium event called "America's Night of Hope", in the U.S. and around the world. The event incorporates contemporary Christian music and inspirational messages to reach the masses at the venue and others watching online. Osteen also hosted an event at his Lakewood Church in 2018, in collaboration with rapper Kanye West, called Sunday Service. According to media reports, the event was attended by 17,000 as well as joined by many people streaming online. He also held his Easter service during COVID-19 with Mariah Carey and Tyler Perry.

Books

Osteen's first book, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, was released in October 2004, and reached the number 1 position on The New York Times Best Seller list.

He released his second book, titled Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day, in October 2007. It also topped The New York Times Best Seller list and had a first printing of three million copies. Osteen has said that the book focuses more on relationships and not getting stuck where we are in life.

Besides those two books, Osteen has written more than 18 others. See, Book list.

Personal life

On April 4, 1987, Osteen married Victoria Osteen (née Iloff), who later would become co-pastor of Lakewood Church. They have a son, Jonathan (born April 20, 1995), and a daughter, Alexandra (born November 9, 1998). In 2002, his older siblings, Paul, Lisa, and Tamara, and his younger sister, April, were also involved in full-time ministry, and his half-brother Justin was doing missionary work.

Osteen lives with his family in a 17,000 square-foot mansion in River Oaks, with an estimated value of $10.5 million. Osteen says that as senior pastor, he draws no salary from the church, which has an annual budget of $70 million, and that he instead relies on income from book sales.

Political and social views

..... Having gone on record saying homosexuality is "not God's best", he has stated he believes the church has a tendency to become overly focused on single issues (such as homosexuality) to the point of neglecting others. When asked if he thought God approves of homosexuality, Osteen said homosexuality is a sin according to his interpretation of Scripture, but said gay people are welcome in his church without judgment.

In an interview on Fox News in 2008 during the Republican Party presidential primary race, when discussing whether he thought that Mormons were Christians, Osteen indicated that he believed that they were. He further revealed that he had not studied the religion. In an interview in 2011, Osteen stated his support for Israel.

Filmography

Partial list of books

• Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential (2004)
• Daily Readings from Your Best Life Now: 90 Devotions for Living at Your Full Potential (2005)
• Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day (2007)
• Your Best Life Begins Each Morning: Devotions to Start Every New Day of the Year (2008)
• It's Your Time : Activate Your Faith, Achieve Your Dreams, and Increase in God's Favor (2009)
• It's Your Time: Finding Favor, Restoration, and Abundance in Your Life Every Day (2009)
• Everyday a Friday: How to Be Happier 7 Days a Week (2011)
• I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life (2012)
• Break Out!: 5 Keys to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life (2013)
• You Can You Will: 8 Undeniable Qualities of a Winner (2014)
• Fresh Start: the New You Begins Today (2015)
• The Power of I Am: Two Words That Will Change Your Life Today (2015)
• Think Better, Live Better: A Victorious Life Begins in Your Mind (2016)
• Blessed in the Darkness: How All Things Are Working for Your Good (2017)
• Empty Out the Negative (2017)
• Next Level Thinking: 10 Powerful Thoughts for a Successful and Abundant Life (2018)
• The Power of Favor: The Force That Will Take You Where You Can't Go on Your Own (2019)
• The Abundance Mind-Set: Success Starts Here (2020)
• Peaceful on Purpose: The Power to Remain Calm, Strong, and Confident in Every Season (2021)
• You Are Stronger than You Think: Unleash the Power to Go Bigger, Go Bold, and Go Beyond What Limits You (2021)
• Rule Your Day: 6 Keys to Maximizing Your Success and Accelerating Your Dreams (2022)
• Your Greater is Coming: Discover the Path to Your Bigger, Better, and Brighter Future (2022)

See also

In Spanish: Joel Osteen para niños

• Christianity in Houston
• Charismatic movement
• Gospel of success
• Word of Faith
• Lakewood Church