Chris Gardner’s journey began in Mexico and Peru, where he was raised on the mission field as the son of a missionary. Those early years shaped his faith and calling—he began preaching at a young age and, by 18, was already pastoring and planting churches. His experiences in ministry gave him a deep understanding of stewardship, generosity, and the role money plays in Kingdom work.

Years later, Chris transitioned from leading a large ministry in Peru to a career in wealth management in the U.S., carrying with him a bold goal: to help deploy a billion dollars for Kingdom purposes in his lifetime. Today, he works with clients to view their wealth not as something to own, but something to steward.

Major Topics Include:

• Chris’s spiritual background and history on the mission field
• His broadened perspective on the world from life on the mission field
• How he became a pastor at 18
• Viewing generosity from both sides
• How fundraising with his family on the mission field still impacts his life today
• His story of transitioning back to the US and getting into financial advising
• The importance of a finish line for financial advisors
• Encouraging clients to set a finish line
• A steward, not an owner
• A walk through his yearly finish line thought process
• Generosity lessons from a Peruvian Christmas
• The story of his book and what is covers
• Security comes from God, not money
• Influencing the Church to generous giving
• A call to surrender your assets to God daily

• “Generosity is not measured by how much we give away, but how tightly we hold on to what we keep.”
• “The idea of enough is a fallacy, and it will never be reached.”
• “My goal in life is to deploy one billion dollars for Kingdom impact.”
• “You don’t need to wait to be wealthy to live generously. You need to decide that generosity is your wealth.”
• “We’re always going to need more unless we have a finish line.”
• “Generosity is not found in an amount, it’s found in a mindset.”
• “Invest what you can for the impact of someone else.”
• “Impact is the true dividend of wealth. And generosity is how you compound it.”
• “Don’t wait to give your money away from a pine box.”
• “How much am I willing to charge the Owner to steward His wealth?”
• “God doesn’t need your money, He desires your heart. And generosity is the clearest map to where your heart really is.”
• “Surrender is not a one-time decision, it’s a daily choice.”

• Arkos Global Advisors (see our interview with founder, Jeff Thomas)
• Life Ranch
• Check What You Are Chasing by Chris Gardner
• ROI Ministry (see our interview with founder, Tim Barker)
• The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
• The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

2 Timothy 2:2 | Teaching Teachers

and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.