Joel Osteen, who leads the largest U.S. church congregation, said he has signed an agreement to develop a reality television show.

"What I'm excited about is that it's another way to take our message of hope and inspiring people to another venue," Osteen told a news conference.

The series, which is still in the formative stages, would be based on the church's missions. Some 300 to 500 members of the church would go to help a community in need -sort of like "Extreme Home Makeover," Osteen said.

Osteen inked the deal with Mark Burnett, the producer of popular TV series such as "Survivor," "The Apprentice," "Are you Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" and "Sarah Palin's Alaska."

"When I think of reality shows, I think of cameras following you, doing nothing," Osteen said. "We don't want to do just a reality show. We want to do something that inspires people and makes them better. It's not only entertaining and fun, but leaves some kind of message."

Reuters