Church gives parishioners $125K to empower them to do good deeds

PLANO, Texas - Instead of asking for donations, Preston Meadow Lutheran Church is giving money back. Pastor Paul Mussacio shocked parishioners when he handed out envelopes to each worshiper at two services. They contained checks worth $250, $500, or $1,000. All told, the church gave away $125,000.

"What? What? How much?" church member Toney Bibb, who attended one of the services told Fox 4 as she described her reaction. "That's a lot of money!"

The money came in the form of checks, but the recipient was blank. Mussacio said the money came with just three simple requests:

- Cash it within 30 days

- Don't give it back to the church

- Use it where it's needed most, keeping others in mind

The money was donated to the church by just a few members as a way to empower the entire church to go out and do something good for the world.

"That's huge," Mussacio said. "To sit around together and talk about what you are going to do for others."