Texas church passes out checks totaling $125,000 to parishioners: ‘It’s left up to them of where it goes’

One Texas church surprised its parishioners on Sunday by handing out checks ranging in amounts from $250 to $1,000.

According to KDFW-TV, Plano's Preston Meadow Lutheran Church handed out $125,000 to its congregants that day.

What are the details?

KDFW reported that Pastor Paul Mussachio detailed the surprise of the churchgoers when he began handing out the high-dollar checks.

"In the envelope was either $250, $500 or $1,000, but I didn't tell them that until they sat back down," Mussachio said. "I didn't tell them that because I wanted to create that anticipation and really let this hit home with them of just how big of a deal this was going to be."

Inside the envelope was a check made out for one of those amounts, which bore a blank "pay to" line.

Mussachio's instructions to the parishioners? Write out the check to whomever they pleased.

"They were given the encouragement to go out and be a blessing to others," Mussachio said, and detailed that the only caveats to taking the gift was that the check had to be cashed within 30 days, had to be spent on — or donated to — wherever it was most needed, and must not be given back to the church.

Mussachio expressed his happiness in being able to take part in such a moving experience.

"It's kind of like watching your kids on Christmas morning," he said.

Mussachio noted that the church drew inspiration from another church experiment in which fourth-graders were given much smaller amounts of money to do with what they pleased, and with similar caveats.

"You release a lot of control on this," he explained. "And so it's left up to them of where it goes."

A church pamphlet reportedly included in the envelope read, "We are blessed to be a blessing, so look for those around you who are in need of this kind of blessing right now."

The pamphlet also quoted Luke 6:38, and read, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back."