Family Life

11.21.11 | Bob Price

Dozens of congregants at a suburban Buffalo church received a little something extra while attending services this past weekend. Envelopes each containing a $100 bill were handed out to about 85 families and individuals near the end of Sunday's service at the Vine Wesleyan church in Depew. The cash was accompanied by a letter telling recipients that the money could help them meet a need in their lives or the lives of someone else.

The Rev. Christopher Baldwin says the church's leaders decided to give to its own congregation rather than collect Christmas eve offerings that typically have been donated to places recovering from natural disasters. The envelopes included anonymous reply cards that people could use to either write a thank you or an explanation of how the money was used.  The cards will be placed on the church's Christmas tree.