As you likely know, Mosaic Church does a special, one-time-a-year financial offering called Live Big. It happens annually on the first Sunday in November, and the goal of it is to bless (and surprise) a local non-profit that is doing great work.
This year’s recipient was/is More Than Welcome, which serves asylum seekers and refugees who have made their way to Austin. The state of Texas receives roughly 10% of all asylum seekers in the United States, more than 12,000 live here currently, and come from some incredibly challenging and heartbreaking backgrounds.
Begun by Alliance Samuragwa, an asylum seeker himself from the nation of Burundi, More Than Welcome is his dream that has become a reality, a way to live out Matthew 25:25: “When I was a stranger, you welcomed me.”
Each year, we receive the offering, and then do a surprise delivery of the check–they don’t know it’s coming.
Initially, we believed we had raised just over $110,000, which would have been our second highest total ever. Perhaps the best news was that we had more participation than ever this year: more people than ever gave to Live Big. I was thrilled because Live Big is more of a participation goal than a financial goal.
But after we dropped off the check, we received another $12,000 between Thursday and Sunday, and on Sunday, I was thrilled to announce a record total of more than $122,000…but God’s people weren’t done yet!
On Sunday, another $3,000 in giving came in, bringing our new total to $125,414!
Incredible (we have now shut down the Live Big giving option until next year)!
Now, More Than Welcome will be able to receive another $15,000 from us (more than our very first Live Big offering back in 2013).
This brings our total given away through Live Big to non-profits in Austin to roughly $850,000. Who knows? Next year, we might just hit a million dollars total that we have been able to give away through your generosity.
As I say every year, to the degree our city sees the generosity of God’s people, to that degree they will often be open to hearing about the goodness of God, and His generosity in sending us His Son, Jesus.
Bad things often happen in cities, but this past week, something amazing happened as well.
God, through his people, made Austin a little brighter, because we Lived Big.
Well done, church, and thank you.
Morgan Stephens, DMin
Lead Pastor