Kernersville Wesleyan Church (KWC) in the north-central region of North Carolina is already making plans for its annual “Big Give” Sunday in December when it gives away everything it collects from Sunday through Thursday of that week, including online tithing.
The church can be that generous and help the hurting in its community because it starts the year with a 51-week church operating budget, leaving week 52 of tithes and offerings to go toward the Big Give.
Pastor Travis Shannon has records showing that the Big Give raised $14,533 in 2019, nearly twice that amount in 2021 and close to $50,000 last year.
“The reason it took off is we have been intentional about letting people know where the money is going,” said Travis. For example, the church celebrated when it helped a church member purchase a wheelchair-accessible van. Another recipient was the wife of a North Carolina East District pastor whose husband was going through cancer treatments, and another was a woman in the community who lost her house in a fire.
“People get really excited about giving when they know who it is helping,” he said. KWC doesn’t always hand out cash. It might, for example, call someone’s landlord and pay their December rent or give someone a Walmart gift card for essentials.
Travis, who has served as lead pastor since 2022, credits former pastor, Scott Simmons, now pastoring in South Carolina, with starting the Big Give. “I loved it and we have carried it on, and it has only gotten bigger,” said Travis.
In the weeks leading up to Big Give Sunday on December 13, 2026, the staff will begin telling the congregation about some of the hardship cases. In addition, the church distributes $10,000 among its five regular ministries as a Christmas bonus.
Pastor Travis Shannon
Pastor Travis Shannon even leads a responsive cheer to get everyone excited about it in the weeks leading up to the big day. (“When I say ‘big’ you say ‘give.’ Big, give. Big. give!”). And the Sunday before Big Give Sunday he reads an inspiring Big Give story. “Last year a past recipient wrote a letter to the church that I read about how he took his Big Give money and bought new tires for someone else,” said Travis.
The program added a new element in 2022 when KWC gave $25 to every family as they exited the worship service and told them to spend it as they see fit. “We don’t ask them to report how they spent it. If they need it, we want them to keep it for themselves,” Travis said. Since then, some congregants have distributed homeless packs and added their own money, written letters of encouragement to a teacher or a first responder or left large tips for servers. “Whatever it is, we simply encourage everyone to bless someone else,” he said.
For a church of approximately 400 consistent members, raising $50,000 in less than one week is quite an accomplishment. The reason the event has grown so quickly, he said, is because the church has enlisted the help of its most precious resource — the congregation.
In the past, the Big Give Team began meeting in October to identify people or projects in need of help. Now anyone can submit an idea, and the team chooses as many recipients as possible. It estimates how much money the church will receive and sets that amount as a goal. If contributions fall short of the amount needed to cover the approved list, the church makes up the difference so that no one is left out. “So far, we’ve never fallen short,” Travis said.
For Big Give Sunday, Kernersville’s services are combined into one and the children attend as well and sing. “We make it as festive and as fun as we can,” he said. KWC has found that people are more apt to give when Christmas boxes with slits in the top are passed around or put at the front of the church.
One of Travis’s favorite memories is of a teen who came to church, not realizing it was Big Give Sunday. The teen ran home to his apartment complex nearby to get cash and came running down the aisle after the service started, hoodie on, waving excitedly, causing a temporary alarm to those not knowing what he was doing. As it turns out, this young man’s family was a previous recipient, and he just couldn’t wait to give.
Big Give delivery
The Big Give reflects a generosity and love of community that KWC teaches year-round through its food pantry and neighborhood events. “We have a motto here: ‘From the seats to the streets, from the pews to the people,’” said Travis. “If our faith only keeps us in the building, then it’s not New Testament faith. The Spirit moves us out.” Whenever the church has surplus donated funds, it adds the money to its regular Benevolence Fund to keep these programs running. During the spring when gas and grocery prices were rising, KWC put $25 in envelopes in a special area of the church and invited members to take what they needed.
Travis notes that a church doesn’t need to raise $50,000 to have an impact. “I want to encourage people to do something. Everybody can do something. If your church can band together and just do one project, then do one project,” he said. “It’s never about how much; it’s about the heart behind it. God loves a cheerful giver. Our church is better because of this.”
Small beginnings can still give the Lord reason to rejoice. “Faithfulness is our business,” Travis said. “The results are God’s business.”
For more stories of generosity and faithfulness, visit Wesleyan.org/news.
Jennifer Jones is a journalist and pastor’s wife serving as the North Carolina East District Administrator.
