When Jesus Christ died for our sins, he settled a debt we could have never paid on our own. This Easter, a Kansas church did an extravagant thing to demonstrate Christ’s love for their community.

Pathway Church, a 4,000-member multi-campus congregation in Wichita, used roughly $20,000 of its own funds to pay off the medical debt of 1,600 Kansas families classified in the “hardship” category by the nonprofit, RIP Medical Debt.

RIP Medical Debt purchases medical debt for pennies on the dollar, making financial freedom possible for those steeped in crippling debt. Because of this incredible return, Pathway’s contribution was able to cover $2.2 million in medical bills.

We are so grateful for our partners! https://t.co/Xr6c1yE6Jl — RIP Medical Debt (@RIPMedicalDebt) April 24, 2019

The donation came from funds the church typically allocates to helping those in financial need and promoting its Easter Sunday services. This year, instead of receiving an invitation to the Easter services, select families received the following note in the mail last week: “We’re Pathway Church. We may never meet you, but as an act of kindness in the name of Jesus Christ, your debt has been forgiven.”

This Easter, we sent a special piece of mail to all 1,600 Kansans who fell into a hardship category determined by RIP… Posted by Pathway Church on Monday, April 22, 2019

Pathway confirmed to Faithwire that the negative effect of medical debt on a person’s credit history would also be erased with the payments.

“We couldn’t think of a better way to illustrate and picture what Easter is all about!” Pathway’s communications director, Andrew Miller, told Faithwire. “When we saw this opportunity with RIP Medical Debt to forgive the debts of people around the state of Kansas, we couldn’t think of a better way to look like Jesus and tell His story. In fact, Jesus last words on the cross were ‘It is finished,’ which literally is translated ‘paid in full.’”

Miller noted that even though some of the recipients may not know or accept Christ as their savior, “it’s the love of God that compels us to invest in our community and to see it transformed.”

“When people are freed from debt, it helps them start over and gives them a second chance,” he said. “When that happens, it changes people and it changes our community for the better.”

On Sunday Pathway’s lead pastor, Todd Carter, explained the deeper message they hoped to send to recipients of their generous gift:

Easter at Pathway: Message Highlight This Easter, we sent a special piece of mail to all 1,600 Kansans who fell into a hardship category determined by RIP Medical Debt. We let them know that in Jesus’ name, their medical debt had been forgiven.Jesus did the same thing on the cross when He declared “it is finished.” The debt of our sins, that we could not pay, had been forgiven!Tetelestai. It is finished. Paid in full. #EasterAtPathwayWatch the full message at pathwaychurch.com/messages Posted by Pathway Church on Monday, April 22, 2019

“I want you to imagine for a moment what those 1,600 people felt like last week when they got that letter in the mail — what was going on in those houses when they got that letter in the mail, and all of a sudden they realize that their debt, this debt that has been hanging over their head has been forgiven … ,” he said. “That’s exactly what God in the person of Jesus Christ wants you to feel each and every day – that your debt has been forgiven.”

Of the 1,600 people whose debts were erased, 500 were based in the Wichita area. Miller noted that though the church did not receive the names of those who received assistance, “several individuals” who attend Pathway have self-identified and personally thanked church leaders.

Pathway Church is very vocal about how financial giving relates to its mission of drawing people to Christ. The church website’s “Why We Give” page explains the spiritual significance of generous giving:

“Giving is central to faith in God,” it reads. “We give because it demonstrates we truly trust God and because God asks us to give. He wants to be the top priority in our lives and asks us to trust Him with everything—including money!”

“At Pathway, we don’t give because God or the church needs our money,” Miller told Faithwire. “We give because of God’s great generosity demonstrated through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross!”

“Our church is all about helping see people’s lives transformed, and really that’s what the church in this city is about,” he said, “and we just want to do all we can to continue to leverage ourselves in Jesus name for the good of people in our community.”