Church Attendance Benefits Charities

PERRYSBURG, OH (AP) - A Christian megachurch in Toledo, Ohio is donating nearly $18,500 to charities to represent the attendance at services over the Easter weekend.

The Rev. Lee Powell, Senior Pastor at Cedarcreek Church, tells The Blade Newspaper that the donations will be made monthly in 2012 as part of the new ``$1 for $1'' effort to donate $1 to charity for each person who attends service on select days.    

Powell says he hopes to hold the program weekly in 2013. He says leaders of the nondenominational church started the program after seeing it done elsewhere. Benefiting charities include Big Sisters. The church has four locations, two in Toledo and one each in Perrysburg and Whitehouse.