CHICAGO (ELCA) -- When the Rev. Brad Smith at Spring Valley Presbyterian Church, Columbia, S.C., made reference to the National = Football League's "Super Bowl" Sunday as "Souper Bowl" Sunday in his sermon, the senior youth fellowship of the congregation took the pun in earnest. As a result, a national effort to fight hunger was born.
"Souper Bowl of Caring," which started in 1990, will take place Sunday, Jan. 31, 1999, the day of the championship football game. Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America plan to participate.
"What would happen if all of the ELCA's 11,000 congregations participated? If youth collected one can of food for a local food bank = and one dollar for ELCA World Hunger Appeal from each worshiper leaving church on January 31, nearly $2 million would be raised for local and internationa= l anti-hunger efforts," said Laurel Hensel, director for stewardship = marketing and resources in the ELCA's Division for Congregational Ministries.
"Through the ELCA World Hunger Appeal, a dollar provides one day's supply of food for five children; three vaccinations to help save 12 infants' lives; and Vitamin A capsules to protect 14 toddlers from blindness," Hensel said.
Participants in the effort will arrange for youth from each church to collect donations in large soup pots as parishioners leave worship the morning of the championship football game. Each congregation selects and sends the contribution directly to the charity of their choice. Organizers=
are asked to report their results on game day by visiting www.souperbowl.co=
m
-- the Souper Bowl of Caring's web site.
The partnership has grown from 22 churches the first year to 8,500 congregations representing every U.S. state and Canada. The effort generated $1.7 million in 1998. More than $4.5 million has been raised since the effort went national in 1993.
For information contact:
Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Director (773) 380-2955 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
