CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Not only will teams of the National Football League prepare for "Super Bowl Sunday," Jan. 30, 2000, but so will 5.2 million members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The difference between congregations of the ELCA and professional football teams is that Lutherans plan to tackle hunger.
On the day of the Super Bowl, congregations of the ELCA will join thousands of others and participate in "Souper Bowl of Caring," an ecumenical national effort to fight hunger.
"Millions of dollars are spent on a single commercial shown during the Super Bowl. Much can be done if our financial priorities shifted towards fighting hunger and poverty," said Stephen Padre, associate director for hunger and disaster appeal communication, ELCA Department for Communication.
"Anti-hunger work is serious business but it doesn't have to be boring. The Souper Bowl of Caring is one way youth can have fun while making a difference," Padre said.
Members of the ELCA will arrange for youth to collect dollars in large soup pots as parishioners leave worship the morning of the championship football game. Each congregation will select and send contributions directly to a charity of their choice. Organizers will report their results on game day by visiting www.souperbowl.org -- the Souper Bowl of Caring's Web site, or call 1-800-358-SOUP. The national totals will be posted on the Web site.
The 11,000 congregations of the ELCA will receive "a special mailing that contains basic resources to help youth groups lead members in the Souper Bowl of Caring effort," Padre said.
"The ELCA Souper Bowl mailing includes a poster that can be hung in a church's narthex or other high-traffic areas. The other side of the poster can be used as a bulletin insert which lists ideas for involving other groups in the church, such as women's and men's groups, Sunday school students and others," Padre said.
"Youth can decide where the offerings they collect will go. It is suggested that they split their collection between a hunger/poverty ministry like a food pantry in their area and the ELCA World Hunger Appeal, which will use the funds nationally and internationally," said Padre.
The Souper Bowl of Caring began when the Rev. Brad Smith, Spring Valley Presbyterian Church, Columbia, S.C., made reference to the National Football League's "Super Bowl" Sunday as "Souper Bowl" Sunday in a prayer. The senior youth fellowship of the congregation took the pun in earnest and a national effort to fight hunger was born.
The partnership has grown from 22 churches in 1990 to 11,300 congregations in Canada and every state. The effort generated $2.5 million in 1999. About 1,600 Lutheran congregations participated in the effort last year.
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Editors: Contributions to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal can be sent to:
ELCAWHA
PO Box 71764
Chicago, IL 60694-1764
1-800-638-3522
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For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.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
