CHICAGO (ELCA) -- As the New England Patriots of the National Football League claimed victory on "Super Bowl Sunday" Feb. 3, thousands of Lutherans also made the "winning touchdown" in a challenge of a different kind.
Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) participated in "Souper Bowl of Caring," a national effort to fight hunger. Organizers reported their results on game day. As of Feb. 6, about 6,350 faith groups across the country raised $2.6 million. The total is posted on www.souperbowl.org -- the Souper Bowl of Caring's Web site.
Some congregations of the ELCA arranged for young people to collect canned goods and dollars in large soup pots as parishioners left worship the morning of the championship football game. Some congregations contributed their donations to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal, local food pantries and homeless shelters.
Eleven of 79 congregations of the ELCA Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Synod participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring by collecting money and food. Of the 11, six congregations raised $1,202.95.
Members of Bethany Lutheran Church, Forestville, Md., collected dollars in chef hats after worship. Members "collected an average of $2.00 per worshiper, a very generous outpouring considering the neighborhood's poverty," said Karen S. Krueger, communication coordinator, ELCA Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Synod.
Some congregations kicked off the 2002 Souper Bowl of Caring by organizing a "service blitz" before Super Bowl Sunday. The blitz was designed to encourage youth groups to work at local food organizations, increase awareness of hunger and call attention to the Souper Bowl of Caring effort.
Young members of Christ the King Lutheran Church, Great Falls, Va., volunteered their time at the Capital Area Food Bank on Feb. 2. "Fresh off this experience, they designated $200.00 raised at the Souper Bowl of Caring effort to support the food bank," Krueger said.
A member of Peace Lutheran Church, Annandale, Va., read about the Souper Bowl effort in a "Dear Abby" column three years ago and brought the program to her congregation, Krueger said. "She is now turning the successful annual event over to the youth group."
Six congregations of the ELCA Nebraska Synod collected money to support the ELCA World Hunger Appeal and local food organizations.
The high school group at First Lutheran Church, Avoca, Neb., collected $227.57 to support a program for Christian prisoners in Lincoln, Neb. The group will attend a Bible study with participants of the program and present the funds this month.
Members of the social ministry board at First English Lutheran Church, Kimball, Neb., and members of Trinity Lutheran Church, Omaha, collected money for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal. At Immanuel Lutheran Church, Orum, Neb., and Emmaus Lutheran Church, Kennard, Neb., members collected funds to support the ELCA World Hunger Appeal and the Washington County Food Pantry.
Youth members of Rejoice Lutheran Church, Gering, Neb., collected $75.00 to purchase food for a local soup kitchen.
"The Souper Bowl of Caring was a joint effort between our junior and senior high school youth groups," said Tracy Steele, youth leader, Calvary Lutheran Church, Scottsbluff, Neb. Teenagers at Calvary collected $559.83 to support the soup kitchen at the Lakota Lutheran Center, Scottsbluff. They led worship on Feb. 3 and "held a soup luncheon" after worship. After the service, "we held out soup kettles" to collect money, Steele said.
The seventh and eighth grade Sunday school class took charge and raised $140.00 for the ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, said the Rev. Kenneth W. Longfield, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Reedsville, Pa. "The youth chose this recipient from among several others because of its ongoing work with the events of Sept. 11," Longfield said.
Seven congregations of the ELCA Northwest Synod of Wisconsin participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring.
The high school group at Chetek Lutheran Church, Chetek, Wis., collected $261.00 for the Chetek Area Food Shelf. "This is a great event that shows the magnitude of what churches can do when they join together," said the Rev. Samuel S. Kochel, Chetek.
Members of Osseo Evangelical Lutheran Church, Osseo, Wis., contributed canned goods and $281.73 to support the Tri-County Food Pantry. The church's youth coordinator, Laura Eide, led the effort. She said confirmation students of the church volunteer their time every other month at the local food pantry.
Young members of Joy Lutheran Church, Prescott, Wis., collected $239.55 for the Prescott Food Shelf, and the youth group at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Stanley, Wis., collected $92.00 for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.
Members of Trinity Lutheran Church, Amery, Wis., collected $65.00 for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal. Zion Lutheran Church, Stratford, Wis., raised $96.00 for the Ronald McDonald House of Marshfield, Wis. Members of First Lutheran Church, Prentice, Wis., raised $65.00, and Zion Lutheran Church, Brantwood, Wis., collected $95.00 to support community food pantries.
Other ELCA congregations participating in the Souper Bowl of Caring included: + St. Shephen's Lutheran Church, El Dorado Hills, Calif. Members raised $158.00 for Loaves and Fishes, a local food shelter. + Grace Lutheran Church, Villa Park, Ill. The church's youth group collected $136.00; part of the funds will support the ELCA World Hunger Appeal. + Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, Reading, Pa. Members collected $176.00 to support the Lutheran Pantry of the West Berks District.
"One child in five in the United States lives in poverty, and about a billion people in the world are forced to live on just one dollar a day," said Stephen Padre, associate director for hunger and disaster appeal communication, ELCA Department for Communication.
With one dollar, the ELCA World Hunger Appeal can provide food for one day for children with AIDS living in Africa, said Padre. In the United States a dollar can leverage $15 worth of surplus food for local food banks, he said.
To prepare for the Souper Bowl, each of the 10,816 congregations of the ELCA received a packet containing resources and ideas for youth groups and others to plan for the event. The packet was produced by the ELCA World Hunger Appeal and the Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO). Housed in the ELCA's Division for Congregational Ministries, LYO represents more than 500,000 high-school age people in the congregations of the ELCA across the United States and Caribbean.
The packet included a poster and bulletin inserts designed to invite members of the church to give one dollar or more.
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. Smith now serves full-time as executive director of Souper Bowl of Caring.
The partnership has grown from 22 churches in 1990 to more than 12,500 congregations in Canada and in every U.S. state. The effort generated more than $3.6 million in 2001. Lutheran congregations raised about $500,000 for local and national hunger organizations and the ELCA World Hunger Appeal. - - - Editors: Contributions to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal can be sent to: ELCA WHA P.O. Box 71764 Chicago, IL 60694-1764
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
