ELCA NEWS SERVICE

February 12, 2007  

On 'Super Bowl Sunday' Lutherans Claim a Win with 'Souper Bowl of Caring'
07-020-MRC

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- As football fans across the country
watched the Indianapolis Colts gallop to victory Feb. 4 in the
NFL's "Super Bowl" championship game, faith groups also trotted
to victory in a championship effort of their own -- the "Souper
Bowl of Caring," a national effort among faith groups aimed at
raising millions of dollars for hunger-fighting organizations
across the United States.
     As part of the effort, congregations of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) arranged for young people to
collect food and dollars in large soup pots as parishioners left
worship on Super Bowl Sunday.  Organizers reported their results
on or near game day at the Souper Bowl of Caring Web site --
www.souperbowl.org -- so that a national total could be
determined.
     Faith groups have raised more than $4 million as of Feb. 9.
     Some congregations of the ELCA contributed their donations
to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal, local food pantries and homeless
shelters.  No money is sent to the Souper Bowl of Caring office,
Columbia, S.C.  Resources about the Souper Bowl of Caring were
sent to congregations in advance by ELCA World Hunger staff.
     "I don't know much about football, but I do know that Souper
Bowl contributions made to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal and other
hunger-fighting organizations will make a life-saving difference.
I also know that by leading this yearly effort, many of the youth
in our church experience the life-changing joy of caring for
neighbors in need.  Souper Bowl of Caring is a fine example of
God's math. God's math doesn't just add up, it multiplies," said
Sue Edison-Swift, communication director, ELCA World Hunger and
Disaster Appeal.
     The senior high and grade-school members of Gloria Dei
Lutheran Church, Iowa City, Iowa, raised more than $300 and
collected 60 cans of soup for a local crisis center, said Adriane
Downs, youth ministry assistant, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.
     "The kids dressed up in Souper Bowl of Caring t-shirts and
hats" and "held soup kettles (to collect donations) at the end of
each service.  They also held children's sermons that explained
the significance of donating to those in need on a day filled
with such excess.  It was a fun experience for everyone, until
the (Chicago) Bears lost later that day," said Downs.
     Members of First Lutheran Church, Greensboro, N.C.,
collected more than $1,933 and about 350 cans of food.  Of the
funds collected, $243 will be given to the Greensboro Urban
Ministry and $1,690 to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.
     "We've done Souper Bowl for about five years.  It's one of
the easiest and best events we do," said Frank Moore, director of
community mission, First Lutheran Church.  Moore said children
and youth of the congregation stood at church entrances with
"soup pots, football helmets and branches."  A week before the
Souper Bowl of Caring, "we distributed a packet (to members of
First Lutheran) that included the 40-Day (ELCA) Hunger Calendar,
the ELCA World Hunger Appeal prayer magnet and a list of food
items needed by the Greensboro Urban Ministry.  We also had ELCA
World Hunger envelopes in the pews," he said.
     At New Hope Lutheran Church, Monticello, Ind., youth
collected $135 in soup pots.  Part of the money will be used to
purchase a pig or goat through "ELCA Good Gifts" -- a 32-page
catalog that features gift ideas designed to support the domestic
and global ministries of the ELCA. The rest of the funds will be
given to a food pantry.
     Members of First English Evangelical Lutheran Church, Great
Falls, Mont., collected $471 and more than 325 canned goods for
Helping Hands Food Ministry -- the congregation's ministry that
serves food for 600 to 700 people every month.  Senior-high and
middle-school youth groups of the church performed a skit and
served as ushers, readers and communion assistants during
worship.
     Members of St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Whittier, Calif.,
collected more than 30 grocery bags of canned and boxed food for
the Interfaith Food Center, Whittier.  "The center is one of the
largest food banks in California," said the Rev. Steven R.
Herder, St. Andrew Lutheran Church.  Every year "we raise money
for Bread for the World with a pancake breakfast; this year we
raised $1,400.  Every month of this year, we will have a noisy
offering of loose change and large checks for our ELCA World
Hunger program.  We do this on the fourth Sunday of the month
because Jesus is 'four' the poor as are we," he said.
     At Peace Lutheran Church, Puyallup, Wash., more than 100
food items were collected for the Fish Food Bank in Puyallup, and
$345 was collected for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.  Prior to
Feb. 4, young members of the church led discussions on the issue
of hunger in the world, crafted posters and made individual
presentations in worship on the two Sundays preceding Souper Bowl
of Caring, said the Rev. Ronald E. Kempe, Peace Lutheran Church.
     High-school-age members of Mount Zion Lutheran Church,
LaGrange, Ind., raised $560 for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal and
for the LaGrange County Clothes and Food Basket.
      The confirmation class of Trinity Lutheran Church,
Chelmsford, Mass., raised $525.  The class allocated $105 for the
Lowell Transitional Living Center, a local homeless shelter, and
$420 for "Orphan Ministry" -- a new ministry of the church that
provides money for school uniforms and fees for preschool,
primary and secondary students attending Kikarara Lutheran
Church, Kikarara, Tanzania.  At Kikarara, 190 children of the 500-
member church are orphaned by AIDS.  In addition to the funds
collected, 20 members of the confirmation class, Sunday school
students and adults of Trinity Lutheran Church served supper at
the Lowell Transitional Living Center.
     The high school members of First Evangelical Lutheran
Church, Xenia, Ohio, collected $221. Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans will match the amount with $100.  Half of the total
funds will be given to the local Fish Food Pantry, and the other
half to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.
     Members of Morning Star Lutheran Church, Monroe, Wash., with
members of the United Methodist Church there, collected $340 to
support Lutheran Disaster Response's Hurricane Katrina recovery
efforts along the U.S. Gulf Coast.  Lutheran Disaster Response is
a ministry of the ELCA and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
Members of Morning Star also collected 300 pounds of food for the
Sky Valley Food Bank, Monroe.  Members of the United Methodist
Church raised $282 for the Methodist Disaster Response to support
Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts, and they have collected 900
pounds of food for Sky Valley.
     Youth at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Duluth,
Minn., collected $274 for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.  They
performed a skit for the congregation about a chef who prepares
soup with a secret ingredient of money.  The chef needed the
congregation's help with the secret ingredient.
     Members of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, West Columbia, S.C.,
raised $400 to support God's Helping Hands, Cayce, S.C.  As part
of the Souper Bowl of Caring effort, youth of the congregation
participated in a "service blitz" Feb. 3.  Fourteen youth worked
at the Habitat Store there, stocking shelves, cleaning and
packing items.
     High-school-age members of St. John Lutheran Church, Peru,
Ill., collected $440 for two local food pantries -- Illinois
Valley and Bureau County.  They wore football jerseys and
delivered a short speech about how Souper Bowl of Caring started
and why the congregation should participate.
     Members of Christ's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lewisburg,
Pa., collected $370 and 60 cans of soup.  The collections will be
distributed to the local emergency food pantry, the Eastern Union
County Food Bank and Haven Ministries.
     Participants of the ELCA Youth Ministry Extravaganza held
Feb. 2-5 in Tampa, Fla., also participated in the Souper Bowl of
Caring and collected $450 for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.  The
Extravaganza is an annual event sponsored by the ELCA Youth
Ministry Network, an organization committed to strengthening and
empowering adults who work with young people in congregations of
the ELCA.
- - -
     Information about the ELCA World Hunger Appeal and Program
is at http://www.ELCA.org/hunger on the ELCA Web site.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
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