ELCA NEWS SERVICE February 4, 2004 Lutherans Among Most Valuable Players on Super Bowl Sunday 04-017-MR CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The New England Patriots' Tom Brady, named "Most Valuable Player" at the NFL 2004 Super Bowl, was not the only award-winning performer on Feb. 2. Thousands of faith groups, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), also marched to victory that day. Members of the ELCA participated in the "Souper Bowl of Caring," a national effort aimed at raising millions of dollars for hunger-fighting organizations across the country. Organizers reported their results on game day. As of Feb. 4, more than 1,400 Lutheran congregations across the country reported raising $413,000. About 8,700 organizations across the country raised more than $3 million. Totals are updated on http://www.souperbowl.org -- the Souper Bowl of Caring's Web site. Some congregations of the ELCA arranged for young people to collect food 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. Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Rockford, Ill., collected more than 500 pounds of food and $1,120 for the Rock River Valley Food Pantry, reported Linda Sandquist, assistant to the pastors. "Confirmation students were encouraged to bring in canned goods and compete for an ice cream party," she said. The class that collected the most goods was awarded the party. Senior high school youth led "temple talks" during all three services at Salem Lutheran Church, Sycamore, Ill. More than $520 was collected for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal. The youth group at Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Hickory, N.C., raised $695 for the Hickory Soup Kitchen. Members of the congregation also used Souper Bowl of Caring as "a kickoff" for the congregation's Women of the ELCA "Have a Heart" campaign -- a food drive for a local crisis assistance ministry. Members of St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church, Ridgeville Corners, Ohio, collected $200 for "The Friendship House," a homeless shelter in Archbold, Ohio. A "special offering" was held during worship at St. John's Lutheran Church, Bellevue, Ohio. The pastor of the congregation led the collection with the help of the church's confirmation class and a few parents. More than $310 was garnered for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal. The junior high school group at American Lutheran Church, Cozad, Neb., raised $69 for the Cozad Food Pantry and Cozad Emergency Action. In addition to collecting money and food, young people across the country participated in a "Service Blitz" Jan. 31. Youth volunteered their time at soup kitchens, food banks and other local community service sites. A new feature for the 2004 Souper Bowl of Caring was a "Blitz-a-Thon," where young people "served and received donations. Ten cities were selected for Souper Bowl of Caring mobile stops," said Sue Edison-Swift, associate director for hunger and disaster appeal communication, ELCA Department for Communication. "On Jan. 22 the mobile vehicle stopped at the Capitol Area Food Bank, Washington, D.C. A group of 10 youth from St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church, Silver Spring, Md., joined Laura Bush in volunteering at the food bank that day," she said. "A dollar can do a lot," said Edison-Swift. "The ELCA World Hunger program, for example, tells us that a dollar will feed a child who's orphaned by AIDS in Tanzania or Ethiopia or Uganda for a day. So, if you multiply that dollar by the $503,888" that Lutherans collected during the 2003 Souper Bowl of Caring, "it tells people that we're in this together and we care," she said. "Souper Bowl of Caring strikes me as the value added to what's become a national, secular holiday, Super Bowl Sunday. Wouldn't it be wonderful if on Feb. 2, as we're all discussing our favorite commercial or our favorite set of plays, that we're also talking about the money our congregations raised and the food collected? Then, we've lifted this cultural event into something very God-pleasing," said Edison-Swift. To prepare for the Souper Bowl, each of the 10,721 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 members of ELCA congregations 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 $3.5 million in 2003. - - - 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 [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news