Ackermanville UMC just north of Easton is having two events in conjuction with Sunday’s Super Bowl.
First is their annual Soup Bowl. For $10.00 people are able to eat all the homemade soups they can (about a dozen different kinds this year), in addition to plenty of desserts, a Silent Auction, and door prize drawings. The proceeds from this event support congregational youth ministries and a local food bank–Portland, Upper Mount Bethal Pantry (PUMP). This year a portion of the proceeds will also go to UMCOR for hurricane relief.
Secondly, for the first time this year the congregation will gather in the fellowship hall to watch the Super Bowl together. This is a free event with games, food, and lots of fellowship! Go Eagles!
Bethel UMC in Spring City will be participating in the Souper Bowl of caring with soup and fellowship after the 10:45 service on Sunday, February 4.
Covenant UMC in Springfield began collecting on Sunday, January 28, and will finish on Sunday, February 4, Super Bowl Sunday. The food drive at Covenant UMC has grown over the years into an ecumenical community-wide effort in Springfield, Morton and Rutledge. Their goal this year is 45,000 cans and dollars that will be given to food banks that are part of DIFAN (Delaware County Interfaith Food Assistance Network).
They have almost 1000 lawn signs out on people’s lawns and will go door-to-door to collect donations this Saturday between 9:30 AM and 3 PM.
Ebenezer UMC in Lebanon will have a Souper Bowl party after their 10:15 AM worship service. Donations of 2 cans of soup or a box of crackers are requested from each person attending the gathering. These donations will be given to Lebanon County Christian Ministries food bank.
Lunch during the gathering will be a chili cook-off with entries from any who choose to participate (past years have included venison chili, vegetarian chili, and even chili purchased at a national fast-food chain that carries it!). There is no prize except bragging rights to the winner.
All persons attending the worship services, Sunday school classes, Confirmation classes, and afternoon festivities at Ebenezer are also encouraged to wear something representing their favorite athletic team. It doesn’t matter if that is football, basketball, hockey, baseball, soccer, or an Olympic team!
First UMC of Perkasie is participating in the Souper Bowl celebrations by continuing a Marie Kulp tradition of collecting soup for their local food pantry, F.I.S.H. (Fellowship In Serving Humanit
First UMC of Phoenixville’s Youth Group will collect monetary and non-perishable food donations before and after both services on Sunday, February 4. PACS (Phoenixville Area Community Services) will be the local community beneficiary. Donations will be accepted through Sunday, February 11. Help “Change the Game” and reach higher goals!
Grace UMC in Telford hosts a Super Bowl party every year in their Fellowship Hall. Everyone brings homemade food and watches the game projected large on the wall. The long-standing tradition has always been fun for all, no matter which team wins–but being so close to Philadelphia, they expect there to be a lot of rooting for the Eagles this year! This year will also feature Stone Soup after the service, to make this a true Souper Bowl Sunday.
Grace UMC also hosts Interfaith Hospitality Network families throughout the month of February. These are homeless families going through a program to get back on their feet. The church provides dinner and a safe place to sleep and the families get to be a part of the church’s Super Bowl festivities. Those with small kids especially enjoy it because everyone gets lots of attention and loving and the kids go to bed tired. Parents appreciate that! It’s a great time for all and will continue for years to come.
Hopewell UMC in Downingtown hosted a “Baked Potato Bowl.” There was a lot of Eagles green all around Hopewell UMC in Downingtown, PA on Super Bowl Sunday, February 4, when their Sweet Potato Queens and Kings scored big by raising $3,000 for two community food pantries. The Baked Potato Bowl was open to worshipers in Hopewell’s Family Life Center until 1pm, where – for a good will donation placed in the potato pot – Hopewellians were welcome to help themselves at the potato bar with all the fixings anyone could imagine, and to the sundae bar, the juice bar, and the bread bar. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head adorned the tables as centerpieces. All funds raised at Hopewell’s Backed Potato Bowl will benefit The Lord’s Pantry in Downingtown and the Honey Brook Food Cupboard.
Lansdale UMC’s United Methodist Women’s Group sponsors a soup collection on Super Bowl Sunday. They take the soup that is collected to Manna On Main Street in Lansdale.
Newtown UMC is participating in Souper Bowl of Caring!
Otterbein UMC in Mont Clare will be hosting a soup lunch on Sunday following worship, and will donate food offerings to PACS in Phoenixville.
Poplar Valley UMC located outside of Stroudsburg in Monroe County is once again collecting food for local food pantries on Super Bowl Sunday as part of Souper Bowl of Caring 2018. Their goal this year is 350 food items. They will also be passing around a soup pot to collect “joyful noise” donations which will go to Women’s Resources of Monroe County. Poplar Valley UMC has been participating in Souper Bowl of Caring since 1999. Since then, they have collected a total of $1680 for local organizations and 2,461 food items for local food pantries.
In addition to Souper Bowl Sunday, Poplar Valley UMC has been providing food for and serving meals at a local soup kitchen in Stroudsburg at least twice a year for the last 19 years.
Sanctuary UMC in North Wales already did their Souper Bowl of Caring collection on Sunday, January 28th. They collected $1400 to be sent to Chosen 300 Ministries (Brian Jenkins) in Philadelphia.
This Sunday, February 4, they are inviting the congregation to wear green, in support of the Eagles, to the 10:30 AM praise and worship service.
St. Paul’s UMC in Mountville is hosting a Souper Bowl Luncheon on Super Bowl Sunday, where all are encouraged to bring cans of soup which will be donated to the local food bank. Rumor has it that the Pastor and his wife plan to show up in Eagles garb. Go Birds!
Valley Forge UMC has a “Souper Bowl” month every January. Cans of soup are collected all month and delivered to the Phoenixville Area Community Services (PACS) food bank after the Super Bowl. Because the Eagles are in it this year, there has been a greater enthusiasm and therefore, many more cans of soup!
West Lawn UMC’s youth group has participated in Super Bowl of Caring for the past few years, this year was their best yet! Over the course of four services, over 30 youth helped to collect canned goods and money from the congregation. In total, they collected 639 food items which will go to their local Wilson area food bank.
West Lawn UMC also received $1895 in cash donations that will be given to the New Journey Community Outreach organization, a local Soup Kitchen.
Wharton-Wesley UMC in Philadelphia will continue a 23-year tradition of hosting a “family night of fun we call Souper Bowl,” according to Lenora Thompson, a church leader and new chairwoman of the conference’s Connectional Table. The church invites members and guests to come enjoy not only the Super Bowl together, but also pre-game activities, including trivia quizzes, snacks and fellowship.
They also invite attendees to bring cans of soup and $5 to donate to its community food ministry, called Helping Hands. “We distribute food at the end of every month to about 60 families,” said Thompson. The annual event is sponsored by the church’s United Methodist Men. Doors open at 5:30 PM.
Zion UMC in Schaefferstown is celebrating by collecting both soup and peanut butter and jelly for Lebanon County Christian Ministries. The goal is to fill the altar rail with these items. They will also have fellowship after church on Sunday.