A team spirit filled SPC on Sunday from the sanctuary to the fellowship hall with the ultimate winners being the patrons of the Southport Oak Island Interchurch Fellow (SOIIF) Food Pantry, which received $1,107.08 and 71 non-perishable food items from the church’s annual “Souper Bowl Sunday” fundraiser on Feb. 11.
As church members and visitors arrived for the 11:00 am worship service, they were greeted by SPC youth with donation buckets collecting donations for the food pantry. The team spirit filled the sanctuary with balloons, streamers, and signs in support of the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers who were competing for the Lombardi Souper Bowl Trophy. The “winners” theme continued during the worship service with Pastor Carrie Evans’ giving a sermon titled “Predestined to be Winners.” The theme for the day continued after the service in the Fellowship Hall filled with 18 crockpots of delicious soups and chili for the annual game day lunch.
The annual Souper Bowl of Caring Sunday became a national awareness event for churches in 1990 with a simple prayer said by Reverend Brad Smith at Spring Valley Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina. His prayer was, “Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those who are without a bowl of soup to eat,” gave birth to an idea of helping to eradicate hunger with “Souper Bowl” Sunday fundraisers in churches throughout the country. The “Tackle Hunger” campaign, with its signature Souper Bowl of Caring event sparked 22 churches raising $5,700 in the first year. Since that time more than 193 million dollars and non-perishable food have been donated, with 100% of donations benefiting thousands of soup kitchens, food banks, meal programs and other hunger-relief charities in local communities.