Update: Souper Bowl of Caring and Newton Presbytery

When Did We See You Hungry?  (Matthew 25)

Souper Bowl of Caring Update:  On the 30th anniversary of the Souper Bowl of Caring, at least eighteen congregations in Newton Presbytery participated in this food offering.  What began as a very small seed, in one local community, has now grown into a national campaign to fight hunger.  In 2020 , 3,679 groups registered their participation and raised just over nine million dollars for local food agencies.  From Matthew 13:   He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

The Souper Bowl of Caring is just one of the many ways our congregations are involved in hunger ministries in and around our geographic location.  The following congregations participated this year:  Panther Valley, Branchville, Flanders, New Vernon, Hilltop, Whippany, Newton, Stanhope, Kitchell, Stewartsville, Succasunna, Chatham, Union Hill, Dover, Hackettstown , Yellow Frame, Sussex, and Blairstown.

Blairstown shared their story:  The youth went shopping for items, we collected donations from the congregation and we had a congregation soup luncheon hosted by UPW. We collected 183 items and $40.00 in monetary donations.  The donations went to the First Presbyterian Church of Blairstown food pantry that serves 35 families on a regular basis.

Does your congregation have a story to share?  Let’s celebrate the many ways in which we are spreading God’s love in and through our local communities and the greater world.  Stories can be sent to:  resourcecenter@highlandspresbyterynj.org