Souper Bowl of Caring: Printed Materials"Skit: Tackling Hunger"
Title: Tackling Hunger
Submitted by: Pastor Sandy Van Zyl & Pastor Tim Christensen
First English Evangelical Lutheran Church
Great Falls, Montana
Number of Players: 4
Approximate Length: 3-5 min
This skit requires a pastor who is willing to pretend to be "tackled." It includes 3 youth voices in addition to the pastor and as many others in the "crowd" as you want to include. We did this as part of the children's message.
Pastor invites kids up for children’s message. Have them sit on floor in front of stairs. As soon as they are pretty settled, one youth comes running down the aisle from the back - dressed in full football gear. As the football player runs in, other youth come from the sides and join him up front.
KID 1: Hey ________________ What are you all dressed up for?
FOOTBALL PLAYER: (acting all pumped and excited) It’s Super Bowl Sunday! The bulletin last week said we were going to TACKLE something in church today, so I wanted to be ready.
KID 2: Ummmm, I’m pretty sure that's not what it said!
FOOTBALL PLAYER: Sure it is! Here, watch my form… [Player pretends to tackle a few kids]
PASTOR: Hey, ______________! Whoa! C’mon – not here in worship... [Football player pretends to tackle Pastor … KIDS 1 & 2 come over to pull him off]
FOOTBALL PLAYER: Um, sorry about that, Pastor _________.
PASTOR: (from floor) Hey, your form’s great. It’s just that it’s not quite what we had in mind.
FOOTBALL PLAYER: Okay, so if it’s not about tackling people then what IS it about?
PASTOR [slowly gets up and hobbles back to their seat]: Kids, why don’t tell him what’s going on.
KID 1: Look, _____________, here’s the real story. Today isn’t just the Super Bowl; today’s also the Souper Bowl of Caring.
FOOTBALL PLAYER: The Souper Bowl of… What?!
KID 2: The “Soup-er Bowl of CARING.” You know…. People show that they care by bringing in cans of food and by contributing money to help feed hungry people. That’s why we call it the “Soup- er” Bowl. I've got my soup right here. [holds up can]
GROUP OF TEENAGERS 1: Me too! [holds up cans]
GROUP 2: Us three! [holds up cans]
FOOTBALL PLAYER: Oh, I get it! Okay, so stack up all the cans! (kids begin stacking cans on floor) Make a tower as big as you like – and then I can tackle it!
KID 1: No! We’re not tackling soup cans, we’re tackling hunger and poverty.
KID 2: You probably don’t know this so listen up…[turn and speak this next part to the congregation] There are more than 49 million Americans suffering from hunger, and that includes 16 million children. That’s why the “Souper Bowl of Caring” was created to tackle hunger in America.
KID 1: All the food and money we collect this morning will go to __________food ministry to help feed hungry people right here in our town.
FOOTBALL PLAYER: Great! How can I help?
KID 2: Well, first of all, you can stop tackling the pastor.
FOOTBALL PLAYER: Oh-kay… What else?
KID 2: At the end of worship today we’re going to be taking a collection at the back of the church. We’re asking people to drop some change or a few dollars into some soup pots.
FOOTBALL PLAYER: Hey, I’ve got an idea. Is it okay if I use my helmet?
BOTH KIDS: Absolutely!
PASTOR: So folks, our youth are working together with thousands of other youth groups in churches all across the country, and they’re doing this because they know they can make a difference. If you want to help them make a difference in tackling hunger and poverty, please remember to drop some money in the soup pots they’ll be holding – and in _________'s helmet – as you leave worship today. [Two of the kids go over to microphone and offer a prayer…]
KID 1: Please join us in a word of prayer. [wait a moment…] Gracious God, help us to not feel overwhelmed by the very real needs of people in our community and across the nation.
KID 2: Teach us that by working in your name, we can tackle even really big problems like hunger and poverty.
KID 1: Use us to continue to tackle these problems, not just on Souper Bowl Sunday, but all throughout the entire year.
KID 2: In Jesus’ name we pray.
ALL KIDS: AY-MEN!