Jacksonville Churches Emphasize Outreach on Super Bowl Weekend

Local ministers, National Football League officials and event organizers say Jacksonville, Fla., host city of Super Bowl XXXIX on Sunday, Feb. 6, will be one of the most religiously oriented venues in the championship game's history.

By Kenneth Chan, Friday, February 04, 2005

Local ministers, National Football League officials and event organizers say Jacksonville, Fla., host city of Super Bowl XXXIX on Sunday, Feb. 6, will be one of the most religiously oriented venues in the championship game's history.

After last year's Super Bowl Half-Time Show debacle, the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville reported that this year, the event is "going where previous Super Bowl cities have seldom gone: events relating to faith."

According to the Baptist Press, hundreds of Southern Baptist Convention churches are planning Super Bowl-related activities, including an estimated 200 "game day watch parties" in fellowship halls and members' homes. In addition, local congregations are planning street evangelism and other outreaches in an effort to minister to 100,000 out-of-town visitors. Tim Knopps, an Oklahoma-based evangelist hired by the Jacksonville Baptist Association to coordinate its Super Bowl outreach, said he has worked nine Super Bowls and never encountered the level of church involvement found in Jacksonville. "It's probably the most aggressive effort I've ever seen on a faith-based level," he said.

Meanwhile, thousands of young people nationwide are also organizing the "Souper Bowl of
Caring" which encourages churches, schools, organizations and individuals interested in combating hunger and poverty to collect money in soup pots on or near Super Bowl Sunday. This year organizers expect teens from 15,000 churches, schools and other organizations to help collect money to feed those in need. The funds will be sent directly from the collection location to its charity of choice.

Also, more than 75 churches are working together to help the Convoy of Hope ministry distribute food to 20,000 Jacksonville-area residents on Saturday.

Last Saturday, thousands of believers representing more than 100 congregations took part in "Super March for Jesus" through downtown Jacksonville.