February 1 was Super Bowl Sunday to many, but for Providence Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Mich., it was Souper Mission Sunday.
That Sunday was the finale of Focus ’09, a month that focused on spiritual growth and missions both during worship services and in evening small groups.
Souper Sunday involved 400 members (two-thirds of the church) going out to serve the surrounding community before returning to the church for a soup lunch hosted by student ministries.
“Instead of talking mission, we decided to do mission,” said Sue Prins, director of adult discipleship for the congregation.
On Souper Mission Sunday, small group members participated in many kinds of mission work. Some made deliveries to two fire stations and visited with the fire fighters. Others visited nursing homes. Some groups went grocery shopping and made deliveries to families in need. One small group made first-aid kits for people in Africa with whom Providence is affiliated.
Rebecca Leep and her small group visited the personnel at two fire stations. Group members, including children, delivered baked goods and chili along with gift cards for distribution to families in need.
Leep’s 5-year old daughter, Stephanie, spoke of how she helped for Souper Mission Sunday and what she remembered. “I baked cookies and muffins,” she said, adding, “I got to try on their oxygen masks and tanks.”
“It was an amazing experience to do this as a body—the church being the church,” said Prins. “It reinforced the desire we have to be hands and feet of Christ.”
