Penny Wars: Hunger Walk at Lutheran Church of the Messiah

At Lutheran Church of the Messiah, there are two jars. One jar is good news for Pastor Nathan and five courageous council members; the other is bad news for them. If one of the jars contains more pennies than the other on the day before the Hunger Walk, then Pastor Nathan and the five council members, including one woman, will dye their hair and beards purple for the event. Because everyone wants to see Pastor Nathan and the five council members walking around on March 10 with purple hair, won’t the one jar easily have more pennies than the other?

Yes, but there is a twist to the contest. If someone puts in nickels, dimes, quarters or dollar bills, then those silver coins and bills count against the pennies. To sabotage the efforts of congregational members, the council members can slip a few bills into the jar, negating the hundreds of pennies that someone else has dropped in.

Will the pennies prevail over the paper bills? If you see six people with purple hair at Turner Field next Sunday, then you’ll know the answer to that question. Whether this contest is good or bad news for the pastor and the council members, it is undoubtedly great news for the local community. With the money that Messiah raises from this creative challenge, they will provide food for homebound folks throughout the week as part of the Meals on Wheels program. Thanks for your creative advertising and good work, Messiah!