Author: MC Editor

NEWS RELEASEThis week, representatives of Habitat for Humanity of Dane County (HFHDC) traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina to receive one of the most prestigious awards granted to Habitat for Humanity affiliates.

The University of Wisconsin issued a news release Wednesday evening which began:"The University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Knights of Columbus Council 6568 have reached an agreement that will allow the formation of a broadly inclusive Registered Student Organization (RSO) in time for the fall 2006 semester."MC learned the Knights of Columbus said otherwise. The CAPITAL TIMES story followed with more details. The Associated Press filed this story on Wednesday, and this one on Thursday. The University of Wisconsin’s updated statement is here. National media are picking up the story: Inside Higher EducationStay tuned for more updates.

News ReleasePHOENIX, Arizona, July 27, 2006 — Ten million women and girls in the U.S. suffer from eating disorders and more people die from anorexia each year than from any other mental illness. Fortunately, for those individuals and families affected by eating disorders, help is available and recovery is possible.

Further reflections from the academic dean of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Lebanon."And who is my neighbor?" an expert of the law asks in fury, annoyed with Jesus’ message and behavior that frustrates every notion of conventional "righteousness" (Luke 10:29). Jesus embarks on one of his breathtaking stories about a man, a "righteous" man, apparently the hero of the narrative, suddenly transformed into the "enemy," replaced by a new hero, a Samaritan, an "unrighteous" man. New Testament scholars have pointed out that in this story, the man called to love his enemy is not the Samaritan, but actually the…

NELSON, NZ (ANS) — A group of 10 churches in the Nelson area have joined together under the banner All for One.The churches come from a variety of denominations, ranging from Anglican, Church of Christ and Presbyterian to Pentecostal and independents.John Taylor, pastor of Spring of Life Elim, Nelson, says the group arose from a pastors’ meeting which has been running over the past decade.“Some of us felt God was wanting us to be more specific, more identifiable, one body, as laid out in Ephesians 4-6. We settled on the name late last year, and have been running combined services…

Whatever happened to the idea of rescuing people from hell? The official representative from Saddleback Church had just finished his powerful presentation of Rick Warren's P.E.A.C.E. plan. Afterwards, I told him that I use The Purpose-Driven Church in a doctoral-level course, and also how much I appreciate Warren's impact on the church. But when I mentioned the critical omission of missions in the book, this rep grinned in agreement. That's why he and I welcomed the P.E.A.C.E. plan (CT, October 2005, p. 32), which outlines a holistic approach to the church's responsibility to the world, conquering the "giants" of poverty,…

MADISON — Eight people from around the Diocese of Madison will soon cross an ocean to return a visit paid by a delegation from the diocese’s sister diocese last year. The delegation will leave Madison Sunday, July 23, and will return Friday, Aug. 4. This is the third delegation to be sent from the Diocese of Madison to the Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga. A delegation from Ghana visited Madison in fall 2005. more >>

We have read the news from around the world: religious believers are being imprisoned and tortured, women are being sexually assaulted and often denied an education. We read and are concerned but seem to have no real power to do anything about it. Public servants like Jean Geran, who are also people of faith, have the privilege and the opportunity to work for justice in some of these situations. more >>

When is the last time you went to your church’s web site? This week? Last month? Last YEAR?Most people have Internet access at work or at home now. Wireless access is now spreading throughout Madison. The web has even been called the number one media source. The web isn’t going anywhere, it’s here to stay. So is your church using it as much as they should?What can a church web site do? Besides just giving information for people interested in attending, it can do quite a bit. It can list upcoming events, small group meetings, sermon topics, prayer requests, study…

The battle of the blogs is in full swing at the Episcopal General Convention meeting in Columbus, Ohio. Dozens of deputies, at least 11 bishops and a multitude of other hangers-on are using the Internet to slug it out over the same issues that the convention is considering through its conclusion Wednesday. Read more.