Author: Gordon Govier

Christians in Visual Arts, also known as CIVA, is an international organization for ceramicists, painters, photographers, and others who find their artistic inspiration in their Christian faith. Last June CIVA’s national office found its home in Madison, and this Friday CIVA holds an open house and print sale at its new office and gallery in Suite 212 at 849 East Washington Avenue.

The Schueler family needed to find a church home that focused on what their two children with Down syndrome could do — instead of what they couldn’t do. After their former church began putting limitations on how their growing 9-year-old daughter, Sarah Schueler, could participate, the family went searching for a new church home. That quest brought them back to Tulip Grove Baptist Church in Hermitage.

MIDDLETON, Wis. – Middleton-Cross Plains School District officials would like a gathering known as the “Jesus Lunch” held near the high school to stop. The lunches, held each Tuesday in Fireman’s Park adjacent to Middleton High School, have reportedly been drawing hundreds of students each week to eat food provided by parents and talk about the Christian faith.

On a recent Tuesday morning, about two dozen homeless people gathered at Bethel Lutheran Church in Downtown Madison for a weekly spiritual support group.By the time it ended, one had confessed to using cocaine, one had announced he’d landed a job, and one had been whisked away by paramedics for an apparent drug-related health crisis. For those present, the issues were familiar, as were the poignant words they spoke in unison to open the session. “We are not homeless,” they said, “for there is a place in this world for us.” For several years, one of those places has been…

Let me stress: I had no problem with the AP article, which seemed even-handed. But there’s a way bigger story that I see no one doing. That would be, who and what is the FFRF? What’s the story behind the couple that heads this group up and has been very successful at cowing everything from local governments to school boards into obeying their wishes? Few school districts can afford lawsuits, so the typical reaction is to cave in. Google “school board lawsuit FFRF” and you get a lot of results. Now, what if a conservative group did a provocative action…

Chances are, if you attend a white church, you’ve never heard a sermon about racism. The Rev. Alex Gee, pastor of Madison’s Fountain of Life Covenant Church, said that he polled his pastor friends ten years ago and found 98 percent said that they had never preached against racism. Pastor Gee, the founder of Madison’s Justified Anger Coalition, chaired a panel of four white members from his church Sunday night, addressing an all-white crowd of about 60 people representing eight other Madison churches. Those who gathered at Springs of Hope Fellowship Church first watched the 2014 Academy-Award-nominated movie Selma, depicting…

  The Madison Christian Giving Fund is supporting Lilada’s Livingroom in 2016. Scott Haumersen, Chairman of the Fund, says “we are honored to support Lilada’s Livingroom because of their exemplary work in addressing sexual abuse against Black girls and women with their Christ-centered ministry.” Lilada’s Livingroom is a Madison based ministry focused on the prevention and early intervention of sexual abuse of Black girls in Madison. This issue is not being addressed in a concentrated effort in the city, state or nation. According to Lilada Gee, Executive Director, “ in addition to addressing the tragedy of sexual abuse of Black…

A couple of weeks ago, a young mother with a 9-month-old walked into First United Methodist Church in Downtown Madison. She was homeless and had stayed the prior two nights at the Salvation Army shelter. But on this night, the shelter was full and she had no place to go. It was a familiar scenario, one that underscored the importance of what the church was working toward, said Karen Andro, the church’s director of outreach ministries. Beginning Monday, First United Methodist will serve as an overflow shelter five nights a week for homeless families.

Wisconsin is the next major battleground for GOP frontrunners Donald Trump and Ted Cruz in the race for the Republican nomination. Using findings from the American Values Atlas, drawn from more than 81,000 interviews in 2015, we take a look at how the Dairy State’s Republicans compare to Republicans nationally. Read more of this story.

To the Churches in the Madison Area, Springs of Hope Fellowship will be hosting a panel discussion with Dr. Rev. Alex Gee and others on Sunday, April 3, at 5:00 p.m. It will consist of viewing the movie “Selma” followed by a panel discussion.   “Selma” was chosen as one way of providing a background of the history of the civil rights movement and how we have gotten to where we are presently. The movie (rated PG-13, containing profanity) will act as a springboard into the panel discussion on racial disparities.   As stated in Our Madison Plan: Mobilizing Madison…