MC News

Maybe it was the celebrity speaker. Or maybe it was the fact that the local Christian community is starting to pick up on the vision of the Madison Christian Giving Fund. Whatever it was, the Sheraton Hotel staff was hopping Tuesday evening, substituting ten-seat tables for eight-seat tables so that a larger than expected turnout could be accommodated for the Madison Christian Giving Fund annual banquet. An estimated 250 attendees came together to learn about the fund and its origin, how it is impacting ministries in the Madison area, and to hear some thoughts from retired pastor and author Stuart…

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When Henry Sanders started thinking about the ways churches could have an impact on the Madison-area community, a couple of things came to mind, he told a crowd Saturday at the Goodman Center for the formal launch of Selfless Ambition. One was a verse from Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:3-4) The name of the project played off the words “selfish ambition” by calling for “selfless ambition.…

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When Henry Sanders started thinking about the ways churches could have an impact on the Madison-area community, a couple of things came to mind, he told a crowd Saturday at the Goodman Center for the formal launch of Selfless Ambition. One was a verse from Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:3-4) The name of the project played off the words “selfish ambition” by calling for “selfless ambition.…

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Although it has been active since May, a Dane County faith-based coalition will lay out its goals Saturday as it takes on some of the area’s toughest issues. Already, Selfless Ambition, which was formed to unite area churches to solve some of the area’s most pressing problems, has held block parties throughout the summer and donated supplies and raised money for hurricane recovery efforts. But to help address problems like poverty, violent crime and racial disparities in Madison, the nonprofit group of churches plans to work with area schools and youth, said Selfless Ambition CEO Henry Sanders.

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Some of the greatest musical hits of the Reformation were sung at the Overture yesterday. Several times each year the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Overture Center present a Free Community Hymn Sing, which is just the right kind of event to commemorate this fall’s 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. As I guessed, the opening hymn was Martin Luther’s A Mighty Fortress is Our God, written in 1529, followed by The Church’s One Foundation, written by Samuel Wesley and Samuel Stone in the mid 19th century. The rest of the 11 hymns were from all of the past five…

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A living-wage job is crucial to help ex-inmates thrive and keep them from winding up back in prison. Wisconsin prisons offer them the opportunity to work and get certified in a trade, and research shows these programs increase their chances of employment. But critics say there aren’t enough prison vocational programs to go around and offenders don’t find enough support once released. Wisconsin DOC officials acknowledge program capacity is limited, but say ultimately success is dependent on the prisoners themselves. “Programs have gotten better over the years,” said Dillard, who works with with ex-inmates today as the director of Ex-Prisoners…

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  MADISON, Wis. – When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County rushed to collect supplies and brought down hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of donations. They’re now asking the Madison community to step up again as Hurricane Irma devastates Florida. It’s no longer a hurricane, but in Irma’s rampage across Florida, it flooded streets, destroyed homes and knocked out power to millions. “We’re just trying to figure out how we can best help the people in need,” Henry Sanders, founder and CEO of Selfless Ambition, said. Led by the Boys and Girls Club…

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