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“We see ourselves as first responders.” Madison Church delivers supplies to low-income neighborhoods
In an effort to help vulnerable families transition through sudden cancellations, Madison Church has been buying, packing and delivering COVID-19 “kits” to residents on the West Side of Madison. The founder and lead pastor of the church, Stephen Feith, said the idea came to him Sunday night when he learned that schools were going to be canceled sooner than originally planned.
As with so many leaders right now, the impact of COVID-19 and the subsequent shut down of most activities has faith leaders across the state grappling with how to minister to their communities and how to deal with their own anxieties. The Wisconsin Council of Churches hosted a Zoom gathering on March 17 that brought together 20 faith leaders from a variety of denominations to share their concerns and their own personal stories.
It seems so simple on the surface. Jesus said, “Love your neighbor.” So that’s what we do as people who follow Jesus.But as some 150 people gathered on a the first Friday evening in March to explore the dimensions of that phrase and then some 160 gathered all day on a Saturday to explore how to live that out in our local community, it turns out to be a very complex and challenging phrase.
Several Madison-area pastors plan to stream services over the internet from churches full of empty pews Sunday, and Madison’s Catholic bishop said believers “are permitted to miss Mass on Sundays for the foreseeable future” amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Underscoring the decision for many churches is the number of older members, who are more likely to suffer serious complications if they contract the virus.
MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Karin Krause runs a unique, cross-generational adult home that helps both seniors and those who care for them. “My husband and I live here. I guess we are the house parents. I am a nurse and he is an occupational therapist,” said Krause Karin and her husband Rick have been married for over 40 years. They met in nursing school.
When Christ Presbyterian Church (CPC) hired Jean-René Watchou as the Director of International Outreach in 2008, the church already had mission connections in Rwanda, Mexico, Egypt, and Palestine. With Jean-René —an immigrant from Cameroon with a master’s degree in international public affairs—on board, the church now planned to expand not into more countries abroad, but into care locally—to the large number of internationals here in Madison.
MADISON, Wis. — February 28, 2020 is the first Friday of this year’s Lenten season. While plant-based products are growing increasingly popular, the concept of skipping meat on Fridays during Lent is becoming a bit hazier. Madison bishop Donald Hying said, “Strictly speaking, you’re not violating the obligation to abstain from meat if you’re eating a vegetable meat. If a food product is consisting solely of vegetables, does not have any meat it in, it is certainly permissible to consume such a product on a Friday on Lent as a Catholic because it would still be observing the non-eating meat…
With influenza continuing to hit Wisconsin hard, schools closed in Richland Center Thursday and Madison-area clergy said they’re advising congregants to “rub elbows” or “fist bump,” instead of shaking hands or hugging, when sharing the peace during worship.
State Rep. Melissa Sargent (D-Madison) named longtime housing advocate Reverend Dr. Carmen Porco as a “Hometown Hero” in a ceremony during Thursday’s session of the State Assembly. “Carmen Porco is greatly deserving of the Hometown Hero award for his incredible dedication to addressing housing needs here in Wisconsin, and for his work within low-income communities,” Sargent said in a statement. “Rev. Porco has selflessly dedicated his life and work to fighting for just and equal opportunities, and has changed the lives of many.”
MADISON, Wis. (RNS) — Emma Brown didn’t know Pres House was a church when she walked in. The University of Wisconsin-Madison freshman had seen a sign for free ice cream at the Gothic Revival building at the heart of the university’s campus and decided to check it out. Inside, she met one of its two pastors and found herself surprisingly emotional when the topic of homesickness came up.