Blackhawk Church members show they 'Love Madison'

The congregation of Blackhawk Church in Madison exchanged a day of worship for a day of service on Sunday as part of "Love Madison."

The Love Madison program replaces regular church services and gets Blackhawk’s congregation to serve together in the community as a form of worship to God, organizer said.

About 2,000 members of the congregation took time to participate in one of 80 different service projects in the Madison area. These include stocking food pantries, helping the elderly, painting and landscaping.

The Boys & Girls Club said more than 125 Blackhawk volunteers came out to spruce up both their Taft and Allied Drive neighborhood locations.

“Just to serve and to love. That’s kind of our view of who God is and we just want to be his hands and feet to this community,” said John Rosensteel, Blackhawk Church’s pastor of Next Generation Ministries.

Love Madison occurs on one Sunday each spring.

The program is in its fourth year.