Sherman Avenue United Methodist Church, a multicultural community of faith on Madison’s North Side, will be celebrating 10 years of its pastoral ministry team this Saturday with a big party for both parishioners and the greater Madison community.
Pastor David Hart, who is also an attorney, author and community leader, and First Lady Azure Hart are marking their 10th anniversary leading Sherman Church with a summertime celebration on July 11, 2-6 p.m. The celebration will have a BBQ, a bouncy house for kids, water games, free books for kids, music from DJ Steel, and much more.
“We are super excited about the work we’ve done in the community,” Azure Hart, the wife of Rev. David Hart, tells Madison365. Azure is also a Sunday school teacher at Sherman Church. “I really do want David to know that this is a celebration for him. He doesn’t want this to be a celebration about him.
(Photo by Omar Waheed)
“It’s been a long time since Sherman United Methodist has had a pastor for 10 years, and many churches just nowadays don’t get to have that kind of consistency through the pandemic and all of that,” she continues. “We’re just excited that we’ve been in the community this past decade, really engaging people. We have so many different activities we do with the community, from the hundreds upon hundreds of kids that come through for our Trick or Trunk, or when we have services out at the Mallards Field, or things like our domestic abuse awareness programs.”
Saturday’s 10th anniversary event will be a community celebration for a church that heavily emphasizes inclusivity, diversity, and community-building, emphasizing the importance of community service and fellowship.
“This celebration is going to be basically a big old BBQ in the front yard,” Azure Hart says. “There’ll be a bouncy house, there’ll be barbecue for everybody, and everything is free. There’ll be water games and water balloons because it’s July in Wisconsin and everything is nice and warm. We will have live music.”
Azure Hart and fellow Sherman church member Hollis Rudiger have been working to organize the 10th anniversary party for awhile now.
“It’s just all about community and family and enjoyment. Hollis [Rudiger] and David [Hart] came up with this idea to have a book giveaway at the event, and to have an opportunity for kids to read and engage with books,” Azure Hart says. “There’ll be adults outside reading with the kids and then all the kids that come can get a free book.”
Rudiger says that having left another church for Sherman Church, one of the things that she values most about her new church is its great connection to the community.
“Instead of talking about being Christian to everybody, we’re just doing the work,” she tells Madison365. “I drive halfway across the city to be a part of this community, because I’m so enamored of the mission and the ability to contribute to something great in our city. I look forward to seeing all ages celebrate the fact that together we can do great things. I’ve been in churches for 50 years, and this is the most perfect match for me.”
Rudiger initially joined Sherman Church during COVID.
“I just think that the great thing about David and his ministry, and the way he pastors, is that I’ve never met any Christian leader who is so knowledgeable and skilled on everything from really traditional liturgical theological thinking to contemporary life and pop culture,” she says. “You can go from Buddy the Elf to Eric B and Rakim to Sophocles in one sermon. He makes space for people and he knows how to talk to people and he knows how to bring people in.
“And it’s the most David thing ever to try and turn a celebration of him into something that can strengthen the community, and the idea of using a day to recognize his leadership in all of the community building that’s been happening on the North Side is awesome,” Rudiger adds.
Azure Hart says that Sherman Church takes great pride in being “one of the few multicultural churches around town.”
“I remember the late Rev. Rick Jones, the former pastor at Mt. Zion, when he came and spoke at Sherman, he said that this was one of the most diverse churches he had ever seen in town,” she says. “One thing I’m super proud of is the variety, the diversity that is so beautiful at Sherman … that people can come and be themselves.
“We’ve always had a thing for promoting the North Side and reminding people just how great the North Side is, too,” she continues. “There are some amazing people over here, and this event is just a great opportunity to fellowship with the diverse community we have over here. The North Side is pretty cool.”
Beyond all of the food, music and fun, Sherman Church will have numerous activities at Saturday’s 10-year celebration to help young people combat the “summer slide,” which refers to the decline in students’ academic skills during summer break.
“The literacy event that we are hosting will be pretty sweet,” Rudiger says. “We’re going to have some tables set up and books in multiple languages. We’re going to have readers read to the children. Kids can pick a book that they can take home. We’ll have a bookmark-making station where kids can write their summer reading goals and crafts and art … just things to get kids thinking and working to avoid the summer slide.
“I also have a bunch of crossword puzzles and adult books and adult brain teasers, just things to keep our brains and bodies busy over the summer.”
A great event for kids and families, Azure Hart adds that Saturday’s event is open to all faiths and denominations. “Everything is free and open to everybody,” she says. Sherman Avenue United Methodist Church is located at 3705 N Sherman Ave.
“One of the goals for our church is to be holistic and authentic to the individual,” she adds. “As David says, ‘Church isn’t about any of us. Church is about lifting up and serving the Lord.’ And then our mission is to go out and then serve in the community, and to love on the community, and to make our community a better community every day.”
