Accent on Worship

The Fifth Sunday of Easter

     A new commandment, a whole new direction and a new Jerusalem, all of which came about because of the Resurrection of Our Lord.

     In the book Field of Compassion, author Judy Cannato puts forth her scholarly insight about God’s love.  She writes, “God creates in order to give God’s self away in love.  All that creation has ever been invited to do is accept this gift of love.” She writes that all love comes from God, that we cannot love until we are loved and by this love we love others because, we are nothing more than conduits of divine love.

     The depth of God’s divine love became flesh in Jesus.  In the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday in Easter, Jesus gives his apostles a new commandment. He says, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” God’s love triumphs in Christ’s resurrection, and his followers are commanded to continue to bring the triumphant love of Jesus into the world.

     In the First Reading for Sunday, the apostle Peter brings a broader understanding of God’s love to the Jews in Jerusalem who criticized him for going to the uncircumcised with the message of the resurrection and the grace of God.  However, Peter’s vision of God’s inclusiveness wins them over and sends the early church in a whole new direction. The followers of Jesus would thereafter preach God’s grace and love through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior to all.

     In the Second Reading, John gives us a vision of what is to come because of the resurrection of Jesus who is “making all things new.”   Jesus will return from heaven to a new earth in a new Jerusalem in all her splendor. “Death will be no more.”  Jesus is the beginning and the end.  He came as the enfleshed expression of God’s eternal love and completes his journey in the New Jerusalem.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

– Donna Neste  

Sunday Readings

April 28, 2013 – Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 11:1-18 + Psalm 148
Revelation 21:1-6 + John 13:31-35

May 5, 2013 – Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts 16:9-15 + Psalm 67
Revelation 21:10, 22—22:5 + John 5:1-9

Hebrews Study on Thursday Evenings

     Postponed twice due to bad weather, the third Thursday Bible study series of this year will finally begin this Thursday, April 25, and will run for five more weeks on Thursday evenings.  Meeting in the Chapel Lounge from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Pr. Crippen will be leading a study of the book of Hebrews, an early Christian sermon preserved in the New Testament.  As usual, there will be a light supper when we begin.  All are welcome to this study opportunity!

The Ascension of Our Lord
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Holy Eucharist at 7:00 p.m.

Semi-annual Congregation Meeting to be Held This Sunday, April 28

     The Vestry has announced the date of the April semi-annual congregation meeting to be Sunday, Apr. 28, after the second liturgy.  Among the items on the agenda will be election of officers and directors, whose terms will begin on July 1.  Any wishing to suggest names to the nominating committee for the positions of president, vice-president, secretary, and directors of congregational life, evangelism, or neighborhood ministries are encouraged to contact Adam Krueger, congregational president.

     Also on the agenda are several constitutional and bylaw amendments presented to the congregation by the Vestry, attached to this Olive Branch as a separate document.  The first page, the constitutional amendments, is a second hearing of amendments presented and approved at the October semi-annual meeting.  Should these be approved again, with at least a 2/3 majority of those present and voting, they will be formally ratified.  The second pages are bylaw amendments which only need the one hearing and vote at this meeting.  Included in these amendments are bylaws establishing a business and finance committee, directed by the treasurer, and some corrective edits to several directors’ bylaws.

Book Discussion Group

     Mount Olive’s Book Discussion group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at church. For the May 11 meeting, they will discuss Children of God, by Mary Doria Russell, which is the sequel to her book The Sparrow.  And for the June 8 meeting, they will discuss The Calligrapher’s Daughter, by Eugenia Kim.

New Members to Be Received on Day of Pentecost, May 19

If you are interested in becoming a member of Mount Olive this spring, please contact Pastor Crippen (pastor@mountolivechurch.org), or Andrew Andersen, Director of Evangelism (andrewstpaul@gmail.com)

May Day, May Day!

     Far from being an emergency, this is a call for you to enjoy watching the May Day Parade.  We would like to have a large number of folks from Mount Olive to watch the parade as a group, making our presence in the community known in this way.  The plan is to leave from Mount Olive after the Congregation Visioning Meeting (lunch will be served there) on Sunday, May 5, either walking or by car, to view the parade together from between 31st and 33rd on Bloomington Ave. Rides may be arranged for those who need them. If you have a Mount Olive shirt, or other item with the Mount Olive logo, please be sure to wear it.  You may also want to bring a lawn chair. Let’s have a good turnout for a fun time, taking part in a neighborhood activity.

Prayer Shawl Retreat to be Held April 27

     This Saturday, April 27, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Mount Olive’s Prayer Shawl group will join the group from Our Savior’s Lutheran Church for a joint Prayer Shawl Retreat at Our Saviour’s (2315 Chicago Ave. S.).

        This retreat is for anyone interested in needle arts, prayer and the neighborhood.  It will be a day of prayerful work, fellowship, and reflecting on the neighborhood community of our churches.  There is no cost for this retreat and participants are welcome to join us for all or part of the day.

     The morning will include an opening prayer, sharing stories, and prayerful work. The afternoon will include a walking meditation and neighborhood experience, prayerful work, and closing prayer.
     For a full agenda and additional information, please contact Cynthia Prosek, 612-860-7228, or by email to cynthprosek@msn.com.

Accent on Worship

Good Shepherd Sunday

     This coming Sunday (April 21) is the Fourth Sunday of Easter,  also known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.”  The imagery of a shepherd caring for the flock is a relatively easy one to grasp – even though most of us have no connection with a herd of sheep or the one who cares for them.  Most parish musicians, instead of hunting for a setting of Psalm 23 get to choose which setting to sing because there are so many options, whether for choir as an anthem or for congregation.

     Psalm 23 is probably the one of the few Psalms most people know from memory.  Indeed, it’s a good one to know – it includes words of comfort for times of trouble, it’s reassurance that we are indeed cared for and loved, and that God will provide and protect.  I’ve heard of many instances where it is recited at the hour of death.  

     Psalm 23 also gives me occasion to think of the power of memory.  Memory is a powerful force, not to be tinkered with willy-nilly.   We don’t know when our mental abilities might falter – but when something is internalized through our memory banks, it will still be there when we need it.  That’s one of the reasons, by the way,  that our practice most of the time is for the entire assembly to sing the verses of the Psalm in our liturgies – putting the words of these prayers on our lips, in our souls,  and not only singing at the refrain,  or antiphon,  which is a more common practice.  As one friend said about that:  “If the only thing the congregation sings is the antiphon, when they get to their death beds, that’s all they are going to know.”

     It’s also why we don’t mess around with a variety of translations.  There are many out there – especially for Psalm 23.   Some of them are even quite good, and some challenging in interesting ways.  But if we keep changing the translation we use, our getting it committed it to memory is hampered.  If a different translation is adopted,  we need to commit to it over time to allow memory to do its work – so we have to be careful about which one is adopted.  The switch from King James to the Book of Common Prayer we use today was a dramatic shift – but probably one that is here to stay.  For that reason it’s important to switch and stick with it.  (“Thou preparest a table…” versus “You prepare a table…”)

     Thinking about the importance of memory also points out the value of memorizing more than Psalm 23 – while we can.  Psalm 121, for example.  “I lift my eyes to the hills…” would be a good one.   The same goes for hymns.  The more we memorize,  the better.  Adding melody to the text puts it deeper into the memory with different levels of connections in the brain – and studies have actually proven that hymns connect with Alzheimer patients – where mere words would not.

     How well do you know Psalm 23?  Try it right now – how far can you get?

– Cantor David Cherwien

The Ascension of Our Lord
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Holy Eucharist at 7:00 p.m.

This Sunday’s Adult Forum

     April 21: “Trinitarian Spirituality: The Celtic Tradition,” presented by Brad Holt.

Sunday Readings

April 21, 2013 – Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:36-43 + Psalm 23
Revelation 7:9-17 + John 10:22-30

April 28, 2013 – Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 11:1-18 + Psalm 148
Revelation 21:1-6 + John 13:31-35

New Members to Be Received on Sunday, May 19, Day of Pentecost

If you are interested in becoming a member of Mount Olive this spring, please contact Pastor Crippen (pastor@mountolivechurch.org), or Andrew Andersen, Director of Evangelism (andrewstpaul@gmail.com)

Hebrews Study on Thursday Evenings  

     The third Thursday Bible study series of this year will begin tomorrow evening, April 18, and will run for five more weeks on Thursday evenings.  Meeting in the Chapel Lounge from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Pr. Crippen will be leading a study of the book of Hebrews, an early Christian sermon preserved in the New Testament.  As usual, there will be a light supper when we begin.  If anyone wishes to provide the first meal, please let Pr. Crippen know.  All are welcome to this study opportunity!

Semi-annual Congregation Meeting to be Held Sunday, April 28

     The Vestry has announced the date of the April semi-annual congregation meeting to be Sunday, Apr. 28, after the second liturgy.  Among the items on the agenda will be election of officers and directors, whose terms will begin on July 1.  Any wishing to suggest names to the nominating committee for the positions of president, vice-president, secretary, and directors of congregational life, evangelism, or neighborhood ministries are encouraged to contact Adam Krueger, congregational president.

     Also on the agenda are several constitutional and bylaw amendments presented to the congregation by the Vestry, attached to this Olive Branch as a separate document.  The first page, the constitutional amendments, is a second hearing of amendments presented and approved at the October semi-annual meeting.  Should these be approved again, with at least a 2/3 majority of those present and voting, they will be formally ratified.  The second pages are bylaw amendments which only need the one hearing and vote at this meeting.  Included in these amendments are bylaws establishing a business and finance committee, directed by the treasurer, and some corrective edits to several directors’ bylaws.

Night on the Street

     This Friday night, April 19, Peter Crippen and Eric Manuel and their mothers, along with members of Trust Youth group and more than 400 other teens from thirty Twin Cities congregations, have committed to spend the night in a church parking lot near downtown Minneapolis to learn about youth homelessness. Together they will learn what life is like for teens on the street.

• How do homeless teens make it from day to day?
• What resources are available to them?
• What can be done to help those who have no place to call home?

     For that evening, they will stand in a soup line for dinner and spend the night sleeping outside in cardboard boxes.

     They are doing this not only to increase awareness of youth homelessness, but also to raise money to help in efforts to end the problem. Participants have been asked to raise enough funds to provide one week’s worth of safe and supportive services for a homeless youth. That’s $140.00 for seven days!

     If you are able to help meet that goal, please see Peter or Eric on Sunday morning, or drop off a check in the church office, payable to Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, with “Night on the Street” in the memo line. All donations to A Night on the Street will go to Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, a faith-based nonprofit housing organization. The event has corporate sponsors, so every dollar raised will go directly to serving the youth!

Contribution Statements

     Contribution statements for the first quarter of 2013 (January-March) are printed and available for you to pick up at church. They are on a small table next to the coat room.

     Many have not picked up their 2012 year end statements. They are in the office and can be mailed to you upon request.

May Day, May Day!

     Far from being an emergency, this is a call for you to enjoy watching the May Day Parade.  We would like to have a large number of folks from Mount Olive to watch the parade as a group, making our presence in the community known in this way.  The plan is to leave from Mount Olive after the Congregation Visioning Meeting (lunch will be served there) on Sunday, May 5, either walking or by car, to view the parade together from between 31st and 33rd on Bloomington Ave. Rides may be arranged for those who need them. If you have a Mount Olive shirt, or other item with the Mount Olive logo, please be sure to wear it.  You may also want to bring a lawn chair. Let’s have a good turnout for a fun time, taking part in a neighborhood activity.

Uptown Brass and NLC Gala: Why Choose One When You Can Do Both?

     The Uptown Brass Quintet will appear in concert at Mount Olive this Sunday, April 21, 4:00 p.m. (not April 14, as originally planned!).  These brass virtuosos are all members of the Minnesota Orchestra and will present an exciting concert of gorgeous brass sonorities featuring great music ranging from Bach to Piazolla.

     Please also note that later that same afternoon the National Lutheran Choir is having their annual gala at the Earle Brown Heritage Center, just a little north of downtown Minneapolis.  The National Lutheran Choir is directed by Cantor David Cherwien, and Pr. Crippen sings with the group, while Brenda Bartz serves on the board of directors.  The NLC rehearses at Mount Olive each Tuesday, so they’re in a number of ways deeply rooted with Mount Olive.  The gala begins at 4:00 p.m. with a social time and silent auction, but the dinner doesn’t actually begin until 6:00 p.m., so it’s possible for people to come to the concert at Mount Olive and then get to the gala later, and some Mount Olive people are already planning on doing both.  Information on the event can be found at http://www.nlca.com/season/2012-2013/we-shall-have-song-gala .

Vision for the Future/Understanding Our Past

     On April 7 we gathered for the first of three Congregational Visioning Events, this one focused on sharing and understanding Mount Olive’s history. The results suggest a few themes.  Paramount — we worship, sing, pray and study together. Throughout the decades represented we reported that worship has gotten more liturgical or formal, more God centered. It expanded to involve more people, from weekly communion to more lay participation in worship leading roles—sacristan, lectors, acolytes and assisting ministers.

     We are a congregation of action and involvement. We recognize a need, analyze the components, and seek solutions.  We supported community health clinics, resettled refugees, provided books and tutoring, supported young mothers and families, lobbied, wrote letters or protested if necessary.

     We are committed to seeking the truth, facing tough issues and talking together.  We faced issues in the larger church, within our own faith community, and political issues of justice and equality.  And we did that in respectful ways.

     We are a congregation of celebration and joy.  We love to eat and drink together.  We share that love of with our neighborhood. We looked for and embraced occasions to celebrate, adding Easter Vigil, a second community meal, notable receptions following musical events.

     That’s part of what our history tells us.  What will we become?  What more do we need to learn?  Last Sunday Community Observer and Community Interviewer volunteers gathered for training.  In the next month these folks—and others who many wish to join them—will set out to watch and listen.  What do we need to learn from neighborhood (our 2 mile radius) as we move forward? On May 5 we will gather for our second Visioning Event where we will examine our values as a congregation.  On June 2 our third Event will focus on strengths and action. Save the dates and be a part of the process.

Prayer Shawl Retreat to be Held April 27

     On Saturday, April 27, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Mount Olive’s Prayer Shawl group will join the group from Our Savior’s Lutheran Church for a joint Prayer Shawl Retreat at Our Saviour’s (2315 Chicago Ave. S.).

        This retreat is for anyone interested in needle arts, prayer and the neighborhood.  It will be a day of prayerful work, fellowship, and reflecting on the neighborhood community of our churches.  There is no cost for this retreat and participants are welcome to join us for all or part of the day.

     The morning will include an Opening Prayer, sharing stories, and prayerful work. The afternoon will include a walking meditation and neighborhood experience, prayerful work, and Closing Prayer.
     For a full agenda and additional information, please contact Cynthia Prosek, 612-860-7228, or by email to cynthprosek@msn.com

Book Discussion Group

     Mount Olive’s Book Discussion group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at church. For the May 11 meeting, they will discuss Children of God, by Mary Doria Russell, which is the sequel to her book The Sparrow.  And for the June 8 meeting, they will discuss The Calligrapher’s Daughter, by Eugenia Kim.

Accent on Worship

Looking for Life

     Why do you look for the living among the dead?  We heard Luke on Easter day tell us that the angels at Jesus’ tomb asked the women this question.  The women had come to the tomb, expecting to finish the embalming of Jesus’ body.  They came, not expecting life, but death.  They came, not hoping to see him alive, but looking for a dead man.  They came, filled with sorrow, almost lifeless themselves.  Sometimes we forget that.  We know the story of Easter so well.  We come on Easter Sunday ready for joy and hope.  Not so these women.

     Then they heard the amazing, wonderful news that Jesus, their Master and friend, had defeated the power of death.  And their lives were forever changed.  No longer lifeless and afraid, they were filled with life and joy and courage.  One could almost say that they, too, were raised from the dead that Sunday morning.

     Why do you look for the living among the dead?  This question is addressed to us, too.  While we know that Jesus rose, we often live as if his resurrection only provides the promise of life after death for believers.  That’s not wholly bad; to live without fear of eternal death is a good thing.  But sometimes that means that in this life we can spend our lives looking for life, for the living, among the dead, that is, in this world.  We look for life and hope and meaning in this world, on this side of the grave, in things that are dead.

     Some turn to work, thinking that their work is what gives them true meaning in life.  Others turn to entertainment, recreation, sports, to activities for themselves or their children, as participants or as spectators.  And while these can be enjoyable, or can sometimes be necessary to maintain health, they do not give full life, abundant life.  Still others, tragically, turn to drugs and alcohol to give them life, things that are clearly a place of death, not life.

What we need is life, joy, and purpose on this side of the grave.  Abundant life.  And it can only come from the One who made the grave a doorway into life instead of a wall at the end of life.  The One who came that we might have life and have it abundantly.  Life is often filled with pain, difficulty, grief, along with the joys.  And none of the things of this world are fully capable of helping us handle that, or helping us survive and live.

     But here, then, is the secret of Easter.  We are filled with the life of God now, on this side of the grave.  Filled with the life and love of the One who gave his life for us and rose from the dead.  Gathered in a community of faithful disciples by the Risen One, that we might be life to each other and the world.

     So why look for the living among the dead?  The things of this world that claim to offer life all fail us.  So we look for life in the place of the living: in our Lord Jesus Christ, risen from the dead and the source of life to fill our lives now, to raise us from lifelessness and sorrow, to give us joy and courage.  Ultimately, then, we are called to share this good news with all who still look for the living among the dead.  Christ is risen, indeed!  God help us all find that life and then send us out in joy to share it with each other and the world.

In Jesus’ name,

Joseph

Sunday Readings

April 14, 2013 – Third Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:1-6[7-20] + Psalm 30
Revelation 5:11-14 + John 21:1-19

 April 21, 2013 – Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:36-43 + Psalm 23
Revelation 7:9-17 + John 10:22-30

This Sunday’s Adult Forum

     April 14: “Exemplary Youth Ministry: How Churches are Shaping the Faith of Young People,” part 2 of a 2-part series, presented by Vicar Neal Cannon.

Hebrews Study on Thursday Evenings  

     The third Thursday Bible study series of this year will begin on April 18 and will run for five more weeks on Thursday evenings.  Meeting in the Chapel Lounge from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Pr. Crippen will be leading a study of the book of Hebrews, an early Christian sermon preserved in the New Testament.  As usual, there will be a light supper when we begin.  If anyone wishes to provide the first meal, please let Pr. Crippen know.  All are welcome to this study opportunity!

Semi-annual Congregation Meeting to be Held Sunday, April 28

     The Vestry has announced the date of the April semi-annual congregation meeting to be Sunday, Apr. 28, after the second liturgy.  Among the items on the agenda will be election of officers and directors, whose terms will begin on July 1.  Any wishing to suggest names to the nominating committee for the positions of president, vice-president, secretary, and directors of congregational life, evangelism, or neighborhood ministries are encouraged to contact Adam Krueger, congregational president.

     Also on the agenda are several constitutional and bylaw amendments presented to the congregation by the Vestry, attached to this Olive Branch as a separate document.  The first page, the constitutional amendments, is a second hearing of amendments presented and approved at the October semi-annual meeting.  Should these be approved again, with at least a 2/3 majority of those present and voting, they will be formally ratified.  The second pages are bylaw amendments which only need the one hearing and vote at this meeting.  Included in these amendments are bylaws establishing a business and finance committee, directed by the treasurer, and some corrective edits to several directors’ bylaws.

Meals on Wheels Thanks

     Thanks to the following Mount Olive volunteers who delivered Meals on Wheels during the first quarter of 2013: Gary Flatgard, Art & Elaine Halbardier, Bob Lee, and Connie & Rod Olson.

Practicing Faith Together: A Day for All God’s Families

     Join members of TRUST congregations for a morning of family fun and faith tomorrow, April 13, from 9:00 a.m. until noon, at Lutheran Church of Christ the Redeemer (5440 Penn Avenue S., Minneapolis), with an optional lunch and service activity to follow.  TRUST is pleased to welcome Marilyn Sharpe as the speaker for this event. You may recognize Marilyn as the writer of the monthly “Positive Parenting” column in the Metro Lutheran.

     The workshop is open to all members and friends of TRUST congregations, especially families, however you describe yourselves as family, and knowing that all of us are part of God’s family. Members of TRUST churches are also invited to attend!

Night on the Street

     Next Friday night, April 19, Peter Crippen and Eric Manuel and their mothers, along with members of Trust Youth group and more than 400 other teens from thirty Twin Cities congregations, have committed to spend the night in a church parking lot near downtown Minneapolis to learn about youth homelessness. Together they will learn what life is like for teens on the street.

• How do homeless teens make it from day to day?
• What resources are available to them?
• What can be done to help those who have no place to call home?

     For that evening, they will stand in a soup line for dinner and spend the night sleeping outside in cardboard boxes.

     They are doing this not only to increase awareness of youth homelessness, but also to raise money to help in efforts to end the problem. Participants been asked to raise enough funds to provide one week’s worth of safe and supportive services for a homeless youth. That’s $140.00 for seven days!

     If you are able to help us meet that goal, please see Peter or Eric on Sunday morning, or drop off a check in the church office, payable to Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, with “Night on the Street” in the memo line. All donations to A Night on the Street will go to Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, a faith-based nonprofit housing organization. The event has corporate sponsors, so every dollar we raise will go directly to serving the youth!

Contribution Statements

     Contribution statements for the first quarter of 2013 (January-March) are printed and available for you to pick up at church. They are on a small table next to the coat room.

     Many have not picked up their 2012 year end statements. They are in the office and can be mailed to you upon request.

New Members to Be Received on Sunday, May 19, Day of Pentecost

If you are interested in becoming a member of Mount Olive this spring, please contact Pastor Crippen (pastor@mountolivechurch.org), or Andrew Andersen, Director of Evangelism (andrewstpaul@gmail.com)

TRUST News

     Here are some upcoming events sponsored by TRUST:

• Saturday, April 13, 7 pm, St. John Lutheran Church – The Caritas vocal ensemble will present a concert. Tickets are $15 ($10 for seniors), and a reception follows the concert.
• Saturday, May 11, 8 am-Noon, Bethlehem Lutheran Church – Annual Plant Sale. Order forms will be available so that you can select the perfect plants for your garden.
• Saturday, June 8, Lake Harriet – a walk to support the Parish Nurse Program. All walkers welcome!
• Did you know that TRUST has staff who conduct estate sales? The Trusty Salers conduct sales on weekends.

     For information about these and all TRUST-sponsored activities, pick up a “Communicator” at church.

May Day, May Day!

     Far from being an emergency, this is a call for you to enjoy watching the May Day Parade.  We would like to have a large number of folks from Mount Olive to watch the parade as a group, making our presence in the community known in this way.  The plan is to leave from Mount Olive after the Congregation Visioning Meeting (lunch will be served there) on Sunday, May 5, either walking or by car, to view the parade together from between 31st and 33rd on Bloomington Ave. Rides may be arranged for those who need them. If you have a Mount Olive shirt, or other item with the Mount Olive logo, please be sure to wear it.  You may also want to bring a lawn chair. Let’s have a good turnout for a fun time, taking part in a neighborhood activity.

Uptown Brass and NLC Gala: Why Choose One When You Can Do Both?

     The Uptown Brass Quintet will appear in concert at Mount Olive on April 21, 4:00 p.m. (not April 14, as originally planned!).  These brass virtuosos are all members of the Minnesota Orchestra and will present an exciting concert of gorgeous brass sonorities featuring great music ranging from Bach to Piazolla.

     Please also note that later that same afternoon the National Lutheran Choir is having their annual gala at the Earle Brown Heritage Center, just a little north of downtown Minneapolis.  The National Lutheran Choir is directed by Cantor David Cherwien, and Pr. Crippen sings with the group, while Brenda Bartz serves on the board of directors.  The NLC rehearses at Mount Olive each Tuesday, so they’re in a number of ways deeply rooted with Mount Olive.  The gala begins at 4:00 p.m. with a social time and silent auction, but the dinner doesn’t actually begin until 6:00 p.m., so it’s possible for people to come to the concert at Mount Olive and then get to the gala later, and some Mount Olive people are already planning on doing both.  Information on the event can be found at http://www.nlca.com/season/2012-2013/we-shall-have-song-gala .

Congregational Vision Team update

     The creative work of re-modeling a home is crafting a new design out of what is there by looking at the whole house differently.

     The Mount Olive Vision Team invites you to look and listen where God has put us in the neighborhood surrounding our church facility.  We need your eyes and ears, your heart and prayers that we may be open to understand what God would have us do and be in our life together in this place.

     During the next four weeks members of Mount Olive are invited to be Community Observers (to go out in groups of three) and Community Interviewers.  Observers will determine a good time to get together to pray and go out onto the streets, into cafes & coffee shops, ride the bus, sit in a hospital lobby or social service center to listen and watch with ears, eyes, and heart.  There will be devotions and questions to use as a guide each time you go out.   Interviewers will meet with community leaders to hear their observations of the community and its hopes and needs. There will be a form to collect your impressions and comments which the vision team can use to inform our future direction.

     This Sunday, April 14, after the second liturgy, there will be a one-hour training for both Community Observers and Community Interviewers.  All are welcome.  A light lunch will be served.  If you cannot attend the training but still want to be involved in this part of the visioning, please let us know and the vision team will work with you.  At the training you will select the locations that you/your group will visit.  For the Community Observers, if you don’t yet have a group of three partners by the training date, you can speak with others to form a group of three.

     We are also looking for members to be part of the prayer team that will support all the vision activities.  Contact Diana Hellerman or the church office to be part of this group.

Thank you,
Mount Olive Vision Team

Dining Out For Life

     Thursday, April 25 is the 19th annual Dining Out for Life Event, a fundraiser for The Aliveness Project, a community center for individuals and their families living with HIV/AIDS. Funds raised through this annual event directly support their services and programs.

     Dining out at participating restaurants is a great way to help with this worthy project, but this year they are also in need of over 500 Volunteer Ambassadors to serve at the participating restaurants.  If you are interested in helping in this way, call the Aliveness Project at 612-822-7946, or visit them on the web at www.aliveness.org.

Accent on Worship

Life in a Bubble

     We all live in a bubble – a small cozy little world that makes sense to us.  In this bubble, we make definitions of people and things in order to make sense of the world as we see it.  Poor people are poor because… Gay people are… Republicans believe… The truth is that most often we make presumptions from a distance, not able to see the truth until we actually experience it in person.

     And I think that is what it is like for the disciples when they see Jesus for the first time.  The disciples (and we, ourselves) have a preconceived notion of death, namely that it is permanent.  So when Jesus shows up there is a lot of fear, shock, and puzzlement that is palpable in the room.  “Peace be with you,” Jesus says.

     Wait a second. Didn’t Jesus tell the disciples that he was going to die and be resurrected?  How is this shocking to the group of people who were closest to Jesus?

     Simply put, its one thing to hear about the resurrection, but it’s another thing to experience it in your own life.  Think of it this way.  By the time I was in college, I had seen the Taj Mahal on postcards, in textbooks, and in pictures of all kinds from all angles.  To be honest, not having a keen eye for architecture, I never thought much of it.  But when I traveled abroad to India, took the two hour train ride to Agra and saw it in person, it was an entirely different experience.  The detail was astonishing.  The grandeur was supreme.  To be there was awe-inspiring and magnificent.  Bubble popped.  Similarly, I had heard about the poverty in India, but nothing compared to being overwhelmed by it in person.

     The same thing must have been true for the disciples.  They heard about the resurrection and they had inclinations of what it would be like.  But nothing compared to being in the presence of resurrection.  “Put your finger here and see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it in my side,” says Jesus.  Bubble popped.

     This is a gift that Jesus gives us in our lives.  He destroys our preconceived notions of the world by saying “Peace. Come and see for yourself.”  And in this we have a faith that is not detached from reality, a faith that isn’t distant but close.  So if a rich person complains that people are poor because they “are lazy,” then Jesus responds “Come and see.”  When people say that gay couples don’t have relationships like straight couples, Jesus responds, “Come and see.”  And when people say that a person can never be resurrected from the dead, Jesus responds, “Come and see.”

     Bubble popped.

– Vicar Neal Cannon

Sunday Readings

April 7, 2013 – Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 5:27-32 + Psalm 118:14-29
Revelation 1:4-8 + John 20:19-31

April 14, 2013 – Third Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:1-6[7-20] + Psalm 30
Revelation 5:11-14 + John 21:1-19

Attention Mount Olive Worship Servants

     On April 15 I will begin working on the schedule for the 3rd quarter of 2013.  Please submit any requests for the months of July, August and September 2013 to me no later than April 15, 2013.      
     You may contact me via e-mail at peggyrf70@gmail.com or by phone at 952-835-7132.
– Peggy Hoeft

This Sunday’s Adult Forum

April 7 & 14: “Exemplary Youth Ministry: How Churches are Shaping the Faith of Young People,” a 2-part series, presented by Vicar Neal Cannon.

Hebrews Study on Thursday Evenings to Begin April 11

    The third Thursday Bible study series of this year begins on Thursday, April 11, and runs for six weeks.  Meeting in the Chapel Lounge from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Pr. Crippen will be leading a study of the book of Hebrews, an early Christian sermon preserved in the New Testament.  As usual, there will be a light supper when we begin.  If anyone wishes to provide the first meal, please let Pr. Crippen know.  All are welcome to this study opportunity!

Semi-annual Congregation Meeting to be Held Sunday, April 28

     The Vestry has announced the date of the April semi-annual congregation meeting to be Sunday, Apr. 28, after the second liturgy.  Among the items on the agenda will be election of officers and directors, whose terms will begin on July 1.  Any wishing to suggest names to the nominating committee for the positions of president, vice-president, secretary, and directors of congregational life, evangelism, or neighborhood ministries are encouraged to contact Adam Krueger, congregational president.

     Also on the agenda are several constitutional and bylaw amendments presented to the congregation by the Vestry, attached to this Olive Branch as a separate document.  The first page, the constitutional amendments, is a second hearing of amendments presented and approved at the October semi-annual meeting.  Should these be approved again, with at least a 2/3 majority of those present and voting, they will be formally ratified.  The second pages are bylaw amendments which only need the one hearing and vote at this meeting.  Included in these amendments are bylaws establishing a business and finance committee, directed by the treasurer, and some corrective edits to several directors’ bylaws.

Paschal Garden

     Thanks to all who helped beautify our Easter worship by donating flowers for the Paschal Garden: Maury Anderson & Tom Olsen; Al & Margaret Bostelmann; Randy Werner & Peter Tressel; Don & Rhoda Nelson; Tim & Amy Reddy; Matt & Consuelo Crosby; David  & Susan Cherwien, to the glory of God; Brad & Linda Holt; Louise Lystig Fritchie; Louis & Kay Krohnfeldt; Linda & Mark Pipkorn; Rob & Lynn Ruff; Rosalie Griesse; Stan & JoAnn Sorenson; Ellie & Ken Siess; Geri & John Bjork; Marcella Daehn; Melba Smrcka; Evelyn Royce; Charles Gjovig; George & Marlys Oelfke;, Beverly Shupe; Bob & Berta Wick; Leila Froehlich; Lynn Dobson; Paul Odlaug, in memory of his father; Walter & Marian Cherwien; Mary Rose Watson; John Meyer; Lillian Olson; Carol Austermann; Walter & Lydia Iverson; Walt & Judy Hinck, in honor of the life of Greta Hinck; Melissa Stone; Reid & Ruth Peterson; Brenda Bartz; Michael Edwins, in memory of his parents, Mildred & Sam; Marty Hamlin & Cathy Bosworth, in honor of their families; Bonnie & Donn McLellan; Helen Bender, in memory of her husband, William; Larry Duncan, in memory of Annetta & Thomas Duncan; Joseph & Mary Crippen; Dan & Julia Adams, in memory of Eleanor Hilpert; Ginny Agresti & Tom Graves, in memory of loved ones, Steve & Dixie Berg, in memory of loved ones; Annette Roth, in memory of John Clawson; Janet Moede, in memory of her parents; Judy Graves, in memory of her mother; Walt & Jacqui Blue, in memory of their parents; Lora & Allen Dundek; The Hennig family; Dennis Bidwell & Eric Zander, in memory of their parents; Joe & Elizabeth Beissel, in memory of Rev. Thomas Weiskotten and Francis Beissel; Timm Schnabel & Tim Lindholm, in celebration of the past 6 years and future years to come. Special thanks is also extended to Gary Pagel, who brought and arranged the palms, and to Naomi Peterson, for arranging the flowers for the Paschal Garden.

Missing an Earring?

     Found over the Easter weekend by the kitchen crew: one 14k gold earring in the shape of a bee, with a pearl. If you lost this earring, please contact the church office.

Practicing Faith Together: A Day for All God’s Families

     Join members of TRUST congregations for a morning of family fun and faith on Saturday, April 13, from 9:00 a.m. until noon, at Lutheran Church of Christ the Redeemer (5440 Penn Avenue S., Minneapolis), with an optional lunch and service activity to follow.  TRUST is pleased to welcome Marilyn Sharpe as the speaker for this event. You may recognize Marilyn as the writer of the monthly “Positive Parenting” column in the Metro Lutheran.

     The workshop is open to all members and friends of TRUST congregations, especially families, however you describe yourselves as family, and knowing that all of us are part of God’s family. Members of TRUST churches are also invited to attend!

Theology on Tap

     Good news Theology on Tap Enthusiasts – For our April 11 Theology on Tap, Jessinia Ruff has agreed to babysit young kids at Mount Olive!  She’ll watch your kids from 7:15-9:15 p.m. so you can come join our community discussion.  Please contact Vicar Neal Cannon (vicar@mountolivechurch.org) ahead of time if you would like to use Jessinia as a baby-sitter that night so we know how many kids to expect.  Cost for the night is $10 for 1 kid, $15 for two, and $20 for three or more.

     Theology on Tap is a group at Mount Olive that meets once a month at local bars/restaurants to enjoy a good beverage and dialogue about faith and life (no preparation or book reading required, only your personal knowledge and insight).  Contact Vicar Neal Cannon (vicar@mountolivechurch.org, 612-827-5919 x12) if you would like to join us or have questions about Theology on Tap!

April Event Details
Who: Anyone 21+ is welcome to join
Where: Old Chicago – 2841 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55408
When: Thursday April 11, 7:30-9:00pm
Discussion Topic: TBD
Facebook Page & Group: Mount Olive Theology on Tap-  “Like” the Page to get updates on Theology on Tap
Contact: Vicar Neal Cannon (vicar@mountolivechurch.org)

Night on the Street

     On Friday night April 19, Peter Crippen and Eric Manuel and their mothers, along with members of Trust Youth group and more than 400 other teens from thirty Twin Cities congregations, have committed to spend the night in a church parking lot near downtown Minneapolis to learn about youth  homelessness. Together they will learn what life is like for teens on the street.

• How do homeless teens make it from day to day?
• What resources are available to them?
• What can be done to help those who have no place to call home?

     For that evening, they will stand in a soup line for dinner and spend the night sleeping outside in cardboard boxes.

     They are doing this not only to increase awareness of youth homelessness, but also to raise money to help in efforts to end the problem. Participants been asked to raise enough funds to provide one week’s worth of safe and supportive services for a homeless youth. That’s $140.00 for seven days!

     If you are able to help us meet that goal, please see Peter or Eric on Sunday  morning, or drop off a check in the church office, payable to Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, with “Night on the Street” in the memo line. All donations to A Night on the Street will go to Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, a faith-based nonprofit housing organization. The event has corporate sponsors, so every dollar we raise will go directly to serving the youth!

Dining Out For Life

     Thursday, April 25 is the 19th annual Dining Out for Life Event, a fundraiser for The Aliveness Project, a community center for individuals and their families living with HIV/AIDS. Funds raised through this annual event directly support their services and programs.

     Dining out at participating restaurants is a great way to help with this worthy project, but this year they are also in need of over 500 Volunteer Ambassadors to serve at the participating restaurants.  If you are interested in helping in this way, call the Aliveness Project at 612-822-7946, or visit them on the web at www.aliveness.org.

Congregational Vision Event #1-History, This Sunday (4/7) from 12:30-2:00

     I’ve always appreciated the quote attributed to Edmund Burke, a British statesman generally viewed as the philosophical founder of modern political conservatism.  He said, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” While often used as a warning, I like to think possible interpretation allows for good as well—some things might be worth doing again, or expanding upon what was once done.

     This Sunday we will have an opportunity to recall together some of Mount Olive’s history as one tool for building a vision and direction for our future.  Following a light luncheon, we will collect remembrances of what was going on at Mount Olive and in our neighborhood around the time you became a part of this faith community.  As stories of each decade are shared, our collective memory of this Church and her ministry will grow and a better understanding of who and why we are will emerge.

     The prayer of the Vision Leadership Team is that this will be an opportunity to capture individual and shared perspectives of what shaped our history and makes us the unique and wonderful community we are today.  Those who joined in the 90s may be surprised and hopefully enlightened by the things people recall from the 50s and so forth.  Undoubtedly we will gain new or renewed insight into some of our traditions and customs along the way.  These conversations and reflections provide the context for what we do today and will guide the choices we make for tomorrow.

     So think about when you became a member of the Mount Olive family (or at least your earliest recollections) and join us this Sunday to share them.  This will be the first of three such congregational vision events designed to gather information, perspective, and wisdom from you, our members, and provide focus and direction for our future.  On May 5 we will host the second Congregational Vision Event to consider our core values.  The last Congregational Vision Event will be on June 2 to consider what we do well, what we could do better, and maybe some things we haven’t even considered yet.  Mark your calendar now to be a part of each of these ‘first Sunday of the month’ conversations.

Adam Krueger
Vision Leadership Team

PS: Have you volunteered yet to be a Community Observer or Community Leader Interviewer?  These important and fun additional vision activities are designed to provide useful information about our neighborhood that will also be helpful in determining future direction and ministry.  Signup sheets and additional information on these two opportunities and what each involves are available on the shelf outside the Church Office window.  Training for both activities will be provided on April 14.

TRUST News

     Here are some upcoming events sponsored by TRUST:

• Saturday, April 13, 7 pm, St. John Lutheran Church – The Caritas vocal ensemble will present a concert. Tickets are $15 ($10 for seniors), and a reception follows the concert.
• Saturday, May 11, 8 am-Noon, Bethlehem Lutheran Church – Annual Plant Sale. Order forms will be available so that you can select the perfect plants for your garden.
• Saturday, June 8, Lake Harriet – a walk to support the Parish Nurse Program. All walkers welcome!
• Did you know that TRUST has staff who conduct estate sales? The Trusty Salers conduct sales on weekends.

     For information about these and all TRUST-sponsored activities, pick up a “Communicator” at church.

Accent on Worship

2013 Easter Message from Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

     Easter. It is about more than an open tomb. It is the good news of the risen Christ who opens lives.

     Think about Jesus’ friends after his death. Their lives were closed down by fear, disappointment and confusion. The risen Christ appeared saying “peace be with you” and opened their lives with a liberating word of reconciliation. In the same way Christ opens your life with a baptismal promise that joins your life to his death and resurrection. “You are my child. Nothing in all creation will separate you from my love.”

     Even now Christ is opening your life, your daily work, your passions and imagination. Christ is opening your daily life into a holy calling that fills the world with love. At the Lord’s Table, Christ is opening you into a community that can bear even suffering with confidence, and sorrow with hope.

     The risen Christ opens the Scriptures — the full depth of God’s promise made to Sarah and Abraham now coming to life in the new creation. Even when everything else is being stripped away, the risen Christ opens you to God’s promised future.

     Christ opens you to God’s work of forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, is opening this way of life for you.

In God’s grace,

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Sunday Readings

March 31, 2013 – Resurrection of Our Lord
Isaiah 65:17-25 + Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
I Corinthians 15:19-26 + Luke 24:1-12

April 7, 2013 – Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 5:27-32 + Psalm 118:14-29
Revelation 1:4-8 + John 20:19-31

Worship for the Remainder of Holy Week

Thursday, March 28: Maundy Thursday
 Holy Eucharist, with Washing of Feet at 7:00 pm

Friday, March 29: Good Friday
 Stations of the Cross at 12:00 noon
 Adoration of the Cross at 7:00 pm

Saturday, March 30: Holy Saturday
 Lumen Christi: The Easter Vigil, at 8:30 pm, followed by a festive reception

Sunday, March 31: Resurrection of Our Lord
 Festival Holy Eucharist at 8:00 and 10:45 am

Attention Mount Olive Worship Servants

     On April 15 I will begin working on the schedule for the 3rd quarter of 2013.  Please submit any requests for the months of July, August and September 2013 to me no later than April 15, 2013.      
     You may contact me via e-mail at peggyrf70@gmail.com or by phone at 952-835-7132.

– Peggy Hoeft

March is Minnesota FoodShare Month: Just a Few Days Left!

     It’s not too late to donate cash or groceries to the local food shelf during Minnesota FoodShare month in March. A donation of money more than doubles the amount of food available to food shelves, because food shelves can purchase food at discounted prices.  If you choose to give in this way, make your check payable to Mount Olive and write Food Shelf on the memo line. If you prefer to donation non-perishable groceries, they may be brought to the cart in the coat room.

Music & Fine Arts to Present The Uptown Brass

     The Uptown Brass Quintet will appear in concert at Mount Olive on Sunday, April 21, 4:00 p.m. (not April 14, as previously published!).

Book Discussion Group

     For the April 13 meeting the Book Discussion group will discuss In the Company of the Courtesan, by Sarah Dunant.  For the May 11 meeting we will discuss Children of God by Mary Doria Russell.  This is the sequel to her novel The Sparrow which we read earlier.

Mount Olive Friendly Phone Call Ministry

     A new congregational ministry at Mount Olive is about to begin. The ministry is intended to help the congregation keep in closer contact with members who have difficulty getting to church or who are living alone.

     We are in process of identifying people who might like to receive a call on occasion and those who would act as callers. If you are a person who would enjoy receiving a regular phone call and would enjoy staying in touch with a member of the congregation, or if you would like to be a caller, I’d like to hear from you.

     To participate, please call Sue Ellen Zagrabelny at 763-420-8377 or you may contact her by email at skatzny@yahoo.com.

Semi-annual Congregation Meeting to be Held Sunday, April 28

     The Vestry has announced the date of the April semi-annual congregation meeting to be Sunday, Apr. 28, after the second liturgy.  Among the items on the agenda will be election of officers and directors, whose terms will begin on July 1.  Any wishing to suggest names to the nominating committee for the positions of president, vice-president, secretary, and directors of congregational life, evangelism, or neighborhood ministries are encouraged to contact Adam Krueger, congregational president.

     Also on the agenda are several constitutional and bylaw amendments presented to the congregation by the Vestry, available in the narthex at church.  The first page, the constitutional amendments, is a second hearing of amendments presented and approved at the October semi-annual meeting.  Should these be approved again, with at least a 2/3 majority of those present and voting, they will be formally ratified.  The second pages are bylaw amendments which only need the one hearing and vote at this meeting.  Included in these amendments are bylaws establishing a business and finance committee, directed by the treasurer, and some corrective edits to several directors’ bylaws.

Night on the Street

     On Friday night April 19, Peter Crippen and Eric Manuel and their mothers, along with members of Trust Youth group and more than 400 other teens from 30 Twin Cities congregations, have committed to spend the night in a church parking lot near downtown Minneapolis to learn about youth  homelessness. Together they will learn what life is like for teens on the street.

• How do homeless teens make it from day to day?
• What resources are available to them?
• What can be done to help those who have no place to call home?

     For that evening, they will stand in a soup line for dinner and spend the night sleeping outside in cardboard boxes.

     They are doing this not only to increase awareness of youth homelessness, but also to raise money to help in efforts to end the problem. Participants been asked to raise enough funds to provide one week’s worth of safe and supportive services for a homeless youth. That’s $140.00 for seven days!

     If you are able to help us meet that goal, please see Peter or Eric on Sunday  morning, or drop off a check in the church office, payable to Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, with “Night on the Street” in the memo line. All donations to A Night on the Street will go to Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, a faith-based nonprofit housing organization. The event has corporate sponsors, so every dollar we raise will go directly to serving the youth!

Thanks to the Cleaning Crew!

     Many thanks to Peggy Hoeft, Steve Pranschke, Katherine Hanson, and Beth Gaede, who cleaned our chancel, transepts, and narthex, and polished the brass candelabra and fittings in preparation for our Holy Week and Easter liturgies. Special thanks to Timm Lindholm and T.J. Schnabel for the many hours they spent treating the chancel paneling and furnishings, pulpit, and lectern with Liquid Gold. This was a huge undertaking, and the results are impressive.

Visioning

     At Mount Olive we have just completed a successful multi-year Capital Campaign, Pastor Crippen is well into his third year as our pastor and has a strong sense of who and where we are, and our Neighborhood Ministry Coordinator, Donna Neste, has announced her retirement in 2014.  This is the time to discern God’s vision for our shared ministry in this neighborhood and the world.  Listed here are opportunities for you to gather as community so the heart and soul of Mount Olive can discern what God would have us do in this place at this time.

     To Pray and Gather for three congregational meetings this spring:  We ask each member to pray for this process over the next few months and participate in three congregational meetings to build community around our vision process.  Come together after the second liturgy on April 7 and May 5 and the only liturgy on June 2.  A light lunch will be served.

• On April 7 we will create a time-line of our history in this place with the neighborhood.  We need the memory of those who have been here many years as well as the questions and insights of those who have become members more recently.
• On May 5 we will identify our core values that will help us determine how to move forward in the process.
• On June 2 we will hear a report from our community observers and community interviewers and then actively brainstorm ideas about God’s vision for our future as God’s people in this place.

     To Listen and Observe:  We need members to go to pre-determined locations around the church’s neighborhood in groups of three to observe what they see and hear and then meet in someone’s home and pray together.  We call these members  Community Observers because they will not speak to others, just observe.  We are asking them to commit to 2-3 visits as a group between April 14 and May 12.  The purpose is to simply observe and pray, to let your eyes and heart be open, not judge or find a solution.  We need 90 volunteers (30 groups of 3)!

     To Listen and Interview:  We need members to interview identified community leaders about what they see in and hope for the neighborhoods around Mount Olive.  We call these members Community
Interviewers and are asking them to commit to 2 visits between April 14 and May 12.  Sample interview questions will be provided.  The purpose is to understand what is being offered and what gifts and challenges they see.  We need 25 volunteers!

     On April 14 there will be training for all Community Interviewers and Community Observers after 2nd service from 12:30 to 1:30 pm.  A light lunch will be served.

     Sign-up sheets for all of these activities are at the church office with a more detailed job description.  Or please talk with any member of the vision team.

     There are also copies of the neighborhood report that we commissioned the Precept Group to do for us around the church and parish house (narthex, reception areas, chapel lounge, office) or ask a team member.  It shows faith preference, diversity, issues they care about, income level and more about the people who live within a two mile radius of the church.

     It is exciting to think about being deliberate in seeking what God has planned for Mount Olive, her people, and our neighborhoods.  Won’t you be a part of discovering what that might be and how it could look for our life together? Plan now to join us!

– Team members: Andrew Andersen, Judy Hinck, Adam Krueger, Connie Marty, Peter Tressel, Carol Austermann;  Staff members: Pastor Crippen, David Cherwien, Donna Neste.

Theology on Tap

     Good news Theology on Tap Enthusiasts – For our April 11 Theology on Tap, Jessinia Ruff has agreed to babysit young kids at Mount Olive!  She’ll watch your kids from 7:15-9:15 p.m. so you can come join our community discussion.  Please contact Vicar Neal Cannon (vicar@mountolivechurch.org) ahead of time if you would like to use Jessinia as a baby-sitter that night so we know how many kids to expect.  Cost for the night is $10 for 1 kid, $15 for two, and $20 for three or more.

     Theology on Tap is a group at Mount Olive that meets once a month at local bars/restaurants to enjoy a good beverage and dialogue about faith and life (no preparation or book reading required, only your personal knowledge and insight).  Contact Vicar Neal Cannon (vicar@mountolivechurch.org, 612-827-5919 x12) if you would like to join us or have questions about Theology on Tap!

April Event Details
Who: Anyone 21+ is welcome to join
Where: Old Chicago – 2841 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55408
When: Thursday April 11, 7:30-9:00pm
Discussion Topic: TBD
Facebook Page & Group: Mount Olive Theology on Tap-  “Like” the Page to get updates on Theology on Tap
Contact: Vicar Neal Cannon (vicar@mountolivechurch.org)

Hebrews Study on Thursday Evenings Starting April 11

     The third Thursday Bible study series of this year begins on Thursday, April 11, and runs for six weeks.  Meeting in the Chapel Lounge from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Pr. Crippen will be leading a study of the book of Hebrews, an early Christian sermon preserved in the New Testament.  As usual, there will be a light supper when we begin.  If anyone wishes to provide the first meal, please let Pr. Crippen know.  All are welcome to this study opportunity!

Benefit Mount Olive Foundation With Your Thrivent Choice Dollars

     For those who are Thrivent Financial customers, you can benefit the Mount Olive Foundation at no cost to you with your Thrivent Choice Dollars.  But you must act very quickly as the deadline for doing so is March 31, 2013.  Here’s how to do it:

     1.  Put www.Thrivent.com in your browser and search for “Choice Dollars” on the web site.
     2.  Log into your existing account or create a new account.
     3.  Search for “Mount Olive Lutheran Church Foundation.”
     4.  Click on the “Direct Now” button and you have completed your gift!
     What an easy and painless way to benefit Mount Olive’s endowment.  Again, please act before March 31, 2013.