February 9, 2025
Flowers on the altar for Sunday, February 9, are given to God’s glory by Ted & Diane Gullixson in celebration of their grandson John Webber’s 13th birthday.
People We Are Praying For (We included prayers for these individuals in our recent church services): Owen Saidler, Solomon Faugstad, Katie Tweit, Darci Matzke, Lorena Merseth, Mercedes Hansen, Ruth Faye, Mia Faugstad, and Mike Barlow. We also prayed for the family of Pastor Matt Brooks as they mourn the death of his mother, Louise, and for the families of the victims of the air crash in Washington, DC.
Baptized Sunday, February 9: Olivia Ann Royce, infant daughter of Alex & Sarah Royce. Sponsors are Randi & Sam Krech.
On Sunday, February 9, during our Bible Study hour, Pastors John Borgwardt and Aaron Bublitz (WELS) will present part 2 of the “Everyone Outreach” workshop. These presenters led part 1 of the workshop on Saturday, and everyone is invited to stay and join us for part 2 on Sunday even if you were not able to attend Saturday's presentation. Learn more about how you can better share the Good News of Jesus with those around you!
Connect Groups: A new season of Connect Groups began the week of February 3 and will run for the four weeks of February. These groups are fun and a great way to get to know your fellow congregation members outside of Sunday morning. You can still join a group; sign-up sheets are in the narthex.
“Science and Faith”: Bethany Lutheran College would like to invite members of area WELS/ELS churches to a presentation by Bill Starke, an IBM Distinguished Engineer with many patents, on Monday, February 10, from 7-9pm in Meyer Hall, Room 101. Bill will speak about his work journey in the sciences as a Christian. This event is free and open to the public.
Bethany Lutheran College Auxiliary Meeting: Professor Ben Lundsten will be speaking about storytelling and the BLC media arts program. Please come on Monday, February 10, at 7 pm. We will meet in Honsey Hall in Room 311.
Mt. Olive Night at BLC Men’s Basketball: Wednesday, February 12, at 5:30pm in the BLC North Gym. Free tickets are available in the church office.
Mt. Olive Family Ski Night: Thursday, February 13, from 4-9pm at Mt. Kato. All ages are welcome to attend. Everyone must sign a liability waiver (parents must sign for minors). Sign-up sheets and waiver forms are available in the church office. Costs: $12 lift tickets; $12 ski/snowboard rentals (if needed); $4 helmet rentals (optional); and $4 beginner lessons. Pre-registration is required: sign-up, waivers, and payment must be turned in to the church office by Sunday, February 9.
Red Cross Blood Drive in the Mt. Olive Gym: Friday, February 14, from 12-5pm. To schedule an appointment, please call 1-800-733-2767 or visit redcrossblood.org and enter MTOLIVEKATO. Check the poster on the church narthex bulletin board for more information.
Join us for a three-part Bible study of Luther’s Small Catechism, led by Pastor Soule, that will begin on Sunday, February 16, at 9:40am in the social hall. Topics covered include “What is the Catechism?” (February 16), “How to use the Catechism” (February 23), and “The Commandments & Antinomianism?” (March 2).
Kindergarten Roundup: Mount Olive Lutheran School will be hosting our annual Kindergarten Roundup on Wednesday, February 19, at 6:30pm. The students will have a chance to see the classroom and meet their classmates, and parents can learn more about our Kindergarten program. For more information, please contact the school office at 507-345-4966 or email principal@mtolivelutheran.org.
Church Library Book Sale/Fundraiser: Sunday, February 23 (note change in date), between services and after the second service. We love our new location, and many books are being checked out, read, and returned! With your donations, we can purchase even more faith-building books for you to enjoy. Please note: we will be able to accept cash or check only.
In Depth Talk at Bethany: Tuesday, February 25, from 7-8pm in Meyer Hall, Room 101. Dr. Robert C. Hanna, Professor of English at BLC, will provide an introduction to Christian apologist G. K. Chesterton. Dr. Hanna teaches Bethany’s “Christian Writers” course, which includes Chesterton’s detective stories with Father Brown and Gabriel Gale. Everyone is invited to attend.
“Ask the Pastor”: Wednesday, February 26, 6:30-8pm, in the Social Hall, hosted by the Mt. Olive School Parent/Teacher/Friends (PTF) group. Pastors Ulrich, Soule, Moldstad, & Wiechmann will answer questions submitted by our school families and congregation members. All questions need to be submitted by Monday, February 24; submit your question at https://tinyurl.com/AskThePastors.
Updated copies of the church directory are available in the church office.
Assist a Grieving Family: Our brother in Christ, Chuol Buol, and his family are grieving the death of Chuol's son, Dak, who died of complications from pneumonia on January 10 in Sioux City, IA. Dak's family is struggling to raise funds to pay off the expenses of the funeral. If you care to assist Chuol and his family in this time of grief, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-lay-dak-ngut-to-rest to give a donation that will go towards the cost of funeral and burial services. Thank you.
Mount Olive CDS 2025-2026 Enrollment is Open! Priority enrollment is now open to members of Mount Olive and Peace. Your early enrollment helps with our planning for next year. You can find the online application at mtolivelutheranschool.org/admissions. Please note that there will be an enrollment deposit which is applied towards your family's tuition. If you have any questions or any difficulty with the online application, please contact the Mount Olive school office at 507-345-4966 or email school@mtolivelutheran.org.
Jesus’ Lambs at Peace Preschool is taking early registrations for next fall. Openings are available in the M/W/F a.m. and p.m. programs and the T/Th a.m. program. Our program is thematic with careful work to prepare your child for Kindergarten. The center of our day is our Bible story which points each child to Jesus, our Savior. Please call 507-594-8929 for a personal tour. We are located at Peace Lutheran Church, 2090 Commerce Drive, in North Mankato.
MVL is looking for two JV softball coaches, starting March 10 through May 15. Practice times are 3:30-5:30pm daily. Games are played after school; there are no weekend tournaments or games. If you can help, contact Craig Morgan at 507-276-7576 or email cmorgan@mvlhs.org
Capstone Project: With mental health topics on the rise, have you ever wondered how and if they are compatible with Lutheranism? A graduate student at Bethany Lutheran College’s counseling program, Marissa Wood, is working on a project to learn how individual wellbeing is perceived and practiced in ELS circles. All information will be collected anonymously. This 15-minute survey will allow you to learn more about yourself while also helping our church learn more about its members! More information can be found here in the survey .
Happening at Bethany Lutheran College:
Art Exhibit: The photography exhibition, Humans Don't Exist, by composer, sound and light designer, photographer, director, and adjunct Professor Benji Inniger is on display in the YFAC Gallery February 3-21.
The Chamber Orchestra will participate in the Chapel service on Friday, February 21, sharing selections for the prelude and postlude. We welcome you to join us and begin your morning in devotion and worship.
Honor String Orchestra: On Saturday, February 22, the Music Department will welcome 128 young musicians for the second annual Honor String Orchestra event. This all-day event gives middle school and high school students the opportunity to participate in top-notch instruction and beautiful music on our campus. We invite you to attend the concert at 5pm in Trinity Chapel and enjoy the fruits of their labors.
Chamber Orchestra Winter Concert: Sunday, February 23, at 4pm in Trinity Chapel. The concert will highlight several viola solos and duets. All are invited to attend this free concert.
The Concert Band will perform its band tour repertoire on Tuesday, February 25, at 7pm in Trinity Chapel. The band will be on tour March 5-9 in Minnesota and Wisconsin. In addition to the band tour pieces, the band will be joined by the Mt. Olive Lutheran School Band and their director, Mrs. Mariah Guerrero, for two pieces. This concert is free, and we invite you to attend.
Summer Art Camp will be held on the Bethany campus from June 16-20. There will be a morning camp for students entering grades 5-8, and an afternoon camp for students entering grades 9-12. For more information and to register, click here. You may also contact Jenna Thompson at jennathompson@blc.edu with questions. Space is limited, so register now to secure your spot for this enriching camp!
Open positions: BLC is taking applications for Housekeeping - Residence Halls (men’s) and an Assistant/Associate Professor – Nursing. Go to blc.edu for more information.
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LAST WEEK’S ATTENDANCE/LORD’S SUPPER:
Sunday: 8:30am, 250/161; 10:45am, 180/137; Monday: 33/27; Tuesday: 9/9 Live Online Viewing, Sunday (8:30am): 14
WE THANK THOSE SERVING OUR LORD THIS WEEK:
Greeters: 1st Service— Neil & Barb Kaus, Dan & Jane Birkholz 2nd Service— Will & Lisa Holt, Dean & LuAnn Shoop Offering Counters: Andy Overn, Chris Kind Altar Guild: Jane Zibrowski, Elli Fisher
WEEKLY FINANCIAL UPDATE:
Given Last Week (excluding Year of Jubilee): $24,544.00
Year of Jubilee Debt Reduction Given Last Week: $1,006.66
Year of Jubilee Debt Reduction Total (July 1, 2024-February 6, 2025): $121,835.42
Fiscal YTD Actual Expenses vs. Budget Surplus (Deficit)as of 12/31/2024: $55,174.77 [corrected amount]
Psalm 116:12-13 What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.
To give your offering online, go to mtolivelutheran.org and click on the “Online Giving” tab.
Mt Olive Lutheran Church Mission Statement