February 16, 2025
Flowers on the altar for Sunday, February 16, are given to God’s glory by Mark & Sharon Madson.
People We Are Praying For (We included prayers for these individuals in our recent church services): Owen Saidler, Solomon Faugstad, Katie Tweit, Lorena Merseth, Mercedes Hansen, Ruth Faye, Jeanette Koberg, and Pastor Mike Barlow. We also prayed for Kristin Litynski and her family as they mourn the death of her mother, Darci Matzke.
Baptized Sunday, February 16: Olivia Ann Royce, infant daughter of Alex & Sarah Royce. Sponsors are Randi & Sam Krech.
Join us for a three-part Bible study of Luther’s Small Catechism, led by Pastor Soule, that begins 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).
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.
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.
Art After Dark, a miniseries of lectures on art appreciation from a Christian perspective, by Bethany Professor Emeritus and Artist Bill Bukowski, will be held at Mt. Olive from 8-9pm on February 20 and February 27. See the poster on the church bulletin board in the narthex for more information.
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: Monday, February 24 (note change in date), 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.
Finken Meal Train: Joe & Beret Finken were recently blessed with a baby boy. A meal train has been organized for the Finkens. Sign up here at https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/77mz5n. Even though the Finkens live in Lake Crystal, meal drop-offs can be coordinated with pickup at school, since their son attends the school.
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.
Camp counselors are needed for Camp Indianhead MN. This year, there are two weeks of camp: July 6-11 (high schoolers) at Lutheran Island Camp in Henning, MN, and July 13-18 (grades 5-8) at Camp Omega near Waterville, MN. Counselors are in charge of a cabin and participate in sports, games, campfires, worship, and study God's Word with campers. Counselors receive a stipend, travel reimbursement, and internship credit for some majors. If you are interested for one week or both, apply online at campindianhead.com/counselors/ or contact Pr. Stafford (sstafford@blc.edu) by April 15.
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 .
New 2 You is looking for an assistant store manager. For more information, check the job description posted on the narthex bulletin board, or call New 2 You at 507-385-1455.
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, 330; 10:45am, 130; Monday: 26/18; Tuesday: 17/14 Live Online Viewing, Sunday (8:30am): 30
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:
not available
To give your offering online, go to mtolivelutheran.org and click on the “Online Giving” tab.
Mt Olive Lutheran Church Mission Statement