Welcome to Mt. Olive!
LET US COME BEFORE HIS PRESENCE WITH THANKSGIVING AND MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE TO HIM WITH PSALMS.
Here’s a short synopsis of what we believe at Mt. Olive. For a more comprehensive understanding of our teachings, please visit the “What We Believe” section of our Synodical website.
In this age of anxiety, we still believe that peace comes from Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior.
In this age of confusion, we still believe that the Bible is the Word of God, inerrant, and infallible.
In this age of doubt, we still believe that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, that all of the miracles recorded in the Bible are true, and that Christ rose bodily from the dead to forgive our sins.
In this age of guilt, we still believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to remove the power of sin, death, and Satan from our lives.
In this age of fear, we still believe that we are saved by God’s grace alone, through faith alone.
In this age of self-centeredness, we still believe that God acts selflessly through the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.
In this age of constant change, we still believe in the unchanging Holy Trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions we’ve received over the years. We hope they will help give you a better insight to the church life of Mt. Olive.
What should I wear?
We always encourage visitors to come as they are. We don’t want superficial issues such as clothing to be a hinderance to entering God’s house. That being said, we rightly recognize that we are in the presence of Almighty God during the Divine Service. We encourage everyone to meditate on what this means to them and how to best present themselves to their Creator.
What is worship like at Mt. Olive?
Mt. Olive conducts her services according to the Liturgy laid out in our hymnal, the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary (ELH). The liturgical order has both spoken or sung words and hymns. You will find mainstays of the Church such as the Creeds, The Lord’s Prayer, and several ancient liturgical hymns. This hymnal is also full of theologically rich, beautifully composed hymns that have been sung by generations of Christians from around the world. These songs connect us with the deep history of the Church and help us appreciate the saints that have gone before us, the ancestors who helped lay the foundations of the Christian Church and her reformation, and the dedicated musicians throughout the ages who used their gifts to glorify God.
Is there a contemporary service with modern instrumentation?
Mt. Olive and her members have decided that their highest expression of faith is through what could be termed “traditional” worship. Our services are often beautified by the Senior Choir, handbells, brass, winds, and strings. The organ, our primary accompaniment, was originally chosen as the preferred instrument for it’s ability to compliment melodic vocalization. We have dedicated organists that are well-versed in their craft and use their skills to amplify songs of praise and let God’s greatest instrument, the human voice, be the primary means of worship.
For more detailed information on our style of worship, visit our "Guide to our Order of Worship” by Rev. Don Moldstad linked below
What is “Closed Communion”?
We participate in the biblical, historic, loving practice of “Close” or “Closed Communion” (sometimes known as “Membership Communion”). We do this out of love and concern for you. We want to make sure that those who take this holy meal receive it as a blessing and not to their harm as Scripture warns (1 Corinthians 11:29). We also understand that those who come forward to take communion are making a public profession of faith—that they are united with our congregation and are in full agreement with the teachings and doctrines of Mount Olive Lutheran Church and of our church body, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod—ELS (which would include those in our fellowship of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod—WELS; and also our worldwide fellowship in the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference—CELC). Those who are not members but are visitors to Mount Olive are asked to speak with one of our pastors before communing with us. If you would like to learn more about what our congregation and synod believes, teaches, and confesses, we would invite you to join a “Bible Information Class” led by our Pastors. Those who complete this class and find themselves to be in agreement with our teachings are welcomed to join us for Holy Communion.
What is a “Lutheran”?
What is a Lutheran? What do Lutherans Believe?
Lutherans are Christians who believe that all Christian teachings should come from God’s Word, the Bible. We believe that the Bible is God’s Word. This means that everything the Bible teaches is correct and true. We believe that it is only through the Bible that we can know the one true God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – and His will for our lives.
Lutherans believe in God’s grace.
All people are sinners and would perish eternally without God’s help. The good news is that God has provided all of this help as a free gift. God’s saving grace is His undeserved love for all people through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. God loves all people, of every nation and race equally. It is God the Father’s desire for all people to hear His Word, to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, as their only Savior, and therefore to have eternal life. Jesus lived a holy life in our place and died on the cross for the forgiveness of all our sins. Through this completed work of Jesus, God the Father sees the whole world as not guilty, or justified. This teaching of “justification” is the central truth of the Bible.
Lutherans believe that faith in Jesus Christ is necessary for eternal salvation.
This faith in Jesus, who is both God and man, our Savior, comes only as God, the Holy Spirit, works through God’s Word and Baptism in a person’s heart. We believe we sinners cannot come to faith through our own power, but that our faith is accomplished only by the power of the Holy Spirit as He connects us to Jesus as the Savior.