On this page you will find helpful answers to some commonly asked questions heard at Mount Olive.
Questions about worship
- When are worship services held?
- During the program year (September to May) worship times are each Sunday at 8:00 am and 10:30 am. From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, Sunday services are at 9:00 am. The early worship service, 8:00 or 9:00 am, is live-streamed each Sunday.
- What is the style of worship?
- Worship at Mount Olive is rooted in the liturgical tradition of the Lutheran Church, following the pattern of gathering, Word, Meal, and sending. Hymns, old and new, figure prominently. Read more here.
- Do you allow children in worship?
- The absolute best way to teach the faith is when children and parents worship together. The liturgy, hymns, and lessons every Sunday have sufficed to pass on the faith for thousands of years. In addition, parents are the best teachers of the faith – no one else and nothing else can do as good a job. That being said, if you have young children who “lose it” in worship, it is always appropriate to bring them to the nursery. Children grow into worship just as they grow into faith.
- How often is communion?
- At every Sunday service. The flow of Worship gathers us to hear the Word, then to share a family meal together (The Lord’s Supper). We are then sent back into the world strengthened by this sacrament of grace.
- Who can participate in communion?
- All are welcome, believing in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- I see young children taking bread and wine. What age do you allow children to commune?
- Just as God’s invitation to baptism and promise of grace has no age, God’s invitation to the table has no age. Just as babies sit in highchairs at a family meal, all ages are invited to commune as the parents see fit.
Questions about the congregation
- How many congregation members are there?
- Right around 600
- How do I become a member of the congregation?
- Mount Olive values everyone who worships with us and makes a point of welcoming visitors. If you are interested in membership at Mount Olive, talk to one of the pastors or Nancy Britson, the Director of Congregational Life. New members are received as a part of a worship service a few times a year. A New Member Orientation is held a week or so earlier with the opportunity to meet the staff, ministry leaders, and other new members and learn about everything going on at Mount Olive.
- How is the offering used?
- About 60% provides salaries and benefits for the Pastors and staff. About 16% goes for the building mortgage, heat, lights, insurance, etc. The same amount, about 16% is given as benevolence to the ELCA and its charities. The rest is for other work of the church: Education, music, youth programs and so on. Please read about the Stewardship philosophy at Mount Olive.
Questions about the life of the church
- What is the process for baptism?
- Contact one of the pastors to begin the process. For parents who are bringing their first child to baptism, instruction with a pastor is encouraged. For older youth and adult candidates, instruction with a pastor is also strongly encouraged.
- What is the process for confirmation?
- Mount Olive has education offerings for all ages, but specific instruction for confirmation is done in grades 7 and 8. Prior to confirmation, each student will meet with a pastor and is expected to write a Faith Statement, which they read at a Church Council meeting. Adult confirmation instruction is offered annually for adults seeking confirmation in the Lutheran faith, usually in the winter and spring. The Confirmation, or Affirmation of Baptism, ceremony is typically done on Reformation Sunday in the fall of their 9th grade year, though some do this on their own schedule when they are ready.
- Weddings?
- Talk to a pastor.
- Funerals?
- Talk to a pastor. Actually, folks don’t always plan ahead for this, but one of the best comforts you can give your family in their time of loss is to plan some of the details surrounding your funeral. Mount Olive offers an end-of-life planning session every few years and a packet of planning materials is available anytime in the office. It can be an emotional exercise, but most everyone who does this planning is glad they did.