January 4, 2026
People We Are Praying For (We included prayers for these individuals in our recent church services): Eric Davis, Owen Saidler, Patricia Elwood, Katie Tweit, Lorena Merseth, Jeanette Koberg, Donna Lee, Annette Feistner, Jenny Krosch, and all of our loved ones who have been sick and facing challenges with their health.
The Year of Jubilee “Match Challenge” is back! An anonymous member has pledged up to $25,000 for the Year of Jubilee debt reduction drive. All donations received between December 14, 2025 and January 12, 2026 for the YOJ campaign will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $25k! Donations can be made through the offering plate or online at mtolivelutheran.org. This is a fantastic opportunity to reduce our debt by $50,000 or more and put us closer to reaching our goal of $250k for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Please be sure to earmark your funds for the “Year of Jubilee” so that they can be counted for the match!
Care Share helps students whose families face financial or medical hardship, keeping Christian education accessible to all. Starting January 1, 2026, our current Tuition Assistance fund will be rolled into Care Share, the official tuition support program of Newco, funded by all three congregations and outside donors.
To give, mark “Care Share” on cash or check donations, or use the Tuition Assistance button on Mount Olive’s Online Giving platform, Vanco. In January, this will be transitioned to Care Share.
Donations and pledges continue to come in—see the updated amounts in the Weekly Financial Update section at the end of the Announcements. Thank you! If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Tenold at school@mtolivelutheran.org or 507-345-7927.
Newco Lutheran School Board of Directors Meeting Announcement
The Board of Directors of Newco Lutheran School will meet on the evening of Sunday, January 4, to prayerfully consider and extend a divine call for the Principal / Head of School.
The Board has received a list of candidates from both the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). Our prayer is that the individual who is called will accept and begin serving in this role on July 1, 2026.
We ask that you keep the members of the Board in your prayers as they carry out this important responsibility on behalf of our congregations and school families. Following the meeting, an announcement will be shared through our usual communication channels identifying the individual who has been called, along with a request for continued prayers as the called servant considers the call.
As part of the transition to the newly formed school entity, Newco Lutheran School now functions under its own Board of Directors, which serves as the calling body for school leadership positions. This structure reflects the shared responsibility of the congregations supporting the school. With Newco Lutheran School now recognized as a non-profit entity by the State of Minnesota and having been approved by the ELS Secretary of Schools, the Board is able to extend this call directly, without the formality of having a separate voter’s meeting at Mount Olive Lutheran Church.
We recognize that this represents a change from past practice, and we are grateful for the continued prayers, trust, and support of Mount Olive members and all school stakeholders as we move forward together in this new chapter of our shared school.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Derek Harstad – President, Board of Directors, Newco Lutheran School
dmharstad@gmail.com
Jake Krier – Chairman, Mount Olive Board of Education / Member, Newco Board of Directors
jake.krier@blc.edu
Thank you for your continued prayers and support as we move forward in faith, trusting in God’s gracious guidance.
School Year 2026-27 Enrollment Update: While it was hoped to open enrollment on January 1, we will be delaying the opening slightly as we work to ensure that all systems and details are properly set up. Our goal is to provide a smooth and reliable enrollment process for every family, and taking a little more time now will help us do that well. We understand that many of you like to plan ahead, so we appreciate your patience and understanding as we take these steps. We will communicate a new enrollment opening date as soon as it is finalized. Thank you for your continued support, prayers, and trust as we work together in service to our students and school community.
For more updates and all other new announcements, pick up your copy of the January 2026 edition of the Olive Press from the narthex table. The Olive Press is also available on the Mount Olive website: mtolivelutheran.org/publications. For Mount Olive members who receive the Weekly Announcements via email, note that the January Olive Press is attached to the January 4 Weekly Announcements.
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LAST WEEK’S ATTENDANCE/LORD’S SUPPER
Sunday: 8:30am, 146; 10:45am, 51; Post-Service Communion: 27; Monday: 20/15
New Year’s Eve: 92/71
Live Online Viewing: Sunday: 64; New Year’s Eve: 18
WE THANK THOSE SERVING OUR LORD THIS WEEK
Greeters: Steve & Lois Jaeger, Joe & Connie Meyer
Bill & Sherri Bukowski, Steve Lussky
Offering Counters: Steve Lussky, Jon Pfeffer
Altar Guild: Connie Meyer, Brenda Garbers
WEEKLY FINANCIAL UPDATE
Given Last Week (excluding Year of Jubilee): $53,953.71
Year of Jubilee Debt Match Challenge Given Last Week: $11,980.91
Year of Jubilee Match Challenge Total (Dec.14, 2025 to Jan.2, 2026): $23,165.64
Fiscal YTD Actual Expenses vs. Budget Surplus (Deficit) as of 11/30/2025: ($36,058.25)
An anonymous donor will match up to $25,000 given to the Year of Jubilee between December 14, 2025 and January 12, 2026.
Care Share Tuition Assistance Account (balance as of December 31): $36,180.19.
2 Corinthians 8:9: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
To give your offering online, go to mtolivelutheran.org and click on the “Online Giving” tab.
Mount Olive Lutheran Church Mission Statement