May 10, 2026
Flowers on the altar for Sunday, May 10, are given to God’s glory by Will & Lisa Holt in honor of family birthdays and anniversaries in May.
People We Are Praying For (We included prayers for these individuals in our recent church services): Jeanette Koberg, Ann Thompson, Pastor Glenn Smith, Marsha Natvig, Katie Tweit, Lorena Merseth, Gretchen Olson, Kathy Koth, Asher Graham and all our loved ones who have been sick and facing ongoing health challenges. We also prayed for Ron Younge and his family as they mourn the death of Ron’s brother, Gary; and for Mr. Nathan Bauer who holds the call to be the Principal of our Cornerstone Lutheran School.
Sunday Morning Adult Bible Studies: On May 10, Dr. Amir Yosef will speak about growing up as a Christian in Muslim Egypt. Pastor Ulrich will finish his series on The Screwtape Letters on May 17.
Donations Needed: From now through May 17, Mount Olive School students are collecting personal care items for the Connections Shelter to give to homeless individuals in our community. Please check the May Olive Press or the poster on the narthex bulletin board for suggested item donations. Items can be dropped off in boxes near the classrooms.
Softball Umpires Needed! Mount Olive Lutheran School is sponsoring a Co-ed Slow-Pitch Softball Tournament for our 7th and 8th grade students on Wednesday, May 13, at the Caswell Sports Complex in North Mankato. Umps will not be calling balls or strikes; players get a max of 4 pitches. Volunteers will need a working knowledge of the rules of softball. If you are interested, please contact Mr. Z. at mrz@mtolivelutheran.org.
Come and celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord on Thursday, May 14. A barbeque featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, and water will be served from 5-6:15pm; please bring a side dish to share. Free-will donations will benefit the Connections Shelter in Mankato. The worship service with Holy Communion begins at 6:30pm.
Art After Dark is a miniseries of lectures on art appreciation from a Christian perspective by Bethany Professor Emeritus and Artist Bill Bukowski. Join Professor Bukowski as he covers highlights of art and architecture in Venice, Italy on May 14 and in Lisbon, Portugal on May 21. Both presentations are at 8pm in the church narthex.
Norseland Lutheran Church’s annual Syttende Mai Smørgåsbord is Saturday, May 16, from 4-7pm. Cost: $20 for adults and $8 for children ages 6-12; children 5 and under eat free. Tickets are available at the door. Check the May Olive Press or the poster on the narthex bulletin board for the complete menu.
Volunteers are needed to serve as teachers, leaders, and helpers for Mount Olive’s Vacation Bible School on June 29-July 1. Use this link for the volunteer sign-up sheet: https://signup.com/go/QjPuoEF. Volunteers are asked to attend a VBS planning meeting on Sunday, May 17, at noon.
Calling all singers for Pentecost Sunday, May 24: We are determining if there is interest/ability in forming a choir to sing “O Day Full of Grace” (arr. F. Melius Christiansen). If you are available, please complete a brief survey at this link: https://forms.gle/KBBuTazAo9M69Znv9. Questions can be directed to Aly Pettis at apettis@blc.edu or 507-327-5950 (texting preferred).
Our Summer Worship Schedule begins on Sunday, May 24 (Memorial Day Weekend/Pentecost Sunday), with worship services and Holy Communion at 8:15am and 10am. On Sunday, May 31 (and continuing through the summer months), Holy Communion will be available at 11:15am on the 2nd, 4th, and5th Sundays of the month.
Red Cross Blood Drive: Friday, May 29, from 12pm-5pm in the Mount Olive gym. Please call 1-800-733-2767 or visit redcrossblood.org and enter MTOLIVEKATO to schedule an appointment.
Parents of Lutheran Island Campers: Email Lance Johnson (lgustavj77@gmail.com) by May 31 if your child in planning to take the bus to camp.
Sponsor a Summer Outdoor Planter: Traverse Des Sioux Garden Center in St. Peter has again very kindly offered to arrange for the planting of our seven large outdoor planters by the Marsh and McConnell St. entrances. Sharon Madson will take care of these planters throughout the summer season. Mount Olive is offering individuals, families, or groups the opportunity to “sponsor” a summer planter at $135 each. A sign-up sheet and “Sponsor a Planter” envelopes are available on the narthex table. Pick up an envelope as you sign up, insert a check (written to Mount Olive) for $135 in the envelope, and place it in the church office Flower Box by Sunday, May 31. Thank you!
Cornerstone Moving Day: June 6. Meet at the Hilltop Campus (1123 Marsh St.) at 8am with your truck, van, trailer, or simply your helping hands. We will load classroom materials and furniture, band equipment, and other school items and transport them to the Hillside Campus (110 N. 6th St.). Around noon, we will gather at Hillside to enjoy a pizza lunch together. There’s a sign-up sheet on the narthex table, or you can contact Greg Costello at costello@blc.edu. Thanks for your help!
Lime Creek Decommissioning Service: Saturday, June 20, at 10:30am. Following the service, there will be a meal and a program. Please RSVP to attend the service and meal at FriendsofLimeCreek.org. A charter bus will be available for transportation between Mankato and Lime Creek for $26.00 per seat. It will depart Bethany College at 9am and return after the program in the afternoon. If you plan to ride the bus, please also register for that at FriendsofLimeCreek.org.
Lutheran Youth Honor Choir ‘26: June 20-24, on the Bethany campus. Registration is available from now through June 1 at https://els.org/honorchoir/; cost: $300. Professor Dennis Marzolf created the camp in 1986 and is serving as choir director. He is joined by Professor Mark DeGarmeaux (accompanist) and Professor David Paulson (handbells). The five-day camp is an immersive study and performance in our rich Lutheran Musical Heritage, and high school students will be collaborating with both current and alumni members of the Bethany Concert Choir. The Lutheran Youth Honor Choir plans to sing and ring at several performances during the ELS Synod Convention.
Mount Olive is once again hosting Theatre Bible School, June 22-26, at Bethany Lutheran College. Registration is open to students entering 3rd-8th grade. There is a $50 registration fee (with family discount options) to cover costs of food, costumes, and props and help compensate directors for taking time out of their work week. A deposit of $20 per child is due by June 1 and can be paid to Abby Bloedel by check or by Venmo, @AbigailBloedel. The remaining balance will be collected upon arrival on the first day at camp. For more information and to register, go to https://forms.gle/XrtAUWUZPDjYDt9z7.
Mount Olive’s 2026 Vacation Bible School is June 29-July 1, from 8am-noon, for children ages 4 - entering 4th grade this fall. Bible stories, guest artists, and art projects will be featured under the theme “Rejoicing in God, the Master Artist.” To sign up, use this link: https://form.jotform.com/bizwizm/mt_olive_vbs_registration_form_2026
Lutheran Youth Association Convention: July 23-26, at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH. High-school aged youth (completed 8th grade) are encouraged to attend. The theme is “In the Beginning” and includes trips to the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum. Early registration is $375 until June 1, and $425 after June 1 until July 1. Go to els.org/lya/ for more information and to register.
Mount Olive members donated 67 pounds of food to the ECHO Food Shelf during the month of April. Thank you for your support.
A Young Men's Bible Study Group is being organized by Pastor Soule. The group will meet monthly and focus on becoming more deeply rooted in the truths of God's Word, appreciating our confessional Lutheran heritage, and encouraging one another through the challenges of life as Christian men. Young men (20's-40's): if you're interested in being part of this group, please take the following survey: https://forms.gle/jXqPShV9CjGzSgwcA.
Mount Olive Social Hall Chair Drive: Donations are being taken for the purchase of new chairs for our Social Hall. Sponsor a chair for $25. Drop off your donations in the church office, or please list “chairs” on your offering envelope or on the check memo line. Thank you!
Cornerstone Update: We are pleased to share that the Lord has assigned a divine call to Mr. Nathaniel Olmanson, a May graduate of Bethany Lutheran College, to serve at Cornerstone Lutheran School beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year as the 6th grade homeroom teacher within our departmentalized middle school (grades 6–8). In addition, he will also serve as Athletic Director, where he will be mentored by Mr. Craig Zibrowski. Our school community is already familiar with Mr. Olmanson, as he completed his student teaching this past academic year in Mr. Jake Beilke’s 7th grade classroom while earning his education degree from BLC. We praise God for providing Cornerstone Lutheran School with a talented called servant in Mr. Olmanson, and we warmly welcome him to the Cornerstone family.
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LAST WEEK’S ATTENDANCE/LORD’S SUPPER
Sunday: 8:15am, 279/228; 10:45am,196/112; Monday: 27/23
Live Online Viewing: Sunday: 22
WE THANK THOSE SERVING OUR LORD THIS WEEK
Greeters: Jim Gullixson, Margaret Gullixson, Diane Gullixson
Pete Schuch, Taylor Lundgren
Offering Counters: Bruce Gratz, Craig Christiansen
Altar Guild: Peggy Harstad, Carol Petersen
WEEKLY FINANCIAL UPDATE
Given Last Week (excluding Year of Jubilee): $39,458.73
Year of Jubilee Debt Reduction Given Last Week: $881.66
Year of Jubilee Debt Reduction Total (7/1/2025 to 5/7/2026): $126,041.39
Fiscal YTD Actual Expenses vs. Budget Surplus (Deficit) as of 4/30/2026: ($13,074.82)
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
To give your offering online, go to mtolivelutheran.org and click on the “Online Giving” tab.
Mount Olive Lutheran Church Mission Statement
The mission of Mount Olive Lutheran Church is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ through God’s Word, so that souls are called into and kept in the Christian faith unto eternal life.