Building and Grounds: Looking Ahead

Vision Wall

What do you see when you think about our place in the community" What are is your vision for our future? What does it encompass?

The Building and Grounds Vision Team was commissioned this fall to listen, learn and explore how our buildings and grounds can be utilized going forward to better serve our community.  This is a different approach than we have taken in the past when we primarily examined what our own congregation needed and built a plan to meet that need.  Instead, at this place and time, we believe God is calling us to look outside our four walls and find out what needs exist within our community that Mount Olivet is uniquely gifted to respond to and then together with our own ministry needs, devise a plan for our Buildings and Grounds that can help us better serve the community around us. 

We have started over the last few months by listening to the partners we already have in the community – Prism, Home Free– as well as partners we hope to have in the future – Armstrong High School, Robbinsdale ECFE, Three Rivers Park District, to name a few.  These conversations have consisted of a few questions, but mostly listening around the questions of “what are your hopes and dreams for your organization” and “how can MO help”?– especially as it relates to physical indoor and outdoor spaces.

We have also started listening to our own ministry leaders and staff at Mount Olivet, including the Childhood Learning Center – to find out what their hopes and dreams are as well.  This has been in the form of an email survey in December. 

We would like to listen to each of you.  Please use the comments section below to tell us your thoughts.   Don’t be afraid to THINK BIG (even if it is something beyond our current capacity) …were is Mount Olivet called to serve our community?  What is possible?

After we receive your ideas and thoughts, we will translate what we have heard into a Vision for Mount Olivet’s Building and Grounds that reflects how Mount Olivet can better serve the community using our unique gifts.  We imagine there will be short-term and long-term elements to this Vision as well as creative and unique ways to fund this vision, as we know building a Vision is not free.  Stay tuned for a progress update in April – until then, keep telling us your hopes and dreams. 

We are listening.

Pastor Beth Horsch

Mount Olivet Lutheran Church of Plymouth

A Medley of MO Stories

Over the last few weeks we have been talking about Mount Olivet’s mission, vision and where we are headed. Our impact to the community is noticeable and far reaching. There are other stories that happen around us that are not as well known.  Here are some stories of how God’s love is connecting people and building community:

Fredrico and Paola moved to Plymouth from Italy. By chance one Saturday, Fredrico and his father-in-law, who was visiting from Italy, stopped by to learn more about Mount Olivet’s chapel. Fredrico, Paola and their new baby Lorenzo visited Mount Olivet again, and found connection in our community as a young family new to the area. They met Mount Olivet member Vicky who just happened to live in their same apartment building.  Vicky, a retired teacher has found a new calling as a Grandma. The relationship of support continues, and Fredrico and Paola asked Vicky to be Lorenzo’s American Godmother. 

A Mount Olivet family generously offered to pay for Bible Explorer registrations for all children at Mount Olivet for this program year. This anonymous gift of close to $5000 is investing in kids and families. We then invited families to pay it forward. Because no registration cost was required, families were invited to share the fee which they would have paid to invest in our community and in our mission at Mount Olivet. Twenty-two families responded—the ripples of generosity continue.

A Mount Olivet family planted and tended plots in our community gardens for the sole purpose of sharing the harvest—132 pounds of fresh produce was grown and given to PRISM so families in need could literally eat from garden to table.

Director of Worship and Music Angela Gritton connected with Dr. Eileen Guenther, author of In Their Own Words: Slave Life and the Power of Spirituals and Professor of Church Music at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. Through connections with Mount Olivet member Diane Dickmeyer and Robbinsdale Community Education, our Mount Olivet Chancel choir will join with Armstrong High School Choir and the Robbinsdale community to present a concert and community sing around Spirituals to celebrate black history month this coming February. Our church is joining voices in the community to sing about the power of love and light to change the world.

Each Monday for 52 weeks of the year, Alcoholics Anonymous holds a meeting at Mount Olivet.  We are a safe place for people and families in addiction and recovery.  We walk with people in transition and trust in God’s healing and wholeness that is found in sharing stories and mutual support.

Have you watched our kids run, jump and meander their way up front for the offering each week?  They bring delight as their curiosity and eagerness teach us what it means to give abundantly from our hearts.  Each year, their pennies and dollars come together so we can share over $3000 for ELCA world hunger initiatives.  Mount Olivet kids are teaching us that joy is found in generosity.

None of these stories would have happened if our church hadn’t existed here. Your continued investment and engagement help make these and other stories possible and allow us to build community and our future together. Thank you. 

Daily Update from Chicago - Kate Pletcher/Claire Redding

The day started off bright and early with our group’s 6:00 am shower time. Everyone was a bit groggy due to the previous night’s prayer tour around the city. We crowded into our vans and split off into two groups to see different sides of the city. From block to block, we encountered various economic situations and cultures. Our service group drove through neighborhoods with extreme poverty and gang violence, then quickly moved into areas with lots of wealth. While observing the city, we learned staggering facts and statistics about Chicago’s socioeconomic structure. After our early morning, we headed out to our service site in Chinatown. We helped run a carnival that was being held at a Chinese Christian summer program where we had the opportunity to run games and interact with the kids. There was a large difference in culture, and many of these children have grown up learning English as their second language. We all had a great time laughing and playing with the kids while simultaneously seeing a glimpse into their culture. Next, we visited low income housing for the elderly and played “Bingo” with them. We got to interact with some residents, and make small talk with them as we played the game. The residents brought a lot of energy and humor to the room with their excitement and dedication to “Bingo”, while also showing compassion to each other as they gave out their own prizes to those more in need. This evening, we had an amazing at an El Salvadorian restaurant and later connected with our smaller and more personal family groups to reflect on the day.

Chicago Day 2 - Carter Morrissette Reflections

             My name is Carter Morrissette I am a senior from Maple Grove High School and I am with Mount Olivet church on a mission trip to Chicago! Funny enough I am one of two incoming seniors on the mission trip the other being my best friend Hannah Kreye. I am also the only guy in a group of 11 girls (thinking I was getting a break from my sister back home) which have grown on me in the wildest of ways.  Today, along with everyday, we start out with our bright and early showers at 6:00 am. I’ve learned to appreciate the magic of coffee so far on this trip because of moments like that. After showers we make breakfast and our lunches for the day but, for my group today was different. Like always we go to the YMCA camp for kids mainly from Lawndale Ave. (One of the most dangerous cities in Chicago). I chose too work with the kids ranging from 10-12 yrs. Old. The first time I walked in they asked me if I was wearing contacts in my eyes to change their color, with a chuckle I said “No” and quickly realized they probably don’t see many Blonde haired Blue eyed kids where they grow up. Later that day we went outside as a group (10-12 yr. olds) and played football, even the girls played and often would beat up on the boys. It was cool to see the fun they had playing knowing that most of them would never get a chance to actually play do to the situations at their home and where they live. As the afternoon progressed different aged classes came outside along with more of Mount Olivet volunteers. The funniest moment to me was when the younger girls had a dance contest but than after the other volunteers told them to teach me how to dance! As all the kids were outside we were told that we were going on a field trip, of course I was excited but our “field trip” was too Golden Corral. It really stuck me too see how the kids were so excited just to go to Golden Corral and got me thinking, these kids enjoy the small things and live every day with some sort pride and leap to their step! Golden Corral was a different experience with the kids, I have never seen a kid before stack six jalapenos on one French fry. Later after eating, my group headed to a Soup Kitchen led by a man named Mark and a woman called Mama T, both loving people who care about the homeless and those in need. Their soup kitchen isn’t funded by the government and is open 365 days a year! Every single day they come in to make the food and volunteers come into help because every hand is needed. I met some amazing people especially one lady who again marveled about my eyes so much she wanted me to lead the prayer which I did but very nervously I did so! My experience/experiences in the last few days have impacted my life already and have caused me to think non-stop about the people, especially the children in this city!