MT.

OLIVE LUTHERAN CHURCH ~ Delano, MN

April, 2013

The Mission Of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church:

The spiritual care and nurturing with the Gospel of the people entrusted us by God. The equipping of our members for service in Gods Kingdom. The sharing of the Gospel of Christ.

Do not weep! See the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has Simon Peter...went into the tomb. He saw the strips lying there, as well triumphed.........Then I saw a Lamb , looking as ifof it linen had been slain, as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by standing in the center of the throne. itself, separate from the linen. John 20:6-7 Revelation 5:5,6 Dear members and friends of Mt. Olive, Dear Friends and Members of Mr. Olive, The month of March: in like a lion, out like a lamb. Or will it be the other way around year? the The old saying about March weather reminds us of the When wethis celebrate Lords Supper at Mt. Olive, we commemorate Jesus two extremes we so often see during this month of the year. It can also remind death. St. Paul says, Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you prous of two names death given until to our Savior. claim the Lords he comes (1 Corinthians 11:26). Yet we can never separate Jesus death from his glorious resurrection. The Lord who died is the No matter how or late Easter be, Lent always falls in at least part Lord who rose andearly is alive forever andmay ever. of March. So every March we are reminded that Jesus went to the cross as a lamb the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7). He put upthe no Christian resistance. He suffered Toto remind us of this glorious truth of Easter, Church has built an willingly for you and me. And every March we are also reminded that Jesus is Easter symbol into the celebration of Holy Communion. The white veil which the Lamb of God (John 1:36), substitute God given us we grave covers the communion ware as it the rests on the altar ishas a symbol of so thethat empty would not have to suffer the pains of hell. clothes which were one of the first signs of Jesus resurrection. Yet though he suffered many things for Jesus you, he did not suffer In the Lords Supper we commemorate death. But it is defeat! not a somber, Through his sufferings he proved that he is a conquering Lion the Lion ofis the maudlin commemoration. It is a celebration! Jesus resurrection from death tribe of Judah. He destroyed the power of death and devil. has made our reason for celebrating. He has gone ahead of us to the prepare anHe eternal banquet you in heaven. The linens of Holy Communion preach to us the same good news that members hissaw eternal kingdom. can say: Do not weep! See the Lion Peter and of John as they peered You into too the empty tomb. of the tribe of Judah....has triumphed! March: in of like a lamb, out like a lion. Or will be the other way around this The grace our Lord Jesus Christ be with youitall. year? When it comes to the weather, your guess is as good as mine. When it comes to the Savior, you dont have to guess. You know. entered his Pastor He Marggraf suffering like a lamb, but came out like a conquering lion. For all eternity, he will stand in the center of the throne. And because he stands, you too will stand! The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Pastor Marggraf

To God Alone Be The Glory!

The Olive Branch pg 2

Celebrating Easter...
On Sunday, April 14 at Mt. Olive, organist Charles Bonow will help us continue to celebrate the glorious news of Easter with his worship service concert, He Lives. The service concert includes an Easter devotion followed by Scriptural commentary entwined with organ solos and congregation singing of our well-loved Easter hymns emphasizing our Saviors victorious resurrection from the dead. Please plan to attend! Charles Bonow, a former parish pastor in our Wisconsin Synod, now has as his ministry the presentation of his service concerts in WELS churches each Sunday in all parts of our country. The presentation of these service concerts is Charles Bonows life work and the means of support for himself and his family. A free-will offering for the Bonow family will be received following the service.

LWMS RALLY...
The Lutheran Womens Missionary Society Spring Rally will take place on Sunday, April 21, here at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church. The rally will begin at 12:00 pm with registration and lunch, followed by a short devotion/Bible Study. The mission presentation of the day will be presented by Rev. Daniel Kroll, who, with his family served in Zambia for 17 years. All are invited!

Speaking of LWMS...
The 50th annual national convention of the Lutheran Womens Missionary Society will be held this summer relatively close by. The convention will be held June 27-30, 2013 at La Crosse, WI. Everyone, both men and women alike, young and old, are invited and encouraged to attend this historic synod event. The convention will feature missionaries from all over the world. Edifying worship services, inspiring mission presentations, and informative displays will charge your spiritual batter with zeal to share the Gospel. A museum of historical items will reflect the growth and purpose of the LWMS over the years. Fellowship opportunities will abound as we gather at the river. Check out the convention website at: www.lwms2013convention.com

MEDITATION BOOKLETS...
The newest edition of the Meditations devotional booklet is available. You will find copies on the counter on the north side of the entryway. These booklets make for excellent personal or family devotions. Pick one up today! A suggested donation is $3.00 to $4.00 per booklet.

CONGRATULATIONS!
The following couples are celebrating their wedding anniversary this month. Gods richest blessings to them! Gary & Diane Bensen Mike & Bonnie Brandenburg Kent & Julie Broscoff Craig & Gwen Muklebust Steve & Heidi Oscarson Lee & Nancy Pedersen Tom & Jill Jaunich (The Church office doesnt have the wedding anniversary dates for all our familiesif your names arent included in the list above and should be, please let the church office know!)

Youth Group Fundraiser...

The Youth Group of Mt. Olive is raising money to defray the cost of their mission trip to Texas this summer. On Tuesday and Wednesday, April 16th and 17th they will be having a fundraiser at Reds Caf in Montrose. Tickets for the meal at Reds are $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids. For tickets and for more information, speak to our youth leader, Chad Hoppe. There is a sign up sheet in the church entryway where you can sign up for meal choice and date/time.

The Olive Branch pg 3

Deep Roots/Abundant Fruits...

Deep Roots-Abundant Fruits, the three-year 2011-2013 Building Fund Appeal Program is in the third year of the three-year program. It is the financial program we use to make payments on our existing building debt. This building fund is separate from our regular operating fund and regular envelope system. Thanks be to God for the wonderful building we have for our worship and enjoyment and for all the donations that have been received in the past to make payments on our existing building debt! Many families contribute regularly to this program by using the special blue envelope. If you are not using this blue envelope on a regular basis, you are encouraged to begin using it. Envelopes are always available on the tables in the narthex. If you have any questions, ask Jim Schultz, treasurer or Larry Enter, building fund coordinator. Why not give a special gift to this program in honor of Christs work for us on the cross and through the empty tomb!

VOTERS MEETING...
The regularly scheduled voters meeting for our congregation will take place on Sunday, April 28, after our 9:00 am worship service. All voting members and interested members are invited to attend. Besides the regular business of the congregation, we will also be calling Mr. Valus as our principal. (Last April we called him to serve as principal for one year, now we want to make that call permanent.) God willing, we will also be able to announce to our voters some exciting news regarding the refinancing of our building loan. Please plan on attending this meeting!

Mt. Olive Booth at the Delano Business Expo...

Weve got a great product at Mt. Olive. That product, of course, is the gospel. But like any great product, it needs to be advertised. You can help do that by signing up to take a 1-hour shift at the Mt. Olive booth at the Delano Business Expo on Saturday, April 6 held at the Delano High School. The exp runs from 9:00 am till about 12:30 pm. For more info, speak to Troy Kriesch.

Womens Bible Class...

Each Thursday at 6:30 pm, Mrs. Dawn Lindholm leads a Bible study in the Fireside Room for the women of our congregation. Beginning in April, that class will be held at 7:00 pm instead of 6:30. This change is because of a new job she will begin in April. The next meeting of the Womens Bible Class will be Thursday, April 4, at 7:00 pm.

Volunteers needed...
If you could be available in the evenings, or better yet, during the day to help move tables and chairs when there is a funeral at Mt. Olive, the ladies on the funeral serving committees would be every so grateful! We dont have many funerals here at Mt. Olive, and not all of them involve the moving of tables and chairs from the fellowship room to the school gym. But when it does happen, its nice to have some strong backs on hand to help with the lifting and moving. If you have a schedule that would enable you to help with that, please put your name on the sign-up sheet in the entryway, or speak to one of church elders: Pastor Marggraf, Rollie Epple, Dan Scherer, or Craig Sinkel. Thanks!

Add to your Calendar...

Monday evening worship services will resume on Monday, April 15, 7:00 pm. A New Member Welcome will take place on Sunday, April 14, at 11:30. Bring a potluck dish to pass and get to know our new members!