Education
Explore Scripture. Deepen Faith. Live with Purpose.
Discover, Learn, Grow in Faith
Draw closer to God through meaningful engagement with Scripture and theology. Our Adult Education program offers opportunities to explore individual books of the Bible, uncover key themes, and learn from the lives of biblical characters. You’ll also find classes on our faith foundations like the Ten Commandments and on influential theologians—from Martin Luther to Dietrich Bonhoeffer—that challenge and inspire. These studies and events are designed to deepen your faith and help you live it out every day.
Living the Message
Stories That Shape Us
This year’s Living the Message will be co-taught by multiple Mount Olivet pastors who will each share a biblical story that has shaped them over the course of their lives. These are among their favorite stories, but also more, as they are the stories that have shaped our pastors’ sense of who God is, what our lives as Christians can be like, and how we can view the world differently because of the biblical witness. Our pastors will open up these passages in a way that they hope will allow these same powerful stories to shape you as well, bolstering your faith, renewing your sense of God’s presence in your life, and inviting you to lives of greater meaning and purpose in light of God’s promises. Join us!
- October 7: 2 Kings 22: Know Your Story, Know Yourself with Pastor Lose
- November 4: John 11: Lazarus Just Laid There with Pastor Dixon
- December 2: Ester 1, 4: Vashti and Esther: For Such a Time as This with Theresa Latini
- January 6: Genesis 1 and Isaiah 40: When Everything Is Lost: Exile and Creation with Pastor Grangaard
- February 3: Genesis 50: “You Meant It For Evil” – God’s saving work in the face of suffering with Pastor Cieslik
- March 3: The Book of Job: No One Cares About Job Until They Need Job with Pastor Olson Popp
- April 7: John 20:24-29: Resurrection Is Not Reversal: Doubting Thomas with Pastor Grangaard
- May 5: John 21, Mark 16: Just the Beginning… with Pastor Lose
In-Person presentations:
- 6:30-7:30pm on the first Tuesday of the month
- Held at the Mpls Campus, Room 207, except for Nov 2025 and Apr 2026 which are at the West Campus in the Rehearsal Hall.
- NEW THIS YEAR: Videos will be filmed live at the in-person presentation and emailed by the second Monday of the month.
All are welcome at any time!
Questions? Contact Katie Stevenson, Coordinator of Adult Education by email or at 612.767.2232.
"I AM": Jesus in John's Gospel
“I AM”: Jesus in John’s Gospel
A Word with Your Pastors Class – Spring 2026
In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks some of the most beautiful and provocative words in all of Scripture, each beginning with the phrase “I AM.” These short declarations are far more than spiritual metaphors or memorable one-liners. They are windows into Jesus’ identity, the heart of his mission, and the kind of life he has come to give us.
Over four weeks, we will examine the function of the “I AM” statements in the Gospel of John. We will linger with specific “I AM” statements as John presents them: bread of life, good shepherd, and true vine. Each image is grounded in ordinary human need—hunger, fear, loss, longing, belonging, guidance, and hope—yet each opens outward into the mystery of who Jesus is. In John’s Gospel, Jesus does not merely bring help from God; he is God’s power and presence dwelling among us. He comes to recreate and redeem, to liberate us from sin and death, and to restore what is fragmented within us and between us.
Together we will explore how the “I AM” statements invite us into a living relationship with Christ—one that is both deeply personal and world-transforming. This is not simply a class about titles for Jesus; it is an invitation to hear and see the One who meets us in our humanity and draws us into abundant life.
Come ready to read closely, reflect prayerfully, and listen for Jesus’ voice speaking into our lives today: I am.
April 8/9 | Why does Jesus talk so much about himself? | Pastor Lose
April 15/16 | I Am the Bread of Life, John 6 | Pastor Olson Popp
April 22/23 | I Am the Good Shepherd, John 9-10 | Pastor Grangaard
April 29/30 | I Am the True Vine, John 15 | Rev. Dr. Latini
- In-Person presentations held:
- Mpls: Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30am in Room 207
- West: Thursdays, 10:30-11:30am in the Rehearsal Hall
- Filmed live at the Mpls presentation with videos being sent out one week after each Mpls class date.
Register Here for the Mpls Campus Classes
Register Here for the West Campus Classes
You can register for videos using either link.
Questions? Contact Katie Stevenson, Coordinator of Adult Education by email or at 612.767.2232.
Book Discussions
Evening and Daytime Options
Come and enjoy a lively discussion of a new book every month. The same book will be discussed at the evening and daytime options. New members are always welcome! You can join in for one discussion – or all!
Daytime Discussions: 10-11:30am the second Tuesday of the month; Mpls; Bonnie Morris, facilitator
Evening Discussions: 7-8:30pm the second Wednesday of the month; Mpls; Mary Slinde, facilitator
Register here for Daytime Discussion
Register here for Evening Discussion
Or contact Katie Stevenson at katies@mtolivet.org | 612.767.2232.
Upcoming Books:
2025
June 10/11: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
July 8/9: The Women by Kristin Hannah
August 12/13: The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
September 9/10: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
October 14/October 8: March by Geraldine Brooks
November 11/12: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
December 9/10: Table for Two by Amos Towles
2026
January 13/14: Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
February 10/11: Master Slave Husband Wife by Lyon Woo
March 10/11: Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad
April 14/April 8: James by Percival Everett
May 12/13: The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede
June 9/10: The Measure by Nikki Erlick