Education

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

All are welcome at any time! 

Register here

Questions? Contact Katie Stevenson, Coordinator of Adult Education by email or at 612.767.2232.

Faith and Politics (No, we’re not going to tell you how to vote!)
A Word with Your Pastors Class – Winter 2026
Many would argue that faith and politics don’t mix. Martin Luther would respectfully disagree. He believed strongly that God was at work through government to care for God’s people and world. (In fact, Luther believed that God established government for just this reason!) For this reason, Luther believed that each and every Christian had a role to play in supporting governmental institutions by praying for our civic leaders, paying our taxes cheerfully, and holding government officials accountable for using those taxes efficiently and to help God’s children flourish, just to name a few.

At the same time, Luther was very suspicious of religious leaders who wanted to exercise political power and of secular leadership who tried to influence religion or use religion to justify their policies. This separation of church and state – or, more accurately, this “distinction of responsibilities” among the church and the state – was relatively novel in Luther’s day and proved influential. James Madison, for instance, when working on the US Constitution, credited Luther for the intellectual framework behind Madison’s provisions for the protections of religious liberty and separation of church and state.

Curious about how that has played out? Have concerns – or, for that matter, hopes – about how faith and politics might interact? Want to learn more about our dynamic faith tradition? Interested in hearing what Luther has to say about politics without having your pastors tell you how to vote? 🙂 If any of these apply to you, join Pastors Dixon and Lose for the Winter Edition of “Word with Your Pastors”!

Taught by Pastor Dixon and Pastor Lose
Jan 21/22 | Is Faith Political? Yes, but not the way you think (Should Christians care about the political world?) | Lose
Jan 28/29 | In Loco Parentis (What is the role of government in God’s creation?) | Dixon
Feb 4/5 | Community of Saints (What is the church’s role in civil life?) | Dixon
Feb 11/12 | Dual (or Duel?) Citizenship (What does it mean to be a Christian and a member of society today?) | Lose

• 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 Mpls. Videos will be 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.

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