Visitors' GuideIt can be daunting to visit a new church. At Mount Olive, we hope that our guests will always feel as comfortable as possible as they worship among us. That being so, we have compiled a list of questions and answers to help clear up common points of curiosity. Do you have a question that is not addressed here? Please
contact us!
A: We — like the great historical denominations (
Roman Catholic Church, the
Anglican Church, and others) — celebrate the great
Christian tradition of “liturgical worship.” Many parts of our service are nearly two thousand years old, and almost all of it is directly taken from Scripture.
The service is divided into two basic parts:
During the
“Service of the Word,” we...
- Confess our sins and receive forgiveness
- Chant psalms and sing hymns
- Listen to Scripture readings (thematically-linked selections from the Old Testament, the Epistles, and the Gospels)
- Hear the sermon
- Take our prayers to God.
During the
“Service of the Sacrament,” we…
- Prepare our hearts to receive the Lord’s Supper
- Eat and drink His good gifts at the altar
- Give thanks to God for all his blessings
- Receive a final pastoral blessing.
Between these two parts is the offering, during which we give back to God a portion of the material blessings He has given us. Although giving to God and the church is a joy and a duty for us, we do not expect visitors to give money unless they are sincerely moved to do so.
We print the entire order of worship in the bulletin, along with all the hymns and readings, for your convenience. It can also be found in our pew hymnal, the
Lutheran Service Book.
However, if you do become lost or confused, please lean over and ask a “neighbor” in the pew. We’re always happy to help!
A: At Mount Olive, we observe “closed communion,” the practice of limiting participation in the Lord’s Supper to believers who have been instructed and confirmed in the faith. It is not our desire to deny anyone the wonderful blessing of the Lord’s body and blood. But we do ask our non-Lutheran guests to wait to take communion until they have had a chance to meet with Pastor Bomberger and learn, in greater depth, what our church teaches.
At the Lord’s Table, we believe in the real, spiritual presence of Christ’s body and blood in, with, and under bread and wine. For us, when Christ says, “This is my body,” and “This is my blood,” he’s speaking truthfully, not metaphorically. This meal means so much more to us than mere symbol or “remembrance.”
We also believe that taking communion in a church is a statement of agreement with what that church believes and teaches. So, it seems logical that before you stand up and testify to your agreement with us, you know and understand what you’re agreeing to.
Visitors who are members in good standing of other Missouri Synod Lutheran Churches (who have already publicly confessed their agreement with our teachings) are welcome to commune with us, though we ask that you announce your intention to commune to Pastor Bomberger before hand. (He will ask you at the rail if he is unsure.)
Visitors who have not yet been instructed and confirmed are always welcome to come forward and receive a pastoral blessing, to join us in singing songs, or to pray and meditate privately during Holy Communion.
A: Many churches, we know, offer a staffed nursery for preschool-aged children during worship services. However, the parents at Mt. Olive have decided that they prefer to have their children with them in church. We firmly believe that even very young children can begin to grasp the worship service, and that they learn more quickly to sit still and participate when they are welcomed into the sanctuary instead of shuffled off to the nursery.
Ushers have special children’s bulletins, crayons, and "Busy Bags" filled with books, games, and quiet activities to help small ones through the harder-to-understand parts of the service. There is also usually a “children’s sermon” in the middle of the service to allow young ones to stretch their legs and hear a message just for them.
We know, however, that sitting through church is sometimes impossible, so we also offer a cry room with a toy cupboard, a quiet corner for nursing mothers, comfortable seating, and a speaker which broadcasts the service live for parents who need to take their children out. Ushers will be happy to direct you to the cry room, should you require it.
There is a changing table in the women's restroom - parents may feel free to use any supplies they find there.
A: If you enjoy our worship service, we hope that you will join us also for Sunday School or Adult Bible class afterwards. Newcomers and visitors are always welcome!
After church, you can enjoy coffee and home-baked goodies in the Fellowship Foyer (to your left as you exit the Sanctuary). At approximately 11:00 a.m., head across the driveway to the Education Building for Bible Class with Pastor Bomberger. Children meet for a musical opening in the Sanctuary (the main church building) before heading off to their class. Sunday School and Bible Class both end at 12:00 p.m.
A: We’re so glad you asked! First and foremost, we invite you to join us for worship whenever you can. Officially, though, the first thing to do is to mention your desire to Pastor Bomberger. He will then set up a series of “new member classes,” to help you get better acquainted with the Bible, basic Christian teachings, what it means to be “Lutheran,” and our church in particular. If you have not yet been baptized, he will discuss baptism with you. (We do not require believers who have been baptized in other churches to be re-baptized in ours.) Once you are familiar with our church and what we teach, you will be “confirmed” during a Sunday morning worship service: here you will have a opportunity to make a public confession of faith before the church body and take communion.
If you have already been instructed and confirmed in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, you need only to ask your previous congregation to release you and send us a letter of transfer. Then you will be publicly accepted into membership and introduced to our congregation as part of Sunday worship.