What First-Time Visitors Should Know Before Attending Mt. Olive Lutheran Church

If you are planning a first visit to Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, the two things to settle before you arrive are which service to attend and whether you plan to take Holy Communion. The church lists Sunday services at 8:15am and 10:45am, a Monday evening service at 6:30pm, and a noon spoken service on certain Sundays. Communion is offered at specific services, and the church practices "Closed Communion," which means visitors are asked to speak with one of the pastors before communing.

Worship Service Times

The 8:15am Sunday service is the one the church live-streams, so if you want to preview a service before attending in person, that is the one to watch.

When Holy Communion Is Offered

Communion is part of the service on:

• The 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month
• Every Monday evening service
• Noon on the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Sundays, within a short spoken order of service

If you attend a service on a 2nd, 4th, or 5th Sunday morning, note that the main morning services on those weeks are not listed as communion services — the noon service is.

The "Closed Communion" Practice

Mount Olive describes its communion practice as "biblical, historic, loving" and calls it Closed Communion. In practice, this means:

• Visitors are asked to speak with one of the pastors before communing.
• The church asks visitors to respect this practice.

For a first-time visitor, the practical step is to arrive early enough to find a pastor, or to contact the church beforehand, if you intend to take communion. If you would rather not do that on a first visit, you are still welcome to attend the service without communing.

Before You Go: Check the Bulletin

The church points visitors to its bulletin for service details. Bulletins are also posted alongside the live stream, so you can read one online before attending to see the order of service, hymns, and any announcements for that week.

If You Cannot Attend in Person

Mt. Olive live-streams its Sunday 8:15am service and other special services. Recordings are kept in a Service & Sermon Archives section, and the pastors also host the Mount of Olives Podcast, which is another way to hear sermons if you miss a service.

Quick Checklist for a First Visit

1. Pick a service time from the schedule above.
2. Decide whether you plan to take communion — if so, plan to speak with a pastor first.
3. Read the current bulletin online to know what to expect.
4. If you can't attend, use the live stream, archives, or podcast instead.