Pandemic Community Guidance: Moving Forward with our Safe Gathering Plan

PANDEMIC COMMUNITY GUIDANCE: MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR SAFE GATHERING PLAN

Dear Mount Olivet,

We begin this new year in realistic hope as the COVID vaccine becomes more accessible. We know more about this disease than we did nine months ago, and so we look ahead to the shifts in how we can gather at Mount Olivet. Within this hope, our priorities remain the same:

1.     Health and safety of our church community: members, staff, and Mount Olivet Child Learning Center families

2.     Focus on essential ministries: Livestreamed worship, the daily operations of the Child Learning Center, and our weekly Community Meal

3.     Ministries to Mount Olivet Members

4.     Community use of the building

The Pandemic Response Team has created and the council approved a Safe Gathering Plan based on the Hennepin County 14-day case rates. Schools use this data to guide learning models. The case numbers will guide our next steps in gathering, including how our building will be used. The plan details are below as well as linked to our website www.moply.org.

Safety Protocols

All phases of the plan require masks, social distancing, completion of health waivers, building cleaning, and a request process for Mount Olivet small groups to gather inside the building. As always, if you are high risk for contracting the virus, sick or have symptoms, please stay at home and utilize on-line options.

Communication

Each Thursday we will communicate via the website and the weekly e-lert the current case numbers and what phase we are in. We will require two weeks of decreasing cases (or cases within a level range) before a shift will be considered.  Additional time will be necessary for staff to communicate changes, prepare the building, and coordinate their work.

Small Groups

When we move from red to yellow, we will open the building to Mount Olivet small groups. Gathering youth to meet in person is our priority, and the Faith Formation Team has created plans to welcome a limited number of small groups to the building on Wednesday evenings.  Mount Olivet small groups will have a request process to schedule rooms and gathering times. We will reach out directly to small group leaders with more information soon.

Moving from yellow to green allows for larger group sizes and more flexible meeting times. In this phase, we would likely invite all 5th-12th youth back into the building on Wednesday evenings, gathering in large rooms only with others in their grades. Online opportunities will still be available for those who choose. Look for communication from the Faith Formation Team with more details about these plans.

Worship

When we move from red to yellow or green, we can worship outside, weather permitting.  Gathering indoors for worship (up to 50) will begin if weather does not permit outdoor gatherings and if cases allow us to move to the green phase. Indoors or outdoors, the in-person worship will be live streamed for those who prefer to stay at home.

There are many nuances to this plan, and we continue to commit to timely, transparent communication. This pandemic is ever-changing, and our life together may not follow a linear pattern. Your flexibility and feedback are appreciated.

An open question-and-answer session via Zoom is scheduled for Wednesday, January 20 at 7pm with staff, Pandemic Response Team and Council members. You can register to receive the zoom link HERE.

Additionally, the Faith Formation Team will be holding a parent forum via Zoom on Sunday, January 24 at 7:30pm. Watch for registration information or contact Beth McGrew-King.

You can find the details of each phase located HERE. We will continue to update this page as we progress, posting documents, plans, and other communications.

If you have specific questions, please send an email to contact@moply.org. Thank you for your commitment to Mount Olivet.

In hope,

Pastors Beth and Joel

Pandemic Response Team:

Ron Frehner, Scott Grinde, Joni Marti, Chris Poe, Beth Olson, Bob Swanson, Stephanie Weiland

Church Council:

Lindsay Bondy, Brenna Finley, Joe Himmelberg, Paul Nelson, Lauren Schroeder, Mike Scott, Dawn Strommen, Bob Swanson

A Sign of Good News

At Mount Olivet, we think about our neighbors a lot. We give away ten percent of our budget to community organizations outside Mount Olivet, and when we decided to remodel our building last year, we knew that it would primarily benefit people outside our congregation, especially through our weekly community meal.

We do this because we believe that God is made known in community. Each of us has something to give and something to receive, and we join God’s unfolding story when we connect with others to hear and proclaim good news to each other.

Good news is not confined to the sermons we preach; it’s so much broader than that. To a hungry person, good news might look like a loaf of bread. To a lonely person, good news might look like somebody who cares. Good news can take many forms, and we are called to proclaim it with all we have: our time, our imagination, our money, our voices, and even our church’s building and grounds.

This summer has been filled with news that is bad. We continue to experience disruption to our lives as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, and, in the midst of this upheaval, we are grieving and making sense of the deep and persistent racial inequities in our city and nation, brought to light again by the murder of George Floyd and the uprising that followed. 

How do we find our place in God’s unfolding story in this context? What good news for our neighbors are we meant to proclaim? How are we meant to join with others who are already proclaiming it?

Mount Olivet’s church council has been asking these questions and rightfully searching for a way we can speak beyond the walls of our church into what’s happening in the world. This month, they adopted guidance around placing signage on the church property relating to efforts for justice in society and social change. We want to lend our support and commitment to movements that bring good news by bringing justice. The first sign that will be displayed at church, unanimously approved by the council, is a Black Lives Matter yard sign, which will be displayed until the end of the calendar year.

Let’s be clear, this sign does not mean we have everything figured out.

This sign is aspirational, and our predominantly white church is not an expert on racial justice – we are still learning along with so many. It is our hope that this sign keeps us accountable to the work of race equity.

Nor does this sign mean that Black lives are the only lives that matter. God has chosen to place God’s image in every human. By proclaiming Black Lives Matter, we acknowledge the ways that our society has acted as if they don’t, and we begin to envision a world in which all people are seen and valued.

Finally, this sign does not mean we are endorsing any political platform or candidate. Our yard sign is a statement that comes from our faith commitments, not our partisan ones.

What this sign does mean is that we see the struggle for racial justice as good news. When Black people claim the dignity they’ve always had in a system that has been reluctant to afford it to them, that is good news. When white people and others stop to reconsider their worldview and imagine how they can be a part of making space in society for others to thrive, that is good news. And when people walk or drive by Mount Olivet and make the connection that God has something to say about what we see in the world, that is good news.

We affirm that Black lives matter, and we believe that speaking this to our community is one way we are joining God’s work of bringing good news to the world.

We hope that the placement of this sign will be good news to you, too. We trust that each of us has been grappling with race this summer, and if a conversation would be helpful to you on your journey, please reach out to Pastors Beth and Joel, the church council whose names are listed below, or members of the newly formed Mount Olivet Racial Equity Team who you will meet this fall.

We are committed to engaging with each around race.

We have heard from many of you that you need a place to start talking about race and equity, so beginning on September 22, we will have a 5 week series on Tuesdays from 7:30-9pm via zoom called “From Moment to Movement: Conversations and Tools to Build Equity.” The Mount Olivet Racial Equity (MORE) Team, along with trainer Joayne Larson, will lead interactive and conversation-based sessions focused on the skills and awareness we need to be effective allies and culturally-aware community members. You can register on our website.

Regardless of how much or how little you’ve talked about race, we invite you to participate. Every one of us has a role to play in building racial equity, and we hope this series helps you find yours.

We miss seeing you, and cannot wait until we can safely gather to worship and be community together. You are good news to us.

Pastor Beth and Pastor Joel

Mount Olivet Church Council

Bob Swanson, Dawn Strommen, Joe Himmelberg, Thad Lightfoot, Lindsay Bondy, Mike Scott, Lauren Schroeder, Paul Nelson, Brenna Erdmann

The Mount Olivet Racial Equity Team

Where do we go from here—a letter from Pastor Beth and Joel

Dear Mount Olivet Community,

We are heartbroken and outraged by George Floyd’s death. We pray for his family and loved ones, we condemn the actions of the four Minneapolis police officers who took his life, and we listen to the voices of so many crying out in pain and rage at the daily injustices that weigh them down.

Amidst the unrest and uncertainty that has fallen over our city and nation this past week, what has been clear to us is that God is still with us, using this moment to invite us to join God’s work in the world.

This work begins with acknowledging that racism is a sin. Racism is more than acts of hatred, it is a skewed way of viewing and organizing the world so that some people are systematically devalued and denied resources. There is no one in America who is unaffected by racism; it is sinister enough to hide itself within us even when our intentions are noble. This goes for our church, too. Our relative silence has meant that racism has not been challenged by God’s healing and inclusive grace.

In the coming months, Mount Olivet will think and act to help our church become a place where we can begin to root out racism in ourselves and our communities. We know this will be difficult work for us. As Pastor Beth said in her sermon on Sunday, “I am aware that I am a white pastor preaching to a predominantly white community. There are obvious things that keep me and us from being able to speak into systemic racism in America. I also know there is no ‘perfect’ right now, no best case scenario, no time to prepare - we have been pushed to this place and this is where we begin.”

This work will take all of us with all our varied gifts and limitations, and we ask that you pray about how you might engage with it. The temptation for many of us will be to do what we know how to do – lend a hand to those in need, volunteer our time, donate money. Certainly these are all good things, and information on how to get involved is found in the Google Doc below. But what God may be asking of us here is to do something new – to listen to voices of people whose lives look different than our own, to learn and sit with the living history of racism, to look inside ourselves to see where racism may linger, and to get comfortable in the discomfort that this work brings.

The good news is that we do not do this work alone. We have one another, and we have the presence of God, who will equip us with what we need, forgive us when we err, and sustain us on the road ahead.  This is what being church is all about. 

When we baptize someone at Mount Olivet, we promise “to know and celebrate their call in the world.” We plan to help you know your own call in the broad movement to end racism so that we might more fully celebrate the call of black people, indigenous people, and all people of color in our state. This is the promise of baptism – that we are joined in a beloved community with the world that God loves, a world that longs to be freed from racism in all its forms.

You will hear more about these efforts as they develop, and if you have ideas or feedback, we encourage you to reach out to us. In the meantime, here are three things that we can offer you right now.

1.  Many of you are asking about resources for understanding and talking about this moment in our country and how we got here, as well as where you can volunteer or make financial and in-kind donations. We have compiled an initial list of resources HERE, and encourage you to spend some time with them in the coming weeks.

2.  Looking for next steps and feeling overwhelmed or stuck in a spiral of guilt? We can offer you one-on-one conversation. We would love to help you become curious about where you are and what might be next for you. Please email anyone on this list and we will set up a time for a conversation over the phone or Zoom.

a.  Pastor Beth – bhorsch@moply.org

b.  Pastor Joel – jbergeland@moply.org

c.   Rich Holleque, Director of Youth and Family Faith Formation – rholleque@moply.org

d.  Beth McGrew-King, Faith Community Coordinator – emcgrewking@moply.org

e.  Lisa Hansen – nodakeric@aol.com

Lisa Hansen (MA, educational leadership, Luther Seminary), who has been involved in youth ministry and adult education at Mount Olivet for 20+ years and volunteers with a program serving children experiencing trauma from natural disasters, considers herself a "curious learner and listener" regarding racial equity and feels called to address the trauma to children impacted by both current events and years of systemic racism.

f.   Tori Hansen – tori.hansen1@gmail.com

Tori Hansen, 27, has been an MO member since she was young, co-leads high school ministry, spent a year living in South Africa through the ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission program and currently works for a non-profit that equips individuals and corporations address the most pressing needs in our community.

3.  If you are feeling a call to help lead our church into this work, we are forming a Racial Equity Team. Please email Pastor Beth (bhorsch@moply.org) and/or Pastor Joel (jbergeland@moply.org) if you’re interested.

God’s peace be with you,

Pastor Beth and Pastor Joel

Moments of Meaning: John Darnall

MOMENTS OF MEANING: TELLING STORIES OF HOW FAITH, SHAPED IN THIS COMMUNITY, HAS HELPED SOMEONE FIND MEANING IN THEIR LIFE.

John was a Sunday School teacher years ago when his kids were little, but now that he has grown children and young grandchildren, he thought that era was behind him.  But two years ago, John saw an announcement in the bulletin that there was a need for Bible Explorer Guides on Sunday mornings.  He wondered to himself, “Is this something I should do?”  For the next few weeks he continued to notice this announcement and began asking “Is God calling me to this?  Why do I keep noticing and being drawn to this announcement?!”  He kept feeling this pull, this call to say, “yes!” and he so he did!  He’s now in his 2nd year of leading Bible Explorers as a grandfather.  He enjoys coming to BE because of the kids and how fun they are.  He looks forward to connecting with them and observing how they think, problem solve, connect their own lives to the message and Bible story and shine their own gifts and talents into the classroom and into the world.

John feels that leading BE has helped him become more comfortable to teach lessons and share his faith.  He relates his feeling of call to The Great Commission.  “Aren’t we called to go and make disciples?  Not just of others out there in the world, but right here…we’re making disciples right here with these children at Mount Olivet.  I’m able to share Bible stories with them and help make connections to real life.  For example, in the story when the disciples are afraid and Jesus calms the sea, we make the connection that in our lives when we are afraid, feeling alone or stressed, maybe with a test or problem at school, we can trust that we are not alone, Jesus is always with us and will help calm whatever it is going on in our lives, don’t worry.”

John enjoys connecting with the kids and getting to know each of them and their unique personalities.  He delights in knowing their names and personalities and saying hi or giving a high five outside of their time together at Bible Explorers – “They always seem happy and surprised when I say hi or wave to them while we’re upstairs in worship or the welcome center or even outside of Mount Olivet.  I think it’s important for children to know other people, other than their parents, care about them.”

John isn’t quite sure of the exact impact he has as a BE guide, but he believes that God is calling him to this ministry, and there are moments where he finds meaning by getting to accompany children at Mount Olivet through the good and the bad of their lives - he can be a support to the family of a child whose parent who is living with cancer, or be a source of safety and comfort for a student who is quiet and shy and the beginning of each lesson, but warms up and feels comfortable and connected, having fun by the end of their time together. John says “Many times we feel called to something and don’t know why, but we follow God’s call and only later realize the impact on others but also how we have been changed, too.” We are grateful that John said yes to this call.

Moments of Meaning: Steve Chismar

MOMENTS OF MEANING: TELLING STORIES OF HOW FAITH, SHAPED IN THIS COMMUNITY, HAS HELPED SOMEONE FIND MEANING IN THEIR LIFE.

Why are you a fire fighter? Where do you find meaning in your work?

In short, I love the job. I enjoy the variety of calls, the physicality, the adrenaline rush and comradery of those I work alongside. However, even more so I have always found great satisfaction in helping others and being a firefighter provides a consistent and tangible opportunity to do just that. My fire career started after attending an informational meeting hosted by the Plymouth Fire Department in 2013. It was one of those God inspiring moments where I left that meeting feeling as though being there was divine intervention. It was obvious that it was the path I should take and I applied as soon as I could.  I can sum up this part of my life in one word: Appreciation. I get the privilege to do a job that no matter how much I put in, I get more in return. 

What is hard about being a firefighter?  What causes you stress, and how do you handle it?

Life is not always fair and there are certainly situations that are hard to explain or understand. As a firefighter/first responder, we have greater exposure to these types of life’s realities. I handle the tough parts by finding time to pray for the individual or family as soon as I can. Diminished sleep (due to night calls) is probably my biggest stressor. As a coping mechanism, I recently started to meditate and have found it extremely beneficial.  

Where is God showing up in your work, and how does being a part of Mount Olivet influence you? 

As an imperfect child of God’s, I attempt to wake every morning with a sense of gratitude & purpose and ask that HIS will be done in my life that day. God shows up in the interactions with the people of the community we serve. There are plenty of calls that are not life and death in nature but rather someone called 911 because they needed help. We get to show up and help resolve their issue.  You may never again cross paths with that person so I try to take the opportunity to leave a positive impression. I find meaning and purpose in my faith and my family. I take pride in being a provider for my wife and children and know those blessings are a direct result of God’s love. Being a part of Mount Olivet has allowed me the opportunity to strengthen my faith, connect more deeply in my faith journey, and further engrain me in our community. 

Moments of Meaning: Diane Dickmeyer

MOMENTS OF MEANING: TELLING STORIES OF HOW FAITH, SHAPED IN THIS COMMUNITY, HAS HELPED SOMEONE FIND MEANING IN THEIR LIFE.

Why do you do what you do? What inspires you, and what keeps you going?

I work for Robbinsdale Community Ed and primarily develop adult enrichment classes and special events.  I am also currently President of the Seven Dreams Education Foundation, which is a non-profit supporting the schools. I enjoy developing relationships and helping connect others. I am energized by building community and working with people to create something unique. I especially love the creative aspect in developing new things – I’m most proud right now of the “Who Are Our Neighbors” series which is a monthly session highlighting a different culture or group in our community. I am a “connector”.  I enjoy listening to others and finding ways to connect them with the things that I do.  It’s amazing what can come out of chance conversations. A good example is the “Songs of Hope & Freedom” event from a few years ago, that paired the Mount Olivet Chancel Choir with choirs from the schools to learn more about the history of the spirituals that we sing. I just want to be a good neighbor and encourage others to do the same.

What is hard about your life? How do you handle the tough parts?

I am now an empty nester, with all the kids working or in school.  The hardest thing is living this part of my life alone - my husband Ron died 4 years ago, and I am getting used to a new normal in my life.  Fortunately, I have a wonderful group of friends that surround me, and I joined choir at church a few years ago.  I have always loved music and just enjoy being part of that wonderful group. Giving back to the community is also important to me -  I volunteer both for the Seven Dreams Education Foundation, as well as for Blues Brews ‘n BBQ.  I thrive on keeping busy.

Where is God in your life? How does being a part of MO influence you?

My faith is what has kept me going, especially during the many years of Ron’s illness.  I am grateful that faith has been part of my life as long as I can remember. That certainly doesn’t mean that I don’t have moments of doubt, but God has held me up so many times. I have been a member at Mt Olivet for 30 years and watched the church evolve.  I really love that I clearly understand our mission, and I support the focus that we have right now on our community.  The “Who Are Our Neighbors” series that I coordinate came out of many conversations that we had here at church as well as other places.

Moments of Meaning: Alana Erickson

MOMENTS OF MEANING: TELLING STORIES OF HOW FAITH, SHAPED IN THIS COMMUNITY, HAS HELPED SOMEONE FIND MEANING IN THEIR LIFE.

Alana has this wonderful calling to feed people.  Most of the time this calling shows up when other people in her life (family, friends, acquaintances, even friends of friends) are going through a rough time.  It’s during those times of deep waiting that Alana beholds God in her neighbor: waiting for a surgery or diagnoses, waiting to see if they will get better, waiting to see what’s going to happen.  That’s where Alana has found a calling.  It’s a space we all find ourselves in with others, where there seems to be nothing we can do to make it better, and most of us feel completely useless.  She feels this way too, but she reminds herself that she can’t fix it, nor should she, and she decides to give them muffins, or a casserole, or cookies. 

Alana says this calling came out of a wish to say yes to more opportunities to accompany those around her – to “Be Open” to recognizing God’s invitation to love her neighbor as herself.   While she is cooking, she uses the time to say a prayer for them, and thinks about them and all they’re going through.  And that’s what struck me the most during our conversation.  The noticing of people.  The acknowledgement.  It seems like such a small thing, to give muffins to someone in that hell but we laughed about it because if you’re in hell at least this way you get delicious muffins. 

She does this whole thing out of a sense of gratitude.   She feels that her life has been a gift from God and really the only response she can think of is to give back.  To walk alongside people and fit into the cracks that form in their lives, even if it’s just to say hey, I made you lasagna, eat it or freeze it, but it’s here for you.

Submitted by Rich Holleque.

Moments of Meaning: Greg Mueller

MOMENTS OF MEANING: TELLING STORIES OF HOW FAITH, SHAPED IN THIS COMMUNITY, HAS HELPED SOMEONE FIND MEANING IN THEIR LIFE.

Greg Mueller: Finding God in work:

I have been involved in  the Hospitality Industry for 30 years starting off at McDonald's in high school, bar-tending through college, then on to Management and Directing.  I enjoy working in a Team dynamic, to achieve a common goal.  As a restaurant operator I am inspired by the people that work around me: vendors, servers, hosts, dishwashers, etc. all to achieve our goal: 'The Friendly and Generous Reception and Entertainment of Guests, Visitors and Strangers. 

I take great satisfaction in coaching and grooming employees seeking out the Hospitality Industry.  In this industry, I see God all around me.  I see God with the kindness to strangers, not because of expected gratuity or monetary gains, but kindness in connecting with strangers.  A stranger sought me out, to visit where I work, to experience what my team has to offer, if anything, for the sake of an adventure.  It's about connecting with people through cuisine.  This industry has taken me across the world to see different cultures, cuisines, and ways of life.  There are valuable lessons to pass down to my children, to be kind to strangers, to use your manners, to treat people with respect.

Being a part of Mount Olivet allows me to serve my community when called on.  Weather it's just to consult on the design of the new community kitchen, or to lead BBNBBQ food and beverage program.  Aside from volunteering with Mt. Olivet, the Hospitality industry is a terrific industry to give back.  I've been involved with local and national food based charities to aide in feeding those who are in need.  I work in this industry not for recognition, but to connect with people, to give back, to be thankful for what I have.  The feeling I get when helping someone in need, anonymously, is sacred to me.  I enjoy being around and connecting with people.

Moments of Meaning: Marlene Stimpson

Moments of Meaning: Telling stories of how faith, shaped in this community, has helped someone find meaning in their life.

Marlene, by her own admission, is not the kind of person to stay at home with needlework; she was intentional about looking for something to get her out of the house and engaged in the community. Her Bible studies, meditations, book studies, and the people she associates with encourage (and nudge) her to keep on even when she's tired. Her sense of purpose, all the way back to her being a girl scout, comes from a desire to leave a place and people in a better place or condition than when she found them.

For Marlene, it’s important to have something to do to make a difference. When she works at the front desk and people come in with tears or frustration, she notices how they calm and leave relaxed after talking with one of the PRISM caseworkers and getting groceries. There is satisfaction in watching the change in people as the staff at PRISM do their jobs well. It’s also exciting to see people celebrate their last visit at the food shelf because they had life changes happen and they no longer need PRISM’s services. She’s inspired by the smiles of children receiving KidPack, the appreciation of what is given at PRISM (by staff and families), seeing the emotional changes in families through their PRISM encounters, and seeing that people have been fed.

When Marlene was choosing a place to volunteer, it mattered to her that the organization was well-established, sticking close to its vision, goals & values. It needed to be a place the community trusts to provide food for families and that had kind staff. PRISM appealed to Marlene because of her early involvement in the group that formed the organization to respond to community needs, and because it continues to be faithful to the original vision.

When working at the front desk of PRISM, Marlene says it’s hard to try to calm some people – those who come in angry at first. But, she’s learned that people just want to be listened to for a few minutes, and then they relax after being heard. She chooses to come close, even though it might not be comfortable at first. In order to do this emotionally difficult work, she cares for herself and her wellbeing through prayer, going for a walk, and discussion with close friends help her regain a sense of balance or to see the chaos from a different perspective.

Marlene keeps a carefully planned calendar to keep balance with friends, family, church and volunteering. She works hard to keep commitments from overlapping –whether neighbor, family, volunteer, or church, so that she can be faithful to and honor each of her relationships. She’s grateful for her health which make it possible for her to be engaged in so many activities outside her home, and that she has the time and money that help create space for volunteering.

When asked about the difference her faith, formed in the community at Mount Olivet, makes in her life, she answers “Mount Olivet influences ways we can help and work in [the] community. Meaningful book studies, MO Talks, and other learning opportunities lead us toward compassion – both learning what others at church [such as youth] are up to and also knowing that others will listen when you want to say something.”

That she hopes her volunteering (and whole life) brings joy to the people she encounters and most of all that people can see her work as giving glory to God.

Written/Interview by Beth McGrew-King.

OPEN TABLES: Construction update!

A lot of changes happened this week. The wall between Fellowship Hall and a Room with a View is completely down now and progress is being made on the kitchen as the wall in the back of the kitchen has been opened up the entry area. Check out these photos!