Join the men of the westside Lutheran churches for breakfast and spiritual growth.  We continue our study of Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity,  Chapters. 9-10.

All are welcome at our monthly community dinner and movie night. Call 310.452.1116 for this month’s movie title.

We welcome guests from the Pacifica Institute, a Turkish Muslim organization that seeks to foster interfaith education and conversation. At a special Adult Forum at 10:10 a.m., a guest speaker will lead a presentation and discussion about Islam. Pacific Institute members will join as for our 11a.m. worship, followed by a tour for the visitors of the church campus. We will then join in a potluck luncheon with a “q and a” session for guests to ask about our faith practices.

Do you desire Baptism for yourself or your child? We are preparing for a Baptismal Sunday, Jan. 10, 2009, the festival Sunday of Baptism of our Lord. Please contact Pastor Stephanie at 310.968.7038 or note your name and contact information on the list in the narthex to set up a meeting with Pastor.

Larry Goldings’ Piano Trio

This year’s theme: “For hope to become reality, we all must do our share.” Join Pastor Stephanie and other leaders from the faith communities and westside organizations in honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dream for a beloved community. Featured speaker at the prayer breakfast: Rev. Louis Chase. Tickets: $25; to register e-mail westside interfaithcoalition@yahoo.com or call 310.452.1116.

YOUNG ADULTS! Please join us for our first gathering of the new year. We will be meeting, greeting and playing some games! For more information please contact either Katie Marker (310.386.3244) or Catherine French (310.560.1641). WHERE: the home of Catherine French WHO: all young adults are welcome! WHAT: meetings, greetings, snacks and some fun & games.

Bring a potluck dish to share and put on your dancing shoes! After lunch we’ll watch a riotously funny documentary about a senior citizen dance troupe “Gotta Dance!”

What challenges did the early church have in the first decades after the death of Christ? What were the differences between the ministries of Peter and Paul? What was the position of the early church in the Roman Empire? We continue our study of the Book of Acts led by Martyn Nickel and Pastor Stephanie.

Exciting things are happening at Mt. Olive! We are working on bringing our facility into the 21st Century in time for our 70th birthday in 2012.

At the congregational meeting on October 10th we launched phase-one of the “Happy 70th Birthday, Mt. Olive, Capital Campaign. Our current goal is to raise $70,000 by our February 2010 meeting--that’s just $1000 for each year we’ve been around.

In just the first few days of this campaign we have already raised $11,000. That’s amazing, but we still have a ways to go. Please donate whatever amount the Holy Spirit moves you to contribute to help make our church more physically welcoming to all.

Donations can be sent to the Church office, placed in the offering plate, or given to Angelika Gunn, Vice President of the Congregation. Please specify on the memo line of your check that the donation is intended for the capital improvements fund, or include that information with any cash donation. The monies raised for the capital improvements fund will be used solely for capital improvements.