Until the Story is Told - The Community Meal

Food is a basic necessity.
Every Monday, food is ready for anyone who needs it.
This weekly meal lets people focus on other things in their life.
Starting with a small indoor gathering distributing 30-70 meals.
Growing into something bigger than expected.
With new ideas, volunteers, lots of work,
the meal now feeds an average of 140 people.
Volunteers show up no matter what,
even in horrible weather; there is need.
This meal feeds and helps build connections in the community.
It’s one and a half hours of all ages and all communities gathering.
It is rewarding to help people and to meet new people along the way.
An immediate impact that changes lives.
Living in a wealthy community,
it’s still important to acknowledge the need for food.
It’s clear with the turn out, it has a lasting impact.
Everyone is welcome.
Everyone deserves a meal.
Whether you’re too tired to cook.
Whether you don’t have the resources.
The reason doesn’t matter, this meal is for you.
This community is made to serve.
Looking for ways to reach even more people.
Seeking God through service.
Seeking God in others.

By Megan Leschinsky and Evelyn Erickson

Until the Story is Told - The Giving Garden

There is a garden that we all know is there.
Do we really pay attention to the food that it shares?

The people who work through the heat and the bugs
don’t get paid, but they do it out of love.

I asked why here when you could do this anywhere?
They said it’s gardening with a purpose, and that’s why we care.

Written by Feven Harder
Photo by Ellie Harding

Until the Story Is Told - The Housing Team

A team of leaders convened in January 2022, open to being curious and patient, to discern where Mount Olivet is being called to give voice and investment in the work of affordable housing. The team continues the work Mount Olivet began in 2010. As a church, we have built houses with Habitat for Humanity, and formed a leadership team to advocate for affordable housing via Beacon InterFaith Housing Collaborative, a statewide developer of affordable housing. This led to advocacy for Beacon’s affordable housing project, Cranberry Ridge in Plymouth, and hosting unhoused families here at church via the Families Moving Forward program.

Each conversation with community organizations, government liaisons and other churches leads to another and of course there is the Holy Spirit revealing the path ahead. It takes guts to be curious and patient and to know the next step is not always action. Good thing this group is centered in the call to love God and neighbor so more and more people can have a place to call home.

The Housing Team members include Bob Swanson, Bob Carlson, Kelly Bishop, Steve Gartland, Paul Nelson, Pastor Kristin Dybdal, and Pastor Beth Horsch.

Written by: Pastor Beth Horsch