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Thinking With . . .
Pastor Paul Youngdahl The month of September brings great excitement to our Mount Olivet
congregation. All of our programs and worship experiences begin enthusiastically. Our congregation has been blessed with,
"Generations of Generosity." We express gratitude to God for God’s blessings and we recognize once again that
we are, "blessed to be a blessing to others." Generations of generosity! This summer a dear friend,
our beloved Reverend Carl O. Nelson, received an honorary doctorate of divinity from Carthage College on Sunday, August 22,
2010. Pastor Nelson retired in 1992, after nearly 40 years at Mount Olivet Church. In his retirement,
Pastor Nelson has become a remarkable model of generosity. He has utilized the planned giving vehicle of charitable gift annuities
to establish endowed scholarships at virtually all of the 36 colleges, universities, and seminaries affiliated with the ELCA.
These scholarships are intended to assist students planning on studying the ordained ministry. We congratulate our pastor
friend for receiving this high honor. At Cathedral of the Pines Camp, I had the privilege of working and
sharing with our 2010 Confirmation class an example of another generation of generosity. Each week at camp, I challenge our
young people to give part of their canteen money to assist children at a public school in a poor section of Manzanillo, Mexico.
Up until Confirmation week, no other week reached the $500 goal. So, I challenged our Confirmation class to meet that goal
and I was astonished when I received the report that their offering totaled $712.32. Thank you, Confirmation class, for being
another generation of generosity. The entire congregation will have the opportunity to pledge your intention
of time, talent, and treasure at our meaningful Stewardship dinners this month. Personally, I believe it is possible for each
of us to be able to commit one dinnertime to our church during this three-week period, so I ask you to sign up for a dinner
soon if you have not already done so. Rally Sunday will be an exciting day for every one of us. Our choirs
will be back to lead us in worship, accompanied by a wonderful brass quartet. I hope every member of Mount Olivet Church can
come together in this worship time of joy, prayer, and praise and I pray that you will be more consistent in your Sunday worship
during this new church year. Thank you for being a loving, prayerful, committed, and concerned fellowship of Christian believers.
It is truly a joy to serve you! |
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