National Conference Photo Contest

Mt. Olivet shutterbugs, here is your chance to enter the UB church's "Love God, Love Others Photo Contest."

Go to the National Conference website for details and the form to enter and submit your photos.

Pastor's Penpoint - "Are we April Fools?" - April 2011

"For the word of  the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."  1 Corinthians 1:18

I think spring and April Fool's Day are in cahoots! March came in like a lion, and was supposed to go out like a lamb. We had temperatures in the 70's and even one day over 80 degrees! The grass was greening, the buds emerged on trees and flowers unfolded from their long nap. It appeared new life was on the way - and we could put aside the dull dark and cold days of our winter.

Just when we thought we had it made ... it appeared we too had emerged and then, oh ... wait a second ... spring remembered April Fool's was coming and delivered us a sucker punch from behind. The temperatures dropped, the sky grew dark and once again cold and darkness clouded our vision of new life.

Isn't that true of this Lenten season that will lead us to the cross? Many were looking past the cross ... wanting to hurry this thing along and get to the new life promised in the discovery of the empty tomb. But the Christian life involves the reality of foolishness. Because to get to new life ... there has to first be death.

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior walked this road. We have stopped short of His torture, struggle and sacrifice - but Christ bore it all. We have only to focus on Him, while he was focused on all of us. His hands were nailed, our hands are folded in prayer. His last words were forgiveness, our words need to be repentance. His lifeless body was removed from the cross, we are to remove ourselves from the sin that binds us. He was placed in a tomb, we are placed in a mindset of meditation and self examination. And that is where we are the April Fools.

We wait ... not patiently, but we wait for the news on Easter morning that the tomb is empty ... he is risen ... and our Lord is in motion. Our faith and forgiven souls join the excitement because that means we too will rise from death and be in motion!

Are we April Fools? God's strength as we await new life.

~Pastor Todd

Pastor's Penpoint - "Lent" - March 2011

"Whoever wishes to be my follower must deny his very self, take up his cross each day, and follow in my steps." Luke 9:23

Hard to believe, but the season of Lent is already upon us. It begins on Ash Wednesday, and carries through the 40 days until Easter morning. The time when we will run to the tomb ... or the church ... and hear the proclamation, "HE IS RISEN!"

But this season of Lent comes first. Many ask, "Why is it called Lent?" Lent's name comes from a Latin term which means "the forty days." These forty days, or Lent, are a time of self denial and reflection. A time to give up what stands between us and Jesus Christ, and reflect on the sacrifice He made on our behalf.


I know many who give up sweets, salt, soda or maybe even a meal a day. But this year, allow me to challenge you to give up something much more personal and sacrificial; our attitudes and thoughts. They typically are the biggest barrier to a growing relationship with Christ.


Here's a few ideas WHAT TO GIVE UP...


Give up complaining........focus on gratitude.
Give up pessimism...........become an optimist.
Give up harsh judgments...think kindly thoughts.
Give up worry................trust Divine Providence.
Give up  discouragement...be full of hope.
Give up bitterness...........turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred...............return good for evil.
Give up negativism..........be positive.
Give up anger................be more patient.
Give up pettiness............be more mature.
Give up gloom................enjoy the beauty that is all around you.
Give up jealousy.............pray for trust.
Give up gossiping............control your tongue.
Give up sin....................turn to virtue.
Give up giving up............hang in there!


It won't be any easy road. Thank God we're all in this together and can lean on each other when the going gets tough. You see, God doesn't want our chocolate - he wants us. Let's remove all that stands between us and our Lord, deny ourselves, and follow Him.

God's strength to you this Lenten Season ~ Pastor Todd

1954 Sunday School Addition

This Photograph was taken in 1954 at the groundbreaking ceremony for the addition of Sunday School rooms at Mount Olivet. Dicie Hutchinson is listed, but she was standing just out of the picture to the right.

Pastor's Penpoint - "CROSS Our Heart" - February 2011

Well it is no secret that February is the month of love. Interesting that many tend to think about love only in terms of romance, smooches and being with your "Sugar Booger". But as believers in Christ, we know there is much more to love than that. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for romantic love ... and am truly blessed to enjoy a wonderful marriage that includes hand holding and sweet nothings that make my heart go pitter pat! But our hearts need to be equally drawn to others - and love them greatly, as we see in 1 Corinthians 13:13: "Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Here at Mt. Olivet, we certainly have a heart to reach out in love to our fellow man. Mission trips to Honduras, Kentucky, Sierra Leone and local mission projects - all point to a love that extend not only our thoughts but our actions and time in making certain our sisters and brothers are aware of how they are loved. We serve as the extension of Christ's love to these folks in a very real and seen way.

In addition, we strive to help those whose names we may never know or faces we will never see. These are the folks that we help with care packages to Kentucky, donations to the two food pantries we support, kids we sponsor in WRE and those that will be the beneficiary of our "Hearts for Hunger" mission's fundraiser the first Saturday of this month.

Likewise, our love extends to those who are facing difficult situations in life that require prayer. We are always eager to pray for others facing sickness and death, those shut-in and not able to attend church, dealing with relational and work related issues, not to mention financial and personal catastrophes. The love that is incorporated in prayer for one another is as it says in James, "powerful and effective!"

But Scripture also reminds us that love ... true God type love, includes real, meaningful and measurable love for those we dislike, disagree with and in any other form ... are considered our enemies. I heard it said once the opposite of love is not hate - but pride. That is being unable and unwilling to set aside our own agendas, bruised egos or feelings of superiority to truly love ALL of God's children. Pride you see is contrary to God's nature.

So this month of love ... smooch your "Honey-Bunny", hug your kids, pray for those in need, serve those who cannot do for themselves .... and love deeply and fully your enemies. After all, we were all at one time the enemy of God and that's what he did for us. This God love covers us. But don't take my word for it. Let's give scripture the last word ... "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8.

CROSS my heart,
~Pastor Todd

Heart For Hunger - Missions Dinner

Pastor's Penpoint - "Do You Remember?" - January 2011

2011 ... here we are. I haven't talked to anyone who thought 2010 crept by. It seemed only yesterday I sat down at my computer to write the 2010 New Year's newsletter article. But sure enough, the past year flew by.

As I think about January, my mind keeps looking back a week to Christmas. Do you remember Christmas 2010? I know that's a silly question, but do you remember the warm glow of the candles, the excitement in watching what you hoped was the perfect gift being unwrapped? Do you remember singing the familiar Christmas hymns, stocking up on ham, gravy and eggnog? Do you remember the wonder in children's eyes and the comfort of a primitive but sturdy wooden manger?

I know I am already onto 2011 business and decisions. And while Christmas was only a week ago, I am trying hard to hold those thoughts securely in my mind ... but too soon the thoughts of peace and goodwill toward men will fade and lie only with the pictures added to the photo album.

The question we always have is, "How do we make this Christmas thing last?" How do we keep the news of an infant savior, sent to be the redemption for all man clearly in front of us? How do we continue to accept that that infant savior changes how we love and treat all God's children?

Well, the best I can figure is we know and believe in the truth of that babe in the manger, and then follow our Lord to the cross. In the coming weeks and months, we'll chronicle Jesus' life, teaching, death and resurrection ... and hopefully remember that the baby meek and mild does not stay in the manger, but lives, walks and breathes among his followers. Not just in biblical times - but still today.

Friends, 2011 will undoubtedly bring new experiences, disappointments, opportunities, joys and hurt that we cannot even imagine. But as we try to remember how our Christian walk started (with that infant savior in the manger) we need to also remember that our journey continues beside the King of kings and Lord of lords.

May God's grace and strength guide each of us, as we step out into a new year.

~ Pastor Todd