About Mount of Olives Church

Our Mission

“To Know Christ and Make HIM Known”

We live out our mission through worship, study, service and outreach.

What We Believe

We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. (Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:31,35).
We believe in the deity and humanity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His sacrificial death on the cross as payment for our sins, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His present rule as Head of the Church and in His personal return in power and glory. (Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:31,35, Hebrews 7:26, I Peter 2:22, Romans 5:8, Acts 1, Revelation 22:20, I Timothy 3:16, Isaiah 9:6, Colossians 1:15-20)

Luther's Small Catechism

For centuries, Christians have used three important texts as a basic summary for teaching the Christian faith and life: the Ten Commandments, Creed, and Lord's Prayer. Martin Luther helpfully included biblical passages on Baptism, Confession, and the Lord's Supper. The Small Catechism, written by Luther in 1529, includes these texts along with brief explanations.

Open Small Catechism

Affiliation:
Mount of Olives Church is a member congregation of the association of churches calling themselves Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC).

Meet the Team

Rev. John R. Steward

Senior Pastor

Bio

Rev. James M. Reynen

Associate Pastor

Bio

Dr. Judd Bonner

Chancel Choir Director

Kathryn (Katt) Clark

Children's Ministry Integration Coordinator

Kim Crackower

RHL Preschool & Kindergarten Director

Tom Coss, RN

Health Ministry Director

Jane Frost

Assistant to the Pastors

Alina Hardy

Communications Director

Robin Horton

Business Administrator

Janet Lazatin

Accountant

Karin MacKrell

Pastoral Care Coordinator

Maleah Phillips

Asst. Worship Arts Director & Student Worship Arts Director

Selina Prietto Bohrer

Small Groups Coordinator

Gaye Satterfield

Adult Day Program Director

Miles Smith

Worship Arts Director

Nicole Stirling

Student Ministry Director

Dalton Tringali

Children's Ministry Director

Karen Wilkinson, PSY.D., LMFT

Christian Marriage & Family Therapist

Jordan Young

Audio Director

History of Mount of Olives

Mount of Olives Lutheran Church is the first and oldest church in Mission Viejo, California. 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of Mount of Olives Church's service to the community.

In 1967, land was donated by the local developers to build the church if Mount of Olives would open the city’s first preschool. That same preschool, Robert H. Lange Christian Preschool & Kindergarten (RHL), is still open and thriving today on the church's campus.

Mount of Olives is committed to serving the entire family with the love and message of Jesus Christ. The church offers studies and groups to help people learn, grow and thrive as healthy families. In 2015, the church built a 12,383 square-foot building dedicated to children’s ministry. In 1999, the church bought a building across the street from the church campus (the old Mission Viejo Library) to house the student ministry and named it The Rock. Additionally, since 1987, the church has offered an Adult Day Program for seniors with mild cases of Alzheimer’s, dementia and other clinical conditions.

Praise worship services have been offered weekly, since the 1990s, with a live band and vocalists leading worship, along with a more traditional service each weekend including some elements of Lutheran liturgy, hymns and choir. Hundreds of people are involved in Small Groups, and several hundred members of the church have attended Cursillo - a weekend retreat for spiritual growth.

The Mount of Olives Church community works daily to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ in south Orange County and around the world - living out the church’s mission “To Know Christ and Make Him Known.”

Resources

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Get in Touch

Join us for a Sunday worship service!
Feel free to reach out and let's connect. We can't wait to meet you!

Service Times

Sundays 8:30am
(spirited traditional, choir-led worship)

Sundays 9:45am
(modern worship)

Sundays 11:00am
(modern worship)