A Lutheran Family on South Chicago Avenue
Zion Lutheran Church, School, and Early Learning Center stands at 3600 South Chicago Avenue in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the congregation's invitation is short and warm: bring your family into God's family. For more than 130 years, the message of free salvation through faith in Jesus Christ has been taught at Zion, which is a member congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).
Worship Centered on the Word and the Sacraments
Worship at Zion follows the Lutheran liturgical tradition and centers on the Word and the sacraments. The church regularly administers Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and Luther's Small Catechism is the foundation of its teaching. Visitors who want to understand what Zion believes and to consider membership can take a Bible Information Class.
Services are shared on YouTube so that members who are traveling or at home can still worship with the congregation, and a sermon archive keeps recent messages available. Recent services have included "Grace is Amazing" and "Receive and Give Forgiveness."
A School and Early Learning Center on the Same Campus
Zion is more than a church. It runs a K-8 Christian school and an Early Learning Center on the same campus as the sanctuary. Preschool classes serve K3 and K4, a Christian daycare cares for the youngest children, and the K-8 school walks students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Families register through Sycamore Education, and graduates often continue their education at one of the WELS high schools and colleges the church points families toward, including Shoreland Lutheran High School, Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Luther Preparatory School, Martin Luther College, and Wisconsin Lutheran College.
Children, Youth, and Family Life
Children have a place of their own at Zion. Sunday school meets weekly during the school year, a vacation Bible school runs in the summer, and confirmation classes walk older students through the teachings of the catechism in age-appropriate lessons. The combination of church, school, and early learning center means a child can grow up at Zion from infancy through confirmation without leaving the campus.
Adults Growing Together
Beyond Sunday morning, adults at Zion gather for Bible study, fellowship, and service. The Bible Information Class introduces newcomers to the Christian faith as Lutherans teach it, fellowship groups build friendships, and service groups offer hands-on ways to help. As the church puts it, there are several opportunities to "plug in" at Zion.
A Building with Stained Glass and a Long Memory
The present church at 3600 South Chicago Avenue is one of several homes the congregation has occupied over its 130 years in South Milwaukee. Earlier addresses still remembered include 1702 Tenth Avenue, Sixth and Milwaukee Avenues, and Ninth and Michigan Avenues. Stained-glass windows from the congregation's history are documented and preserved, a quiet reminder that the people of Zion have been gathering in this city for generations.
Reaching Beyond the Building
Zion keeps an active presence beyond the building. Sunday services are livestreamed on YouTube, daily devotions and family devotions are shared online, and a Google calendar keeps the congregation's schedule in one place. An e-newsletter is available to subscribe to, and giving to the ministry can be done online.