Zion Lutheran Church of Leola is an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America congregation at 18 Quarry Road, at Route 23 and Quarry Road in Leola. A member of the Lower Susquehanna Synod, Zion's mission statement is We Gather to Grow. We Live to Serve. Its worship, meals, family activities, mission partnerships, and service for neighbors show how gathering in faith leads to action.
Sunday and Midweek Worship
Sunday worship is at 10:00 a.m. at Zion. The congregation hears God's Word, prays, and gathers around the sacraments of baptism and communion, seeking the forgiveness, grace, and love of God revealed in them. Scripture and the gospel reading place the service in the Christian story, while shared prayers and a common response to God's call unite worshippers.
Mid-Week worship is at 6:30 p.m. in the chapel. Holy Communion, or the Eucharist, is celebrated at every weekly worship service and at many additional services. All services are wheelchair accessible. The congregation livestreams worship through Facebook and YouTube, and services remain available to watch afterward, bringing the Sunday and Wednesday gatherings beyond the building.
Zion welcomes people returning after many years away from church and those exploring questions of faith. This welcome carries beyond Sunday morning through the community meal, Children in Worship, family activities, and volunteer roles that give people different ways to join the congregation's life together.
Children and Music in Worship
Children are treasured in Zion's worship. The Children in Worship ministry describes each child as precious in the eyes of God and welcomed into the congregation's life together. Nursery work is one of the church's worship volunteer roles, alongside greeters, ushers, lectors, assisting ministers, and acolytes.
Music Director Kurt Brown is a lifelong musician who helped develop a contemporary service at Trinity Lutheran in Lancaster and later performed with bands at The Crossings Church Lititz, Manheim BIC, and St. Paul Lutheran Lititz. He also wrote and produced original songs. At Zion, his music ministry brings together performance experience and the congregation's worship life.
Word, Sacrament, and Grace
At Zion, salvation is by God's grace through faith, a gift from God rather than something people earn. Scripture is understood as God's living Word, and God comes to people through Word and Sacrament. Baptism welcomes a person into God's family as a beloved child. In Holy Communion, Christ is truly present in, with, and under the bread and wine, receiving Christ's true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.
These beliefs place love for neighbors alongside worship: Christians are called to grow as disciples rather than strive for perfection, and to share Christ's love in the world. The church's mission makes the connection explicit: members gather in large and small groups to grow in relationship with God through Jesus Christ, then live as children of God empowered by the Spirit to serve the community and one another.
Baptisms, Weddings, and Funerals
Zion understands baptisms, weddings, and funerals as Christian life passages. Baptism is described as a gift from God that welcomes a person into God's family. The congregation also celebrates Holy Communion at weekly services and includes weddings and funerals within its ministry. Zion maintains a cemetery.
The Leola Community Meal and Collection Drive
The Leola Community Meal is held on the third Friday of each month. It is free to anyone, served at 6:00 p.m. at Zion, and offered dine-in style. The gathering with neighbors is a direct expression of the congregation's commitment to service.
Zion is also a drop-off point for clothing and food for CVCCS. Donations are accepted on Sundays from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. and Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; the coat room is used for collection, and donations are not accepted on Saturdays.
Zion supports Homes of Hope transitional housing through volunteer roles such as budget coach, mentor, cleaning, and board member. It also joins the CROP Hunger Walk and supports Habitat for Humanity in Lancaster when a special event is scheduled.
Mpata, World Relief, and Disaster Response
The church maintains a relationship with Mpata Congregation in Tanzania, its companion congregation, and raises money for it throughout the year. The Poinsettia Alternative on Christmas Eve is one of those fundraising efforts. Zion also collects monetary donations for Lutheran World Relief and Lutheran Disaster Response throughout the year.
The annual Holiday Craft Show and cookie walk takes place on the first Saturday in December. Volunteers help, and cookies and baked goods are accepted to sell, with most proceeds going to local and global ministries and organizations. The relationship with Mpata and giving to relief organizations extend the life of service beyond the local neighborhood.
Family Fun Day and Ways to Serve
Family Fun Day is held annually on the second Saturday in August. It is free and open to the community, with giant waterslides, food, prizes, music, and more. The event offers another way for people to participate in Zion's life together.
All of Zion's serving opportunities and ministries are open to everyone, though some volunteer positions may require a background check. Worship volunteers include ushers, lectors, assisting ministers, acolytes, nursery workers, and greeters. Teams and committees include Stewardship, Council, Outreach, Worship Planning, and Social Ministry. Seniors aged 55 and older meet at CVCCS every other Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. to sort donated clothing. Financial gifts support Zion's ministries through online giving.
Growing Together, Living in Service
Zion's own description of its mission joins large and small groups that grow in relationship with God through Jesus Christ with service to the community and one another. Weekly worship, monthly meals, regular donation collection, family gatherings, global mission support, and volunteer service form the congregation's shared rhythm. At Zion Lutheran Church of Leola, the aim is not perfection but continual growth in faith, trust in God's mercy, and an active sharing of Christ's love.