Zion Evangelical Lutheran peers with curiosity as well as with a sense of challenge into the coming century. Zion builds on a past that started when "home on the range" truly meant deer and antelope as well as buffalo and occasional Native American Indian visitors. Zion stands as a lighthouse on the prairie and is among the very oldest of Lutheran Church Missouri Synod congregations between here and the West Coast.
The members of Zion have faced the ruins of losing their church home to fire in 1896, the incredible stress of the Great Depression, the rigors of a Supreme Court case and the trials faced by rural communities in the 1970's and 80's. The courage and zeal of those early members still lives on amoung the members of Zion today, now composed of a much broader range of occupations, backgrounds and nationalities!
Two things remain certain for the future, things will continue to change and God will continue to stand by his people at Zion. God's grace has brought Zion to this time of great celebration and only His grace can carry us into the future--but, we have His promise that it will (Matthew 16:17,18; 18:20.
Zion's focus throughout the years has been Christian education and mission outreach. While these two emphases remain the same, methods to accomplish them obviously have changed. Hampton Lutheran School, Sunday morning Christian Education Hour and Youth Mid-Week Confirmation instruction are the backbone of Christian Education at Zion, have always been, and as the Lord would will, always will be! Zion shared members with three daughter congregations in early years, helped start another and actively investigated the possiblity of another. Approaches toward outreach have changed much since those early years, yet the mission remains the same and what we have to offer will always remain the same: the strong Word of God and promises of His Gospel of salvation in the blood of His Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
