Helping people experience the joy of life in Christ by:
Celebrating on Sundays
Creating Sunday morning experiences that invite, welcome, engage and inspire people to live for Christ.
Living God's Call
Engaging people in a process of discipleship which inspires them to trust in Christ, grow in faith, and serve God’s world.
Connecting With Care
Creating a community where people are connected in relationships and supported in need.
Zion was born as a congregation on November 7, 1866, as a group of Swedish immigrants gathered together at the home of Sven Erickson, led by Pastor John S. Nelson of Watertown for the first meeting of Carlslund Evangelical Lutheran Church (now Zion). That first congregation included 58 members, 27 adults and 31 children.
What We Believe
Zion is one of nearly 9,000 Lutheran Christian congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), linking with churches, colleges, and faith institutions across America. The ELCA confesses the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In our preaching and teaching the ELCA trusts the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.
Three Christian Creeds
Members of the Lutheran Church express their faith in corporate worship by use of the historic creeds, or belief statements, common to most Christians. This common profession of faith is a way to proclaim our unity with Christians around the world and throughout time back to the ancient church. The creeds are also useful for private devotions, especially the Apostles’ Creed. In fact, Martin Luther suggested:
In the morning, when you rise, make the sign of the cross and say, “In the name of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Then, kneeling or standing, say the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer … In the evening, when you retire, make the sign of the cross and say, “In the name of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Then, kneeling or standing, say the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer The Small Catechism: Morning and Evening Prayers
