Baptism
We believe that baptism is God's grace to us and that it washes away our sins. We encourage every believer in Jesus to be baptized if you have never done it before. Zion is honored to offer baptism services for infants, children, and adults. If you would like to talk with one of our pastors about baptism or if you would like to schedule a baptism date, please call or email the church office or click on the button below. It is helpful if you have a baptism date in mind but not necessary.
Please contact the church office for more information.
Holy Communion
Zion Lutheran Church celebrates the Lord's Supper the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays with the belief that this sacred meal is a gift of Christ to His Church.
Jesus gives us His very Body and Blood as we eat and drink the bread and wine in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. His powerful Word makes it so. With these gifts He promises forgiveness to all believing hearts and to strengthen our union with Him and with one another.
God’s Word teaches the Real Presence in Matthew 26:26-28; I Corinthians 10:15-17; and I Corinthians 11:23-29. These passages guide our pastoral practice at Zion. So, we offer the sacrament to baptized Christians who, having been instructed about the Lord’s Supper, are prepared to examine themselves for sin, repent
trusting in Christ alone, and receive the distribution of His Body and Blood as He intended: for the assurance of forgiveness of sins and a unified proclamation of His victory over sin and death until He comes again.
Anyone new to the Biblical teaching on Holy Communion or unsure what this Sacrament is all about may still join us at the Communion rail, but we ask you to please cross your arms as a way to show the pastors that you wish simply to receive a blessing. This blessing is also given to children who have not yet been instructed in the Scriptures’ teaching about the Lord’s Supper.
Alongside the unleavened bread and grape wine, we also have gluten free bread and non-alcohol wine. Please alert the Elder or Pastors if you require those.
Our History
In 1896, Pastor Henry T. Rauh began mission work in Brighton and led about six Lutheran worship services a year until he turned the work over to Rev. John F. S. Her in 1898. Rev. Her took the train from Denver every other Sunday afternoon to preach to the German-speaking immigrants who had settled in Brighton. In that era, most of Brighton’s downtown stores were open on Sundays, so worshipers shopped until they heard the train whistle; then they knew the pastor had arrived.
Worship was conducted in a member’s home until 1900 when a public school building on South 1st Avenue in Brighton was purchased for $35.00. From the congregation’s early days until 1906, Zion received financial support as a mission of the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States (a name shortened in 1947 to The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod).
In 1908, a new church was built and dedicated at the corner of Strong Boulevard and 4th Avenue, south of Brighton’s current post office. Later, a school building was added to that site. These served the congregation until 1965 when the present church and school were built on the 7.8 acres purchased in 1957 at the corner of 1400 Skeel Street and 14th Avenue in Brighton.
In 1973, Zion built more classrooms to accommodate increased enrollment in Zion School. Since then, there have been other additions to expand the school, gymnasium, and narthex.
