Zion Lutheran Church will soon celebrate its 60th anniversary.

The church, 1501 Gaiser Drive, has some events planned later this year to help celebrate its history.

But after nearly 60 years, the congregation of about 650 also has decided to try something new. The church will begin offering Wednesday night services to the community.

While it’s not unusual for a church to offer Wednesday worship, Zion will offer the same service from the previous Sunday beginning today.

“The goal is to give another opportunity of worship off of Sunday for families and other folks who have additional responsibilities,” Pastor Jeffery Stuckwisch said.

Stuckwisch said the congregation has come to find many families participate in traveling sports, others work and take vacations throughout the year.

The church’s associate pastor Brad Akey said there are many people who work weekends where their schedule does not allow them to attend church on Sundays.

“That’s why we want to provide this additional opportunity,” he said.

Stuckwisch has been pastor at the church for about 16 years and Akey has been pastor for nearly two years.

The church has offered services on Wednesdays during the Lenten season in years past, but will now continue holding Wednesday services throughout the year.

“A lot of churches have Saturday or Monday services where it’s the same service, but this is a little more in the midweek,” Akey said.

He said there will occasionally do services a little differently when the week is different. Like the Ascension service the church is anticipating will be focused on that scripture rather than what happened the previous Sunday.

The Lenten services will still include some instruction.

Stuckwisch said the church as a whole is the only institution that serves people from the beginning to the end of their lives. He said that’s why the congregation wanted to bring this opportunity.

“This gives the people here an additional to connect with that institution that here with the good news of God’s love and Jesus Christ,” Stuckwisch said. “Even if their lives are hectic and busy, there’s another opportunity to worship.”