At Zion, outreach isn't a program tucked into a corner of church life — it is how we understand our call to be neighbors in Appleton's Historic Central Neighborhood. Alongside our Hmong community garden partners, we tend growing beds together, and what they harvest often finds its way into our Blessing Box, where anyone can take what they need, no questions asked. In the summer, our doors open wider still: children gather at Columbus School across the street for free lunch sponsored by Zion, and we host the summer midweek organ recital series. We have a deep partnership with Edison Community School, working alongside sibling congregations to support students and families close to home. Our parish house tenant, Fabricating Something More, has become more than a lease — together we are imagining new ways our shared space can serve the wider community. And when an EF3 tornado tore through the Fox Valley in July 2026, outreach stopped being a category and simply became showing up: Zion members served meals with Mercy Chefs, our congregation gave generously to the synod's disaster recovery fund, and Pastor Jason has stood alongside fellow pastors who live and serve in the affected communities, walking the long road of recovery together. None of this is outreach done to our neighbors — it is outreach done with them, rooted in the conviction that God is already at work in this neighborhood, and we simply get to join in.
To learn more about our outreach efforts, please contact Brianne at brianne@zionappleton.org.
