HUBBELL, NE — A church in rural Thayer County will permanently close by the end of the month. 

The Zion Lutheran Church will hold its final worship service on Jan. 29.

In a letter, the church's congregation says population decline in the area have led to shrinking membership numbers in recent years. With that, the decision was made to close the church after 117 years. The congregation called the decision difficult. 

According to the church's letter, the Zion Lutheran Church of Hubbell was established in 1905 when a few members of St. Paul's Lutheran Church of rural Gilead decide a new church was need to serve the communities of Hubbell and Williams and the surrounding area. The church was established that October with the building a few miles northeast of Hubbell. 

The church relocated in 1946 with the purchase of the former Presbyterian church building. Another big change came in 1988 when the congregation changed denominations from the American Lutheran Church to the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LC-MS).

The closing worship service begins at 3 p.m. on Jan. 29. Nebraska District LC-MS President Rev. Richard Snow will serve as a guest speaker. A reception will follow at the Community Hall.