This year Holy Trinity Lutheran Church will observe its 50th anniversary of serving the Thousand Oaks community.

The church’s first worship service took place on Oct. 4, 1959, with 100 people meeting in a remodeled chicken coop. The space was on part of the 130-acre property donated by the Pederson family as a site for the new California Lutheran School. Thousand Oaks was not yet an official town, and the roads were made of dirt.

In 1986 the present sanctuary was built at the corner of Avenida de Los Arboles and Mountclef Avenue. The congregation has plans to build a new fellowship hall with more classrooms and space.

The church is active in the community and provides meeting space for groups such as Boy Scouts, Al-Anon and CLU classes. On Monday nights, the congregation serves the local homeless with the Meals and Winter Shelter programs.

Members participate in national service events such as the recent youth gathering in New Orleans and international outreach such as service trips to a sister congregation in El Salvador.

Sunday worship services are at 8:15, 9:45 and 11 a.m. Sunday school and adult Bible study is from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. For more information, visit www.htlcto.org or call the church office at (805) 492-1234.