Zion United Church of Christ in Lehighton will celebrate its 150th anniversary in April.

The church, at Second and Iron streets, is planning a four-month celebration to commemorate the anniversary.

The celebration kicks off with a special version of an annual event.

Each year, Zion hosts an ecumenical Christmas cantata. This year’s cantata will be the first event for the church’s sesquicentennial.

Director Bradly R. Cressley is looking for a record number of participants. The only requirement for singers is their desire to sing.

In the past, singers have represented up to 29 different churches.

The event will be accompanied by the Zion Festival Orchestra which features local talent from nearby towns.

Singers will perform Dennis and Nan Allen’s “The Greatest Story Ever Told.”

The cantata contains traditional and contemporary Christmas music and includes “For Unto us a Child Is Born” with “Open the Eyes of My Heart,” “Heaven Sings Glory.” “Angels, from the Realms of Glory (Emmanuel),” “A Strange Way to Save the World,” “One King,” “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” It’s Still the Greatest Story Ever Told,” “It’s About the Cross,” “Go Tell!” with “Go, Tell It on the Mountain” and “Angels, from the Realms of Glory (Emmanuel).”

All of the singers will receive a CD sample of the songs included in the cantata for practice at home.

All rehearsals are at the church, and the rehearsal schedule is: 8:30 p.m. Oct. 5; 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13; 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18; 8:30 p.m. Oct. 26; 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3; 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8; 8:30 p.m. Nov. 16; 3 p.m. Nov. 20; 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22; and 3 p.m. Nov. 27.

Anyone interested in singing can just show up for any of the rehearsals. Any singer ninth grade through adult is welcome, and younger singers with experience in singing in choirs will also be considered.

The performance will be at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 27, and is a free event.

Send questions to Cressley at bcressley@sjrschool.com.