The Midweek Messenger
Our weekly newsletter
Serve
There are a variety of ways to use your gifts and talents in Christ’s service.
Worship
There are a variety of ways to use your gifts and talents in Christ’s service.
Learn
There are a variety of ways to use your gifts and talents in Christ’s service.
Upcoming Events
Aug 9
Fair Booth Setup
8 amAug 10
Church Council
9 am
Worship
10 am
Pancake Brunch
11 amAug 11
Chair Yoga
10 amAug 12
Midweek Exercise
10 am
Daisy Troop
5:30 pm
Preschool Parents Meeting
6 pmAug 17
FAIR WEEK BEGINS
Worship
10 am
Troop 50372
5 pmNeed to know more? Just give us a call!
Worship Online
Can't be with us in person? Worship with us virtually. Sundays at 10am.
Give
Being faithful to God involves committing our time, talents, and treasure to bringing about God’s kingdom "on earth as it is in heaven.” Learn how you can help support our mission.
Serve
We believe that following Jesus is a call to ACTION. At NECC, there are a variety of ways to use your gifts and talents in Christ’s service. Please reach out via email to get involved!
Worship Online
Can't be with us in person? Worship with us virtually. Sundays at 10am.
Worship
Worship is how we connect with God through praise, prayer, scripture, and song.In person Worship in our Sanctuary Sundays at 10am. Livestreamed on our YouTube Channel.
Our worship includes wonderful music by the NECC Worship Band aided by a variety of guest singers and musicians. Do you have musical talent you'd like to share?We worship at 10am each Sunday--both in-person and via live feed to our YouTube channel.Wear whatever makes your heart ready to worship—casual or dress, shorts or suits, flip-flops or spats, fancy hats or trend-setting hair; your presence matters more than your presentation.During these rapidly-changing and Covid-cautious times, you are welcome to wear a mask and remain physically-distanced while in the building if that is your desire. (If you forgot to bring a mask and would like one, we can provide one for you.) Hand sanitizer is available throughout the building.Babies and children are welcome to remain with their families during worship; a cushioned play area and activity packets are available at the rear of the sanctuary. Those who prefer to worship without their babies or toddlers are equally welcome to leave them with our experienced, background-checked, on-staff babysitter.
Worship Online
Can't be with us in person? Worship with us virtually. Sundays at 10am.
Learn
Learn about the history of North Eaton Christian Church, its congregational leadership, and more.
Becoming a Member
To become a member of North Eaton Christian Church requires a public confession of faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. We are pleased to receive those who are coming to Christ for the first time, as well as those who want to transfer their membership from another faith community.
The process is simple:During the final hymn of any worship service, an individual may come forward to profess their faith. (This may be pre-arranged with the pastor weeks in advance or done as a spontaneous act during that worship service. You may choose to have family members or a close friend accompany you as a sign of their support.)The pastor will meet you at the front of the sanctuary and, at the close of the hymn, ask, “Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and do you accept him as your Lord and Savior?” You will answer, “I do.”The pastor will then extend to you “the right hand of Christian fellowship” and ask the congregation to pray as they pledge to support you in your Christian walk and growth. Afterwards, you (and anyone accompanying you) will be asked to join the pastor at the door to greet worshipers as they leave the sanctuary following the benediction.The following Sunday (or at another, pre-arranged date), you may be presented with a Bible, membership certificate, and booklet about the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). If you haven’t already attended a Pastor’s (membership) Class prior to making your public confession of faith, you will be invited to attend such an upcoming class series. The 6-week class is not mandatory but it will help familiarize you with the history and beliefs of this congregation and our parent denomination, as well as help you understand how Bible reading; prayer; Christian education; wise--yet generous--management of your time, talents, and treasure; and, regular church attendance work together to strengthen your faith, develop your spiritual gifts for service to others, and increase the quality of your life as you become an integral member of Christ’s worldwide community of faith.If you’ve never been baptized, the pastor will work with you to set a date for that sacramental act. (NECC’s baptisms are a full-body immersion experience usually done during a worship service. The baptismal candidate is asked to wear a swimsuit or other modest attire under a white robe which we will provide. Immediately upon being baptized and before leaving the baptistry, the newly-baptized member of the global Christian community receives the sacrament of communion as a sign of their new life in Christ.)If you were baptized as an infant or at any other time in your life (whether by full immersion or “sprinkling”, with the sign of the cross being made on your forehead with water), you do not need to be baptized again; your baptism, even if performed by a different faith community, remains valid.
Baptism & Infant Dedication
In the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)—the denomination to which North Eaton Christian Church belongs—baptism is a decision to be made by individuals, for themselves. Adults and children as young as grade 5 are offered the opportunity to attend a 6-week educational series that touches on issues of faith and the sacraments of baptism and communion as they pertain to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).If you’ve never been baptized, the pastor will work with you to set a date for that sacramental act. (NECC’s baptisms are a full-body immersion experience usually done during a worship service. The baptismal candidate is asked to wear a swimsuit or other modest attire under a white robe which we will provide. Immediately upon being baptized and before leaving the baptistry, the newly-baptized member of the global Christian community receives the sacrament of communion as a sign of their new life in Christ.)If you were baptized as an infant or at any other time in your life (whether by full immersion or “sprinkling”, with the sign of the cross being made on your forehead with water), you do not need to be baptized again; your baptism, even if performed by a different faith community, remains valid.Disciples do not baptize infants or young children. Rather, babies and children through grade 4 may be dedicated by their parents/caregivers. This spiritual ceremony involves the adult caregivers and the child’s family support group bringing the child forward during a worship service, pre-arranged with the pastor, to be prayed over by the pastor and the congregation as they pledge their support in the child’s spiritual care and in the family’s own Christian development. In turn, the parents/caregivers and supportive family pledge to raise the child to learn about the love of God which has been demonstrated through the life of Jesus, through association with and participation in the spiritual and educational practices of this Christian community. Once the child enters the 5th grade, they will have the opportunity to take a 6-week Pastor’s (membership) Class to make a decision as to their own baptism.
Our Congregational Leadership
North Eaton Christian Church is a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We are guided by, but not beholden to, the Sense of the Assembly resolutions voted on at the denomination’s General Assembly (held every four years). This allows Disciples churches to be congregationally governed which means that even under the same umbrella denomination, each Disciples church is free to develop its own identity and flavor (i.e., each Disciples church might be very different from its sibling congregations).The NECC congregation is led by the Pastor/s and Board of Elders. It is governed by the church Council comprised of an elected Board (Chair, Vice-Chair, Clerk, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Financial Secretary, and Church School Superintendent), with representative membership comprised of appointed Committee Chairs (Christian Education, Evangelism, Historical, Membership, Memorial, Stewardship, and Worship), and the Chairs of the Boards of Deacons and Trustees, one representative each from the Men’s and Women’s groups, and the Pastor/s.Council meets six times each year, usually on the second Sunday of the months of February, April, June, August, October, and December.Congregational meetings are generally held twice each year (in October, to elect officers for the coming year as well as members to fill expiring terms on the various Boards; and, in December, to vote on the budget for the coming year). Additional congregational meetings are called only as important circumstances warrant (i.e., to call a new Pastor, or when other timely and important matters must be decided quickly, beyond the regular meeting timeframes).
Our History
North Eaton Christian Church has a long history in Eaton Township. It was birthed as part of the faithful rebellion and frontier movement of Scotts-Irish Presbyterian immigrants Thomas and Alexander Campbell (father and son) who were grieved that different denominations and religious sects prohibited one another from observing The Lord’s Supper together. They believed that Christ’s table—with its sacrament of remembering Jesus by consuming wine (juice) and bread—should be available to everyone, in observance together. Evangelist Walter Scott left his Baptist roots and preached the cause of this new religious group, the “Disciples of Christ”.Barton W. Stone, of Kentucky, was another Presbyterian who believed in the religious Restoration Movement dedicated to unifying all Christians in a single body, and patterned after the church of the New Testament. He rejected the idea of creeds and other “tests of belief”, believing them to be tools of separation between believers. He called his group “Christians”.In 1832, the trio of “Disciples” from Western Pennsylvania united with Stone’s “Christians” in Lexington, KY, forming the “Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)”.North Eaton Christian Church began in 1837 when Chloe Wilmot Tucker began campaigning for spiritual teaching in this developing corner of the Connecticut Western Reserve. At that time, she and a small handful of residents were holding “house church” in her home on Butternut Ridge and others on Durkee Road. Before too long, itinerant preacher Miran Streator (Portage County)—part of this new Disciples group—came to the Butternut Ridge schoolhouse and baptized members of that house church, including Chloe’s two sons, Reuben and William Tucker. Another convert to this new church was Lathrop Cooley who was eventually instrumental in the church’s official founding. (A fountain in his honor can be found on Medina’s town square.) The “Disciples of Eaton” was incorporated on October 15, 1842 with just over 20 members.By 1843, the church moved to the Eaton Township center and built its first building (a log cabin) in 1845. Early baptisms were done in the Black River on the Pounds Farm, in LaPorte. Within the next few years, the Eaton Ladies Aid Society grew out of the initial Ladies Mite Society of Lorain County, and that group eventually spawned several smaller charitable women’s groups.The church’s physical structure has undergone many changes since its original establishment, including two fires near the start of the 20th century, and subsequent rebuilding after each. The latest expansion occurred in 1996 with new classrooms, office space, and a new sanctuary. The entire complex received a new roof and interior renovations in early 2021, with additional improvements to the building and grounds planned, in stages, for the future.But a church building is not “the Church”. Rather, it houses the worship, education and faith-development, healing, celebration, and outreach of the people who are instruments of God’s love into the wider community and beyond. And you’ll find out more about that by visiting other portions of this website!Learn more: www.discipleshistory.orgWould you like to memorialize a loved one? Approximately 1200 memorial bricks form a Celtic cross in our Memorial Garden (courtyard). On them, the engraved names of departed friends and family members are a permanent reminder of our heritage and the love which binds us together. Bricks may be purchased at a minimum donation of $250 each, with proceeds benefiting an endowment fund for the maintenance of the building and grounds. We are grateful for these contributions as a way to honor and memorialize loved ones while providing for the future care of NECC's physical facilities. Contact the Pastor to learn more.
The Bible, Faith, and Life Skills Development
We offer a variety of spiritual and person growth opportunities, born from of a variety of subjects traditions, throughout the year. These include (but are not limited to):
Long-term studies on Sundays, following worship, for various ages and interests
Long- and short-term studies of Biblical, topical, and practical-living interests
“Hot Topic” round-table discussions as they come up in community life
Pastor’s Class courses for new members and those exploring baptism and church membership
Mission-oriented sessions, and explorations of how our covenant relationship with other Disciples churches and institutions help facilitate our outreach “from our doorsteps to the ends of the earth”
Worship Online
Can't be with us in person? Worship with us virtually. Sundays at 10am.
Give
Being faithful to God involves committing our time, talents, and treasure to bringing about God’s “kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.” Giving is just one of several necessary disciplines in being a faithful disciple. (Also important are worship, prayer, Bible/faith studies, and communing with the whole body of Christ’s church.)Financial gifts may be mailed to the church, presented during in-person worship, or given here:
If you’d like your gift divided between our General Fund, outreach/missions, or other specified funds below, please email the church office, with "Financial Secretary" in the subject line, and include your specific instructions.If you are able to add 3% to your online gift, that extra amount will cover the processing costs for the convenience of online giving, and for which we would be most grateful.Some of our special or seasonal offerings include:
Food Basket Program (Community Distribution)
Week of Compassion (Global Emergency Relief, Refugee and Development Fund)
Reconciliation Ministries (Racial Justice Efforts)
Easter—Supports Disciples’ General Ministries
Pentecost—Supports Disciples’ new church starts and revitalization of established churches
Thanksgiving—Supports 17 Disciples-affiliated colleges and seminaries
Christmas—Supports the Disciples’ Ohio Region (Administration/Services)
Various specific Christmas outreach projects for children and families (i.e., Cleveland Christian Home, Angel Tree, Laundry Love, etc.)
Worship Online
Can't be with us in person? Worship with us virtually. Sundays at 10am.