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First Time?
Welcome to Ekklesia!
We're glad you found us and we look forward to meeting you! This section will hopefully answer some of your initial questions about us and what to expect on your first visit! We know that coming to a new church can be intimidating and it can be especially intimidating if you haven't been to church in a long time or ever.
We consider you our guest. You are a top priority to us and we want you to feel at home. Since Ekklesia is a new church, we regularly have new people from all walks of life and backgrounds. If you have other questions after viewing the page below, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions section for more!
Questions You May Have:
Do You Have Anything for Children?
Do I Have to Act Like I Have It All Together?
What If I'm Not a Christian or Am Agnostic?
Ekklesia Seems Very Casual and Not Like a Church, Are You Watered-Down or Really Liberal?
Communication Cards and Giving
What Is Ekklesia?
We are a new church in Canton, OH that loves people and loves God. "Ekklesia" is the ancient Greek (language of the New Testament) word for "community", "group with shared beliefs", or "church." It's pronounced "Ekk-lay-SEE-uh". Our focus is communicating who God is and what He says in the Bible in a relevant and personal way and we do this in a contemporary style. Since people in their 20's and 30's are the least likely to attend church in the United States, this is the age group that we gear toward. Our style, attitude, and language reflect this. That being said, everyone is welcome and people of all ages are also part of our community. We strive to connect and love the surrounding city, especially those who have given up on God and/or church.
What Should I Expect?
You should expect a friendly greeting at the door, snacks and drinks, a casual atmosphere, and a place where you can be yourself. We have two service times for you to choose from: 10:30am and 7:00 pm. The first services goes from 10:30am-11:45am and the second service goes from 7:00pm-8:15pm. Our gatherings are casual, fun, and interactive. We spend time studying the Bible book by book and worshipping God through music. We also have other times after service where you can connect with others. Everything we do is informal and relaxed.
Where Are You Located and What Time Do You Meet?
We meet in a converted "store front" at 2564 Clearview Ave. NW, Canton, OH 44718, in the same plaza as the Stark County Vet Clinic. Clearview is off of Fulton Rd. near the Football Hall of Fame and I-77. There is parking in the front and back of the building. We meet Sundays @ 10:30am and 7:00pm.
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Do You Have Anything for Children?
Yes we do! We have a fun, relational environment for children where they can enjoy church, and learn about Jesus and the Bible. Children will experience fun, games, and age-appropriate Bible teaching. We also provide nursery for infants which is available throughout both services.
What Should I Wear?
What ever you happen to have on at the time of leaving your home.
Do I Have To Act Like I Have It All Together?
No. We don't have it all together either, so you'll be in good company.
What If I'm Not a Christian or I'm an Agnostic?
Don't let this creep you out, but we would like you to be our special guest. Part of why we exist is to be a safe place for people who have given up on church and for people who have questions about faith and God. We would like for you to come in, relax, enjoy yourself, and have opportunity to consider what Jesus and the Bible have to say. One of our pastors or leaders are always available for questions (we LOVE questions!) and we don't mind if you voice doubt or skepticism to us. The Bible is full of people who asked very difficult questions of God and have struggled with faith. God has some amazing things to say, but neither He nor us mind you checking things out and using your brain!
Ekklesia Seems Very Casual and Not Like A Church, Are You Watered-Down or Really Liberal?
You know, that's a very good question...but NO we're not. Some Christians are leery of our appearance and style. Yes, we're casual and very contemporary, but we have all the biblical elements that are required for us to be a church. We're people who have faith in Jesus and want to connect with people who need Him. In content, we're pretty similar to most churches that have existed for 2,000 years. We're far from "watered down", in fact some would say that we're pretty "hard core" in content even though we might seem "trendy" and laid back. In our sermons (which are normally 30 -45 min. long), we actually
go verse by verse in an expository style through whole books of the Bible at a time (i.e. Exodus, James, John, Proverbs) instead of preaching on whatever we feel like. We're very serious about following Jesus, personal holiness, and reaching out to the world in love. In style, we look like we were formed during the 21st century...because we were. We believe that it's totally unneccesary to be "churchy" and don't pretend that it makes sense for pastors to wear mullets and 3 piece suits. If our logo makes you think, "that looks different", and this whole website makes you think "I've never seen a church like this" - that's perfect, because that's what we were going for. If all of this is a turn off to you, we're okay with that. There are many other churches with choirs, hand bells, robes, and all kinds of churchy-ness - we're just not one of them, and we're very happy about that.
Communication Cards and Giving
Every week we mention these two items. Communication Cards: on tables and in your bulletin we have cards for our guests to fill out to let us know a little about yourself, how heard about us, and contact info for us to connect with you later in the week if you'd like. Giving: we take an offering each week, which means we pass around a box and people place money into it. When the box comes to you, please do NOT give anything. This is only for our regular Christian attenders, and the purpose is to give out of worship to God and to support the ministries of Ekklesia.