Frequently Asked Questions

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Absolutely! Without exceptions! We warmly invite ALL to visit, to join our Christian church family! From 0 to 100+ all are welcome to worship, study, pray, & fellowship with us. Our Center here is Jesus Christ, One who accepts all! We love God! We love others! We are an inviting, peace-centered, all-inclusive church family - no matter your age, race, creed, gender identity, family background, political persuasion, sexual orientation, divorced or widowed. We at Community of Christ in Ellsworth (ECC) accept that all persons are of inestimable worth! We welcome in-person & Zoom members, friends, & participants, shut-ins, newcomers to town, those traveling on the road, young adults, young families, & seniors. We are a welcoming Christian church!

Your name, my name, all names are precious to the Lord God! God knows us by name! (Isaiah 43:1) God created us & loves us without stop & so maintains us in this life. Our church name speaks of Jesus, Center of our faith & One who leads His fellowship of followers, His disciples, His community of committed Christians. God, Jesus, & the Holy Spirit are the ultimate in "community", what we Christians call the Trinity. Community then speaks volumes to us whether it be 2 who are in love, the family we're part of, the neighborhood we live in, the church family, & other communities committed to things of ultimate value. We uphold peaceful community, especially when centered on divine intent & purpose. "Community" takes on great meaning & purpose for us at Community of Christ in Ellsworth. Community is not just a concept & principle related to peace & nonviolence & justice, but for us, community is a way of life, something toward which we work, that we put into practice … that ultimately extends grace, mercy, & forgiveness to all.

No! For us in Community of Christ in Ellsworth, faith expressed & lived out is not a creedal belief statement. We believe doubt is a part of faith, & wherever you find yourself on your spiritual journey, we welcome you right here! Jesus is ALL to us! We’re committed to life today & eternally, in His name, even as we’re committed to joy, hope, love & peace. We value all & all creation. All persons bring much to God’s world & to the life & mission of the church. At ECC we seek to develop & grow disciples of Jesus while peacefully caring for each other. Yes, members of ECC hold many different beliefs about God, about Jesus, the Holy Spirit, scripture, salvation, & more, but no one is required to believe in this or that. No belief test occurs here! We believe in much even as we’re growing, but here, we don't ever force or require or even expect a profession of faith! We do focus on our shared values, which we call the Enduring Principles. 

Of course, Jesus loves you! Jesus loves everyone! The well-known Sunday School song is eternal:  "Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so ... " We at ECC accept that everyone wants God, no matter! God loves all of us first! (I John 4:19) St. Augustine, a 4th century Christian once said, "The human heart & mind are wired for God." So, our human heart, mind, & soul are designed to hear the Word of God, Who is Jesus. The scriptures & sermons & messages & testimonies are the word of God - creative & inexhaustible, filled with food for the soul nourishing us as we study & pray & learn of Jesus' ways. Jesus meets you where you are! Our ECC church family will help model Jesus & point to Him while at worship & in our daily living. 

We teach the value of honoring & respecting others, peacefully. So, again, yes, Jesus loves you without end! Your question simply begs the spiritual hunger within! We feel spiritual hunger is at an all-time high just now in this somewhat impersonal “techie” time. All are seeking spiritual meaning, whether acknowledged or not! So, come. Come & relax, as purpose & meaning unfold for you in Jesus' presence right here at ECC. We at ECC are capable of providing spiritual resources that respond to real needs.

Absolutely! Even our showers are handicap accessible! We are fully accessible at ECC. We have designated parking spaces close to the back entrance. There’s room in our worship space for wheelchairs, walkers, & scooters. We can provide headsets to enhance hearing. Just speak to one of our deacons or greeters for assistance in any way. 

Of course, you can! We offer warm, open baptismal classes but no profession of faith! Baptism, a symbol of new life in Christ, is by full immersion in water. For us, the age of accountability begins at 8 years old. We recognize another’s genuine baptism from other Christian churches, yet, to be a member at Community of Christ one must be confirmed. Both baptism & confirmation are separate sacraments at ECC. Nothing thrills us more than when another comes into the family of faith through baptism! New member classes are held often.

Community of Christ practices baptism, confirmation, communion, ordination, blessing of children, laying on of hands for the sick, marriage, & evangelist blessing. You can learn more about these sacraments in Community of Christ here. 

Yes! All are welcome at the Table of the Risen Lord Jesus. We celebrate the sacrament of communion on the first Sunday of each month in person & on Zoom. At ECC we offer unfermented grape juice or water, & we provide a gluten-free bread option, both served by ordained ministers. Serving children under age 8 is discouraged but is often determined by parents. 

Yes. Community of Christ in Ellsworth is part of the Christian denomination, Community of Christ, with its international headquarters in Independence, MO. We represent brothers & sisters around the world with 250,000 members living & ministering in more than 60 nations. We are a diverse, worldwide fellowship of Christian believers. We are a prophetic people, discerning our times & its needs, as the Holy Spirit gives insight & wisdom. We are a people characterized by an uncommon devotion to the compassion & peace of Jesus Christ.   Our local church, hand-in-hand with the worldwide church, stands for “reaching out” through caring ministries that serve the poor & hungry & halts conditions that diminish the worth of all persons & all creation. Christ’s mission is our mission. Too, we are a member of the National Council of Churches & so stand with other Christian faiths in support of brothers & sisters around the world.

~ You’re always warmly welcome to join us for worship on Zoom or in person at church here at 283 State Street, Ellsworth, ME. Contact Outreach Coordinator Jerry Stone for Zoom info. Ministers here are willing to meet with you for a faith conversation or to even chat with you by phone. Jerry can be reached at 207.542.9067. Text, if you’d like. Email him at jerry48stone@gmail.com . Jerry is ready to meet & talk with you. 

~ We are an “outreach church”. We want to grow. We want to expand. We desire to proclaim Christ to the world about us. We want others to hear the story of Jesus, to experience His healing & reconciling touch! What a forever life-changing difference this makes! God is about possibilities & so are we! (Matthew 19:26) God has given us a unique ministry & we love to see how God uses energy & vitality for Jesus & His purposes, especially in the lives of persons & in community. This is our calling; this is part of our Christian DNA!

~ We also have numerous info brochures & pamphlets & other materials on display at church.

While each person's faith journey is unique, know that we speak your language & understand & respect where you're coming from. Some among us come from different church backgrounds, we know. As hymnodist Rosemary Crow wrote in “Weave”, at ECC “we are entwined with one another in one great tapestry”. Here you are invited to participate at a casual level of comfort & dress. Wearing your “Sunday best” is simply being yourself. Come as you are. More important to us is that you show up ready to worship the Lord God & be among Jesus’ friends! We have quiet visitors as well as those who are more vocal. No matter, above all, we respect your privilege to worship in a safe & comfortable environment. We believe in “shared leadership” at ECC, while under the direction of an elected pastor. So, at ECC, we love to actively include all who attend regularly. If you find yourself returning for future visits, & we hope you do, you may be asked to participate in worship services, but you should not feel pressured to do so. 

At ECC we have an ordained minister as pastor, our local church spiritual leader who leads by prayer & discernment. Our pastor is elected by the members for a one-year term & may serve more than one term. S/he chooses counselors to assist in leadership & support. Many other leaders are elected or sustained in certain roles. Some leaders are assigned duties. Many here are members of the priesthood, who are ordained, spiritual leaders with specific responsibilities. Here at ECC, being a member in good standing is the highest calling. Gender or sexual orientation are not criteria or determiners of ministry at ECC. All are called to share their gifts & talents in the work & mission of the church. All are called to bear testimony & fresh witness of the Lord Jesus. In short, we in Community of Christ believe in full equality of all persons.

Worship Service: 10:30 AM

Fun Club (toddlers up to 5 years old): 10:45 to 11:30 AM or more – each Sunday

Fellowship Time: 11:30 AM – coffee/Juices & light eats, pot luck, or eating out - each Sunday 

Communion Service: 10:30 AM – first Sunday of the month

Big Baptism Sunday/”Fill the Font” Sunday!: 3rd Sunday in Feb., April, June, Aug., Oct., Dec.

Giving to the church takes on many dimensions, including giving one’s gifts, talents, & ministries. Giving one’s financial treasure is often done at our 10:30 worship hour. One can mail in financial contributions. And many now give online. Assistance with these will be 

offered on a regular basis here at ECC. Amazon Smile is a way to contribute locally, as well. We all give as we feel led to do so. We do 

accept here that the mission of Jesus Christ is our mission, our foundation. To guide us in this mission, we look to 5 Mission Initiatives: 

• Invite People to Christ
• Pursue Peace on Earth
• Abolish Poverty & End Suffering
• Experience Congregations in Mission
• Develop Disciples to Serve

Basic beliefs are not the last word with us, but actually an invitation of the Holy Spirit to further explore our discipleship.

~ We believe God is One, Creator & Sustainer, Good, Living, Faithful & Generous. God is revealed as “costly grace” in Jesus Christ & moves & motivates us through the Holy Spirit. We affirm the Trinity. Ultimately, all of life depends on the sustaining grace of God through Jesus Christ. God is first! (I John 4:19) God takes the initiative! God wants to be known … to us, throughout creation, in the nature of our humanity, through prophets & discerning ministers.

~ We believe in Jesus Christ, Center of our faith & in all our beliefs. Jesus is everything to us! Jesus is Son of the living God, the Word (capitalized) made flesh dwelling among us, fully human & fully God, Lord & Savior of all. Christ is our peace!

~ We believe in the Holy Spirit, Giver of Life, Light, & Love & Who is holy Wisdom, true God. The Spirit moves about & sustains all creation, including ourselves. Remarkably, the Holy Spirit animates & endows the Church & its mission by freeing the world from sin & separation, injustice, & death itself. The Holy Spirit transforms & empowers us & all life!

~ We affirm the Living God is ever self-revealing, especially as revealed in Jesus Christ. We affirm revelation. By the Holy Spirit we continue to hear God speaking today. The church is called to listen together prophetically for what the Spirit is saying & then faithfully respond. 

~ We affirm that Scripture to us is writing inspired by God’s Spirit, & so, the Holy Bible is “the word of God” (not capitalized), not to be worshiped nor to replace God. As one great writer said, “Revelation is one thing, & the record of revelation is another.” The Spirit of enlightenment & truth is active & real in Scripture. So, again, we state clearly, the highest point of revelation is Jesus Christ; all else is secondary & tertiary. So, many writings around the world have great value, many seen as inspiring & motivating, but they are not Jesus. He alone is “the very Word of God”. So, the Bible is priceless & important to us as Christians but not an object of our worship.

~ We believe in peace, God’s shalom, that is, justice, righteousness, wholeness, & the well-being of all creation, all community - what we 

call Zion. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Jesus preached the kingdom of peace. He also lived out peace on the Cross. We’re called to bring forth & establish the peaceable kingdom of God , Zion, right here! The Lord’s Prayer guides us in this lifelong process. Peace is our church’s motto & mantra! We are clear that the Holy Spirit empowers us for the costly pursuit of peace & justice for all. 

~ We believe Christ is Risen & so eternal life is present tense & eternal life overcomes all. Easter gives us eternal hope that this tragic suffering & struggle here, along with death of victims, throughout history, is not the last word. So, we believe the Holy Spirit will transform all creation to share in the glory of God! For many of us, this is resurrection & eternal life; this is God’s heaven, a place Jesus is preparing for us (John 14:3) to be with past family & friends. Writer Thomas Moore said it well: “Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.”  

~ Other Basic Beliefs are found at this link.