First Christian Church sits on the north end of Canton in Stark County, Ohio, where its Washington Square campus on Market Avenue has become a hub for a remarkable range of ministries under a single mission statement: Jesus is for all people. An independent, non-denominational congregation in the Restoration Movement, the church runs Sunday worship, an extensive Kids' Ministry, a thriving Student Ministry, one of the most developed disability ministries in the region, a senior adults program, an accredited preschool, an adult day program for people with developmental disabilities, and a free clothing and food ministry called Common Goods. From the same address it is preparing to launch a second physical location at Meyers Lake while continuing to livestream services each Sunday morning to viewers anywhere.

Sundays at Washington Square

Two identical services are offered each Sunday at 9 and 11am in the Washington Square auditorium, and both are livestreamed simultaneously from the same stage to firstchristian.live. Services last about an hour and include modern, high-energy worship songs woven with reflective moments of praise and a Bible-based message. Communion is observed every week in an open way: anyone who believes in Jesus is invited to participate by picking up the elements on the way into the auditorium. There is no offering plate passed during the service; giving stations are located around the lobby for those who wish to give, and guests are never pressured to give. After each service, a prayer team gathers under the cross on the left side of the auditorium and is also available live through the online chat, so anyone can request prayer in person or remotely.

The dress code is casual. Visitors are invited to come as they are and grab a coffee or snack at the on-site cafe before the service. Bibles are available to take home, or guests can use a free Bible app on their phone. Anyone wearing a name tag is a designated helper ready to answer questions, and the Welcome Center is staffed just inside the main entrance with the same purpose. Handicap-accessible parking is located in the lot to the left of the main entrance beneath the flagpoles.

Online, the experience is intentionally personal. Hosts are active in the chat during each service to greet newcomers, answer questions, and pray with anyone who clicks the prayer button. The church posts a fresh sermon video and audio podcast for the entire previous Sunday across its archive, which reaches back several years and is organized by series and by speaker.

The Greater Initiative: Two Years Toward Greater Faith and Generosity

In early 2026 the church launched Greater, a two-year discipleship and generosity initiative that Lead Pastor Jimmy McLoud describes as a season to seek and save the next generation and to blaze a trail for the next chapter of ministry in Stark County. The dream is simple: that every person in the 330 area code and beyond hear the good news of Jesus and be invited to know him. Greater has two goals working in tandem. The primary goal, called 100% Engagement, is for every person connected to the church to take a personal journey with God around the stewardship of their time, talents, and treasure. The secondary goal is to fund an $11,000,000 initiative, split between Greater Impact ($6.5 million) to strengthen ongoing ministries and Greater Vision ($4.5 million) to renovate the Meyers Lake campus, complete the remodel of Kids' Ministry spaces, update the main lobby and common areas, build a marriage ministry, launch a leadership residency program and lay leadership training, and start a ministry to train members to share their faith. Gifts to Greater are pooled into a single fund rather than a separate capital campaign, so generosity flows into one budget set by the Elder Team in response to the commitments members make.

Six sermon studies anchor the initiative, downloadable as small-group discussion guides: Greater Vision, Greater Faith, Greater Unity, Greater Sacrifice, Greater Generosity, and Greater Glory.

Kids' Ministry from Birth Through Fifth Grade

Kids' Ministry is one of the most visible expressions of the church's heart. Each Sunday during both services, children from birth through fifth grade are cared for in clean, safe, age-appropriate rooms staffed by background-checked volunteers. Bright orange check-in stations sit just inside the lobby, and for a first-time visit the registration process takes about five minutes. Once a child is in the system, families can use a self check-in computer. Parents receive a printed tag with a unique code that matches a tag on their child; rooms lock fifteen minutes after each service begins, security cameras are active, and the codes change weekly so tags cannot be reused.

Programming is divided by age. Birth through one-year-olds are cared for and prayed over by approved volunteers. Two-year-olds through Pre-K are introduced to the wonder of God through hands-on activities, energetic songs, and storytelling. Kindergarten through third grade move between small-group time and a large-group interactive worship and teaching environment. Fourth and fifth graders begin in the auditorium with their families and are dismissed partway through the service to a pre-teen room designed for their age group. They are also invited to MERGE, a Wednesday evening gathering from 6:30 to 8pm in the lower level of the main building that mixes games, conversation, and teaching. Online Kids' Ministry content is published weekly so families watching from home can follow along, and a Home Experience for families whose children have decided to follow Jesus is available with a downloadable workbook.

Two services a year, in May and October, are set aside for Family Dedication, an opportunity for parents to publicly commit to raising their child to know and love Jesus while the church family pledges its support. The KidMin team also coordinates an annual slate of summer camps for grades kindergarten through high school, including day camps, overnight camps, and the high school conference CIY MOVE, with financial assistance available.

Middle and High School Students

Student Ministry gathers weekly in the Community Life Center, located just south of the main Washington Square building near the campus pond and walking trail. Middle school students meet from 6:15 to 8pm on Wednesdays and high school students from 7 to 8:45pm, with games, live teaching, worship, and small groups. On Sunday mornings students are encouraged to attend one of the main worship services with their families and to plug into a serving area around the church. The Student Ministry team provides text-message updates (text "student" to 330-708-7029 for students, or "studentparent" for parents), posts event details online, and maintains a year-round calendar of retreats, conferences, and summer trips.

Disability Ministry at the Center of the Mission

The phrase Jesus for all people is most visibly lived out in the Disability Ministry, which serves participants, families, and caregivers from across Stark County and beyond. Three weekly programs anchor the work.

Shine is the church's program for kids and youth ages 3 through 18 with disabilities. It meets during both Sunday services in Playland and pairs each child with a trained team of teachers, parents, counselors, and professionals who deliver the gospel in creative, individualized ways suited to the child's needs. Kingdom Builders is a Sunday morning Bible class for adults with disabilities that meets at 9:30am in Heritage Hall. First Christian Day Services (described in more detail below) runs Monday through Friday from 9am to 2pm for adults with developmental disabilities.

Beyond the weekly schedule, the Disability Ministry hosts Respite Night on the first Friday of each month during the school year, giving parents and caregivers a free evening while their children enjoy games and activities with a one-to-one buddy. Social gatherings throughout the year include an October dance called Cafe Disco, a Christmas party, bowling nights, and other events. Mission trips designed for people with disabilities offer participants the chance to serve alongside the church outside the state. Edgewood Field, on the south side of the Washington Square building, is the home field for Stark Public Special Olympics Softball and includes an ADA-accessible playground for families who use it. Volunteer opportunities around Edgewood Field run each spring and summer.

Tim Bussey, Campus Pastor for Meyers Lake, also serves as the Disability Ministry Pastor and leads this area of ministry.

Senior Adults

Senior Adults are woven into the life of the church in several intentional ways. Four Sunday Bible study classes meet between services: New Disciples in Heritage Hall A, B, and E at 10:30am, Christian Crusaders in Conference Room A at 10:45am, Christian Co-Ed in Heritage Hall C at 11am, and Christian Homebuilders in the Bridal Room at 10:30am. On Tuesday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30, senior adults gather to sing favorite hymns, study the Bible, and pray for one another in a relaxed setting that is open to anyone who wants to attend. Throughout the year the ministry runs a calendar of day trips and extended trips organized through coordinator Gladys Owens. Senior Adults ministry falls under the Meyers Lake Campus Pastor and is connected to the broader Adult Discipleship area.

Small Groups and the Discipleship Pathway

The church teaches that "more significant growth and transformation happens in circles of people than in rows of seats," and so LifeGroups sit at the center of its Discipleship Pathway. The pathway is laid out in three movements: Explore and Find Hope (attend a Sunday service, attend a Welcome Party, follow Jesus, be baptized, learn how to read the Bible); Connect and Find a Place to Belong (discover gifts, join a serve team, join a group); and Engage and Live with Purpose (discover spiritual gifts, lead a small group, share your story). Online sign-ups make it simple to join a group, lead a group, or ask for help finding a match, and group leaders have access to dedicated resources and training.

Local and Global Mission Partners

Every gift to the church supports a roster of mission partners chosen to maximize the impact of limited resources. Locally, FCC partners with Ability Ministry, an independent Christian nonprofit that equips the disability community; BrewPastors, a community that brings spiritual conversation into everyday spaces; Canton Christian Home, a faith-based retirement community with independent, assisted, and nursing care; the Christian Children's Home of Ohio, which provides foster and adoption services; the Pregnancy and Parenting Center, which has served more than 30,000 women and men in Stark County since 1985; and Refuge of Hope, which provides daily meals and a 36-bed men's emergency shelter. Globally, the church supports David and Teresa Fittro, church planters in Birmingham, England; Brad and Susan Hammond through Lifeline Christian Mission; Jardin de Gracia, a small Christian school in rural Honduras that teaches children to read and to know Jesus through the Bible; and Mashoko Christian Hospital in Zimbabwe, led by Dr. Zindoga Bungu, which serves 60,000 patients each year.

Members travel as well. A 2027 Honduras Medical Trip to Jardin de Gracia is planned for February 13 to 20, with applications, liability releases, parental authorizations, and medical forms available online.

Common Goods and Community Impact

Common Goods is the church's free clothing assistance program. Washington Square Common Goods is open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 10am to 1pm, plus one evening session on the third Thursday of each month from 5 to 7pm. The Meyers Lake Common Goods program is temporarily operating out of Westbrook Park Church at 2521 12th St. NW in Canton while the Meyers Lake campus is under construction, with hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 4pm. Families may receive clothing once per month; first-time visitors should bring a photo ID, a medical card, birth certificate, or school report card for each child, and custody papers if applicable. Donations of clothes and household items can be dropped in the small shed behind the building at any time.

Food assistance is distributed through First Fruits Food Ministry. Washington Square holds a drive-thru food distribution from 10am to noon on the third Friday of each month, and Meyers Lake holds one from 5 to 7pm on the second Thursday of each month, both subject to federal poverty guidelines. Common Goods and food distribution operate in English and in Spanish.

Other community impact opportunities include The Laundry Project, where volunteers help neighbors with laundry while building relationships; Blessing Boxes, where non-perishable goods and toiletries are made available anonymously through partnership with starkblessingbox.com; and monthly meal service at Refuge of Hope, which individuals, LifeGroups, or families with teens aged 15 and up can join.

First Christian Preschool

First Christian Preschool has been a part of the church's ministry to families for more than 25 years. It is a licensed program using the Creative Curriculum aligned with Ohio Early Learning and Development standards, with classes for ages 18 months through Pre-K. Children may attend two, three, or four half-days per week from 9am to 12pm, Monday through Thursday, or four full days from 9am to 3pm for ages three through five. Before-school care runs from 8 to 9am. The program is intentionally faith-based: children are taught that they are uniquely created by God and are encouraged to be creative, expressive individuals with a positive sense of self. Discounted tuition is available for staff families, and summer kids' programs through fifth grade are offered to staff at a quarter cost.

First Christian Day Services

First Christian Day Services (FCDS) is a Monday through Friday program for adults with developmental disabilities that runs from 9am to 2pm on the campus. The program is built on five pillars: faith, fitness, arts, outings, and paid vocational work crews. Three distinct day-support rooms serve different needs: the Main Day Program for adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities, a Retirement track for those who consider themselves retired from work, and Community Pathways for adults seeking to expand employment skills in the community. The Vocational Habilitation arm employs participants in two paid work crews, Facilities and Food Service, with crew leaders providing training in social skills, communication, and practical work habits. Door-to-door transportation is provided by a fleet of nine vehicles, six of them wheelchair-accessible buses, so no participant waits at a street stop. A dedicated Call-Off Line at (330) 445-2719 keeps families informed of schedule changes.

What We Believe

First Christian Church is an independent, non-denominational Christian church and is part of the Restoration Movement, a family of like-minded churches committed to the Great Commission and to unity in the body of Christ. The church is overseen by a team of Elders drawn from the local congregation, currently chaired by George Rosche and including Jim Bagent, Dan Lahaie, Michael Mareno, Mike Pete, Bob Sanderson, and Bob Snyder.

In its own words, the church teaches that there is one God eternally existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for all sin, and rose again on the third day; that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer and serves as comforter, guide, and advocate; that the Bible is the divinely inspired, authoritative Word of God; that all people are made in the image of God and are separated from him by sin; and that salvation is a free gift received through faith and expressed through repentance and baptism by immersion. Communion is observed weekly in an open manner. Membership baptism practices include a strong teaching on believer's baptism by immersion, with Family Dedication available for infants and young children whose parents wish to make that public commitment.

Care, Counseling, Weddings, and Funerals

Care Pastor Bradley Clark oversees weddings, funerals, hospital visits, and prayer support. Couples marrying at the church or by one of its pastors are required to complete at least four weeks of pre-marital counseling. Funerals can typically be scheduled five to seven days out, with faster turnarounds accommodated when needed. Christian Counseling Associates maintain office hours during the week at the Community Life Center; intake begins by calling (740) 278-7990. A Pastor-on-Call line is available by dialing extension 7 from the main church number, Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5pm, and in the evenings and on weekends for emergencies only. Anyone is welcome to submit a prayer request online.

Two Campuses and a Live Online Service

The Washington Square campus at 6900 Market Ave. N in Canton is the church's home base. It includes the main auditorium, Kids' Ministry wing, Heritage Hall (used for senior classes and disability ministry), the Community Life Center (used for Student Ministry midweek and Common Goods distributions), the Day Services building, and Playland, a five-level indoor playground with a toddler zone. Playland opens to the public free of charge on Fridays from 10am to noon and is available to rent for parties and events on other days. Playland also hosts Shine on Sundays as the dedicated space for the children's disability ministry.

The Meyers Lake campus at 1600 Whipple Ave. NW in Canton is being prepared as a second location under the leadership of Campus Pastor Tim Bussey. Common Goods and food distribution from that campus are currently operating out of Westbrook Park Church at 2521 12th St. NW in Canton during construction. The online campus is, in many respects, a third location: services stream live both at 9 and 11am on YouTube and at firstchristian.live, where online hosts engage in chat, Kids' Ministry content is posted weekly, and the conversation extends to a community of believers scattered well beyond Stark County.

Leadership and Staff

Lead Pastor Jimmy McLoud has set the vision for the Greater initiative and preaches most weekends. Supporting him is Rob Lansdale as Executive Pastor, with Tim Bussey leading the Meyers Lake campus and the Disability Ministry area, Scott Tuersley leading Student Ministry, Seth Heller leading Worship Arts, Bradley Clark serving as Care Pastor, Lacey Kennedy directing Kids' Ministry, and Monica Peters directing Family Discipleship. Operational leadership is provided by Crystal Apostalides (Director of Operations), Joe Beltz (Chief Financial Officer), Steve Yatsko (Facility Director), Maddie Grim (Production Director), Kyle Reed (Creative Director), Rachel Starcher (Communications Director), Holly Taylor (Community Impact Director), Shanan Geitgey (Preschool Director), and Reena Riley (Day Services Director). Kaylee Reed manages the on-site Declare Coffee cafe. The Elders chair the spiritual oversight of the church and are reachable at elders@firstchristian.com.