Our Team

United Church of Christ

The United Church of Christ is an inclusive and diverse community of Christians connected by faith that calls us to build a just world for all. Our ministries advocate at a national and global level, but our roots are planted firmly in our local churches in communities like yours.

4800 congregations in the United Church of Christ are connected to other churches and to a denominational structure, but congregations make all their own decisions. 

Heartland Conference

The Heartland Conference serves four associations in Ohio, Northern Kentucky and West Virginia. The conference also manages Templed Hills Camp and multiple social justice and mission based networks.



Empowered by the Holy Spirit we are called to connect, equip, and support our faith communities to grow as faithful disciples and responsible stewards, following Jesus’ call to extravagantly love all God’s children and creation. 

Living Water Association

The Living Water Association of Ohio NorthEast, Heartland Conference United Church of Christ is a community of 147 congregations who come together in the Holy Spirit to be the Church, striving to embody Christ in our 21^st century world.

The association's purpose is to be a resource and support for the health and wellbeing of our congregations, that we may grow into communities of healing and grace embodying Christ in the world.

First Church in Avon Lake

The Avon Lake United Church of Christ is the oldest congregation in Avon Lake! In the 1870’s, Sunday School classes and occasional preaching services were held in a schoolhouse at Stop 49 (now Jaycox Road) and Lake Road. By the middle of the 1890’s residents of the community organized door-to-door collections, conducted socials, and pledged their own money to construct a permanent church building. The land near the corner of Lake Road and Beachdale upon which our first church was built was donated by Squire A.W. Sherbondy. The church was built at a total cost of $1025. It was dedicated June 28, 1896 as the Avon Lake Methodist Episcopal Church.

The Congregational Church

The Constitution of the First Congregational Church of Avon Lake was adopted January 13, 1926.  On September 9, 1926 we were officially received into the Medina Association of the Ohio Conference of Congregational Churches. By the end of 1930 enrollment had grown to about 140 and we have not looked back.

Our present property was purchased in 1955.  The church building was dedicated February 25, 1956 with additions in 1961 (Ed Wing) and 1976 (Fellowship Hall).  On January 15, 1967, we changed our name to the Avon Lake United Church of Christ.

A Growing Community

In 1998 the sanctuary (current Chapel) was renovated. Shortly thereafter, concurrent with the growth in Avon Lake and surrounding communities, we ran out of room in the sanctuary and in the parking lot. The parking lot was expanded, and plans were made to build a new sanctuary.

Our present 7,000 square foot sanctuary, was built in 2005 and dedicated in 2006.  The former parsonage was renovated and added on to create The Buoy, our youth building.  It was dedicated on Palm Sunday 2013. The Ed Wing was renovated during the pandemic and re-dedicated in October 2021.