NCC HISTORY

Northfield Community Church (NCC), is a member congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC). In September, 2016, NCC merged with a sister congregation of the United Church of Christ, St. Peter Community Church. The merged congregations retain the name Northfield Community Church while also incorporating the values, vision and traditions of St. Peter Church. 

St. Peter was founded in Northbrook in 1845 to provide a spiritual home and community for German settlers, mostly farmers, who had come to America in hopes of a better, more prosperous life. St. Peter is one of the oldest congregations in the Northfield Township. Prior to uniting with NCC, St. Peter had four different locations, including in the villages of Glenview and Northbrook. 

NCC traces its beginnings to 1939 and the inception of a Sunday School outreach ministry in Northfield.  In those days the children gathered in Northfield homes. By 1944 people in this growing village felt the need for a community of faith for all ages and reached out to the Congregational Church for help and leadership. By 1946 the Chapel was erected and a full-time minister was called. Even though it is a congregation comprised of people of all ages, NCC continues to place a very high value on children, youth and families. This is most apparent in the very personal, yet very high quality, programs for children and youth and in that NCC provides space for the Northfield Community Nursery School, which was founded by NCC members in 1952.

NCC was the first church to form in the Village of Northfield. Like the United Church of Christ itself, it is a community with an ecumenical and inclusive spirit. There are people from every religious tradition represented here. Perhaps more telling is that there are many people here with no previous faith affiliation; those who had previously felt disenchanted, uninvited or disinclined when it came to "organized religion."

Northfield Community Church takes seriously these words of Jesus: "that all may be one". While the congregation looks to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus for wisdom, guidance and hope, it does not use doctrine as a "test of faith," but rather as a "testimony of faith." That is to say, all are invited, through Jesus Christ, into this community of God's people.