A Church Planted by a Small Group in 1997
Carolina Forest Community Church sits on 25 acres in the heart of the Carolina Forest area of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with the worship center, children's wing, student center, and offices sharing a single campus at 1381 Carolina Forest Boulevard. The church began as a vision placed on the hearts of a small group of believers. In February 1997 that group began meeting, praying, and preparing for the Carolina Forest community and the church they believed God was planting there. On September 7, 1997, they celebrated their first official worship service at Carolina Forest Elementary School, with more than 300 people in attendance. In March 2000 the church moved into the multipurpose facility on the 25-acre campus where it still gathers today.
From the beginning, the church has followed the example Jesus set, choosing a "come as you are" and "meet people where they are" style of ministry. The congregation now encompasses people from all walks of life and equips them at their various levels of spiritual maturity.
Follow, Connect, Deepen
The church describes its purpose in three words: Follow. Connect. Deepen. CFCC exists for the purpose of reaching and growing people across the street and around the world in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Where most churches use the word "membership" to describe their core group of committed people, CFCC prefers the word "family," rooted in the conviction that believers are children of God and that the church is a community, not a club. Membership is about dues and access; family is about relationship. The church's deepest desire is that everyone who walks through its doors would find a community that connects, grows, supports, and cares for one another.
Five Pictures of a Church
CFCC describes its identity through five images that shape every decision and ministry.
The church is a battleship, not a cruiseship. Cruises are designed to cater to the wants and desires of customers, while a battleship has a mission and purpose. The church is built to serve King Jesus, to grow, to connect, and to deepen relationships with Him so that the congregation can carry out His mission. Anyone looking for a church where they can fit in by sitting back and enjoying the ride will not find that experience at CFCC. CFCC willingly sacrifices comfort and pleasure for the sake of its mission.
The church is a hospital, not a courtroom. Courtrooms are for judgment; hospitals are for healing. Grace reigns as the supreme ethic. None of the members are perfect, and no one is expected to pretend to be. Because everyone has received great mercy from Jesus, the church shows great mercy to others. Broken, hurting people are welcome to come for healing without condemnation.
The church is a gym, not a museum. Museums preserve the past; gyms are places of growth and change. CFCC cares more about growth than preserving traditions. The goal is not just conversion. Jesus calls the church to make disciples, an all-consuming journey that changes lives forever. The church recognizes that the process takes time and that everyone is imperfect and a work in progress.
The church is Legos, not lone rangers. People are designed to fit together. Different sizes, colors, and functions all serve a purpose when they are connected. CFCC believes the Christian life cannot be lived faithfully outside the community God gave. The church is committed to encountering Jesus together and growing together in relationship with Him.
The church is all about Jesus. The message of the Gospel is simple and always about Jesus. The priorities are simple: HE > WE > ME. After glorifying Jesus, the focus is His bride, the church, then the individual. The greatest commandment is to love God and love others. CFCC asks, "What can we give?" rather than "What can we get?"
What Sunday Mornings Look Like
Three Sunday morning services are offered at 8:30, 10, and 11:30 AM. Each service runs about one hour and centers on four primary practices drawn from Acts 2: worship together in corporate praise and adoration, prayer engagement that is both guided and personal, the faithful teaching of Scripture as the ultimate authority, and communion on the first Sunday of each month as a visible expression of unity in Christ.
CFCC intentionally does not use Sunday mornings as a platform for lengthy announcements, meet-and-greet times, or political commentary. Where biblical truth and political issues overlap, the goal is to teach what the Bible says, not to promote a political position. The church asks for grace and discernment in those moments and trusts the Holy Spirit to bring conviction, understanding, and unity. Sunday mornings are about Jesus, and worship is not the setting for political conversations that often divide rather than unite.
Communication about events, giving, and resources happens in other ways: NFC tap tags on the back of auditorium seats provide quick access to upcoming events and giving; a Connection Center is staffed after each service by at least one elder and one staff member; a weekly email newsletter is sent to the church family; and the social media team keeps everyone informed.
Plan a Visit
Visitors arriving for any of the three Sunday services will find a "come as you are" environment. ASL interpretation is offered at the 8:30 AM service. If interpreters are unavailable, CART real-time captioning is provided to ensure full accessibility. A designated ASL and accessibility seating area is located near the front of the worship center.
Children from birth through fifth grade can be checked in at the kid's hallway on either side of the lobby. A Sensory Room is offered during the 10 AM service for children who benefit from a quieter, less active environment. CFCC does not provide snacks because of allergy and sensitivity concerns; babies and toddlers are encouraged to bring a diaper bag with their own bottles or drinks, and snacks will only be given from a child's own diaper bag.
Children are checked in by name tag with a unique alphanumeric code matched to a parent tag. Only adults with the matching code on the authorized pickup list can take a child out of the room. Every adult volunteer and staff member who interacts with children has completed an extensive onboarding process, including background and reference checks, one-on-one interviews, and Ministry Safe sexual abuse awareness training. Many staff and volunteers are CPR trained.
A prayer team is stationed at the front of the auditorium and throughout the worship center before and after each service, identified by green name tags. They are ready to pray with anyone in need. A staffed Welcome Desk helps first-time guests with questions about the church.
What CFCC Believes
The statement of faith at CFCC runs from Genesis to Revelation and centers on the triune God. There is one God who has eternally existed in community as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons who are co-equal and co-existent. God is infinite, almighty, perfect, holy, loving, just, and true.
Jesus Christ is simultaneously one with and fully distinct from God the Father. He is the creative power of the universe through whom all things were made and the Word of God who has eternally existed in perfect unity with the Father. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, the Son was made flesh in the Virgin Mary and was at the same time fully God and fully man. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for all sin to serve as a propitiation for the wrath of God, and rose bodily from the grave on the third day, victorious over death. He ascended into heaven where, at God's right hand, He intercedes for His people and rules as Lord of all. He is the good shepherd and head of the church and is to be adored, loved, served, and obeyed by all.
The Holy Spirit is the giver of life. He pierces the heart with conviction when the gospel is preached, brings about repentance, and unites believers with Jesus. The Spirit dwells within those who belong to Jesus and brings about the miracle of new birth.
The Bible, all 66 books, is the infallible written Word of God. It is not a rulebook but a treasure trove of God's nature, character, and calling. Scripture alone holds final authority over Christian life, practice, and doctrine; it is the standard by which everything else is measured. Nothing may be added to it, nothing may replace it, and no church tradition, claim of new revelation, or human reasoning may alter what it says.
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Faith is itself a gift from God. Anyone who turns from sin and surrenders to Jesus receives eternal life and is declared righteous, not because of works but because of the work of Jesus on the cross. Believers are justified, fully accepted by God, and freed from the law of sin and death through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit to walk in the new life of the Spirit.
The church is the body of Christ, made up of all those united to Christ by faith. It is not a religious institution or denomination but the global family of believers who have personally embraced the Gospel. Its mission is to become a community of disciple-making disciples through the preaching and embracing of the gospel.
Water baptism is for those who have received, understood, and surrendered to Jesus. It is a symbol of death to the old self and resurrection to new life in Jesus. The Lord's Supper is observed regularly by those in Christ as a symbol of His body broken and His blood shed on their behalf. Communion is a visible expression of fellowship with Christ and His body, the church.
On marriage, the church teaches that God designed marriage to be between one man and one woman for one lifetime. Sexual intimacy is designed exclusively for the covenant relationship between a husband and wife.
CFCC also welcomes a diversity of views on what it calls matters of debate, including the expression of spiritual gifts, church governance, the age of the earth, the timing and nature of end-times, and how God's sovereignty and human choice work together in salvation. The church asks that differing views be held with conviction and humility, rooted in a faithful pursuit of Scripture, flowing out of a heart submitted to Jesus, and shared with love and respect toward those who view things differently.
Family Ministry from Nursery to Fifth Grade
The Family Ministry at CFCC is built as a partnership between the church and the home, with the goal of establishing a solid foundation for Christ in every family. The desire is to see kids develop a life-transforming relationship with Christ that will last for the rest of their lives.
Nursery through age five meets as Kids World Junior, and kindergarten through fifth grade meets as Kids World. Children are grouped by age and grade level for fun, creative, and age-appropriate Bible teaching. The goal is for kids to have so much fun that Sunday becomes the best day of the week.
Parents of children with allergies, medical needs, or behavioral special needs are encouraged to share those details so the team can best support their child. A sickness policy asks that a child be fever and symptom free for at least 24 hours before entering any program or event. Diaper changes and bathroom assistance are done as needed and within view of another volunteer or staff in the room.
Beyond Sunday mornings, the Family Ministry offers Wednesday night small groups designed just for parents, with free childcare available at the church so parents can drop off their kids and join a small group for themselves. The Family Resource Center in the lobby also points parents to recommended books, podcasts, devotionals, storybook Bibles, and digital resources for parenting, spiritual development, and family fun.
Student Ministry in the Student Center
The Student Ministry exists to prepare middle and high school students for the next step in their lives by helping them develop a real and personal relationship with Jesus. The goal is for students to fall in love with Jesus personally rather than simply adopt their parents' faith or memorize doctrinal statements.
The ministry is built on three practices. First, small groups are divided by grade and gender, giving students an opportunity to grow strong relationships with a spiritually mature adult leader and other students in the same season of life. Second, 4Ten Students is a serving track based on 1 Peter 4:10 that helps students discover their gifts and use them inside the local church. Third, Unite is a weekly gathering on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in the Student Center for dinner, worship, teaching, and breakout groups. Unite does not meet during the summer.
Beyond the weekly rhythm, students participate in summer camp, retreats, mission trips, and outings that are just for fun. Specialized small groups for fourth through twelfth grade focus on understanding Scripture and what it means to follow Jesus.
Small Groups as the Heartbeat
Small groups are the primary means of care, growth, and discipleship at CFCC. The conviction that people are like Legos and were made to be connected is the foundation for the entire groups ministry. Each week, groups meet in homes, on campus, and throughout the community to study the Word, pray, and build deeper relationships with God and with each other.
Men's, women's, young adults, and mixed groups are offered. While most groups are centered in the Carolina Forest area, the church is always seeking to expand into surrounding communities so people can build community where they live.
CFCC asks members to be consistent, respectful, caring, real, and trustworthy. Groups are messy and imperfect, like any family, but the commitment to treating each other with respect, caring for one another through hard seasons, taking off the masks, and keeping private things private makes the difference.
Two young adult groups are offered. Common Grounds meets on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:45 PM in the main auditorium for those in college, just out of college, or somewhere in their early thirties. Another group meets on Wednesday evenings.
Sports Ministry as Outreach
The CFCC Sports Ministry exists to use the platform of sports and recreation to reach and grow people across the street and around the world in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Programs are offered in flag football, basketball, and baseball, with a Christ-centered approach that emphasizes Christian character development along with traditional sportsmanship, teamwork, fitness, and skill development.
The ministry is designed with the whole family in mind. Every season and event is planned with families in mind, and the goal is to do everything with excellence and provide a first-class experience for every family involved. Chaplain volunteers walk alongside coaches to help shepherd the families on each team. Coaches are led by Christian mentors who seek to disciple young athletes toward a deep and rich faith in Christ.
Families can register through the Sports Ministry at sports.carolinaforest.org.
Local Outreach Across the Street
CFCC has developed long-term strategic ministry partners to extend the church's impact beyond its own walls. The conviction is simple: no group can meet all the needs of its people or community alone, and the church is more effective when it unites with other churches and organizations to bring glory to God.
Locally, the church partners with New Directions of Myrtle Beach, whose mission is to provide those in need with shelter, basic necessities, and connections to resources, empowering them to rest, regroup, rediscover hope, and open doors to change themselves and their community. Habitat for Humanity of Horry County builds and improves affordable homes in partnership with individuals and families in need of a decent place to live. Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach is a crisis intervention and referral agency that provides food, rent and utility assistance, gasoline, bus tickets, prescription medications, and hygiene items. CFCC also supports local schools through teacher and staff appreciation events, snacks and refreshments, and other support throughout the year as needed.
Through the Sports Ministry, the church provides a Christ-centered recreation experience for families across the community as a form of outreach in its own right.
Global Outreach to Nambi, Costa Rica
The church's global outreach focuses on a single, focused partnership with Iglesia Mejores Días, a church in Nambi, Costa Rica, pastored by Dimas Alfaro. The partnership began in 2019 with a deep connection to the heart and mission of the local church.
Pastor Dimas has served in ministry since 2003, faithfully shepherding the community of Nambi and surrounding areas. His vision is for a church without walls, a place where people are equipped, filled, and sent to serve the community beyond a building. That vision is lived out through a weekly feeding program for children, vocational training and investment in the next generation, meal delivery and care for the elderly, support and restoration for those in addiction recovery, and care and outreach to the homeless.
Short-term mission teams travel to Nambi several times a year to connect, serve, and build a bond that grows both communities deeper in their love for God and more effective in sharing His Gospel. Trip details are coordinated through a trip journal, sample support letters, packing lists, and storytelling guides.
The Joy Project is a Christmas offering collected above and beyond the regular giving, with 100% of every gift going directly to local families identified through partner schools who need help providing Christmas gifts for their children.
Care, Prayer, and Practical Support
CFCC cares for its people through a Care Team that visits those in need of emotional support, shut-ins, and hospital patients. A Meal Team provides meals during challenging times. Care requests can be submitted online for weddings, biblical counseling, funerals, hospital visits, and home visitation.
The church also coordinates small service projects for widows, single parents, seniors, and families in need, including small household projects, simple car repairs, basic yard work, and cleaning. A Monday Night Prayer Gathering is dedicated to lifting up personal needs, community concerns, and world events together in prayer. Elders are committed to shepherding well, and anyone in need of counsel, prayer, or simply conversation can reach out directly.
The church teaches that giving strengthens the relationship with God and creates opportunities to share the gospel. Online giving can be set as one time or recurring, weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly, by e-check, debit, or credit card. Text giving is available by texting GIVE and the dollar amount to 843-353-1558. Checks and cash can be placed in the offering boxes near the exits to the auditorium or given in person at the church offices. Stock donations can also be arranged. Every contribution is tax-deductible, and an annual giving statement is sent in January.
For the Kingdom: A Campus Expansion
CFCC is in the middle of a multi-year capital campaign called For the Kingdom, with the overall vision estimated at $15 to $16 million. The conviction behind the campaign is simple: the church is not meant to be a building where believers gather but a community where they train, serve, and grow so they can go and build the Kingdom of God.
Phase one of the vision includes a new 1,200-seat worship center to replace the multipurpose room currently in use. Once the worship center is complete, the existing building will be renovated to create an expanded Family Ministry Center. A Sports Ministry Center will serve as the hub for community outreach through athletics. A Freedom and Outreach Center will house recovery ministries rooted in the power of the Gospel and outreach ministries for those experiencing loss or struggling to provide for themselves and their families. A CFCC Residence is also planned to host disaster relief teams, mission teams, displaced families from disasters, and pastors and families seeking refreshment.
The church completed its initial investment payoff in 2023. The first milestone includes paying off the remainder of the chapter one investment, upgrading media equipment to enhance both the in-service and online experience, and renovating and expanding entrances and parking. Members are invited to prayerfully consider a three-year financial commitment in addition to their regular giving.
Leadership and How to Connect
CFCC is led by Teaching Pastor Tyler Edwards, Community Pastor John Ferreira, and Sports Pastor Mark Roach. The elder team includes Robert Bulsza, Charles Fox, Kris Locke, and Greg Sisson, along with the three pastors. The staff also includes Executive Director Kerry Lembcke, Family Ministry Director Carolyn Cloutier, Children's Ministry Director Brett Cloutier, Student Ministry Director Thomas Critelli, Creative Arts Director Michael Dutcher, and Director of Media and Technology Sean Mosco.
The church office is open 9 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Thursday, at 1381 Carolina Forest Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579. Visitors can reach the office at 843-903-1558 or info@carolinaforest.org. Services are livestreamed on YouTube Live and Vimeo at 8:30 and 10 AM each Sunday. The CFCC app is available for iOS and Android, with weekly news, sermon messages, and event registration.
Whether someone is exploring faith for the first time, looking for a church family to belong to, or seeking a place to serve, CFCC opens its doors with the same conviction that has shaped it from the beginning: come as you are, follow Jesus together, and be equipped to carry His mission across the street and around the world.