A Church Plant that Became a Family on Whiteville Road
On a stretch of Whiteville Road just outside the town center of Shallotte, North Carolina, New Beginnings Community Church meets twice every Sunday morning and again through the week in homes, classrooms, and a community garden. The church's welcome message is disarmingly simple: "At New Beginnings, we laugh a lot, love deeply, and live with expectation. We believe God still moves." It is a Baptist congregation shaped by a clearly stated set of core values, an extensive doctrinal statement drawn from the Baptist Faith and Message, and a wide menu of ministries that reach from infants to seniors and from the sanctuary to the food pantry.
Two Sunday Mornings, Twice the Opportunity to Show Up
Worship services are held at 9:00 AM and 10:45 AM, each running about 75 minutes. Doors open a few minutes before each service so first-time guests can find a parking spot, get greeted by the welcome team, and settle in while music plays. A Connect Area near the back of the sanctuary is staffed by friendly volunteers ready to answer questions, share a free welcome gift, and point visitors toward next steps. Services are also livestreamed on YouTube for those who want to follow along from home.
Dress runs the full range from jeans to business attire, and there is no expectation to give. An offering box is available for those who wish to contribute, and giving can also be done online through Church Center.
Around those two services, the building fills with Bible study. Adult Bible Study meets at 9:00 and 10:30 AM. Student Bible Study for grades 6 through 12 meets at 9:00 AM. KidsQuest Bible Study for infants through fifth grade runs at 10:45 AM, and nursery care for infants through pre-K is available during the 9:00 AM hour.
Midweek Programming for Kids and Students
Wednesday evenings are built around the next generation. AWANA Bible Clubs meet from 6:00 to 7:30 PM for children ages 3 through fifth grade, combining Scripture memory, games, and small-group time. ORIGINS Student Ministry runs from 5:30 to 7:30 PM for middle and high schoolers, providing a safe, fun space to explore faith, build friendships, and serve others. Lisa Vest leads the Children's Ministry and oversees KidsQuest and AWANA, while ORIGINS carries its own web presence at followorigins.com.
Small Groups, Membership, and the Welcome Party
For adults, the church describes small groups as the primary engine of life change. Groups gather throughout the week in homes across the area to study God's Word, pray, and encourage one another. Visitors can browse by topic, stage of life, or meeting time to find a fit.
For those ready to go further, the membership pathway includes a one-session class where newcomers meet the pastors and leaders, hear the church's story and core beliefs, and ask questions in a small-group setting. A separate Welcome Party is held periodically for guests who have visited in recent weeks, offering a light lunch, a meet-and-greet with staff, and a conversation with the pastor about how to connect.
Leadership and the Eldership
Jason Stonehouse serves as Lead Pastor. He grew up in New Jersey, pastored a large growing church in Minnesota for 15 years before relocating to North Carolina, and now preaches weekly as a "fellow journeyer." He holds a biblical education from Cairn University, is the author of three books, and works as an executive coach and improv comedy student. He and his wife Amy have six adult children and ten grandchildren and spend their free time at the beach, in coffee shops, and at new restaurants.
Jay Whitehorn serves as Associate Pastor. A native of Nashville, Tennessee, he has spent two decades in pastoral ministry, has written four Christian books, and produces Christian motivational content online. He earned his seminary degree from West Coast Bible Seminary and Mosaic Christian College. He and his wife Crystal have two adult children and enjoy hiking, gardening, and walking the beach.
The staff team includes Keith Hughes leading Music Ministry, Lisa Vest leading Children's Ministry, Bobby Brown leading Outreach and Connection, and Kristin Myers serving as Office Assistant. A board of eight elders - Monte and Sherry Bartlett, Dale and Dorsey Bowen, Larry and Debbie Heustess, and Bruce and Cyndy Sullivan - provides spiritual oversight alongside the pastoral team.
Five Core Values That Shape Everything
Five biblical convictions frame everything the church plans, teaches, and celebrates.
Worship is treated as a lifestyle, beginning in weekly corporate worship and continuing as personal devotion throughout the week. Evangelism drives the church to communicate God's timeless truth in relevant ways, cultivating relationships with state, national, and global mission partners. Biblical Teaching is pursued through multiple avenues for all ages and through a deliberate effort to deepen biblical literacy.
Service is the conviction that all believers are ministers, each equipped with unique gifts, and the church works to identify those gifts and put them to work both inside the church family and in the wider community. Community and Relationships rounds out the list, calling members to intentional, meaningful relationships of support, encouragement, and care.
What the Church Believes
The doctrinal statement runs to many pages and draws explicitly from the Baptist Faith and Message. In brief: the Bible is divinely inspired, completely true, and the final authority for faith and life. There is one true God, infinite in holiness, existing eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who became fully human, lived without sin, died in the place of sinners, and rose again; He now reigns as Lord, intercedes for believers, and will return in power and glory. The Holy Spirit is fully God, convicts of sin, regenerates, indwells every believer, gives spiritual gifts, and empowers the church for worship and mission.
Salvation is the gift of God's grace received through faith in Jesus Christ alone, encompassing regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. The church is a local body of baptized believers committed to following Jesus together, led by pastors and deacons, and part of the larger global body of Christ. Two ordinances are observed: baptism by immersion as a public testimony of faith, and the Lord's Supper as a symbolic remembrance of Christ's death and a celebration of His promised return.
Distinctively Baptist convictions appear throughout: regenerate church membership, the autonomy of the local congregation, the priesthood of all believers, the separation of church and state, and the authority of Scripture over every area of life. Marriage is described as a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, and the family is taught as God's foundational institution.
Baptism: A Visible Testimony of an Invisible Work
The church teaches that baptism does not itself save; salvation is by grace through faith in Christ. Baptism is a public, visual witness to that inner transformation - standing in the water pictures dying to the old life, immersion pictures burial, and rising pictures resurrection into new life. Because Jesus was baptized, and because He commanded it, the church follows His example by immersion. Those interested in taking this step are invited to reach out to one of the pastors.
New Beginnings Preschool
Adjacent to the church's ministry footprint is New Beginnings Preschool, a faith-based program for children from birth through age five. The preschool blends Bible-centered academics with hands-on learning, enrichment activities, and community-building experiences, offered in both part-day and full-day formats. It operates under the umbrella of New Beginnings Children's Institute. Inquiries go to Allison Rowlands at info@nbchildrensinstitute.com.
Outreach and Care Ministries Across Brunswick County
The church's outreach footprint is unusually broad for a single congregation.
The Lord's Miracle Acre, founded in 2021, is a community garden tended by church members and volunteers. All produce grown is donated to local individuals and families in need, putting fresh, healthy food on tables across the area.
The Lord's Food Pantry is supported as part of the South Brunswick Interchurch Council (SBIC), with NBCC volunteers helping to pack and distribute food to local families.
Just One Ministry, founded in 2019 by New Beginnings, walks alongside foster, kinship, and reunifying families in Brunswick County to bring hope and stability to children experiencing crisis. More information is available at justonenc.org.
GriefShare meets on Tuesdays at 6:00 PM as a weekly support group for those grieving the loss of a loved one, offering a safe place to find hope and healing in community.
The Handyman Ministry provides practical home repair help to those who cannot afford it, with volunteers using their skills to serve others and share Christ's love in action.
NB Cares ministers to the needs of the church family itself through the use of members' time, talents, and resources.
The Cardinal Pointe Ministry focuses on a specific neighborhood, serving families there through fellowship and Bible study.
Small groups add a final layer, gathering in homes around shared interests, life stages, and schedules.
Walking Through the Door for the First Time
For someone considering a first visit, the path is intentionally low-friction. Show up around 10:15 AM if attending the later service, look for the welcome team outside, follow the music inside, and take a seat. Services begin promptly and run about 75 minutes. Dress however feels comfortable. If you have children, nursery care is available at 9:00 AM for infants through pre-K, and KidsQuest runs at 10:45 AM for infants through fifth grade. After the service, stop by the Connect Area at the back of the sanctuary for a free welcome gift, to ask questions, and to find out about groups, ministries, and service opportunities.
There is no pressure to give, no obligation to be anyone other than who you are, and a standing invitation to discover whether God might be starting something new.