Stonecreek Christian Church sits on Avenida De Las Banderas in Rancho Santa Margarita, where Sunday mornings draw a multi-generational crowd to a single 10 a.m. worship service. The congregation's signature habit is a discipline called ASK 4 ONE @ A Time, an invitation to pray for and pursue one person from each of four circles: someone from your family, someone who is a friend, someone from another nation, and someone from another generation. Pair that emphasis with a calendar built around small groups for men, women, families, and a Wednesday-evening gathering called Journey to the Heart of Christ, and Stonecreek reads less like a Sunday-only church and more like a network of overlapping communities under one roof.
Sunday Morning at Stonecreek
First-time guests are welcomed at the door with a smile and a New Visitor Bag filled with church information and a small gift, along with a bulletin and printed sermon notes. Complimentary coffee and donuts are laid out in the Lobby and Fellowship Hall before the service begins, giving newcomers an easy way to meet members and other visitors before the worship hour starts.
The service opens with an introductory devotion, moves into an intimate time of worship led by the music team, includes a short meet-and-greet, and works through announcements before the sermon. Children ages four through twelve are dismissed to Children's Church just before the sermon begins, although families are welcome to keep younger kids in the auditorium if they prefer. Communion is observed every Sunday, with a brief meditation followed by an invitation for any baptized believer who has accepted Christ as Lord and Savior to step forward, take the bread and cup, and return to their seat. The service closes with a final song and a few words of benediction. After the service, the Fellowship Hall stays open for snacks and conversation.
Services are also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, where recent services and a sermon archive are kept.
Since 1988: A First-Century Vision
Stonecreek was founded in 1988 with the goal of following Jesus much like the first-century church did, holding tightly to the essentials of the Christian faith while keeping secondary issues in their proper place. The congregation describes itself as "a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints," a family of broken people in need of a Savior who encourage one another in the walk with Christ. Their stated mission is to make and grow followers of Jesus. The vision that flows out of that mission has three parts: being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing what Jesus did.
That practical bent shows up in the ASK 4 ONE emphasis, which the church anchors in Ephesians 3:20-21 and uses as a way of focusing prayer, conversation and outreach. Members are asked to keep one name from each of four circles on their heart before God, so that gospel conversations move from the general to the specific.
What Stonecreek Believes
The beliefs statement at the heart of Stonecreek is traditional and confessionally evangelical. The church affirms one true God who exists eternally in three co-equal Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and who created and sustains all things. Jesus Christ is confessed as the only Son of God, fully God and fully man, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, crucified as an atonement for sin, and raised bodily from the grave, with a promised return to rule forever.
The Holy Spirit is described as the Helper and Guide who indwells every Christian at salvation, convicts of sin, intercedes in prayer, and produces the fruit of the Spirit as believers are conformed to the image of Christ. The Bible is taught as God's inspired, inerrant written Word and the final authority for faith and life.
Salvation is understood as a covenant relationship entered by placing trust in Jesus, with baptism by immersion described as the biblical response of obedience that illustrates the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The Church is presented as God's spiritual family, a body of believers of which Jesus is the Head. Elders serve as the overseers of each local assembly and the shepherds of its members. Marriage is taught as a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, with singleness described as an equally holy pursuit. Eternity is real and personal: those who follow Jesus spend forever with God in Heaven, while those who reject Him face eternal separation in Hell.
Wednesdays at "Journey to the Heart of Christ"
Midweek at Stonecreek centers on a study called Journey to the Heart of Christ, which meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. The hour is intentionally relaxed: a time of worship, prayer and Bible-centered study. The current series works through Journey of the Soul by Bill and Kristi Gaultiere, and the group has grown into the kind of community where members support one another spiritually and lift up each other's physical needs in prayer. Pastor Chris Fowler leads the study.
Men of Stonecreek
Men's ministry is built around three recurring rhythms. The Men's Bible Study gathers every Friday from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. and is led by Pastor John Beeman. The group is described as a space for spiritual growth, accountability, and authentic brotherhood, where men openly discuss faith, struggles and victories while working through Scripture.
Iron Sharpens Iron meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall for men who want to connect, encourage one another, and build relationships marked by honesty and accountability. Pastor Chris oversees this gathering. A Men's Breakfast brings the wider community together for food, worship, and practical teaching alongside men from Stonecreek and neighboring churches; the gathering rotates among host churches.
Women of Stonecreek
The Women's Ministry exists to help women know and follow Jesus through classes, events and shared fellowship. The Women's Bible Study meets on Tuesdays at 5:45 p.m. and walks through Scripture together, building relationships that encourage spiritual growth and everyday life with Jesus. A monthly Women's Breakfast, a Basic Bible Study hosted at Mike and Tina Phillips' home on alternating Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., and seasonal fellowship events round out the calendar. Elaine Sandberg leads the women's ministry, and Jayna Harris is a key contact for current studies.
Children's Church: Faith, Fun and Character
Children's Church welcomes kids ages four through twelve every Sunday morning. Children begin worship with their families in the auditorium and are dismissed just before the sermon. The program is built around two core pillars: hands-on Bible lessons that bring stories from Noah's Ark to the miracles of Jesus to life through engaging activities and games, and character building that focuses on traits like kindness, honesty, respect and resilience in a way kids can apply throughout the week. Elaine Sandberg directs the ministry and can be reached with questions.
Family Game Nights are scheduled periodically on Tuesday evenings as an all-ages fellowship opportunity, and the church also runs seasonal events such as a Back to School Blessing and Potluck and an Ohana Luau all-church fellowship meal.
Stonecreek Academy
The church shares its campus with Stonecreek Academy, a Christian preschool and early-learning program that operates alongside the congregation. The academy shares the address on Avenida De Las Banderas and is supported by the church's facilities team, with Tim Lee serving as Facilities Director for the broader church-and-school campus.
The Pastoral Team
John Beeman has served as Senior Pastor since 2012, after planting Cornerstone Christian Church in Mission Viejo and serving as a Family Life Minister and as Senior Pastor at two other California congregations. He also spent fifteen years as Campus Chaplain and Bible teacher at Saddleback Valley Christian Schools. A graduate of Abilene Christian University with a master's in marriage and family therapy, John grew up in Mexico as a child of missionary parents. He and his wife Melissa, the church's administrator, have been married since 1993 and have two adult sons.
Chris Fowler serves as Associate Pastor and also works as a military chaplain with the California State Guard. He focuses on guiding people toward spiritual formation through Scripture, prayer and practical discipleship, bringing a blend of biblical clarity, compassion and grounded wisdom to teaching and counseling. Chris and his wife Solina have been married since 2015.
Worship is led by Randy Kellerman and Jeff Harris. Randy, who grew up in Orange County and accepted Christ as a teenager, sees music as the language through which he most deeply connects with God. Jeff, a Mission Viejo native and electronics engineer who runs a small instrument-design company, previously served eleven years leading Saddleback's Separated Men's group, nine years leading worship at Saddleback's Overdrive venue, and five years as Worship Pastor at The Journey Church in Yorba Linda.
Amy Miura coordinates prayer for the church. Originally from Taiwan, Amy surrendered to Christ in her early thirties after watching her mother's example of daily prayer; she now serves as a steady prayer presence for the congregation. Elaine Sandberg directs Children's Church and the Women's Ministry, and the staff team is rounded out by Tim Lee as Facilities Director.
Generosity and Giving
Members and guests can give in three ways. Cash and checks can be placed in the lock box at the back of the sanctuary or mailed to the church office. Bill-pay gifts can be directed straight to the church's Avenida De Las Banderas address. Online giving is available through Subsplash.
Getting Connected
Beyond Sunday worship, the church's calendar is the main hub for what is happening each week. Members use an online pictorial directory through Instant Church Directory, accessed by app on a phone or tablet. The Connect page gathers prayer requests (kept either confidential to the pastors or shared with the prayer chain), requests to be added to the newsletter, volunteer sign-ups, membership inquiries and baptism requests in one place. A separate request prayer form is also available for anyone in the wider community who would like the prayer team to lift up a need.
Visitors who want to plan a first visit can find a friendly overview on the New Here page, and the church maintains active presences on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube so the broader congregation can stay in touch throughout the week.