One House on Stoney Creek Church Road
Stoney Creek Church sits about four miles north-northeast of Goldsboro, North Carolina, where Patetown Road (NC Highway 111 North) meets Stoney Creek Church Road. The congregation belongs to the Original Free Will Baptist tradition and has grown into a multi-building campus with three Sunday morning worship services, a weekday schedule of classes and small groups, and a full children, student, and adult ministry lineup.
The church describes its identity with three phrases: One House, United for His Glory; One Heart, Dedicated to Loving Others; and One Hope, That All People Will Encounter Jesus Christ. Lead Pastor Josh, a Goldsboro native and Campbell University Divinity School graduate, anchors a pastoral team that includes pastors Barry, Anderson Barnes, Walker, and Abigail.
Three Sunday Services, Two Styles of Worship
Stoney Creek is one church with two worship styles. At 8:30 AM and 9:45 AM, a contemporary service meets in The Pointe, the modern building at the rear of the main parking lot. A praise team and band lead with electronic keyboard, drums, and both electric and acoustic guitars. The 9:45 AM service is also livestreamed.
At 11:00 AM, the traditional service gathers in the Sanctuary, where a choir, special music, and hymns of praise set the tone. The same Bible teaching message is preached across all three hours. Both the 9:45 AM and 11:00 AM services are available online through the church's livestream.
Each service runs about an hour. First-time guests are encouraged to arrive 15 to 20 minutes early so a volunteer can help with check-in, but anyone arriving just in time will still be welcomed.
CreeKidz: Children from Birth Through Fifth Grade
CreeKidz is the children's ministry at Stoney Creek and is available during all three Sunday morning services. Its mission is to help kids connect to God, experience change in their lives, and contribute to the church, their community, and the world.
Nursery care is offered on the first floor of the Christian Education Center for newborns through two-year-olds, with separate rooms for babies (Birth to 18 months) and older toddlers (18 months to 2 years). A Mother's Room inside Room 118 provides rocking chairs, a changing table, and a quiet space for nursing moms. Preschoolers (ages 3 and 4) gather for large group at 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM, with small groups and Sunday School at 9:45 AM, learning three basic truths: God made me, God loves me, and Jesus wants to be my forever friend.
Elementary children (K through 5th grade) meet in The Stadium at 8:30 AM for a large group experience that uses the 252 Basics curriculum, with a monthly virtue, music, video, and live storytellers. Teams are grouped by grade (K/1, 2/3, 4/5). At 11:00 AM, kids ages 4 through 5th grade gather again in The Stadium for music and learning. Children are checked in at the CreeKidz Check-In Center using tablets, and each child receives a security sticker that must be presented at pickup.
Power Planet FX, the family worship experience, takes place on the second Sunday night of each month during the school year at 6 PM in The Pointe, with doors opening at 5:45 PM, a light supper at 6 PM, and the program at 6:30 PM. Vacation Bible School is held each summer for children ages 3 through 5th grade, with a Toddler and Me class for ages 18 months to 2 years alongside a parent or grandparent.
Emerge Students: Middle School, High School, and Young Adults
Students are served through Emerge, with Pastor Anderson Barnes leading the ministry. The purpose of Emerge is to love students and walk them through a relationship with Jesus Christ; the vision is to see students sharing the Gospel through word, example, and action.
All Emerge students meet each Sunday morning at 9:45 AM in Room 301 for a time in God's Word. Sunday nights include worship nights, small groups, parent and student nights, baptism nights, and special events like the Back-2-School Bash. A mid-week Bible study and hangout at The Pointe offers a relaxed recharge during the school year.
Elevation Adults and the Mid-Week Recharge
Elevation Adults is the ministry for adults aged 40 and up, organized into Ridge Runners (approximately 40 to 64), Pinnacle Partners (approximately 65 to 78), and Summit Saints (approximately 79 and over). Pastor Barry leads an Elevation Bible Study on Sunday mornings from 10 to 11 AM in Fellowship Hall, with donuts, hot coffee, and fellowship. The group also gathers for outings like the trip to Mt. Olive Pickle Parlor and Ribeyes Steakhouse and an Amtrak trip to Washington, DC.
Sunday mornings at 9:45 AM feature a wide slate of adult Bible Fellowship classes: AIM (Adults in Ministry), Charity, Crusaders for Christ, Good News, Koinonia, WORD Grow, and YAMs+ (Young Adult Ministries plus anyone young at heart). Senior adult classes include Friendship and Ambassador. A Faithful Foundations class for young adults meets at 11 AM at The Pointe.
Wednesday nights from 7 to 8 PM bring the church together for fellowship and Bible study for all ages, including nursery and preschool classes.
Women, Men, and Small Groups
Women's ministry at Stoney Creek connects ladies through Bible studies, events, and three monthly circles. The Alpha Circle, a group of senior adult ladies, meets the second Tuesday of each month at 2 PM in the fellowship hall. The Lamplighters Circle, open to ladies of all ages, meets the fourth Tuesday at 6:30 PM with a light meal. The Circle of Hope, mostly working women age 30 and up, meets the third Tuesday at 6:30 PM.
Men's Fellowship gathers on the fourth Saturday morning of each month at 8 AM at The Pointe (except July and August) for a home-cooked breakfast, fellowship, prayer, and a guest speaker. Men of Valor, a men's small group, meets the third Wednesday of each month from 7 to 8:30 PM at the fire pit in Bethlehem on the church property, with the theme verse Proverbs 10:17.
Music Ministry: Choir, Praise Team, and Band
Music is a central part of worship at Stoney Creek. The choir sings during the 11 AM Traditional service, offering a blend of traditional, southern gospel, and modern music. Kenny Causey directs the choir and welcomes new members. The Praise Team and Band lead worship at the 8:30 and 9:45 AM contemporary services in The Pointe under Contemporary Worship Leader Kaylin Honeycutt, who also serves as an Emerge Ministry Assistant and creates graphic design for Sunday morning content. Special music - solos, duets, trios, and instrumentals - is offered throughout the services.
Missions and Outreach: Caleb's Dollar Ministry, Operation Christmas Child, and Beyond
Stoney Creek ties its missions and outreach closely to its Original Free Will Baptist family. Caleb's Dollar Ministry, an outreach of OFWB International Foreign Missions, provides meals for more than 1,400 children in schools in Liberia and others in Guinea. Each fifth Sunday, the church collects a special offering for this ministry.
Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse, is a major effort each year. The church works to pack over 1,000 shoeboxes filled with toys, hygiene items, and school supplies, along with a Gospel Opportunity in the child's language. Volunteers can build their own boxes, donate items from monthly collection bins or an Amazon Wish List, join the OCC sorting and packing team, or give financially.
The church also supports Servant Hands, a ministry founded by the Zacharzuk family that strengthens Christ-centered ministries domestically and abroad by providing construction, maintenance, and building services. Where Love Abounds, a non-profit organization focused on bringing food to the hungry, freedom to the enslaved, and faith to the unbelieving, is another mission partner. Pastor Barry serves on the board of Where Love Abounds.
Stoney Creek Child Care (SC3)
The church runs Stoney Creek Child Care (SC3), a separate preschool ministry on the Stoney Creek campus. Katie became Director in the spring of 2023 and is pursuing her Bachelor of Applied Psychology, on top of an Associates in Early Childhood Education. The childcare center serves as a ministry of the church to families in the Goldsboro area.
What We Believe
Stoney Creek's beliefs include the authority of Scripture, the priesthood of believers, the general atonement of Christ, believers' baptism (only those who have professed faith in Jesus Christ can be baptized), separation of church and state, freedom of the individual under God, and a democratic form of church government. Salvation, the church teaches, comes by faith alone in the name of Jesus: the penalty for sin was paid in full when Jesus gave his life on the cross, and whoever believes on the Lord Jesus will be saved.
Practical Information for Visitors
Come as you are. Most people attend wearing business-casual attire, and the contemporary services tend to be the most casual; jeans are common, and suits and ties show up too. Loving childcare is available for newborns through second grade, and Bible classes are offered for third grade through fifth grade during all three services. Creek Kids care is available during all three Sunday services.
Giving can be done online, and the church operates a three-year Stewardship Journey called Building One House Together, supported by a 21-day prayer guide and a partnership with Christian Money Solutions for financial stewardship. Messages are archived on the church's YouTube channel for those who want to catch up on a recent sermon. The Church Center App puts calendar, prayer requests, and other information at members' fingertips.