From Sullivan's Island Chapel to Breach Inlet
Sunrise Church began in 1953 as Sullivan's Island Presbyterian Church, with a small membership that met at two locations mid-island before moving in 1976 to its present home overlooking Breach Inlet on the north end of Sullivan's Island. The relocation marked a kind of rebirth for the congregation, which took the name Sunrise Church and began building the identity it carries today. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo reduced the church's buildings to rubble. With faith and confidence, the members rebuilt, and the sanctuary that now anchors the congregation looks out over the marsh and the Atlantic Ocean.
The members affirm their trust in God's steadfast love, even in the face of life's uncertainties. From a fledgling chapel mid-island to the building the congregation occupies today, the faith and commitment of past generations laid a firm foundation. As a welcoming community, Sunrise describes itself as a place where everyone who wishes to belong can find a home. The congregation's stated mission is to ignite the dawn of new life in every heart, illuminating paths of hope, healing, and purpose through the transformative power of God's love.
The pastoral team is led by Rev. Dr. Vance Polley, who also teaches the adult Sunday School class. Breezy Baxley serves as the Middle School Youth Director; Matthew Parker is the Director of Music Ministries; Victor Apat leads the High School Youth Group; and Michele Smith serves as the Stephen Leader who coordinates the Stephen Ministry. Hannah Webster is the church administrator, and Charlotte Meredith serves as the web and design specialist and director of marketing.
Sunday Mornings at Ten
Two Sunday services share the 10:00 AM hour at the Sanctuary at 3222 Middle Street. The main 10:00 AM Worship service is described by the congregation as a truly lively and uplifting experience, marked by a sense of joy and community. Believers gather to celebrate their faith with heartfelt, expressive praise that includes the collective singing of songs and traditional hymns. Childcare is typically available for this service; anyone interested in more information about the nursery can email the church office.
The 10:00 AM Family Service is a separate, twenty-minute gathering designed especially with younger children in mind. It is housed in a specially designed children's chapel space on the second floor of the church, where parents and children experience the essential components of worship together, hear classic Bible stories, and learn how to pray the Lord's Prayer as a family. After the Family Service, children attend Sunday School until 10:50 AM, and parents are invited to enjoy coffee in the Fellowship Hall downstairs.
For adults who want to dig deeper before the service, an Intergenerational Sunday School class meets each week in the church library at 9:00 AM. The class is led by Dr. Vance Polley and works through a study of the Bible from Genesis through Revelation, exploring how the familiar stories and people of the Bible connect across the generations. Adults of all ages are invited to drop in any Sunday, and a Google Meet option is available for those who prefer to join from home.
Children: Creative Teaching in a Fun Space
Sunrise's children's ministry centers on the Family Service and the Sunday School hour that follows. The curriculum is specialized for Sunrise children so they can learn more about the Bible in fun and exciting ways. The team actively engages with the children and continually collaborates to create fresh ideas for sharing the love of Jesus. Crafts, games, and hands-on activities fill the Sunday morning experience, and the welcoming children's chapel on the second floor is purpose-built to make sure every young person feels at home. By middle school, the church is confident that children are ready to understand and appreciate the main 10:00 AM worship service alongside the rest of the congregation.
Youth Ministries: Middle School and High School
The Middle School Youth Group, for sixth through eighth graders, meets at 10:30 AM on Sundays and also gathers two evenings a month from 5:30 to 7:00 PM at the church. Evenings include a group devotional worship, games, time hanging out with friends, and a provided dinner, making it easy for working parents to fit youth group into the week. Breezy Baxley directs the program, and the Middle School Youth Group keeps its own Instagram account where updates, events, and photos are posted throughout the year.
The High School Youth Group, for ninth through twelfth graders, meets every Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM in the church library. A typical evening includes a meet and greet, a devotional time, dinner, and a rotating schedule of activities that have included beach bonfires, a night at the fair, and community service projects. Victor Apat leads the group, and friends are always welcome to come along. Together, the two youth groups form one of the most active parts of Sunrise's ministry to families on the island.
Small Groups, Bible Studies, and FEAST
Small groups are the heart of how Sunrise members build relationships beyond Sunday morning. The Jerry Dillon Men's Prayer Breakfast meets at 7:30 AM on Tuesdays, an early gathering at the church that doubles as a time for the men of Sunrise to contribute to many worthwhile projects at the church and beyond. Two women's Bible studies round out the regular small group offerings. The Women's Morning Bible Study meets the second Tuesday of each month at 10:00 AM in the Sunrise Library, with a study of the Bible that emphasizes how the familiar stories connect. The Women's Evening Bible Study meets the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 PM in person at the church, with a Zoom option for remote participants, and uses Paula Gooder's "Journaling the Psalms" as a study guide. Both groups welcome new members.
For adults looking for a more social gathering, FEAST - Fellowship Eating And Sharing Together - brings Sunrise members together once a month from September through June at members' homes or local restaurants. Sign-ups are available in the Narthex. FEAST is one of the most common ways newcomers get to know others in the church.
Stephen Ministry
Sunrise's Stephen Ministry is a lay caregiving program that pairs trained volunteers with people going through a crisis or challenge such as divorce, grief, the loss of a job, hospitalization, relocation, or loneliness. Stephen Ministers complete 50 hours of training before being matched with a care receiver, and the relationship typically continues for as long as the care receiver needs it. Stephen Ministers meet with their care receivers for about an hour each week, listening without judgment as the care receiver works through the emotional hurdles that accompany a loss or crisis.
Stephen Ministry is not a substitute for healthcare providers or home services; rather, it complements them, reflecting God's compassion for the community. Challenges commonly addressed include serious illness, the loss of a loved one, the loss of significant function, caring for a family member with long-term needs, divorce, and the loss of employment. Michele Smith serves as the Stephen Leader, and requests for a Stephen Minister can be made through the church office or through Pastor Vance Polley.
Music and Choir
Music sits at the center of worship at Sunrise. The Adult Choir leads worship during the 10:00 AM Sunday service and during special services throughout the church year, including the annual Community Sunrise Service at Easter and the Service of Shadows during Holy Week. Choir rehearsals take place on Wednesday nights from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. Anyone interested in joining is invited to contact Matthew Parker, the Director of Music Ministries. The blend of traditional hymns and contemporary expressions of praise that the congregation describes as joyful and uplifting is one of the defining rhythms of Sunday morning at Sunrise.
Mission Partners and Outreach
Sunrise extends its reach through an unusually broad network of mission partners supported by prayer, financial giving, and direct service. The church makes quarterly financial contributions to East Cooper Community Outreach and runs three grocery bag collections a year for the organization, along with the annual Souper Bowl of Caring collection that goes to East Cooper Meals on Wheels. Sunrise also supports Meals on Wheels through an annual contribution and an Angel Tree at Christmas, which is always filled with gifts for the program's clients.
The congregation has been part of Hands of Christ, a Presbytery-wide project that serves the basic needs of children in the Lowcountry as they begin a new school year, since 2004. Sunrise partners with Mt. Pleasant Habitat for Humanity through the church's Hope Fund and hands-on labor from members. The church supports My Sister's House, a nonprofit that empowers victims of domestic violence and their children; Florence Crittenton Programs of South Carolina, which serves pregnant and at-risk youth up to age 21; Thornwell Home for Children; and TriCounty Family Ministries, which provides food, clothing, medical care, counseling, transportation, shelter, and financial assistance to neighbors in need in the TriCounty area. The Presbyterian Hunger Program's 2¢ a Meal initiative and disaster relief efforts round out the congregation's regular outreach. Throughout the year, the congregation also contributes to several special offerings that benefit others in the church and around the world.
Each December, the church hosts a Live Nativity that draws the community together around the Christmas story. Visitors warm up with hot cocoa and cookies while children take part in crafts and activities, and the event has become a fixture of the holiday season on the island.
The Columbarium and Memorial Garden
The Sunrise Columbarium and Memorial Garden provide a sacred and peaceful final resting place on the church grounds overlooking the marsh. The garden is designed as a quiet, dignified space for personal worship, quiet contemplation, meditation, and prayer, with serene landscaping and views across the marsh. Memorial plaques are available for those inurned or interred elsewhere, and the garden is accessible at any time, serving as a constant reminder that in both life and death, all remain in God's loving embrace. Memorial gifts and donations to the Columbarium Fund support the construction and maintenance of the garden.
Weddings at Sunrise
Sunrise hosts weddings throughout the year for both members and non-members. The sanctuary overlooks the Atlantic Ocean at Breach Inlet, and the church's large Fellowship Hall can accommodate up to 150 guests for a reception or rehearsal dinner. A wedding brochure with details on planning a ceremony at Sunrise is available through the church, along with information on pricing and the application for a memorial plaque.
What Sunrise Believes
Sunrise is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), a denomination with roots in the Protestant Reformation. The congregation's stated values are lived out through the Great Commandment - loving God with all one's heart, soul, and mind, and loving one's neighbor as oneself - through hands-on ministry as an expression of faith, and through worship rooted in the hopes, fears, cares, and concerns that confront everyone. The unity of the congregation is built on the gospel of Jesus Christ and on the conviction that right relationship with God comes by grace alone through faith alone.
Sunrise's ministry is defined by the belief that each person is created in the image of God, and the church is dedicated to encouraging people from widely different backgrounds to recognize the ways that God is present in everyone's life. The congregation welcomes people from any denominational background and does not seek to label itself as liberal or conservative; the people who worship at Sunrise are diverse in their beliefs and backgrounds, and members are encouraged to simply be themselves and explore what it means to follow Jesus. Membership is described as a two-way sacred promise between those joining and the church itself, and a new members class offers the chance to ask anything about the church, though membership is not required to participate in the life of the congregation.
Dress is casual, and the congregation invites visitors to come as they are. The church's resources are available in both English and Spanish. Sunrise is located at 3222 Middle Street on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina.