Three Sunday Mornings and a Café-Style Service
Swartz Creek Community Church sits at 7400 Miller Road, between Elms and Morrish Roads, where it has welcomed worshipers in this part of Genesee County for many years. Today the congregation continues a Methodist and Wesleyan heritage while operating under the name Swartz Creek Community Church. Three Sunday-morning services fill the morning in the main Sanctuary, entered through Door 2.
The day begins at 9:00 AM with Blended Worship, a service that mixes contemporary songs with traditional hymns under a praise band and choir. Teaching is biblically based and aimed at everyday life. At 9:45 AM the doors of Door 3 swing open for a second gathering called The Well, held in the HeBrews Café. The Well is a casual, simple-church service where music and a short message are presented around café seating. Quoting John 7:38 ("Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow within them"), the church describes The Well as a place where conversation and worship can happen in the same breath. At 11:00 AM the Sanctuary fills again for a second Blended Worship service, which is livestreamed on YouTube so members at home or traveling can join in.
Between those two blended services, at 10:00 AM, Sunday School is offered for every age. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade meet in the Faithville Wing. Middle and high schoolers gather for Youth Sunday School in Room 109. Adults choose from a handful of studies that rotate with the season - recent offerings have included Forgiveness with Keith Wolfgram, The Promise of Heaven with Theresa Ewald, and 1 & 2 Peter with Cindy Verhaeghe. The Well itself pauses for the Sunday School hour, then resumes afterward.
Faithville Children and the Nursery
The Faithville wing is built around the conviction that children should know God's love, grow in it, and then show it to others. Lessons are interactive, with art, science, games, and storytelling woven into each Sunday. During the 11:00 AM service, Pastor Dan calls the children forward for Children's Time before they head back to class.
For infants through age five, a staffed nursery sits at the east end of the building. Ushers will point families there or they can follow the yellow Faithville Nursery signs. The nursery is staffed by paid, background-checked workers trained in infant and child first aid, and the room is described as colorful, safe, and full of age-appropriate toys. Parents who want to stay with their little ones can use the Parents Room next to the Sanctuary, where the service is streamed and there is room for active play, diaper changes, and nursing. Grace Space is a small table at the back of the Sanctuary stocked with quiet toys and books, and Worship Bags filled with activity books, crayons, and fidget toys are available outside the Sanctuary doors for families on the go.
Fourth and fifth graders have their own program called The Bridge, which meets in the J.C. Theater room during the 11:00 AM service after Children's Time. Led by Melanie and Daniel Drake, The Bridge gives preteens a space of their own to dive into God's word, share ideas, and play games.
On Wednesdays during the fall, winter, and spring Mid-Week Grow Group sessions, Faithville Clubhouse opens for kindergarten through fifth grade with a free dinner at 5:15 PM and classes from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. Each week includes a lesson plus a snack, game, or craft. Nursery is available on request during those evenings.
SC-3 Youth and Living Way
Middle and high school students belong to SC-3 Youth. The group meets on Sunday mornings during the Sunday School hour for Youth Sunday School in Room 109, then gathers again on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, September through May, for fellowship, food, fun, and faith. Bible studies, mission trips, and simply being with one another are part of the rhythm.
Living Way is a second youth program that adds a different dimension to worship. Grades 5 through 12 come together on Sundays from 12:30 to 1:30 PM in the Faithville Wing to tell stories through song, sign language, and interpretative dance. The group is led by Felicia Gano. Practice for Living Way begins each September and runs through the school year.
The Music Ministry
Music is one of the most visible ministries of Swartz Creek Community Church, and four ensembles make it possible. The Kingdom Singers are a multi-generational choir that sings a mix of contemporary and traditional Christian music, performs at Landings of Genesee Valley, sings the Canadian and American national anthems at Flint Firebirds hockey games, and hosts the annual 100 Singers Concert that brings together choirs from around the Genesee area. The Bell Choir welcomes anyone who wants to make music; no audition is required and music-reading is helpful but not necessary. The Praise Band leads music in the main blended services, and a separate Praise Band leads worship at The Well.
Music reading is not required to participate, and the ensembles rehearse around the needs of their members. Anyone interested is invited to contact the church office to be added to a roster.
Discipleship, Bible Study, and the Prayer Watch
Discipleship classes form the backbone of adult formation. Disciple 1, led by Lucinda Brier, is a 34-week journey through the entire Bible from Creation to New Jerusalem. It meets on Mondays at 10:00 AM in Room 105, with a second Disciple 1 group meeting in the evening. Disciple 2 and Disciple 3 follow when a class is ready to continue. On Wednesday mornings, Pastor Dan leads Digging Deeper in the HeBrews Café, an in-depth study of the previous Sunday's sermon designed for small-group conversation. Prayer Watch gathers believers on Wednesday afternoons at 4:00 PM in the Prayer Room to intercede for the church, its members, and the turmoil in the world, modeled on Jesus' command in Luke 21:36 to watch and pray.
Three times a year the church offers Mid-Week Grow Groups, a short-term small-group program that meets on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM for six or seven weeks. Recent offerings include the Alpha Film Series, led by J.D. Landis, which explores the basics of Christianity with video and breakout discussion, and Meet Yourself in the Parables, led by Celina Bowman, a study of Warren Wiersbe's book on the parables as mirrors and windows. A free dinner is served in the gym at 5:15 PM before the groups begin, and Faithville and the nursery are open during the sessions.
HeBrews Café
The HeBrews Café is more than a coffee bar - it is a gathering place. Open Sunday mornings from 8:45 AM to 12:15 PM, it serves regular and decaf coffee, a variety of teas, hot chocolate, and water, along with donuts, homemade cookies, and other seasonal treats. Men gather there on Thursdays at 3:00 PM for a coffee hour, Digging Deeper meets there on Wednesday mornings, and many of the church's fellowship moments orbit the café. The café is also home to The Well Sunday service.
Men's Ministry
Men's Ministry at Swartz Creek Community Church is built around several recurring touchpoints. A Sunday Morning Men's Bible Study meets at 10:00 AM and relates biblical scripture to current events. On Thursdays at 3:00 PM, the Men's Coffee Fellowship Group meets in the café for coffee, donuts, and conversation. On the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, the men gather at Jamie's Place on Miller Road at 7:30 AM for the Men's Prayer Breakfast, with a Bible devotion and a meal together. Fundraisers for mission projects are a regular part of the rhythm, including the Chicken BBQ in spring and fall and the annual Christmas Tree Sales after Thanksgiving.
Women's Ministries
The SCCC Women's Group is the main women's ministry. Rather than a Bible study, it is a small-group fellowship using a tool called the IF Table, which provides questions designed to create opportunities for God to display His love through conversation. Groups meet once a month for two hours at a host's chosen location, September through May, and women interested in joining can contact the church office. The Ruth Women's Connection, an arm of the women's ministry, meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 1:15 PM in the serving room next to the kitchen, February through April and September through December. Its purpose is to know God as whole persons through Jesus Christ, develop a creative supportive fellowship, and expand community outreach through mission projects like ARK (Acts of Random Kindness) meals, Little Dresses for Africa, bake sales, and rummage sales.
Connect, Grow, Serve
Beyond the ministries with formal names, Swartz Creek Community Church runs a long list of Connect, Grow, and Serve groups that fill the week. Pickleball meets in the gym on most Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 to 11:00 AM; paddles are available to borrow and no experience is required. Monday Night Basketball runs from October through April, 6:00 to 9:00 PM, with seven-minute rotating games and halftime devotions, and a one-dollar minimum donation supports the church's annual mission. Friday Night Euchre meets in the HeBrews Café every other Friday from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, with cards provided and a snack to share. The Monday Night Church Group meets at Arby's at 5:00 PM for fellowship over a meal.
The Swartz Creek Community Food Basket
An interdenominational, non-profit food pantry called the Swartz Creek Community Food Basket operates out of the back of the church building, accessible through Door 6. It serves families within the boundaries of the Swartz Creek Community Schools, reaching out in God's love to meet everyday needs and working closely with existing agencies to offer hope. The pantry is open on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 5:00 PM and on Fridays from 10:00 AM to noon, and it closes whenever Swartz Creek Schools close for inclement weather; it does not open on the fifth Tuesday or Friday of a month. It is a cooperative effort of several Swartz Creek area churches and community groups, including St. Mary's.
Pasties, Chicken Dinners, and Annual Outreach
Swartz Creek Community Church has been making beef pasties for fifty years. Fresh pasties are made on the third Monday and Tuesday of each month from September through May, beginning at 8:00 AM and running through the early afternoon. Volunteers arrive at 8:00 AM, with help-wrapping starting at 10:30 AM; lunch is provided for the workers. Pasties cost eight dollars each while supplies last, and a vegetarian version is available by pre-order only; orders can be placed by calling the church office.
The Chicken BBQ, held twice a year, is one of the church's biggest fundraisers for mission programs, with a goal of selling 500 meals at twelve dollars each. Christmas Tree Sales begin the day after the holiday and run until the trees are gone, with weekday evenings from 4:00 to 7:00 PM and Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and the proceeds support missions in the church. The Carnival Workers Dinner, hosted in the gym the night before Swartz Creek Hometown Days, feeds and clothes the workers who make the festival possible. The church also partners with Meijer to host flu and Covid shot clinics in the Family Life Center, supports Little Dresses for Africa, sends Disaster Relief Supplies, and supports missionaries locally and globally.
Care, Prayer, and Acts of Random Kindness
Pastoral care runs through several ministries. ARK, Acts of Random Kindness, is a team that provides meals and transportation to people recovering from surgery, illness, or childbirth - typically three meals a week for two weeks, extendable if needed. The Care Committee is a team of adults who reach out in prayer and visits to those in serious health situations at home, in the hospital, or in care communities. Chemo Bags is a monthly ministry that assembles bottles of water, lip balm, tissues, lotion, coloring pages, mints, gum, colored pencils, puzzle books, and prayer cards for people going through chemotherapy at Genesys Hurley Cancer Institute and Karmanos Cancer Center in Flint; donations of supplies are welcomed at the church office. Communion is served the first Sunday of each month at both services, with a team preparing the elements.
Anyone can submit a prayer request through the church's prayer form on the Care and Prayer page.
Methodist Heritage and Beliefs
The church's beliefs are based on its Methodist and Wesleyan heritage and share a common connection with all Christians. Members confess belief in God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and hold in common with all Christians a faith in and through Jesus Christ, through whom they are forgiven and enter a personal relationship with God. The church believes in the activity of the Holy Spirit, both in personal experience and in the community of believers, through whom believers are made new. It holds that all persons should be baptized as they have opportunity and brought into church membership, and that the church is God's gift so that we may live out our lives as followers of Jesus with others. Members support the church through prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.
The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The vision describes a transformed people, empowered by the Holy Spirit, going into the world boldly professing God's word and showing the love of Jesus.
Plan a Visit
Worship is held at 7400 Miller Road in Swartz Creek, between Elms and Morrish Roads. Parking is available on site, and arriving about fifteen minutes before the service allows time to park and be seated. The dress is come-as-you-are; some attenders wear jeans and shorts, others prefer a more traditional church dress, and both are equally welcome. The Blended Worship services meet in the Sanctuary (Door 2) at 9:00 and 11:00 AM, with the 11:00 AM service livestreamed on YouTube. The Well meets at 9:45 AM in the HeBrews Café (Door 3). Nursery care for children up to age five is available at every Sunday-morning service in the Faithville Nursery at the east end of the building; Faithville for kindergarten through fifth grade meets at all three services; and youth in grades 6 through 12 meet Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Adult Education classes are held Sunday mornings from 10:00 to 10:45 AM, September through May.
The office is open Monday from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM and Tuesday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, and is closed Friday through Sunday. The phone number is (810) 635-4555 and the email is [email protected]. Giving is available online through Vanco, and the calendar of upcoming events can be viewed at sc-3.org.