Visiting a new church can be a little scary and overwhelming. We invite you to explore the options below to make your visit something to look forward to.
We are here because of the good news of Jesus Christ.
We are sinners who have been rescued from sin by Jesus Christ. Though we have different backgrounds, ethnicities, opinions, and personalities, we find commonality in the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We gather each week to worship the one true God revealed in the Bible. We're grateful for the privilege He has given us to worship, live, and serve in our local community.
We rely on God's grace to give us true unity to function together as one body in Jesus Christ, submitted to the Word of God and committed to living that Word out in our daily lives.
Who We Are
Our Spiritual Philosophy
Characterized by grace and truth, Hunters Creek Community Church (H3C) endeavors to actively, faithfully, and truthfully represent The Lord Jesus Christ in Lapeer and its outlying communities.
Our Ministry Philosophy
In obedience to The Lord (Mat. 28:19,20) we labor to share the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:3,4) with our community, our country, and the world by way of local and foreign missionaries.
Our Philosophy of Growth
In an effort to develop God’s people, we purposefully mentor and disciple God’s people according to biblical truth and principles as well as providing opportunities to serve The Lord locally and abroad.
What to Expect
We’ve created this section of our website to give you an idea of who we are and to help make your visit with us a pleasant experience.
We know that choosing a home church is an important decision which can be difficult. You may be looking for a place to develop life-long friendships and relationships, or for Biblically-based messages addressing issues relevant to concerns in your life, or maybe you are looking for a church that has ministries for everyone in your family.
Whatever your purpose, we believe we can be an encouragement to you and your family no matter where you are in life’s journey. If you are looking for a church family, we warmly invite you to join us for one of our services. We would love to have the opportunity to meet you and get acquainted.
What to Wear
We like to ask, “what did the 1st Century congregations wear?“ We have a diversity of people attend our services and are thankful for a congregation with a variety of dress. You'll find anything from very casual jeans and t-shirts to polos and slacks to suits. We encourage you to dress comfortably and conducive to your heart’s desire to worship God.
Sunday School—9:15 a.m.
It's easy to say “we’ve got something for everybody.” In a sense we do. Yet, we continually find ages or stages of lives that can be better addressed within our Sunday school program. More than likely though you’ll find a comfortable spot immediately.
Sermon
The sermon is the apex of our service as well as our week. Pastor Dale often says “the 11 o'clock hour is the most important of our week.” The sermon style is Expositional (the systematic bringing out of the meaning of the text). This style causes us to learn the Word as well as be encouraged and challenged by it.
Evening Service
In the evening, at 6 p.m., we review the morning message. We’ve found that many learn a great deal more from this time and really enjoy the review.
Children
People often say “Children are the future of the Church.” We believe they are part of the church now. Therefore we endeavor to care for them now and also prepare them for future roles. Our philosophy of education is centered on that. From nursery to Jr. Church to Youth Group, we’ve got it covered.
Worship Service—10:30 a.m.
We take the worship service very seriously. That's why we intentionally have announcements at the beginning of our service then kick off the worship with a reverential reading of Scripture, followed by several songs - traditional and contemporary (all intended to foster an atmosphere for worship, not drum up emotion) - The conclusion of the service often gives a time of personal response as well as Baptisms, dedications, or other special events as needed.
After the Service
We encourage people to enjoy each other's company in the foyer as long as you wish.
Meet the Team
Dale Gooding
Pastor
Pastor Dale is a graduate of Bob Jones University who earned his Masters of Ministry. He previously earned a Bachelor's in Theology from Tabernacle Baptist College. Prior to coming to Hunter’s Creek Community Church in 2019, he served as a Senior Pastor for over 17 years and an additional 10 years as an Assistant Pastor. He also served our country in the United States Army for almost 8 years.
Joel Caminiti
Associate Pastor
Pastor Joel is a graduate of Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music. Currently he oversees our music ministries, youth ministries, and is actively interested in congregational care.
What We Believe
Our Philosophy of Ministry
We seek to be Word-driven and Christ-centered.
The Word of God governs our life, and we believe the Bible points to Jesus Christ. The Bible is God's written Word — His communication to us of who He is, what He does, and what He expects of us. The Bible alone holds the authoritative answers to the questions of life and eternity. The written Word is a reflection of the Living Word, Jesus Christ. It is our reliable, sufficient rule for faith and practice.
We seek to be timeless in our message.
Because we believe the gospel is central and that our church life should be governed by the Word of God, we practice expository, Christ-centered preaching. We strive to make our message accessible to everyone, while still preaching the full counsel of God. Our message is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We seek to share this message compassionately with the hurting to make a difference in our community, while also engaging in committed missions efforts throughout the world.
We seek to be relevant in our vision.
We believe that the Bible is relevant and contains everything we need to face the problems of life today. We are ordinary people who submit to the work of God in our hearts to change us to become more like His Son, Jesus. We desire to change, not because we thereby gain favor with God, but because we desire to grow in our love for Him.
Statement of Faith
The Bible
We believe the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, to be the Word of God, to be verbally and completely inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error in the original writings, and to be the only rule and authority for faith and practice. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21)
God the Father
We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He hears and answers prayer and that He saves from sin and death. (John 3:16; Ephesians 4:6; I Timothy 6:13-16)
The Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and regenerates, indwells, enlightens, comforts, and empowers the saved. (John 16:7-8, 13-15)
Man
We believe that man was created in the image of God. Through man’s sin, he was separated from God, becoming spiritually lost and needing to be born again. (Genesis 1:26-27; John 3:3; Romans 5:15
Eternal Security
We believe that every true believer is assured of his eternal security in Christ Jesus and is kept by God the Father. (John 10:27-29; Philippians 1:6)
The Church
We believe that the church of Jesus Christ is composed of all born-again believers. As believers, we are called to live lives pleasing to the Lord and to abstain from practices which grieve Him. The local church has the absolute right of self-government in administering all matters pertaining to the congregation.
Future Events
We believe in the personal, pre-millennial, and imminent return of the Lord to rapture the believers prior to the Great Tribulation. After the Great Tribulation, our Lord Jesus Christ will return in person with His church and introduce the millennial age. There will be eternal punishment for the unsaved and eternal joy in the presence of the Lord for the saved. (Matthew 25:46; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 19:11; 20:3)
Gender, Sexuality, and Marriage
We believe that God intentionally and immutably creates each person in His image as either male or female. These two distinct and complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. We believe that God’s plan and design for human sexuality is that all forms of sexual intimacy, expression and activity are to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and the use of pornography) is sinful. We believe that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union. (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:18-25; 19:1-29; Matthew 15:18-20; 19:1-11; Romans 1:18-32; I Corinthians 6:9-10, 18-20; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4)
The Trinity
We believe in the one true God who is eternally and equally existent in three persons: God the Father; God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit. (John 10:30; II Corinthians 13:14; I Peter 1:2)
Jesus Christ
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived of the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension, and visible return to earth. (Matthew 1:20-21; Acts 1:9-11; I Timothy 2:5-6)
Creation
We believe the account of Genesis of a six, twenty-four hour, day creation, and that man came by direct creation of God and not by evolution. (Genesis 1-2; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17)
Salvation
We believe that salvation is by grace alone, by believing in and accepting Christ as personal Savior. Salvation is only through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9)
Satan
We believe that Satan is a real personal being and the accuser of the brethren. He is the unholy enemy of God through rebellion. This author of sin and tempter of wickedness is destined to be judged in the eternal lake of fire. (Isaiah 14:12-15; John 8:44; Revelation 20:10)
The Ministry & Spiritual Gifts
We believe that God bestows various gifts on all believers for the work of the ministry and that the gifts mentioned in Romans 12:6-8 and in Ephesians 4:11 are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today. We reject the undue emphasis on speaking in tongues and healing as taught by many groups today, believing that all things should be done for edification (I Corinthians 14:26) and that God is not a God of confusion (I Corinthians 14:33). We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith for the sick and afflicted, according to his own will, and that James 5:14-16 gives a pattern for prayer in regards to the sick.
Ecumenism
We believe that, even in the effort of evangelism, we should not be yoked together with theological liberals and other groups that do not, in words or in fact, share our doctrinal position based upon God’s Word. (II Corinthians 6:14-17; Ephesians 5:11; I Timothy 6:3-5; I John 4:1-6; Revelation 2:1-8) We reject the ecumenical movement, which seeks the organizational unity of all Christianity and ultimately of all religions. It is out of harmony with the Word of God and the official doctrine and position of Hunters Creek Community Church.
Sanctity of Human Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of immeasurable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7; Exodus 4:11; 20:13; 21:22-25; Psalm 51:5; 82:2-4; 127:3; 139:13-17; Proverbs 24:11-12; Isaiah 44:24; 45:9-11; Jeremiah 1:4-5; Matthew 6:26; Luke 1:41-44)