Guideposts

What Guideposts does

Guideposts, legally organized as Guideposts a Church Corporation, is a nonprofit Christian ministry headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut, founded in the 1940s (firmographic data lists 1945). The organization publishes faith-based content across print magazines (Guideposts Magazine, Mornings with Jesus), annual devotionals (Walking in Grace Devotional 2026), Bible studies, fiction series (Secrets of Mary's Bookshop, Gift Shop Mysteries), non-fiction titles, and complementary lifestyle products including jewelry, candles, mugs, planners, and journals. Its digital footprint includes the guideposts.org e-commerce and content platform, the Abide Christian meditation app (5.5 million cumulative downloads, acquired in October 2021), and the Devoutly app.

The technology stack consists of a content management system, an e-commerce storefront, two mobile applications, and standard payment processing integrations (Stripe, PayPal, Chase Paymentech, Apple Pay, Google Pay) supported by Google Analytics. Physical products are distributed primarily within the United States and Canada through owned e-commerce and a dedicated fulfillment operation in Tipton, Iowa (mailing addresses), while eBooks are available globally where permitted. The organization maintains institutional outreach partnerships with hospitals, prisons, nursing homes, and veteran centers.

Guideposts monetizes through four streams: recurring magazine subscriptions (annual billing, ~$17-$24), one-time product sales via e-commerce, donations funding its ministry mission, and digital content/app revenue from Abide. It serves individual Christian consumers as its primary audience, with a secondary segment of institutional recipients of its outreach content. There are no disclosed financials, funding rounds, executive leadership profiles, or M&A activity beyond the 2021 Abide acquisition, and the organization operates as an independently governed Church Corporation without traditional ownership or external investors.

Name

Guideposts

Legal name

Guideposts a Church Corporation

Website

https://guideposts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Guideposts is a nonprofit Christian ministry publishing faith-based magazines, devotionals, books, and lifestyle products, operating the Abide meditation app and e-commerce storefront serving individual Christian consumers across the US and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Publishing and Faith-Based Media

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides) (MPAJAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Denominational & Community Periodicals (Church Magazines, Diocesan/Temple Newsletters) (MPAJAHAI), Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC), Religious & Spiritual Books Retail (CRALAAAE), Religious & Specialty Publishing Distribution (CRAOALAD)

Keywords

• Christian publishing
• Faith-based content
• Devotional publications
• Christian meditation app
• Inspirational books

Headquarters

HQ city

Danbury

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Direct sales of faith-based products including books, magazines, devotionals, jewelry, home décor, candles, and planners through the Guideposts e-commerce storefront. Products are sold as one-time purchases with occasional promotions and discounts.
2. Magazine Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from Guideposts Magazine, Mornings with Jesus, and other devotional publications with automatic renewal billing and delivery every 4-10 weeks.
3. Donations and Charitable Giving: Guideposts operates as a nonprofit Christian ministry that accepts donations to fund outreach programs including nursing homes, hospitals, prisons, and veteran centers. Donations are non-refundable and may be tax-deductible.
4. Digital Content and App Revenue: Revenue from the Abide meditation app including potential in-app purchases and premium content subscriptions for devotionals, prayers, and biblical meditations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Guideposts is a nonprofit Christian ministry that produces and sells faith-based content and products, including print magazines (Guideposts Magazine, Mornings With Jesus), devotionals, Bibles, Christian fiction and non-fiction books, jewelry, home décor items, and the Abide Christian meditation mobile app. The organization distributes this content through its e-commerce storefront, subscription fulfillment, and digital platforms, while funding outreach programs in nursing homes, hospitals, prisons, and veteran centers through donations and product revenue.

Product overview

Guideposts is a Christian ministry offering a multi-product portfolio centered around faith-inspired content. The core offerings include Guideposts Magazine and Mornings With Jesus Magazine (publications), the Abide Christian meditation mobile app with 5.5 million downloads, and Devoutly App. The product line extends to devotional publications (Walking in Grace, Rejoice in All Things), Bibles and Bible studies, fiction book series (Secrets of Mary's Bookshop mystery series, Gift Shop Mysteries, Chesapeake Antiques Mysteries), non-fiction titles on prayer and spirituality, jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, earrings), and home/gift items (candles, mugs, journals, planners). The portfolio is sold through the guideposts.org e-commerce store and supports donations to fund the ministry's mission of spreading faith, hope, and prayer.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Abide: Christian meditation app offering devotions, prayer, sleep stories, and Biblical meditations designed to bring peace and draw users closer to God. Claims 5.5 million downloads.

Products and services

• Guideposts Magazine The flagship inspirational magazine featuring faith-based stories, prayers, and positive living content, distributed by subscription with automatic renewal and home delivery every 4-10 weeks. Targeted at individual Christian readers seeking daily spiritual encouragement.
• Mornings With Jesus Magazine

Quantifiable outcome

• 5.5 million app downloads (Abide)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DaySpring: Christian greeting card and gift company (a subsidiary of Hallmark) producing faith-inspired cards, gifts, and home décor. Directly comparable to Guideposts' jewelry and home décor product lines targeting the same Christian consumer base.
• Thomas Nelson Publishers: Leading Christian book publisher (part of HarperCollins) known for Bibles, devotionals, and inspirational titles. Direct peer in the devotional publishing space with comparable product offerings and target audience.
• Our Daily Bread Ministries: Nonprofit ministry producing widely distributed daily devotionals across print, digital, and app channels. Comparable mission-driven nonprofit structure producing devotional content for broad Christian audiences worldwide.
• Zondervan (HarperChristian): Major Christian publishing imprint (a division of HarperCollins) producing Bibles, study resources, and Christian books. Competes with Guideposts in devotional and Bible study categories and operates a similar direct-to-consumer publishing model.
• Tyndale House Publishers: One of the largest Christian book publishers in the world, producing Bibles, devotionals, and faith-based fiction. Directly comparable to Guideposts as a faith-focused publisher with overlapping product categories including devotionals, Bibles, and Christian fiction.
• Crossway: Christian publisher of the ESV Bible and a wide range of Christian books and study resources. Overlaps with Guideposts in the Bible and devotional publishing space with a similar direct-to-consumer distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• CBD (Christianbook.com): Largest online Christian retailer offering Bibles, books, gifts, and church supplies across hundreds of thousands of SKUs. A broad incumbent serving the same Christian consumer purchasing devotionals, Bibles, and gifts that Guideposts produces.
• Hallmark: Major greeting card and gift company with a substantial Christian/faith product line through its DaySpring subsidiary. Overlaps with Guideposts' home décor, jewelry, and gift categories targeting faith-inspired consumers.

Others

• Calm: Leading secular meditation and wellness app with broad consumer appeal. Comparable to Abide in the meditation app category but operates in the general wellness market rather than the Christian niche.

Emerging players

• YouVersion (Life Church): The most popular digital Bible app globally with hundreds of millions of installs, offering devotional plans and faith content. Comparable to Abide as a digital faith platform with overlapping audience but different primary content focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/guideposts_org
• Facebookfacebook.com/guideposts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/guideposts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Guideposts