LifeWay Christian Resources

Name

LifeWay Christian Resources

Legal name

Lifeway Christian Resources

Website

https://lifeway.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Publishing and Ministry Resources

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Book Publishers (513130), Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers (424920)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources) (MPAJAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC), Religious Reference & Study Tools Publishing (Commentaries, Concordances, Lexicons) (MPAJAHAL), Faith & Religious Live Streaming Platforms (MPACACAK), Religious & Specialty Publishing Distribution (CRAOALAD), Religious & Spiritual Books Retail (CRALAAAE)

Keywords

• Christian publishing
• Bible study curriculum
• Church ministry resources
• Religious education materials
• Christian books

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical Product Sales: Sale of physical products including Bibles, Bible study books, Christian books, church supplies, and curriculum materials. One-time purchase model for individual items.
2. Digital Products: Sale of eBooks, digital Bible studies, video access, and digital curriculum downloads. Purchased individually or as part of study packages.
3. Autoship Subscriptions: Recurring subscription service for churches and individuals to receive regular deliveries of curriculum and ministry supplies. Offers 5% discount for billing account payments and 3% for credit card payments.
4. Bible Study Insider Box: Twice-yearly subscription box containing 10+ new Bible study books valued at $200+, delivered in May and October for $75 per box, includes $75 voucher toward next purchase.
5. Events and Camps: Revenue from Christian summer camps, ETCH NextGen Ministry Conference, women's events, and Disciple Now retreats. Includes registration fees and associated materials.
6. Shipping and Processing: Shipping fees based on order value tiers, with free standard shipping on orders $100+ through Equip & Save program. International shipping with additional $5 fee plus carrier costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

LifeWay Christian Resources publishes and distributes Bible studies, Christian books, Bibles, church supplies, Vacation Bible School materials, and digital curriculum for churches and individual Christians across all age groups. The company sells its products directly through lifeway.com, through an authorized dealer network of Christian bookstores, and via dedicated church accounts with autoship subscription fulfillment for quarterly curriculum distribution.

Product overview

LifeWay Christian Resources operates as a comprehensive faith-based publishing and curriculum company offering a multi-product ecosystem centered around Bible study materials and church ministry resources. The core portfolio includes three flagship curriculum brands—The Gospel Project (chronological Christ-centered studies), Bible Studies for Life (relatable discipleship pathway), and Explore the Bible (expository book-by-book studies)—each available for kids, students, and adults across both Sunday School and small group settings. Supporting these are digital platforms including Hyfi (digital curriculum), Ministry Grid (churchwide content management), smallgroup.com (study customization), and the Lifeway On Demand streaming app. The company also offers specialized demographic-focused products (Men's Bible Studies, Women's Bible Studies, Girls Ministry), youth-specific resources (TeamKID, Forged, True Love Waits, Disciple Now), Spanish-language content, devotional materials, Vacation Bible School programs, church ordering services, Autoship subscriptions, and the Bible Study Insider preview subscription. Additional offerings include Custom Church Resources for bespoke materials, eBooks, and worship media.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Gospel Project: Christ-centered chronological Bible study curriculum for kids, students, and adults.
• Explore the Bible
• Bible Studies for Life
• Hyfi
• Lifeway Students
• Lifeway Girls
• TeamKID
• MasterWork
• YOU Bible Study
• Lifeway On Demand

Products and services

• The Gospel Project

Quantifiable outcome

• Trusted by millions of believers across decades of ministry
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• David C Cook: David C Cook is a Colorado-based Christian publisher producing Bible study curriculum, Vacation Bible School, children's ministry, and worship resources for churches - directly comparable to LifeWay's core curriculum and VBS business.
• Group Publishing: Group Publishing offers Sunday school, small group, and children's ministry curriculum, plus leadership events and conferences, directly overlapping LifeWay's Group Essentials conferences and small group curriculum.
• B&H Publishing Group: B&H Publishing is the publishing arm of LifeWay's parent denominational ecosystem (Southern Baptist Convention), producing theology, Bible studies, and ministry titles that directly compete with LifeWay's catalog.
• Standard Publishing: Standard Publishing produces Sunday school curriculum, VBS, and children's ministry resources for Christian churches, competing head-to-head with LifeWay's Explore the Bible and Bible Studies for Life.
• Tyndale House Publishers: Tyndale publishes Bibles, Christian fiction, and non-fiction that compete directly with LifeWay's Bible and book retail, including the New Living Translation ecosystem.
• Moody Publishers: Moody Publishers produces Christian books, Bible studies, and ministry resources that overlap with LifeWay's MasterWork and adult Bible study catalog from a more doctrinal/evangelical angle.

Broad incumbents

• Thomas Nelson Publishers: Thomas Nelson (now part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing) is a major trade Christian publisher producing Bibles and books that compete with LifeWay's Bible and book sales, though it operates more broadly and not as a church curriculum specialist.
• Zondervan: Zondervan (also under HarperCollins Christian Publishing) is a major Bible and Christian book publisher that overlaps with LifeWay's Bible and book offerings across consumer and church channels.

Emerging players

• RightNow Media: RightNow Media is a streaming Bible study and training platform used by thousands of churches, competing directly with Lifeway On Demand and Ministry Grid for digital discipleship budgets.
• YouVersion (Life.Church): YouVersion is the world's most-installed free Bible app with plans, devotionals, and video content, representing the dominant free digital alternative to LifeWay's paid Bible study and devotional products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lifeway
• Facebookfacebook.com/lifeway
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/13391
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifeway

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about LifeWay Christian Resources