Union Gospel Press

What Union Gospel Press does

Union Gospel Press, now operating under the LifeStone Ministries identity, is a privately held Christian publishing company headquartered in Medina, Ohio. The company produces Sunday School curriculum, the Illuminate Bible Series for homeschool families and Christian school classrooms (PreK-12), Amplify Christ small group studies, Bibles, books, and the Chronicles of Faith children's comic and coloring book line. Distribution is multi-channel: direct-to-consumer via an e-commerce website, Amazon, and sales-led outreach to churches and Christian schools, with a planned StoneWorx café and retail store at its new headquarters targeted for 2026.

The company has extended beyond traditional publishing into adjacent mission-driven products, most notably StoneWorx Coffee, a consumer coffee line that functions as both a revenue stream and a community-engagement channel. Internationally, the company operates in Uganda through the M28 Project (Ugandan Pastors Network) and has signaled planned expansion into India. Partnerships with organizations such as South Street Ministries, Brainy Pixel, and Mercy Ways support distribution and ministry-aligned outreach.

The business model is primarily subscription and per-unit sales of curriculum and book content to a diversified base of churches, homeschool families, Christian schools, small group ministries, and individual consumers. The company is small (11–50 employees), for-profit, privately held, and has no disclosed funding rounds, revenue figures, or AI/ML capabilities. Its strategic posture is best characterized as a heritage niche publisher broadening its product surface, channels, and geographic reach while maintaining a mission-driven brand identity.

Name

Union Gospel Press

Legal name

LifeStone Ministries

Website

https://uniongospelpress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Union Gospel Press (LifeStone Ministries) is a privately held Christian publishing company in Medina, Ohio that produces Sunday School curriculum, homeschool and classroom Bible series, small group studies, books, and a mission-driven coffee line for churches, homeschool families, and Christian schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Publishing and Religious Education Materials

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Periodical Publishers (513120), Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Children’s Publishing (Faith-Based Kids & YA) (MPAJAHAJ), Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources) (MPAJAHAD), Religious & Spiritual Books Retail (CRALAAAE)

Keywords

• Christian curriculum publishing
• Sunday school materials
• Bible study resources
• Christian educational publishing
• Mission-driven coffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sunday School Curriculum Sales: Quarterly and annual sales of Bible study curriculum for children, youth, and adults including teacher guides, student workbooks, and picture cards. Products are sold as individual quarterly issues or as 1-year subscriptions.
2. Bible and Book Sales: Sales of Bibles in various translations (ESV, KJV, NASB, NIV, NKJV) and Christian books for all ages, including study Bibles, devotionals, and parenting guides.
3. StoneWorx Coffee Sales: Sales of specialty-grade coffee products including Signature Blend and Ugandan Roast, with a portion of each purchase funding the M28 Project for radio discipleship in Uganda.
4. StoneWorx Coffee Subscriptions: Monthly subscription service for StoneWorx Coffee with 10% discount, free shipping, and quarterly impact reports. Subscribers automatically fund radios for Ugandan pastors.
5. Illuminate Bible Series Curriculum: Sales of the Illuminate Bible Series for homeschool and classroom settings, including guide books, student workbooks, and video lessons for PreK-12th grade.
6. Donations: Tax-deductible donations to support gospel-centered, Bible-rooted content for children, families, and leaders, with 100% of donations going directly to programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Union Gospel Press (operating as LifeStone Ministries) publishes and sells biblically sound Christian educational materials, including Sunday school curriculum for all ages, homeschool and classroom Bible curricula, small group Bible studies, Bibles, Christian books, comic books and coloring books, gifts, and a mission-driven specialty coffee line whose proceeds fund radio discipleship in Uganda. Products are offered both as individual units and as quarterly or annual subscriptions, distributed primarily through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront and through direct sales to churches, schools, and homeschool networks.

Product overview

Union Gospel Press, operating as LifeStone Ministries, provides a comprehensive portfolio of biblically sound Christian education resources. The core offerings include Sunday School Curriculum for Children (ages 4-11), Youth (ages 12-17), and Adults, available through quarterly or annual subscription plans. The Illuminate Bible Series serves both homeschool (PreK-12th grade) and classroom settings with a thematic approach exploring God's character across Scripture. Amplify Christ Small Group Studies offers 8 volumes of topical Bible study for discipleship. Additional products include Bibles in multiple translations, Christian books, comics and coloring books (including the Chronicles of Faith graphic novel series), gifts, and StoneWorx Coffee—a mission-driven coffee brand funding Ugandan pastor radio ministry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Amplify Christ: Small group Bible study series combining topical and expositional Bible study with strong discipleship focus.
• Illuminate Bible Series
• StoneWorx Coffee
• Chronicles of Faith
• Union Gospel Press

Products and services

• Sunday School Curriculum Biblically sound literature and media resources for Sunday school education across Children 4-11, Youth 12-17, and Adults, offered in quarterly issues and annual subscriptions. Sold to churches, Sunday schools, and families seeking theologically sound, age-appropriate curriculum.
• Curriculum Subscriptions Annual and quarterly subscription plans for Children's Studies (Ages 4-11), Youth Studies (Ages 11-17), and Adult Bible Series, providing automatic delivery of quarterly curriculum issues on a recurring basis.
• Amplify Christ Small Group Studies Eight volumes of topical and expositional Bible studies exploring key biblical topics and doctrines through interconnected Scripture passages, designed for small groups and discipleship ministries seeking in-depth study with a discipleship focus.
• Illuminate Bible Series (Homeschool Edition) PreK-12th grade homeschool Bible curriculum that takes deep dives into aspects of God's character through both Old and New Testaments, with guide books, student workbooks, and video lessons in 5 volumes. Designed so siblings in different grades can study the same passages simultaneously with age-appropriate workbooks.
• Illuminate Bible Series (Classroom Edition) PreK-12 Bible curriculum designed for Christian schools, co-ops, and classroom settings. Uses a five-step approach to weekly Scripture exploration and allows siblings in different grades to study the same passages simultaneously with grade-appropriate workbooks.
• Bibles Physical and digital Bibles in KJV, ESV, NASB, NIV, and NKJV translations, including study Bibles, large print, giant print, and pocket editions, sold to individuals, churches, and study groups.
• Books for All Ages Christian literature for all ages, including devotionals, parenting guides, Bible study resources, biographies, and theological works from various authors.
• Christian Comics and Coloring Books Comic books and coloring books for children featuring Bible stories, including the Chronicles of Faith series and Bible-themed activity books for Sunday school and homeschool use.
• Chronicles of Faith: David Full-color comic book series telling the Biblical story of David through graphic novel format, available in multiple issues, Spanish editions, and a deluxe compilation edition.
• Gifts Christian-themed gifts including journals, Bible covers, and accessories featuring Scripture verses and inspirational designs, sold to individuals and given as gifts.
• StoneWorx Coffee Specialty-grade coffee sold in Signature Blend, Ugandan Roast, and pod varieties, with proceeds funding the M28 Project equipping Ugandan pastors with radios, training, and discipleship materials. Offered as one-time purchases and as a monthly subscription with impact reports.
• Letters from Downstream Paperback book by Jim Musser addressing discipleship practices designed to prepare young people for maintaining and spreading their faith during the college years.

Quantifiable outcome

• One bag of StoneWorx Coffee ($16.50) funds 4+ minutes of radio discipleship in Uganda
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• South Street MinistriesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2025Local mission partner that equips and inspires the restoration of community, part of LifeStone's local missions initiatives in Medina, Ohio area.
• Ugandan Pastors NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrained pastors in Uganda receive radios through the M28 Project, enabling them to broadcast biblical teaching to villages. These pastors agree to a clear statement of sound doctrine before being equipped. The partnership trains pastors in Namatumba, Uganda, and provides radios placed directly in trained pastors' hands for year-long doctrine training.
• Mercy WaysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in producing the Chronicles of Faith: David comic book series, contributing to creative content development.
• Brainy PixelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in producing the Chronicles of Faith: David coloring books, providing artistic content for children's biblical engagement materials.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• David C Cook: David C Cook is one of the largest evangelical Christian curriculum publishers in the US, producing Sunday school, VBS, and children's ministry materials that directly compete with UGP's Christian Life Series and Illuminate offerings to the same church and homeschool customer base.
• Group Publishing: Group Publishing is a major producer of Sunday school, VBS, and children's ministry curriculum serving the same church customer segment as Union Gospel Press, with overlapping product categories including children's Bible studies and small group resources.
• Regular Baptist Press: Regular Baptist Press publishes independent Baptist Sunday school curriculum and Bible study materials that directly compete with UGP's quarterly curriculum in the conservative Baptist and non-denominational church market.
• Gospel Light: Gospel Light publishes Sunday school and children's ministry curriculum serving the same evangelical church segment, with overlapping formats including quarterly student books, teacher guides, and take-home papers.

Broad incumbents

• Lifeway Christian Resources: Lifeway is the publishing and retail arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, producing Bible study curriculum (e.g., Explore the Bible), Bibles, and Christian books across a much broader portfolio that overlaps with UGP's adult Bible study offerings.
• Crossway: Crossway is a major evangelical Bible and Christian book publisher (ESV translation) that competes with UGP on Bible sales and study resources, but operates at significantly larger scale as a broad publisher rather than curriculum specialist.
• B&H Publishing Group: B&H Publishing (LifeWay's trade division) publishes evangelical books, Bibles, and study resources that overlap with UGP's Bible and book offerings while serving a broader retail and academic market.
• Concordia Publishing House: Concordia Publishing House is the publishing arm of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, producing Sunday school curriculum, Bibles, and hymnals that partially overlap with UGP's curriculum and worship resource offerings in a denominational context.

Emerging players

• The Spark Creative Group: Spark Creative is a smaller Christian children's ministry curriculum producer offering Sunday school and mid-week materials, representing an emerging competitor in the same Sunday school publishing niche UGP serves.
• Wonder Ink: Wonder Ink produces family-equipping children's ministry resources and take-home sheets for churches, partially overlapping with UGP's Children's 4-11 curriculum in the take-home family discipleship category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@LifeStoneMinistries
• Facebookfacebook.com/UGPCleveland
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifestone_ministries_
• Xx.com/ugpcleveland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-incorporated-trustees-of-the-gospel-worker-society

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&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Union Gospel Press